Title:
The Value of Objecthood, Space and Materiality Within Contemporary CeramicArt
Author: Madeline Farquhar
Publication Year/Date: May 2024
Document Version: Fine Art Hons dissertation
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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/
https://doi.org/10.20933/100001303
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Abstract
This dissertation examines how the re-materialization of the object within contemporary art practices has affected the value and popularity of ceramic art forms By using my knowledge as a ceramic artist, this dissertation will discuss how modern artists have used space and materiality to transform the value of ceramic objects from domestic to contemporary It will look at current exhibitions and popular artists like Grayson Perry, Edmund De Waal, andAi Weiwei, who have all used materiality to re-examine the domestic object.
The first chapter explores the history and origin of ceramic art and how modernisation impacted the narrative of ceramic art objects. The next chapter moves on to discuss how materiality and social influences has shaped ceramic art objects into what we know today. Then lastly, chapter three observes how artists have utilized gallery spaces to transform the domestic ceramic object into visual art This dissertation also looks at recent exhibitions like Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (2022-23), Ai Weiwei: Making Sense (2023) and Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman (2021), that have all re-examined the value of ceramics as contemporary art objects.
List of Figures
Fig 1. Marcell Duchamp (1917) Fountain Ceramic urinal. 360 x 480 x 610mm
Fig 1.1.Artist unknown (29,000BC). Venus of Dolní Věstonice. Clay, ceramic form. 111 mm x 43 mm
Fig 1.2. Jane Irish (1995). Vase. China paint on fired whiteware. 30 x 28 x 28 cm
Fig 1.3. Salvatore Arancio, (2017). It Was Only a Matter of Time Before We Found the Pyramid and Forced It Open. Glazed and unglazed ceramics, epoxy resin. 160 x 90 x 270 cm, 160 x 90 x 250 cm.
Fig. 2.1. Bosco Sodi (2021) Untitled. Clay spheres on floor and mixed media on canvas. Large Installation view.
Fig. 2.2. Grayson Perry (2017). Matching Pair. Glazed ceramic diptych. Each 105 x 51 cm
Fig. 2.3. Grayson Perry (2021). Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman. Cast iron with about 150 small glass and ceramic pots. 2 x 3M.
Fig. 3.1. Betty Woodman (2008) Posing with Vases at the Beach. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint. 84 x 206 x 17 cm.
Fig 3.2. Edmund De Waal (2002). Porcelain Room. 650 Glazed ceramic vessels. Installation view.
Fig 3.3. Edmund De Waal andAxel Salto (2024). The Kiln. Glazed ceramic works inside handmade wooden boxed room. Installation view.
Fig 3.4. Edmund De Waal (2024). The Burning Now. Outside view of handman wooden box room containing various glazed ceramic vessels. Large Installation view.
Fig 3.5. Edmund De Waal (2024). The Burning Now. Inside view of handman wooden box room containing various glazed ceramic vessels. Large Installation view.
Fig 3.6.Ai Weiwei (1998) Tables at Right Angles. Tables from the Qing dynasty. 175 x 126 2 174 cm.
Fig 3.7.Ai Weiwei (1995), Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn. Collection of three black and white Photographs. x3 148 x 121 cm.
Fig 3.8.Ai Weiwei (2009) Life Vest Snake. Abandoned life jackets from Syrian refugees. Large wall installation view.
Preface
The battle for ceramic art to be accepted as contemporary is still ongoing as painting and sculpture dominate the contemporary art market. The emergence of the studio pottery movement in the early 20th century allowed artists to define their ceramic work as visual art, moving artists away from the notion that ceramics are made purely for decorative and functional purposes However, within my own contemporary art practice I have struggled to separate ceramic art from craft and would like to know more about how modern artists have done this. By the end of this dissertation, I hope to understand more about what defines a ceramic object as contemporary and what separates these objects from similar domestic pieces.After researching into the value and purpose of objecthood, materiality and space within gallery spaces, I hope to have a better knowledge of ceramic art forms that will inform my own contemporary art practice.
Introduction
The idea of ceramics being conceptual art objects within contemporary art has developed since modernisation first revolutionised the minds of western society Current artists like Edmund De Waal, Grayson Perry andAi Weiwei have drawn attention towards the cultural significance and raw contemporary potential within clay, highlighting how ceramics has been overlooked The revival of ceramics has formed new, innovative dialogues within clay that has interacted with space, materiality, and objecthood This dissertation will research into the origin of ceramic art and discuss how modern ceramic artists have revalued the culture of ceramic art forms from craft to contemporary.
