Janetta Kerr-Grant

Into the Woods
10-24 February 2018

Mr Kitly
318 Sydney Road, Brunswick 

This is a picturesque solo exhibition by Janetta Kerr-Grant. Combining her love of glaze and monotone materials, Kerr-Grant has applied her crisp bold designs to a series of cylindrical vessels. 

Into the Forest translates images taken while in residency in Fiskars, Artist Village, Finland.  

Midnight Sun 1
porcelain, iron oxide slip, stains, limestone glaze
h.22 w. 19 d.19

Forest Ghost 1 & 2
porcelain, limestone glaze

Barkskin 1 & 2
black clay, white porcelain slip

Forest Ghost 3
porcelain, pencil, limetone glaze

Still - Tara Shackell

Could it be hewn from stone? What critical differences mark Tara Shackell's work in comparison to the many vessels being made in Melbourne using matt glazes over iron bearing clay?

Shackell acknowledges the primary referent of these glazes: the texture and colouring of stone. To reflect the vagaries of nature found in basalt, marble or slate, Shackell has created a nuanced palette of colouring. Catching my eye is the subtle rose quartz that blooms across the cylinder in the first image. 

Another point of difference is Shackell's nod to historic and universal vessel forms. A cylinder, bowl or a fluted bottle securely reside in this makers craft. Form is important to Shackell and she entitles her work with descriptors of what you see. Titles include 'Flared rim vase, deep pink' and 'Tall curved rim vase, iron grey'

I imagine, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott looking down and giving a wink of praise at Shackell's careful attention to the formal issues required in small grouping and in the larger nine piece panorama. Height, colour, lightness, darkness, opening & foot are in 'still' harmony. 

6-28 May 2017

Mr Kitly, Brunswick

mrkitly.com.au

Andrei Davidoff Patina - New Work

Like a painters drop sheet and the end of its worthy use, this series of classical vessels are laden with dense layers coloured splashes and drips.  

Andrei Davidoff has emptied his glaze buckets in a chaotic but deliberate frenzy.  Pulling together a conceptual context for each pot with the use of decals and lustre brushwork. Titles such as After Olsen or Pantone Smash are fun and directive. With such large surfaces to explore, the opportunity to be visually provocative or add more layers of meaning has been missed.

Mr Kitly

381 Sydney Road

Brunswick 

www.mrkitly.com.au

Generic Decoration, 2017 ceramic, stoneware glazes, earthenware glazes, glass' decals, gold lustre. Multiple firings.

Corn Row Cup, 2016 ceramics stoneware glazes, earthenware glazes, glass, decals, gold lustre. Mulitple firings.

FORM (English) = FORM (Danish) = AAKAR (Hindi)

An investigation of ceramic form by Bhuvnesh Prasad, Sandra Bowkett and Len Kuhl Jakobsen

Mr Kitly

18 July - 2 August 2015

Quote from the beautifully written room sheet: 

In Sandra's woodfire kiln Bhuvnesh's simple, elegant forms informed by Indian traditions highlight the beauty that occurs when clay an ash under heat alchemize to create luscious rich surfaces. 

It may have been only 3 or 4 years ago that Sandra built her woodfire kiln. It has been richly rewarding to watch the output of her practice in rural Victoria. The ash effect becoming ever more complex but touching ever so lightly on the vessel. Her work with Bhuvnesh is sensitively simple and pure.

And again from the room sheet:
Lene's works are meant to intrigue as being both from the earth and by the hand and ash from Sandra's woodfired kiln.

The ability of a firing technique to explicitly unite the works in this exhibition is a delight.

Nearness: Anna Varendorff & Kim Jaegar

Mr Kitly
17 March - 3 May 2015

Approximately once a month Andrew Basement sends out his latest blog entry: Past Imperfect, the art of inventive repair. Historical ceramics that have suffered a major injury are carefully & creatively cajoled into service again with the addition of metal rivets, straps & wires. An ingenious metal worker performs the miracle of putting 'humpty back together again'.

Anna Varendorff & Kim Jaeger's recent exhibition Nearness at Mr Kitly reminds me of the intimate collaboration that Past Imperfect blog celebrates. Similarly Varendorff''s brass wire and ribbon plays the supportive role, acknowledging ceramic weight & its dodgy ability to stand sturdily unless flat bottomed. Varendorff's brass additions also add to the whimsy by framing the assemblage, adding angel-like hallows or caliper-like suports to Jaeger's 'disabled' figures. Known for her Pot Heads range, Jaegar's hapless figures seem curiously happy with their lot in life. The ceramic colour scheme beautifully compliments Varendorff's brass.

I enjoy that this exhibition had the process of collaboration at the creative heart of these assemblages. Neither clay nor metal would be complete without its buddy-material near to complete it. Nearness makes a 'ponderance' of what came first, the vessel from the kiln then the metal to enfold, I imagine!

Jo & Alex

Philip

Luca

Otto

Serena & Luca

Odion

IRL: Tess, Jess & m8s

Mr Kitly

6 - 22 March 2015

As the title of this exhibition makes clear; this is a matey collection of handmade objects. 

The seemingly ad hoc arrangements reveal perfectly formed vignettes as one roams around the middle gallery of Mr Kitly.

M8s, matches & rhyming names all add to the sense that the maker may indeed be one entity rather than a gathering (irl) of potters, jewellers, photographers, assemblers, painters & drawers.

IRL is a breath of fresh , tangy air & I envy those who had the great fun of plinth & shelf-scaping these raw & engaging objects.

IRL are: Mr Kitly, Jessilla Rogers, Seb Brown, Tessy M King, Gussie Vinall Richardson, Elise Sheehan, Niamh Minogue

For more #irltessjessandm8s

Mr Kitly