FEATURE october 1997 / planet of the arts 13 by Rebecca Christofferson eramics has an identity problem. The scope of cerami- cists’ exploration of their medium — and the ways in which ceramics art is viewed by the public — are strongly affected and often curtailed by presupposed limitations. The idea of clay only being useful in making functional ware is so strong and restrictive a stereotype that ceramicists dedicate a lot of their work to challenging it. Time is spent reminding the art com- munity and the wider public that there is an enormous scope to the possibilities of ceramics as an art form, a scope that ranges from dec- oration to representation to abstraction. Last March the Concourse Gallery at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design was the site of a major ceramics exhibition. The exhibi- tion included a broad range of ceramic genres and allowed its audi- ence (both students and the general public) to get an idea of clay in the context of the fine art world. Ceramics and sculpture students at Emily Carr Institute used this show as a forum to voice many argu- ments, to work with other issues, and°to experiment with genre. The work of the people involved in the show was not only exciting but important, if only as a reminder that clay is an excellent fine art medi- um because of its versatility as a mode of communication. The voice of the ceramicists was strengthened by the work done ~ by the organizers. They were fully aware of the potential significance of the show, and I think that is why they structured the show the way they did. Firstly, they made it open and non-juried in order to allow as diverse a show as possible. Secondly, they had a group of speakers who discussed the art with the audience, enhancing the viewers’ understanding of the statements being made in the art. The speakers represented a wide range of art world types. Lorna Brown, Bob McNeally, Susan Stewart and Tam Irving are artists as well as teachers; Carol Mayer is a curator at UBC; and Christopher Brawshaw is a writer for Artichoke magazine as well as.a critic. Many of the panelists teach at Emily Carr Institute and were already familiar with the artists and their work. Due to their knowledge, and the statements offered along side the items on dis- play, the show became a forum for the artists, audience and panel speakers. There were critiques on process and content, discussions on the artistic environment, and at one point the audience demanded the altering of one of the pieces. The audience and the artists defi- nitely left the show with a heightened understanding of the range of possibilities of ceramic art. Clay is an excellent medium to communicate artistic ideas of the highest order. There was a vast difference in the ways the clay was handled, from the well known functional ware to innovative installation work. Most of the artists were quite successful in realizing their intentions. Their work explained some of the issues ceramicists are battling with. Clay was used as the foundation for explorations of history, identity, form and spatial representation. The genres they used can be classified as installation, the human figure, non-functional vessels, decorative pieces and functional objects. = These genres can be blended together and often were. Hybridity is a central concept in ceramics; all genres can meld into a single piece of work. The artists were very aware of this concept and stressed it by decorating their human forms and discussing function with non- functional vessels. The combination of genres allowed the artists to challenge stereotypes. Many of the works consisted of distorted func- tional pottery brought out of its confines into realms like sculptural and ritual space. One artist enlarged a teapot and pierced it with holes, thus negating its function as a teapot and forcing people to interact with it on a different level because its size invaded their space. Space was a common theme in the show, and Sabrina Keskula had a very interesting angle to contribute to that discussion. Her installa- tion called “First, Second and Third Generation” raised questions on ritual, and domestic space creating a haven or a prison. She organized a group of molded clay spools in a drawer placed on a chair. She encircled the chair with the molds she used to make the spools. This encirclement was loaded with meaning. The careful placement of the objects in a circle referred to wiccan casting circles, reinforcing the theme of womanhood and adding ritual into it. The installation was dedicated to the memory of her grandmother. Combined with the image of the spool, this connected the space with domesticity and ancestral roots. One was very aware of time in Keskula’s piece: the spools recalled knitting and quilting, which seem to be slipping into history. The image of the circle brought them back into this generation by reminding us of the cyclical nature of history. Although you were forced to mourn the passing of one generation you were reminded that it was ever present in the next and subsequent generations. The spools also had a negative con- notation — one could not deny that the molds confined their cre- ations (the spools) within in the space of the circle, thus connecting confinement with domesticity, ritual and womanhood. I enjoyed the fact that her statement on ritual and domestic space was stronger than that of confinement. This suggested her belief that women’s Kali Birdsall, Teapot, Cups and Saucers e-Nioulding Stereotypes spirituality and nurturing instincts are stronger than the things that entrap them. Keskula’s