Traditionally, ceramic artifacts have been labelled as craft objects and held no intellectual value as art. This perception of ceramics as simply decorative pottery pieces is a notion this dissertation will strive to challenge, to substantiate the status of ceramics as art objects and the worth they hold within contemporary art By looking at different past and present exhibitions that have impacted the progression of ceramic art, this dissertation aims to understand the overall significance regarding space, objecthood and materiality within an exhibition. By looking at the value of domestic objects in a contemporary space, this dissertation will evaluate the benefits of materiality, and if it has helped the value of ceramic art forms.
The distinction of what is considered art, has been an ongoing discussion since artists like Marcel Duchamp first conceptualised art in the 1960s. By searching for alternative methods to represent the object within art, Duchamp came up with the term readymade. This refers to found objects that were given new value and status when in a contemporary art setting. His first iconic readymade artwork was titled Fountain in 1917, that can be seen within figure 1. It is made from a standard ceramic urinal, signed, and dated “R. Mutt 1917” (Duchamp, 1917) and is arguably the first ceramic conceptual artwork in history. Duchamp was the first artist to bring manufactured objects into a gallery space and revolutionised the object in art. The original was lost but many copies have since been made. Duchamp argued that “an ordinary object [could be] elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of an artist” (Duchamp, 1917) which disrupted century-old traditions of skilled artists and makers. But does this mean that a ceramic artist could just throw a pot, place it on a plinth, give it meaning and then call it a vessel? There surely needs to be more at play here. This dissertation will explore the value within modern conceptual art objects to understand this. Duchamp changed the meaning of
domestic objects in art that has allowed modern artists to grow and play on the purpose of value, the domestic, and objecthood that continues to stretch the parameters of contemporary art today.
Chapter 1. Ceramic art history
The history, value, and origin of contemporary ceramic art.
Ceramic art is the godfather term for ceramics that has been around for thousands of years and refers to the making of both functional and non-functional ceramic objects. Since prehistoric times; ceramics has taken on many different forms, such as sculpture, domestic pottery, craftwork, and contemporary art. The origin of ceramics goes back to 29,000 BC, when the first known ceramic artifact was found. These objects were discovered from clay are one of the earliest forms of art to materialise in the world.
This ceramic object is the statue of a small naked woman, named the Venus of Dolní Věstonice that can be seen in figure 1.1, and is one of the first known handcrafted ceramic objects to be made (Pitt Rivers Museum, 2023) It is also one of the first representations of the Venus figurine to appear in history, making the practice of pottery one of our oldest inventions. This ceramic article was found in 29,000BC within a Palaeolithic site in Brno, with other ceramic forms made from bones Traditionally, ceramics are created by hand building, wheel throwing and mould casting techniques, with the natural materials clay, water, and earthenware minerals.
This word ‘ceramic’originates from the Greek word ‘keramos’, that means to be a potter or to make pottery (Bircham Gallery, 2023). The broad term of being a potter, refers to the making of decorative art and practical pottery pieces. Once formed, the clay objects are fired at a high temperature in a kiln, transforming their ceramic state. Ceramic artists have been traditionally referred to as potters for thousands of years, but since the birth of the studio pottery movement founded by Bernard Leach (1887-1979) in 1920, a huge shift cemented an increase in the value of ceramic art Many potters now refer to themselves as contemporary artists, ceramists, ceramic artists, and studio potters, and not just domestic potters or craftspeople. Leach is widely revered “as the father of British studio pottery” (Oxford Ceramics Gallery, 2023) and created an aspiring “identity for artist potters across the world” (Leach Pottery, 2023) by combining the principles of philosophy, craft, visual art, and design Leach embodied a new vision for 20th century artists by approaching ceramic art as the first artist potter (In Good Taste, 2022), highlighting the potential for new modern contemporary art ideals. However, these ideals were viewed with some backlash as many did not believe there was a place for ceramics within
the contemporary art movement, sparking a debate as to what defines domestic ceramic forms from visual fine art objects.
Ceramic artist Paul Geenhalgh addressed the difficulties and backlash ceramic artists have faced throughout history, in his book titled Ceramic: Art and Civilisation (2020). He believes ceramic art has been “actively denied its place as an artistic practice” and that “its exclusion from the canon of art history is squarely to do with money, class and race” (Greenhalgh, 2020, p.512). This bold statement questions if the value of art and suggests that there has been some prejudiced and snobbish behaviour from previous fine art idealists. He further goes on to state that “ceramic is a thing in itself: a many headed but nevertheless singular entity, with an on-going intellectual discourse” which he then calls “the ceramic continuum” (Greenhalgh, 2020, p.512). This continuum is an interesting concept of how ceramics have regained recognition throughout history, as Geenhalgh ponders if society is finally ready to accept the rich value of ceramic art. The birth of modernisation revolutionised art, pushing the boundaries between visual art forms, objecthood and domestic objects that continues to question its value, integrity, and status of fine art With modern art finally embracing traditional techniques from the past, are ceramics the future of contemporary art?
