University Park, Pa. -- Andy Brayman, ceramic artist and founder of Matter Factory, will give a free public lecture at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium in the Palmer Museum of Art on Penn State's University Park campus. The Penn State School of Visual Arts' John M. Anderson Visiting Artists and Scholars Lecture Series are sponsoring Brayman's lecture.
Brayman received a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Kansas and master of fine arts from New York State College of Ceramic Art at Alfred University. After teaching in New York and Vermont, he moved to Kansas City, Kan. In 2005, he started the Matter Factory, which serves as a laboratory, launching pad and factory for his distinctly 21st-century version of studio pottery. One of his best-known pieces is the "Gold-Lined Cup with Concealed Decoration." The porcelain cup has text concealed beneath a 23k gold glaze. The cup has to be frequently used for the gold to wear away to reveal the hidden text message. Throughout his career, Brayman has focused on taking traditional domestic ceramic objects and reinventing them through the manipulation of form, design and craftsmanship. The final piece can be functional, sculptural or purely decorative. For more information, contact Ann Shostrom at ams26@psu.edu.