Exhibition | Vases + Vessels, Chance Encounters + Material: Earth, Three British Ceramics Exhibitions

All this week, we’re showcasing all things British Ceramics from the world of contemporary ceramics and contemporary ceramic art. Due to the field of British Ceramics’ incredible and vigorous expansion over the years, we felt it was important to highlight some of the major players and their achievements. Enjoy!

Chance Encounters III: Sara Flynn’s Sculptural Vessels 

The Loewe Foundation presented its third exhibition in its Chance Encounters series, bringing together three artists from various disciplines in order to explore unexpected conversations, including the sculptural talents of Irish artist Sara Flynn.

Her ceramic vessels are  presented within the unique space of the Loewe Miami Design District boutique, which was designed around a monumental 18th century granary from Portugal, which runs the length of the space. Made from stone and wood, its presence within the building encapsulates Loewe’s celebration of past, present and future, and provides a resonant setting for the work of these three artists, which also includes the works of Richard Smith and Lionel Wendt, Wallpaper writes.

Held together and framed by the granary structure, a kind of effortless conversation exists between the works. Each bares an understanding of how three-dimensional forms interact with the space around them. Wendt’s dynamic portraits, for example, carry a dancerly sensitivity of how the body displaces the air, reflected in the ripples and contours of Flynn’s manipulated ceramics. Likewise, Smith’s protruding ‘kite painting’ juts out into the gallery, its contoured structures exploring the tension between volume and surface.

Vases + Vessels at David Gill Gallery

Vases + Vessels (London, November 22 – December 5, 2017) at David Gill Gallery curated by Gianluca Longo showcased the ceramic and glass art works with the aim of exploring the intersection of function and beauty though contemporary decorative arts.

Represented mediums range from stoneware and terra-cotta to glass and terrazzo, but Longo argues that the show’s common thread is its homage to contemporary decorative objects. Longo explains that his fascination with vases was sparked by something more practical than glamorous: They are undoubtedly versatile pieces. “You can move them around, from a shelf to a table, unlike works of art that are on a wall to stay,” he notes. “And every time, they have a different life.”

The exhibition showcased Felicity Aylieff’s delicately detailed floral vases,Cody Hoyt’s dizzying tessellation vases and Beth Katleman’s kewpie-esque cherubim.

Architectural Digest writes Katleman’s piece stretches the concept of “vases and vessels,” with the piece encompassing a whole package.

This same sense of whimsy exudes from her new piece, making its debut at David Gill. Taking the “vessel” concept to an abstract level, two angelic cherubs dance around a miniature vase filled with ceramic blooms. The focus of Katleman’s piece is clearly not the vase itself, but the total package. And realized in solid white porcelain, her skilled detail work shines.

Artists include: Felicity Aylieff, Marcantonio Brandolini D’Adda, Tancredi di Carcaci, Tommaso Corvi-Mora, Domitilla Harding, Cody Hoyt, Beth Katleman, Kate Malone, Lena Peters and Tino Seubert,

Material: Earth – The New British Clay Movement

Material: Earth (March 12 – May 1, 2017) was an major British exhibition showcasing the use of clay in contemporary art at Messums Wiltshire—a rustic 14-century tithe barn. Apollo Magazine writes the exhibition features an impressive selection of significant British works in clay from the mid 20th century through today, and strived to explore how clay, as a most elemental and ancient of materials, is increasingly shaping a new aesthetic.

Picking up on a surge of interest in the medium among artists, collectors and the general public, fostered by high-profile figures such as Grayson Perry and Edmund de Waal.

The long list of artists in the exhibition includes Lucie Rie, Richard Slee, Julian Stair, Hans Coper, Geoffrey Mann, Bouke de Vries, among many others. You can read more about this important exhibition here.

More from our British Ceramics series:

http://cfileonline.wpengine.com/exhibition-yale-center-for-british-art-things-of-beauty-growing-is-a-sparkling-gem/

http://cfileonline.wpengine.com/architecture-kent-countryside-peg-tile-house-wins-2017-riba-house-of-the-year/

http://cfileonline.wpengine.com/design-matteo-cibics-ceramic-menagerie-of-utopian-organisms/

Do you love or loathe this exhibitions in brief from the world of contemporary ceramic art and contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments section below.