The evolving narrative of ceramic art
Back in 2009, the exhibition titled Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay, aimed to transform the value and narrative of ceramic objects by showcasing a collection of ceramic art pieces, paintings, and sculptures This was a defining leap in the integration of ceramics into the world of contemporary art and denotes the worth of ceramics as contemporary visual art objects. This exhibition featured twenty-two different artists and explored the depth of culture and rich history within clay, through a thematic and playful manner One artist in particular, Jane Irish, displayed her work of Vase, (1995) which played on social realist and traditional idylls for cleaning ladies at work. Irish’s decorative details can be seen within figure 1.2, that highlighted how the medium of ceramics is no different from a canvas and can portray the same ideals as visual fine art. Art critic Roberta Smith reviewed the exhibition and commented on how the exhibition “reminds us that the art form incorporates quite a bit of painting and sculpture” and praises how “Ingrid Schaffner the institute’s senior curator, and Jenelle Porter, its associate curator, have organized their exhibition with almost palpable glee.” She goes on to state how “the show’s determination to integrate ceramics into the art mainstream is nothing new. But its refusal to do so simply by slipping some universally agreed-upon ceramic exceptions into a show of painting, sculpture and so forth is close to ground-breaking.” (Smith, 2009) Smith points out that perhaps the value of ceramic art is increasing due to the higher value and
confidence that modernisation has brought. Lastly, she ends her review by saying “it can’t be said enough that the art-craft divide is a bogus concept regularly obliterated by the undeniable originality of individuals who may call themselves artists, designers or artisans” (Smith, 2009) With visual paintings dominating the art market, this exhibition was a great success for contemporary ceramic art and highlighted the raw depth ceramic art objects can have Exhibiting painting, sculpture, and ceramic art forms together has provided a fresh new perspective on clay, and how it is just as palpable and worthwhile as other contemporary art forms.
With the dematerialisation and deskilling of contemporary art within the early 20th century, these modern ideals have continued to impact the status of ceramics, and expanded our perspective on traditional craft, objecthood, materiality, literature, and visual paintings. In the article Art After Deskilling in 2010, John Roberts discusses our new relationship with contemporary art through materiality and explains how “the dialect of skill, deskilling and re-skilling becomes the very means whereby this dynamic expresses itself” (Roberts, 2010) His statement addresses how the expectation and value of skill in modern art has altered, as the rules for what defines visual fine art have changed This strange prospect is an exciting time for ceramics as artists begin to realise its malleable nature can create anything.
The recent exhibition at the Hayward Gallery called Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art from October 2022-January 2023, featured twenty three international ceramists who have been working with clay over the last few decades. These artists have revalued the skill of ceramics and highlighted the new possibilities in ceramic art. The exhibition showcased work from the likes of Grayson Perry, Edmund De Waal, Betty Woodman, Emma Hart, Beate, Kuhn and Liu Jianhuna. This new angle that Strange Clay has provided, can be seen within SalvatoreArancio’s installation view of It Was Only a Matter of Time Before We Found the Pyramid and Forced It Open, made back in 2017 and can be seen in figure 1.3.Arancio’s installation is designed to re-evaluate the meaning of the object and question some philosophic views regarding the integrity and purpose of contemporary art. The purpose of this exhibition was to explore the dialogue between art and craft with topics ranging from social justice, the body, the domestic and architecture, breaking down the prejudiced behaviour that fine artists have created. It explores how clay can represent the physical, psychological, and political views of our
time, and represent more than just a craft object. The connotations of ceramic art as traditional craft is slowly evolving since the birth of modernist ideals.
Exhibition curator Cliff Lauson explains in an interview with Emily Steer from Wallpaper that “the idea of clay as a serious art form has been bubbling at the forefront of contemporary practice for a while, alongside a wider consideration of craft. […] Tactility is there in all of the works. It’s explicit in some. There is this trace of interaction. There is that element of the human and the earth. You can revel in the untidiness of the medium, which is often brought into the final form. It’s also bolstered by the things you can do with surface” (Steer, 2023). In reference to the exhibition, Lauson says he has been considering this prospect for the last 4 years, and states how “we wanted to turn the old image of clay on its head and make it really exciting” (Steer, 2023) Since the exhibition, the featured artists have continued to soar in popularity, as the depth of interaction, play and communication between the viewer formed a strong connection
Like the recent exhibition Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (2023); the ongoing exhibition of Underneath everything: Humility and Grandeur in Contemporary Ceramics, has taken the medium of clay to the next level. The exhibition has addressed the political voice of clay and the real impact it can have. Featured artists likeAi Weiwei, KatayounAmjadi, Paul Briggs, Vick Quezada, and Edmund de Waal, used clay to discuss culture preservation, sociological discussions and their inherently political opinions by displaying a total of thirty ceramic works Curators Mi Laufer, Dr. GlennAdamson and Dr. Tiffany Momon have used other medium forms like performance, film and installation within their exhibition to create a dialogue within the works that is designed to “honour the humility of the medium” (GRAM, 2024). This shows the current exciting steps that are happening within ceramic art today These recent exhibitions have represented the ideals of the ceramic object within a very exciting and uncanny light and shows how clay has evolved into a visual medium over the last one hundred years.
