Ceramics Now!

29 April - 22 May 2010

The ongoing debate between fine art, studio and craft art within ceramics has in recent years been a focal point. Several ceramic and craft symposiums have examined the position in New Zealand today. (1)

While the 2008 exhibition Raising Boys curated by Lucy Hammonds examined 'the points of connexion and disparity between five related artists' (2), the selection for the 2009 Portage Ceramic Awards marked a definitive departure from previous years, 'engaging with the larger and more complex world of Contemporary Art.'(3) Most noticeable was the 'emphatic absence of utilitarian work in this exhibition.'(4)

Ceramics Now! Is not an attempt to thrash out this now well worn theme. It is instead, a celebration of the diverse philosophy, aesthetic and technique within New Zealand's ceramic practice.

The relationship between form, aesthetic and function are fundamental to Chris Weaver who demonstrates the subtle beauty, simplicity and utility of domestic vessels such as the ubiquitous teapot, platter and lidded condiment jar.

In direct contrast, Andy Kingston's distinctive earthenware dishes brashly proclaim humorous and often irreverent messages from a contemporary perspective. With detailed and highly worked surfaces, his wall hung installations are a fragmented form of communication or narrative.

Lee Houlihan (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Arawa, Pākehā) utilises unglazed paper clay with an embossed surface and harakeke. Her Saw and Peg installations are an exploration of so called post-colonial narratives where the artist investigates themes involving our histories, assimilation, mixed heritage Māori/Pākehā identities and bi-cultural relationships here in Aotearoa.

Rich in historical context, the authenticity and detail of Robert Rapson's vehicles, combined with his characteristic loose handling of the clay medium makes for eccentric and original pieces.

Kate Fitzharris’ figurative dolls made from ceramic, cloth and found materials, have an endearingly anthropomorphic quality. Owls, rabbits and other quirky creatures form the body of this series, each with a distinct personality and narrative.

For Cheryl Lucas clay is both a surface and a form; two and three dimensional. Lucas conveys ideas predominantly through the vessel form extending her visual vernacular further through painterly surface imagery.

Katie Gold's boat and bowl forms have a distinctly New Zealand flavour. Characterised by rich and vibrant coloured glazes, the artist is inspired by historical and geographical references. She layers, wraps and textures her vessels to create unique and inspiring pieces.

Madeleine Child's recent work has focussed on the guilty pleasures of junk food. Sticky treats become sculptural monuments glorious in colour and scale. In shades of mint, lemon and strawberry, the sweet candy colours of Zekiah Heath's vessels provide an off beat approach to the functional bowl and vase form.

Carol Brent's switch series are a humorous veneration of the domestic or mundane. Each switch, plug or socket is deliberately constructed 'not quite right', through which Brent constructs a commentary on the domestic relationships between people (both good and bad).

Philip Jarvis' large scale brushes own the same humorous 'not quite right' outlook. Taking utilitarian objects, often undervalued for their purpose, Jarvis displays comic genius in his elevated beautification of the humble toilet brush!

(1) The Volume Symposium at Hawke's Bay Musuem, 2008 being perhaps the most significant of these.
(2) Lucy Hammonds, 'Synchronised Swimming In The Sea Of Indifference', Upstarts: knowledge and change in clay, Hawkes Bay Museum and Art Gallery, 2008, p6.
(3) Scott Chamberlin, 'A Small Segment of a Larger Ceramic Comminity', The Portage Ceramic Awards, 2009, p3.
(4) Ibid

Event listed by gallerythirtythree

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