{"id":91650,"date":"2025-03-26T10:59:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T17:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=91650"},"modified":"2025-04-09T14:00:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T21:00:31","slug":"altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence\/","title":{"rendered":"Altar\/Alter Balances Ritual and Irreverence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt aligncenter wp-image-91671 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-1200x598.jpg\" alt=\"Wide view of the exhibition Altar \/ Alter, featuring mixed-media sculptures, wall text introducing the show and artists, and a central hanging installation composed of natural and textile materials.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"598\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-1200x598.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-350x174.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-768x383.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-1536x766.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3378-2048x1021.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">As part of NCECA, the Visual Arts Institute hosts <i>Altar\/Alter<\/i>, a group show that explores themes of transformation, ritual, human experience and the evolving nature of belief. The exhibition dances between the sacred and the playful, inviting viewers to reconsider objects, materials and personal meaning.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">At its core, the show reimagines what an altar can be\u2014not simply a place of devotion but a site of questioning, memory and cultural remix. Across media and approach, these artists alter familiar symbols, creating unexpected relationships between permanence and decay, reverence and irreverence.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Colour Maisch\u2019s relics suspend bone-like objects, humanoid forms and ephemeral textures in vibrant resin forms. Hot pinks and smoky charcoals elevate these objects beyond traditional ceramics, making them feel fossilized yet contemporary, both decayed and preserved, inviting reflection on what remains and what is lost, what is internal and external.<\/h4>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-91650 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence\/img_3382\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-350x467.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Close-up of two textured black and white organic forms resembling charred wood or geological fragments, encased in clear resin blocks.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-91672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-350x467.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3382-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-91672'>\n\t\t\t\tColour Maisch\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence\/img_3413-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-350x467.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Detail view of a geometric hanging sculpture composed of interlocking white floral lattice shapes with blue and green insets, connected by metal rings.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-91674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-350x467.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3413-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-91674'>\n\t\t\t\tDara Hartman\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-91650 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence\/img_3407\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-350x467.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A group of ceramic vessels on a wooden table, with two central bottles featuring sculpted and painted religious icons in gold, black, and terracotta tones, displayed on a red platform.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-91676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-350x467.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3407-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-91676'>\n\t\t\t\tPriscilla Stewart\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/altar-alter-balances-ritual-and-irreverence\/img_3418-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-350x467.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"View looking upward at a ceiling installation made of wooden structures, twisted fibers, and wool-like materials suspended from rafters in an intricate hanging form.\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-91677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-350x467.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3418-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-91677'>\n\t\t\t\tHeather Couch\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Dara Hartman\u2019s hanging dogwood forms are delicate yet powerful. Once symbols of subservience from her upbringing, they have been transformed into emblems of empowerment and voice. The glazes and intricate forms float weightlessly, encouraging us to look close and collectively encircle it to experience its size and delicacy. Her flower totem encourages viewers to reflect on how symbols in our own lives evolve with time and experience.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Priscilla Stewart\u2019s works draw on the ornamentation and symbolism of Minoan art, offering playful and satirical takes on material culture. Her ceramic tents, complete with Black Diamond logos, humorously elevate the everyday into artifacts of exploration and leisure. These pieces strike a balance between historical reverence and lighthearted commentary.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Heather Couch\u2019s sprawling, suspended installation hangs curiously in the center of the room. It appears almost like it grew onto the ceiling and is crafted from wool, yarn, wood, and ceramic. Enveloping us, her piece expresses both the complexity and the chaos of perspective, resembling a spider web of thought that invites us to shift vantage points and embrace the messiness of understanding.<\/h4>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<div id=\"attachment_91673\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91673\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91673 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-1200x638.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"638\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-1200x638.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-350x186.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-1536x817.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3399-1-2048x1089.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91673\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heidi Moller Somsen<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Heidi Moller Somsen\u2019s sculptural installations bring an intimate sense of protection and maternal strength. Using ceramic, window frames, climbing rope, and tile, she creates work that feels like both home and shelter, asking viewers to consider the world we build for future generations. Her pieces feel architectural yet deeply personal, with fractured forms and open frames allowing us to peer into layers of care and resilience.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">Carla Potter\u2019s porcelain sculptures offer biting humor and irreverence. Figures in underwear sit on gold bricks, smoke cigarettes, and revel in joyfully mundane acts. The figurines evoke a nostalgic feel with a nod to our own narrative.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Titles like &#8220;<i>Good as Gold&#8221;<\/i> challenge notions of worth, subverting porcelain\u2019s preciousness with scenes of casual indulgence and carefree humanity.<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><i>Altar\/Alter<\/i> is a show that asks us to reconsider what is sacred, whether it\u2019s relics, rituals, relationships or laughter and reminds us that transformation often lives in the in-between. Each artist alters material, meaning, and expectation, offering us new altars upon which to place our changing beliefs.<\/h4>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<div id=\"attachment_91675\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-91675\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt wp-image-91675 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"Ceramic sculpture of a seated man and woman on a gold block, both semi-nude with red-painted toenails, the man with a cigarette in his mouth and the woman laughing with a cigarette in hand.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-350x263.jpg 350w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-91675\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carla Potter<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>Altar\/Alter<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/visualartinstitute.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visual Art Institute<\/a>, South Salt Lake, through April 18.<\/p>\n<p>All images courtesy of the author.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of NCECA, the Visual Arts Institute hosts Altar\/Alter, a group show that explores themes of transformation, ritual, human experience and the evolving nature of belief. The exhibition dances between the sacred and the playful, inviting viewers to reconsider objects, materials and personal meaning. At its core, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1626,"featured_media":91675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,4688,14],"tags":[4705,1467,1438,4706,274,4707],"class_list":["post-91650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibition_reviews","category-nceca","category-visual_arts","tag-carla-potter","tag-colour-maisch","tag-dara-hartman","tag-heather-couch","tag-heidi-moller-somsen","tag-priscilla-stewart"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3423-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-24 10:08:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1626"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91650"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91680,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91650\/revisions\/91680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}