Chapter 2. The influence of materiality on ceramic art objects
The social connection between materiality, ceramic art and the body.
The solid material object in art has derived from a history of craftmanship, skill and making that has evolved from modernists ideals in the 1960s/70s. Conceptual artists like Marcel Duchamp and the Dadaists, proposed “a new thought” (Duchamp, 1917) for art objects, which proposed conceptual meanings over conventional forms. This act of deskilling within the art world meant that according to Lucy Lippard, in her article Art International in 1968, “ideas were in the air” (Lippard, 1968). She discussed how artists were losing interest in the physical object, and that the dematerialisation of art was the new trend.According to writer David Beech in his article Words and Objects After Conceptualism, in 2009; he argued that conceptual objects needed more to exist than just simply being They required a narrative to give them a voice in the room. He stated that “the life of objects is given back to them though the social processes in which they participate” (Beech, 2009). These new ideals surrounding how artists could interact with materials and space gave objects an identity that society could connect and relate to.
InAzza Zein’s article titled Re-materialization, Art, and Affective Economies, he discusses how “the experience of space is intertwined with its diverse materiality. It is through the emotional relation with its materials that we form an affective impression of the space” (Zein, 2019). Zein has recognised the importance of this emotional relationship between the viewer, space and material object and shows how it is the foundation of all good art practices. The tactility and manipulability of clay enables the artist to form a relationship with the viewer as it’s a material we have all encountered.
Aspiring artist Bosco Sodi has represented this importance between connection, space, and matter through his modern installations. He has brought light to the importance of the re-materialisation of the object within the combined use of abstract sculptures and paintings. He has incorporated clay and other disregarded natural materials within his work to explore the unknown territory of materiality within the natural world. By working closely between different mediums, he has formed a dialogue within his art that speaks to the viewer Bosco Sodi’s recent exhibition in London titled Totality in 2021, was an exploration towards his fascination regarding objects in nature and their relation to the material world. Sodi believes there is “a very thin line between sculpture and painting” (Kumar, 2021) and focusses on the process over the outcome. In figure 2.1 we can see how Sodi has used space to form a relationship between the object and
surrounding space through his clay spheres and paintings, demonstrating how these mediums can work together in harmony.
Sodi explained in an interview to Rahul Kumar from Stir World that his practice is an “organic process” (Kumar, 2021) that was aimed to serve as a collaboration between material, space and object to create an overwhelming “elemental” (Kumar, 2021) connection. He states to Kumar how he hopes his exhibition “will help us connect with our own selves” (Kumar, 2021) to form an honest relationship to the material and physical world.
Like Sodi, renowned artist Grayson Perry has also used social engagements to surround his artistic practice that gets people talking about art. His bold, informal, and charismatic self makes the visual arts look appealing He has made art look fun, by using humour within his ceramic vessels to address difficult topics regarding sexuality, culture, class, identity, and societal norms. Perry aims to use material forms, innovative art spaces and new media techniques to dismantle the hierarchy surrounding domestic objects in art. Perry has become a revolutionary asset within the movement of materiality and ceramic art due to his social and approachable nature According to historian Lisa Jardine he “blurs the boundary between familiar homely clutter and the way the gallery space strives to keep us aware of the representational strangeness of the thing we are looking at” (Jardine, 2004). Jardine has spent the last twenty years examining Grayson Perry’s work and believes Perry is a unique artist who has captured the extortionary power of contemporary art.
As a recognisable figure within modern contemporary art, Perry has used materiality to take away social pressures and reach out to younger generations. Perry has aimed to use materiality to dissolve the stigma surrounding the fine arts and make work that resonates with the viewer. He described in an interview with Ruby Boddington from Its Nice That, how he wants art to “be accessible in a realistic way. It’s not a mystery and sometimes it’s held up” (Boddington, 2021). He believes that “the art world is very slow to acknowledge a more popular, sensuous, funny, entertaining version of what art could be” and that it has been ruled by art academia ideals for too long. Perry is also widely known for his appearance as his alter ego Claire, who often emerges at exhibitions and interviews. Perry’s artwork is also highly influenced by in own life that has deepened this relationship within the contemporary art community. As a recognisable figure, Perry has brought his own personality to his practice that has aided him develop this social connection between the public, material and body.
