02 December 2010, at Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

David S. East is Chairman of the Ceramics Department at MICA the Maryland Institute College of Art, in Baltimore. He does ceramic sculptural pieces that range from modest wall hangings to large installations. His work involves a number of different techniques including slip casting and slab building. David also does work with other materials.

This demonstration was a sampling of press molding using a cavity mold and also using a form composed of several sections which could be rearranged to produce a variety of shapes. The work used very meticulous handbuilding and of necessity in the limited time available was limited in size and scope, but gave viewers a good insight into the process.

Ye Olde Photographer cannot begin to do justice to describing the philosophy and inspiration that lies behind David's work. He is interested in the growth and effects of suburban living on society and his pieces often develop from extremely abstract visions of architecture and the environment. He also uses an assortment of computer design and graphics applications in developing his pieces. His background includes experience with construction and he obviously has significant skills in language and technology. Some of his past work included mapping, using sets of collected data to determine colors or other aspects of pieces. It becomes apparent that the work has deep roots in multiple disciplines. In addition, David comes across as a very down-to-earth, friendly personality who would no doubt be an inspiring mentor for those who can partake of the opportunity.