Welcome to Spotted, our bi-weekly must-see list from the worlds of contemporary ceramic art and contemporary ceramics. This week, we have several objects of contemporary ceramic design, but first, to honor Labor Day, we’ll dive in with this transferware plate (pictured above) gracing the bronzed face of our president. Additionally, for those who are traveling during this Labor Day Weekend (or any time, really!), we have a spectacular travel mug.
Nendo’s Kikkoman Bottle Rival
Japanese studio Nendo has created this ladle-inspired container for soy seasoning, which it hopes will one day become as recognizable as the red-topped Kikkoman sauce bottle, Dezeen writes. Nendo explains the container serves as a new way to season food without wetting it down.
“Kona-shoyu,” sold by Shimogamosaryo – an established Japanese-style restaurant in Kyoto – is a new type of powdered (=kona) soy sauce(=shoyu) seasoning which, in contrast to liquid soy sauce, does not dampen food ingredients and consequently helps deep-fried dishes maintain their crispness.
While designing the a new container, inspiration was drawn from traditional ladles used in tea ceremonies and water pails used at chozusha, which is a water ablution pavilion at shrines. When cleansing oneself at the chozusha, you do not put your hand directly into the water, but first draw water with the water pail and then use the water from it.
Some Good Things
Brooklyn design brand Good Thing teamed up with five designers and studios to expand its product line with furniture, lighting and rugs, including the Arid Umbrella Stand designed by Good Thing founder Jamie Wolfond. The eclectic product range was launched earlier this year at New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair, according to Dezeen.
“Each designer engaged with a different material and process, including blown glass, cast terracotta, woven wool, solid ash, and spun aluminium. The resulting collection exhibits both contrast and balance.”
Michelle Erickson’s Trumped Up China
The plate depicts President Trump wearing 18th century American attire appearing to be shouting from his colonial chair. Behind him, are two crossed bandoliers armed with ammunition.The plate is part of Michelle Erickson’s series The Party’s Over & Trump Esq., a not-so-subtle rake of our Commander in Chief, with this particular plate Trump Esq. referencing the satirical 18th century engraving of John Wilkes Esq.uire by William Hogarth into a political portrait of Trump.
The 18th century rake come populist -described here as a “Member of Parliament, political agitator, friend of freedom, demagogue, wit, libertine, pornographer, and shameless self-promoter, England’s John Wilkes was to colonial Americans an idol.” With unsuccessful attempts to gain public political support “He spent much of his early career twitting John Stuart, the Earl of Bute, and learning how to use his talent for ridicule to gain international fame.”
Erickson draws distinct parallels between Wilkes and his ‘populist’ paper The North Briton and Trump’s propaganda machine of 21st century social and mainstream media.
Erickson explains in her artist page that ceramics have been used historically to communicate ideas, advocate social change and propagate political sentiment. This practice expands greatly in the 18th century with the invention of the ceramic transfer print in British pottery production. Printed imagery of the day could be adapted in real time to functional ceramics furnishing a broad demographic of British colonial and American Households.
Bohinc Studio’s New Fortress Vases
Fortress Vase collection
Designer Lara Bohinc’s new Fortress Vase collection explores the relationship of ancient and futuristic forms. Her design takes on “a more complex geometric and modern structure from the original inspiration of the octagonal towers at the Diocletian Palace in Croatia.”
The resulting hexagonal blocks interlock and embrace to allow the play of light and shade on the many surfaces and angles.
There are four Fortress shapes: the larger Column and Castle (45cm height), the Pillar (30cm height) and the Tower vase (37cm height). These are hand made from ceramic in a small Italian artisanal workshop and come in three finishes: dark gold, bronze and speckled white, Bohinc Studio explains.
Acera’s Sexy Ceramic Travel Mug Collection
I wouldn’t dare drive without my trusty travel mug of freshly brewed coffee to send me on my way. For those hitting the roads over the Labor Day weekend (or any weekend for that matter), Acera‘s latest travel mug collection may help stave off the upsurp of road rage. Probably not, but we like it nonetheless.
Inspired by street art, fashion trends and the modern lifestyle, Acera’s newly unveiled Streetwise collection features bright colors and bold geometric designs. The Taiwanese design company debuted Streetwise at Maison & Objet (Paris, September 8 – 12, 2017) .
Be sure to come back, as we’ll continuously update this list with more Spotted items.
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