In his exhibition Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever, back in 2017, he aimed to tackle this “idea of popularity […] to widen the audience for contemporary art” (Grayson, 2017). The exhibition was designed to reach out and connect to everyone from different backgrounds and start conversations between people. Perry has taken this “emotional relation” (Zein, 2019) between material and the self to the next level by submersing his material art objects into current political affairs. Perry did this by opening his exhibition The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever, on election day, that acted as a form of mockery. He used the exhibition to address the “elephant in the room for our British society” (Grayson, 2017) and discussed topics like Brexit, masculinity, and art popularity. According to Adrian Serle from The Guardian Perry’s work had “curmudgeonly” behaviour, “poking at prejudice wherever he finds it” (Searle, 2017) Referring to fig 2.2, this exhibition highlighted the how beautifully crafted objects like Matching Pair (2017), have the capacity to exist within a contemporary art setting They delicately represented the argument to ‘remain’in the 2016 referendum that laughed at Britain’s current political affairs.
More recently, Perry has addressed this art/craft divide through his recent exhibition of Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, in 2020-21. He used this exhibition to recognise the history of craftmanship, and acknowledge just how far traditional forms have come within contemporary art. He curated and displayed a collection of two hundred artifacts at the British Museum, with thirty of them being his own pieces. These works range from contemporary objects to craft items and antiques, selected by their connections to his own works. The exhibition is a reminder of incredible skill seen within craft and enables some of histories forgotten masterpieces to regain the respect, status, and space they deserve. His final showpiece was his own vessel and ship form called the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, seen in figure 2.3, which is what the exhibition was named after.
Curator Grayson Perry states in the British Museum press release regarding the exhibition that “the tomb is a memorial to all the anonymous craftsman of history. I meant it to be the shrine at the epicenter of a site of pilgrimage, the museum. It holds in its center the tool that begat all tools, a flint hand axe. The ship is a symbol of trade and cultural exchange, loaded with images from all across the world held in the Museum. From its masts hang the blood sweat and tears of those craftsmen and pilgrim’s past.
It is a ship of death.” (Grayson, 2021.) By displaying craft forms and visual objects together, Perry has highlighted the new social connections contemporary art now has with its past craft culture.
Referencing back to art critic Paul Geenhalgh who believes ceramic art has been “actively denied its place as an artistic practice” (Geenhalgh, 2020, p.512) Perry has showcased how his work has broken down these negative barriers between “money, class and race” (Geenhalgh, 2020, p.512). His exhibitions have provided new perspectives regarding the worth of traditional materials that have revalued ceramic art forms In a bid to strip away the prestigious ranks of contemporary art, Grayson Perry also started Grayson’s Art Club on Channel4 that unleashed new art practices. His program was released in May 2020 during the COVID pandemic and brought in a million viewers each week, creating an astounding connection to the public. Grayson Perry’s blunt, and informal personality has showed a different side to contemporary art which has softened the serious facades of fine art.
Chapter 3 – The value of space within contemporary art
The identity of ceramic art objects: Domestic or contemporary?
The argument questioning the value of traditional domestic ceramic objects as visual fine art forms has been relentless since the birth of modernisation; but with modern artists like Betty Woodman challenging the parameters of contemporary art, the prospect of change is exciting. The rematerialisation of the object within modern fine art has challenged these boundaries between art, domestic, craft, and objecthood, bringing ceramics back into fashion.
Betty Woodman (1930-2018) has been widely praised for “elevating pottery from functional domestic objects to the world of fine art” (StudioArts Boulder, 2023) and was regarded as “one of the most important contemporary artists working with ceramics” (ICA, 2016). She began working with clay as her main medium in 1950 and used an abstract style of expressive paintings on ceramics, to create modern three-dimensional visual art forms. These forms referenced the rich culture of ceramics, paintings, and performance art in her work. Her exhibition, Betty Woodman: Theatre of the Domestic, was Woodman’s first solo UK exhibition back in 2016, and displayed a collection of different artworks she has created over the last ten years.