use of clay in the installation genre to make a positive statement about space in relation to women was appropriate because of its connection to mother earth, home, and the ancestor, and to the fact that clay comes from the earth and has been used in the home for centuries. There was a strong argument against the stereotyping of ceramics as strictly functional in Wendy Crowe’s piece “Tea for Two”. This installation consisted of two three foot high cups and saucers accom- panied by a small amusingly phallic teapot sitting between them on the floor. Her main intent was to warp functional pottery to the point of uselessness (by making the cups too big to use), but other issues discussed included surface and gender. Her use of the unslick, messy surface of thrown and textured cylinders pieced together created an irregular, moveable feeling, yet their sheer size conflicted with that movement to create a stability. This patchwork made the symbolic female forms seem about to collapse and insinuated that they were “coming apart at the seams’, but the size showed they were still hang- ing on. The small size of the teapot suggested its insecurity in relation to the huge female images of the cups. The decorative colours of baby blue and poisonous yellow-orange harkened back to 1950’s Fiesta ware. Was the artist saying “that’s when all the trouble began”? Her whole installation created a wonderful dialogue between the artist, objects and viewer — a conversation transpiring in spatial, visual and tactile realms. There is a sub-genre in ceramics called decorative ceramics which is dedicated to asking questions about forms of adornment. In this show the decorative pieces were mostly functional ware with an emphasis on colour, pattern, display and ostentation. “Table with two planters” by Ines Chung was a wonderful example of use of colour and pattern to express a point. Chung created both a conflict and a relationship between areas of exuberant pattern and colour and sec- tions with no ornamentation at all. ‘These spaces covered the surface of a coffee table with two plant stands whose forms related to both a fantasy world of Dr. Suess-like buildings and ancient Korean vessel forms. The contrast between the sculptural relief created by the pat- terned spaces and the smooth surface of the unadorned space reflect- ed the difference between the cultures referred to by the form. Yet the fact that they accentuated each other in forming a visually attractive piece showed that the artist was comfortable with the combination. Chung experimented with outrageous decoration (versus calm smooth surface strategy) to express the difference between the osten- tation of the Western cultures and the quiet serenity of the Eastern. Display is an important part of any piece of art. Unfortunately, many artists forget this element when they are creating their work. The way a piece is presented, whether it is sitting in a cupboard or in continued on next page... FEATURE ‘october 1997 / plonet of the orts 13 Kal Birdsall, Teapot Cups and Saucers Re-Moulding Stereotypes by Rebecca Christofferson. cramics has an identity problem. The scope of cerami cst’ exploration of theie medium ~ and the ways in which ceramic artis viewed by the public ~are strongly ected and often curtailed by presupposed limitations “Theis of cay only being useful in making functional wares 30 strong and restrictive a stereotype that ceramics dedicate a lot of their work to challenging it. Time is spent reminding the at com- ‘munity and the wider public that thee is an enormous scope tothe possibilities of ceramics a an artform, scope that ranges from dee oration to representation to abstraction Last March the Concourse Gallery at Emily Car Institute of Art and Design asthe site of a major ceramics exibition. The exhibi tion incldd abroad range of ceramic genres and allowed its audi ‘nce (both students and the general public) to get an idea of clay in the context ofthe fine art world. Ceramic and seulptue students at Emily Care Institute use this show asa forum to vice many arg: ‘ments to work with other sues, and experiment with genre. The ‘work of the people involied inthe show was not only exciting but important, ifonly asa remind that cay san excellent ine art med ‘um because ofits versatility asa mode of communication, The voice ofthe ceramics was strengthened by the work done by the organizers. They were fly aware ofthe potential significance ‘ofthe show and I think that is why they strctured the shove he way they did Firstly they made it open and non juried in oder to allow as diverse a show as posible, Secon they had a group of speakers who discussed the art withthe audience, enhancing the viewe indertanding of the statements being made in the art. ‘The speakers represented a wide range of art world types. Lora Brown, Bob McNealy, Susan Stewart and Tam Irvingarea Mayer is a curator at UBC: and Christopher Brawshaw is a writer for Artichoke magazine as well 35.2 crt Many of the panelists teach at Ely Carr Institute and were already familiar with the artists and thei work. Due to thee knowledge, and the statements offered along side the items on dis: lay, the shove became a forum for the artists, audience and panel speakers. There were critiques on process and content, discussions on intsas well asteachers: Carol the artistic environment, and at one point the audience demanded the akering of one ofthe pieces. The audience and the artists dl itely let the show with a heightened understanding ofthe range of possibilies of ceramic a Clay is an excellent medium to communicate