looking with soft eyes: Tania Rolland

Monday, 25 September 2017

Tania Rolland - New Songs

23 September - 8 October 2017

Skepsi @ Malvern

Plus Workshop

New Songs presents a new direction for Rolland where she has used a richer palette of colours across the entire surface of the vessel. Rolland's plays with our familiarity of universal forms from ceramic history such as the urn, plum blossom vase and bottle. Rolland's pinching marks are left to flitter across the surface of these pots, trays and slabs. These indentations capture pigment and reveal the rhythmic course of her fingers.

Rolland generously revealed much of her surface treatment in the workshop given at Skepsi @ Malvern on Sunday 24 September. Coloured engobes, are drawn or washed over coloured clay and paper masked areas. All this is then is then rubbed or sanded back.

The resulting surfaces are a dense but translucent record of mark making.

Tania Rolland is an ever inspiring artist whose constant questioning and desire to make meaning in her practice. This effort is translated into poetic forms for us to experience emotionally.

During her artist talk, Rolland explained that the making of 'art is a special kind of paying attention'. The context of her practice sits firmly within the realm of Modernism, where she explores grand and simple truths; truth to material and to looking directly.'

This reminds me of Grayson Perry's thoughts on the role of the artist and that is 'to notice things'. Perry looks outward, to societal concerns and cultural affectations. Rolland looks within.