Over the last few decades, Woodman was making abstract ceramic vases that became the highlight of her practice. They are designed to be vessels/metaphors of the human body, that gesture towards each other, as if engaging in conversation. Acollection of two vases can be seen within figure 3.1, titled Posing with Vases at the Beach, 2008, and was displayed at Woodman’s exhibition, Betty Woodman: Theatre of the Domestic. She had been working on her vase vessels for over forty years, continuously coming up with new ideas. In the article From Function to Form, in 1990, art critic Janet Koplos described Woodman’s work as “recognisable vases, but their embellishment is little in the ceramic canon” observing how “the painting adheres to the vessel, yet its operation remains almost shockingly independent of it” (Koplos, 1990) Although these vessels hold a sculptural presence in the room, this is not the intention. Instead, Woodman has played with juxtaposition, personification, and the identity of pottery, to create these freestanding figures. She explored the communication of language between the human body and ceramics, in the likes of the lip, shoulder, foot, neck or belly of the clay, using language to give the object a human connection. Her play on traditional domestic art forms and use of space is uncanny, that allowed her vases to dominate the room.
Koplos goes on the state how “the fascinating spatial ambiguities in the relationship between the object and its surface” (Koplos, 1990) is where these ceramic objects hold their intellectual attractions. She states how refreshing Woodman’s connection is to “ceramic history and to the vessel’s ancient associations with the human body” (Koplos, 1990) that uplifts her work. She comments how Woodman’s contemporary ceramic art forms have addressed the domestic arena that ceramic objects have traditionally been placed in, offering new perspectives on what defines ceramic art. Woodman’s vessels have aimed to free ceramic objects from the constraints of domestic space and says in an interview with Koplos how “I realised I wanted my work to be looked at in a context not limited by ceramics, but in the broader context of art” (Koplos, 1990). Woodman has highlighted the importance of the placement and the surrounding space within ceramic art, to show how these interactions can affect the overall value of the object.
In an article from Interpretating Ceramics (2011), author Laura Gray also addressed this change in value towards more traditional domestic art forms, and discussed how modern ceramists have revalued the way we interact with clay, art objects and domestic space. In her article she explores the controversy in value between the domestic and contemporary ceramics She questions the implications for ceramics and how this new dynamic of contemporary ceramic art affects traditional ceramic objects. “What does this mean for the status and perception of ceramics that continue to use vessel forms and so persist in their domestic associations?” (Gray, 2011). Gray points out here that even though ceramics have come a long way on their journey for contemporary recognition, their domestic associations still follow them. But is this still relevant today? Her thoughts provide an insightful perspective on positive change happening within ceramic art and how far ceramic art forms have come within the last ten years
In the exhibition A Secret History of Clay: From Gauguin to Gormley back in 2004, curator Simon Groom extends this discussion regarding the value of traditional/contemporary art forms and unearthed the “little known history of the use of clay in modern and contemporary art” (Tate Liverpool, 2004). Groom displayed clay work from some of the greatest artists in the last century such as Paul Gauguin, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso, Edmund De Waal, and Grayson Perry, and explored how clay has been overlooked as a contemporary art medium for too long The exhibition purpose was to address “the anxiety surrounding the status of the object in modern and contemporary art” (Tate Liverpool, 2004), and explore the balance of either being too precious or too disposable with certain ceramic objects.
In an interview with Laura Gray regarding the exhibition, assistant curatorAmy Dickson explains how “traditionally the ceramic vessel is an object that is of the private sphere of everyday domestic life and this show was showing it as a public practice, so I think it was also about this clash between
public and private spheres.And the last room was very much about taking it back to a sense of the private and a consideration of how the practice fits with that” (Gray, 2011).
This notion of how the objects connect and work within “the private sphere” (Gray, 2011) of the exhibition liberates the artwork and is what sets it aside from domestic pieces.
This major exhibition showcased one of Edmund De Waal’s “first major architectural interventions” (De Waal, 2023) of Porcelain Room (2002), seen in figure 3.2. He placed a collective of 650 individual vessels together that transformed the value, space, and narrative of the objects This collective identity explored the dynamic between craft and ceramic vessels as an art of poetry, which is a concept he has continued to develop within his current contemporary practices. Today he is recognised as an exceptional ceramist and writer and is on track to be one of the most popular potters of our time. He comments on his practice by saying “I’ve always loved the idea of the mutability of things… Nothing is forever… There’s an inherent instability about how objects work in space” (De Waal, 2023) This mutability and tactility of clay is what draws artists like De Waal in towards the medium as it holds so much raw poetic potential for modern writers, curators, and artists.
De Waal’s interesting approach of stripping away the theatrics of clay to truly show its delicate nature can be seen within many of his minimalistic forms. He has aimed to take away the domestic connotations surrounding ceramic art vessels by using a dialogue between tradition and modernity. He states in an interview that “I work with things…and then I arrange them, find places to put them down, on shelves or within vitrines, in houses and galleries and museums, move them around so that they are in light or in shadow. They are installations, or groupings, or a kind of poetry. They have titles, a phrase or a line that helps them on their way in the world.” (Galerie Max Hetzler, 2023.) This interesting take on domestic space is very different from the likes of Betty Woodman, portraying a fresh perfective on the different ways we can interpret traditional and modern ceramic objects.