artistic ideas of the highest order. ‘There wasa vast ference in the way the clay was handled from the well known functional ware to innovative installation work. Most ofthe artist were quite sucesfl in resizing thei intentions. Their ‘work explained some ofthe isues ceramics are battling with. Clay ‘was used asthe foundation for explorations of history, identity, form and spatial representation. The genes they used can be dasitid as installation, the human figure, non-functional vesels, decorative Pieces and functional objects es ‘These genres canbe blended together and often were: Hybrdity is central concep in ceramics all genres can meld into a singe piece ‘of work, The artists were very aware ofthis concep and stressed itby decorating thei human forms and discussing funetion with non- functional vessel. The combination of genes allowed challenge stereotypes. Many ofthe works consisted of distorted fune tional potery brought out ofits confines into realms ike sculptural and ritual space. One artist enlarged a teapot and pirced it with holes, thus negating its function asa teapot and forcing people to Sneret with ton ifferent level because its size invaded thie space Space was common theme inthe shove. and Sabrina Keskula had very intresting angle to contribute to that dscusion. Her install tion called “First, Second and Third Generation” raised questions on ritual, and domestic space creating a haven ora prison. She organized 4 group of molded clay spools in a drawer placed on a chai. She ‘encircle the chat withthe molds she used to make the spools. This ‘encirclement was loaded with meaning, The careful placement ofthe ‘objects ina circle refered to wicean easing ctls, reinforcing the theme of womanhood and adding ritual int it. The installation was dedicated to the memory of her grandmother. Combined with the mage ofthe spool, this connected the space with domesticity and ancestral (One sas very aware of time in Keskulss pice: the spools recalled knitting and quilting, which seem to ‘be ipping into history. The image of the circle brought them back into this ‘generation by reminding us of the ‘yt nature of history. Although you wer forced to mourn the passing ‘of one generation you were reminded that twas ever present in the next and subsequent generations. The spools also had a nega notation ~ one could not deny that the molds confined their ere- ations (the spools) within in the space ofthe cee, thus connecting confinement with domestic rtual and womanhood. I enjoyed the fact that her statement on ritual and domestic space was stronger than that of confinement. This suggested her belief that women's spirituality and nurturing instincts are stronger than the things that cntrap them, Kskul's use of clay in the installation genre to make a postive statement about space in relation to women was appropriate because ofits connection to mother earth home, and the ancestor, and to the fact that clay comes from the earth and hasbeen used in the home for centuries. ‘There was strong argument against the serotyping of ceramics 8 strictly fanetional in Wendy Crowe's piece “Tea for Two": This installation consisted of two thee foot high cups and saucers accom- ‘panied bya small amusingly phallic teapot ‘the floor. Her main intent was to warp functional pottery tthe point ‘of uselessness (by making the cups too big to use), but other issues discussed included surface and gender, Her use ofthe unlick, messy ‘surfce of thrown and textured cylinders peced together created an ieregular, moveable feelin, yet their sheer size conflicted with that ‘movement to create a stability This patchwork made the symbolic female forms seem about to collapse and insinuated that they were coming apart at the scam’ but the size showed they were sll hang ing on. The small size ofthe teapot suggested is insecurity in relation to the huge female images ofthe cups. The decorative colour of baby blue and poisonous yellow-orange harkened back 1019508 Fiesta ing between them on ware, Was the artist saying “thats when all he trouble began” Her ‘whole installation created a wonderal dialogue between the artist, objects and viewer — a conversation transpiring in spatial, visual and tactile realms, Thee is sub-genre in ceramics called decorative ceramics which is dedicated to asking questions about forms of adornment. In this show the decorative pieces were mostly functional ware with an ‘emphasis on colour, pattern, display and ostentation “Table with two Plantes” by Ines Chung was a wonderful example of use of colour and patern to express a point. Chung created both a conflict and a relationship between areas of exuberant patter and colour and sec tions with no ornamentation at all These spaces covered the surface ‘of coe table with two plant stands whose forms related to both a fantasy word of Dr. Sues-like buildings and ancient Korean vessel forms. The contrast beeen the sculptural rei created bythe pat termed spaces and the smooth surface of the unadorned space reflect: ‘ed the difference between the cultures refered toby the frm, Yt the {act that they accentuated each other in forming a visually attractive piece shoved thatthe artist was comfortable with the combination. ‘Chung experimented with outrageous decoration (versus calm smooth surface strategy) to expres the diflerence between the osten- tation ofthe Wester cultures and the quiet serenity of the Eastern. Display isan important pat of any piece of at. Unfortunatly, many artists forget this clement when they ae creating thee work. “The way piee i presented, whether it ssiting ina cupboard or in