A sharp wit combined with a sophisticated technical handling, Matt Merkel-Hess' body of work can do no wrong.  His sculptures of common "container" vessels (a 5 gallon bucket, a 10 gallon trash can, a milk crate) accentuate how an everyday object can be smartly tranformed into something very far from the original.  His utilitarian series of wheelthrown and handmade ceramic vessels is created under the label MerkelWare.