De Waal’s current ongoing exhibition Playing with Fire: Edmund De Waal and Axel Salto, showcases work from De Waal and acclaimed Danish ceramistsAxel Salto (1889-1961), who was one of the great masters of ceramic art. This collaboration between the two artists is a story about time, that holds written voices of both artists throughout the exhibition.
Figures 3.3 and 3.4 show the journey between the exhibition rooms as De Waal designed the viewer to figuratively move through time. The exhibition starts with a collection of Salto’s work in The Kiln that follows the viewer through to De Waal’s porcelain pavilion of The Burning Now With ceramic art in mind, this journey captures and elevates this feeling of movement through time that aims to uplift the viewer to keep going. De Waal explains in a conversation with Sanne Flyvbjerg from Ceramics Now, that his exhibition responds to the past and encourages the viewer “to return to the things that matter. To repeat and believe that it’s possible to start over, to make another vessel and to do more with the material between your hands” (Flyvbjerg, 2023).
According to Flyvbjerg, this timeless conversation between the writers “reflect on the meaning and emotional value of objects and materiality through writing” (Flyvbjerg, 2023) that holds a very timeless and personal affair between the viewer and history of ceramic art. To “walk with these two artists is also a walk away from old and restrictive distinctions between arts and craft” (Flyvbjerg, 2023) This offers a refreshing perspective on the barriers between the domestic, craft, objecthood and fine art that continues to be at the forefront of most contemporary art objects. The inside of De Waal’s porcelain pavilion can be seen in figure 3.5, that displays a similar collection of vessels like his Porcelain Room back in 2002. De Waal described this art/craft barrier as “a grotesque simplification of the power and presence of objects. Amisunderstanding of what work means” (Flyvbjerg, 2023), and has aimed to show how ceramic art objects are worthy as cultural fine art objects and traditional craft forms
The political and cultural value of ceramic objects in art.
From the 1990s, ceramic artist, thinker and activistAi Weiwei has been re-configurating traditional forms within his contemporary art practice, to understand the integrity, value, and cultural significance of historical objects. He has questioned this distinction between art, craft, and object by transforming, and occasionally destroying, historical antiques, cultural relics, and objects of
importance. His work highlights the absurdity and integrity of fine art and questions the authenticity and face value within modern art.
InAi Weiwei’s Furniture collection from 1977, Weiwei altered the purpose and value of antique tableware from the 16th century. He redefined them as art objects and showcased them in the exhibition The Allure of matter: Material Art from China in 2020. Weiwei perfectly crafted the tables to balance together without glue or nails that is seen in figure 3.6, Tables at Right Angles, 1998. Weiwei r-valued these simple pieces of furniture, by depriving them of their functionality and giving them a new net worth that provokes questions regarding “the value society places on original objects.” (LACMA, 2020)
This integrity and functionality of objects in art has been explored by many artists and can also be seen within Bruce Metcalf and Janet Koplos book of Makers: A History of American Studio Craft in 2010. Metcalf and Koplos highlighted the importance of craft throughout history and how the medium of craft has often been considered as inferior. The writers emphasise how “craft is a medium of cultural expression” and is “as powerful and worthy of attention as painting, sculpture, or architecture” (Metcalf and Koplos, 2010). Ai Weiwei has challenged this inferiority of craft by playing on the visual boundaries in art, and forming a bridge between the importance of domestic objects in contemporary art. His work has aimed to take away the negative stimuli surrounding the use of domestic objects within contemporary art and highlight how anything can be given value in art.
Commenting on Weiwei’s work writer Simone Levine states that these objects are “no longer to be used, the work foregrounds the technical virtuosity of its craftsmanship while bringing the craft tradition into the sphere of contemporary art” (Levine, 2019). He signifies howAi Weiwei’s objects can no longer be called domestic as they now hold a political place within contemporary art.
