SATURATION POINT

About the Exhibition

Saturation Point is an exploration of melanin, the source of pigmentation that is responsible for the phenomenal spectrum of human skin. These sculptural works portray familiar yet dominant objects that exude large bodily masses of swollen and spilling color gradient. In response to societal implications of power and oppression, these sculptures display symptoms of an overextended and strained physicality. Chosen for the universal associations to the body, red iron oxide oozes from the ceiling, cascading down the wall to form puddles on the floor. The intention of this mise-en-scene is to incite a visceral empathy where the audience can feel an inclusive relatability. Saturation Point strives to affirm that human resiliency surpasses social constructs and laments how messy and precarious the process can be.

About the Artist

Working for over fifteen years, Alison Petty Ragguette has developed an expansive approach to making sculptural objects in porcelain, glass, and rubber. She has studied at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London (England), received her BFA from Concordia University (Montreal), and MFA from the California College of the Arts (San Francisco). She is currently a Professor of Art and Associate Chair at California State University, San Bernardino.

Alison’s work has been included in national and international exhibitions, including her most recent solo exhibitions at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona), the International Museum of Surgical Science (Chicago), Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (San Bernardino) and Objct Gallery (Pomona). She has exhibited at venues including Durden and Ray (Los Angeles), the Architecture and Design Museum (Los Angeles), The Contemporary (Austin), and international venues including the Galleria De Los Oficios (Santiago de Cuba), Shanghai University Art Gallery (China), and Harbor Front Center (Toronto). She has also been commissioned for multiple public artworks.

Alison has been a resident artist at the Taller Cultural in Santiago de Cuba, Jingdehzen Pottery Workshop in China, and the Purosil Rubber Company in Corona, California. Her work has been highlighted in several art publications and textbooks, including Ceramics Monthly, LA Art Week and Artillery Magazine. Alison has been supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles. Alison maintains an active studio where she lives with her family in Claremont, California.