Back in 1995, Weiwei first challenged western society’s view on value, by purchasing a rare historical ceramic urn at auction and photographing himself simply dropping it onto the floor, where it then smashes. Represented in figure 3.7, this work of Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn in 1995 caused massive controversy and naturally the artist received a lot of hate by smashing this culturally important object He later states that the object is “powerful only because someone thinks it’s powerful and invests value in the object” (Weiwei, 2008, p.28), implying that objects are only valued due to the social connections we create with them. Although this was an extreme example, it does question the value society places on obtaining and then preserving certain individual ceramic objects What made this object different from your everyday flower vase, and what is the real consequence of smashing it?As after all it’s only a piece of clay
InAi Weiwei’s recent exhibition from 7April -30 July 2023 titled Ai Weiwei: Making sense, he invited the viewer to question the value of objects from a different perspective. By engaging with the rematerialisation of the object, material culture, the precious and worthless, hand and machine, the construction and deconstruction of objects; Ai Weiwei contemplates the political value and human significance of domestic objects
In a review by Observer, Rowan Moorse states how a “multitude of lives are present in the room, but most of what you see are things.And alongside the glimpses of horror there are also playfulness and delight” (Moore, 2023) Ai Weiwei has used his work as a form of protest towards government corruptions and oppressions to remind society of the ongoing struggles within our world. He questions the value of certain domestic objects and what really matters. Tabish Khanh from Culture Whisper describes the exhibition as “powerful, political and provocative art installations byAi Weiwei at the Design Museum, challenging us to question the world we live in” (Khanh, 2023).
This exhibition uses found materials like Lego, broken pottery spouts, ancient script, salvaged ceramic works, tools dating back to the stone age and life vests, that all hold individual importance and worth, making us reflect on what we truly value in society. “It’s a show jam-packed with important concepts as a wall of life-jackets brings home the impact of the number of people fleeing countries across oceans in unsafe vessels” says Khan. “Arow of axeheads feel like they should be in a museum display case and yet Ai found hundreds at a flea market – asking us to question what we value” (Khanh, 2023)
Ai Weiwei’s incredible use of disregarded materials can be seen within his work of Life Vest Snake 2009, that Weiwei adapted for his Making sense exhibition. He used real materials that have life and death consequence to highlight their extreme value Weiwei’s play on domestic objects is aimed to shock the viewer and revalue the
important objects in life Kaya Barry discusses these innovative notions within her article Art and materiality in the global refugee crisis: Ai Weiwei’s artworks and the emerging aesthetics of mobilities, bringing light to the purpose of materiality in contemporary art. Her article unfolded questions regarding the power of art and activism and reflected on the benefit within Ai Weiwei’s modern work. Stating that Weiwei’s current work has impacted “how representations of the global refugee crisis can be re-thought in terms of the mobilizing force of material agency” (Barry, 2018) Ai Weiwei has portrayed how the continued use of objecthood, space and materiality within modern contemporary art forms has created a positive impact within western art. Weiwei’s bold actions and use of materiality has helped bring the physical object back into contemporary art practices that has served as a physical and tactile reminder of the pressing worldly issues today Weiwei has given domestic objects the space to cast a new perspective on what we should value within our society, that has showcased the benefit of materiality and the object within contemporary art.
Conclusion
The concept of ceramics being recognised as contemporary art objects has become increasingly popular within the last twenty-five years. Recent exhibitions like A Secret History of Clay: From Gauguin to Gormley (2004) and Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay (2009), continue to highlight the cultural significance of clay. These exhibitions have shined light on the importance of ceramic art in our modern society and how ceramics can be incorporated alongside other visual art forms. Research shows how the collaboration of mixed media pieces complimented the overall value of ceramic art forms, that really boosted the overall impression of the work. This was particularly evident within Betty Woodman’s vases and Bosco Sodi Totality exhibition. This dissertation has uncovered how as artists like Betty Woodman,Ai Weiwei, Jane Irish, and Bosco Sodi, have discovered new possibilities within clay and proved how worthy ceramics are as visual art objects What was once just recognised as a domestic craft piece, can now be seen within contemporary art galleries. By using traditional techniques and modern materiality ideals, these artists have transformed our relationship with the contemporary object and formed a narrative we can connect to.
Artists like Grayson Perry and Edmund De Waal have offered a new perspective towards art and craft by absorbing the history of clay into their practice. This is evident within their exhibitions Playing with Fire: Edmund De Waal and Axel Salto (2024), and Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman (2021)
These modern artists tackled this art/craft divide by adopting past ceramic techniques and bringing them into the now. This helped rebirth ceramic art and added a level of cultural depth to their work.
By challenging the importance of materiality and space within contemporary art, this dissertation has also highlighted the sheer importance of the re-materialisation of the object for ceramic art forms. Research revealed how the development of the contemporary object and ceramic art have developed coherently together. Without the re-materialisation of the object, ceramic art would not be what it is today. Materiality has allowed strange and brilliant art forms to come forth, which is evident within the recent exhibitions of Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (2022-23) and Ai Weiwei: Making sense (2023). The purpose of these exhibitions was to explore the dialogue between mind, matter, space, and materiality that represented how ceramics are more than just domestic objects.
The changing times of contemporary art has boosted the value and worth of ceramics within the last decade and shows just how fast the art market can change. Fifty years ago, ceramics were fighting for value, but now their striving against each other for superiority. With the rate in which ceramic art is rising, who knows what new strange and bazar forms will be created next.
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