Kari McRae

I Find It Hard To Get Up In The Morning

4-21 July 2018

Rubicon ARI 

Poetic exhibition of materials depicting gestures captures at a moment in time. I particularly like the works which 'hold' impressions from the use of a push or impression: druck. 

Spreading different conditions as a pulse, cut up doona cover handing on wielded still and plaster cast sand, small piece of marble as a weight. 

The grabbling adjustment that occurs has now become solid, bronze leaning on fossil rock.

Memorialising the intangible gesture, was and steel rods leaning on fabric

Sun Room - Tessy King

A solo exhibition by Tessy King, curated by Jade Bitar

22 - 27 May 2017

Craft 33 Flinders Lane Melbourne 3000

Tessy King presents a range of her favoured vessel forms. Name them as you please; urn, vase, blossom jar or amphora. They remind us of almost every era & culture that utilised clay to make containers. The great benefits of this form is that it offers a 'blank canvas' for the maker.

Tessy's surface treatments are luscious, a fetishistic depiction of the creamy, viscous joy of plastic clay. The satin glaze exaggerated this sensation. Made from high fired clay, these forms are strong. Their robustness is undermined by a slight 'wonk' in structure and a form that is riddled with gaps and holes.  The delightful tension between opposites continues with  Tessy's witty penchant for adding tiny, 'poorly' made handles that could not possibly assist in the lifting of her vases. These formal decisions and a consistently 'de-skilled' hand, are now firmly and wonderfully part of Tessy's oeuvre of making.

Sun Room's curator Jade Bitar writes eloquently in the room brochure about the supplemental use of display material as such:

The conversation between support and vessel reflects the constant exchange between objects and its physical platform. The curation and supporting pedestals and stands that display the vessel are controlled and measured.

First appearing at Craft earlier this year as part of  Fresh! Victoria Graduates in Contemporary Craft and Design, Tessy King had just completed Honours in Ceramics at RMIT. For Sun Room, Tessy  has expanded into the L-shape of galleries 2 & 3.

To be admired is Tessy and Jade's addressing of context. The gallery is a place to be guided through,  where one notices the intention of the artist. In Sun Room the visitor is treated to a tour of works,  directed by swathes of fabric colour, reflective coloured perspex and cleverly placed mirrors that frame views as if they are still life paintings.

Sun Room beams sun shine onto a young maker who is willing to experiment in both her medium and installation.

And also...

See some of my favourite artists below for their treatment of a similar forms.

David Potter as part of the Margaret Lawrence Collection

Grayson Perry, Urban Butterflies from MCA 2016

Detail

Alison Frith: Topography - study of surface

Luscious, creamy volanic froth, invoking natural and lunar landscapes. 

Topography: A study of surface' 

Tuesday 21st of February

 Sofitel On Collins, Melbourne

 

Jane Sawyer: Rain Shadows

It's a pleasure to watch the trajectory of a maker who continues to surprise and inspire. Jane responds to the important issue of climate change and our human need to address the collection, storage and consumption of water. 

Jane's fluid technique of throwing, altering and slip application reflects the qualities of captured water and her fingertips apply slip in rainy-streaks and splashes. 

Excitingly, Jane has also moved 'off' the vessel (bucket & watering can) to the shadow cast by these water carriers. Clay silhouette's become cloud forms, sitting on the wall like a brooding storm on the horizon.

Expanding the phenomenon from which this exhibition takes it's name (1), the shadow becomes a surface on which Jane let's loose with gestural slip and sgraffitto, 'drawing in' the object of her attention. These marks are wonderfully confident and expressive. I suspect years of drawing alongside many other accomplishments!

 

(1) 

Rain Shadow explanation from Jane Sawyer's exhibition brochure  

A rain shadow is a dry area on the leeward side of tha mountainous area (away  from the wind). The mountains block the passage of rainproducing weather systems and cast a "shadow" of dryness behind them.  

tacit contemporary art 

312 Johnston Street, Abbotsford

www.tacitart.com.au

Accompanied by text by poet and writer Carolyn Leach-Paholski.

30 November - 18 December 2016

 

The Cloud Gatherer, 2016 red eathenware

Rainmakers, 2016 red earthenware

 

 

 

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran: In the Beginning

Pertinent use of University of Melbourne's museum collections to add snap and sparkle to Ramesh's magpie-like assemblage of stuff. 

 

A panopoly of materials and joyfully self referential and neo-expressionist outpouring across all surface. 

 

Hyper-fun, combined with layers of cultural and history of art references hidden amidst the jetsom. 

 

Ian Potter Museum of Art

http://www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au

22 November 2016 - 26 February 2017

Ceramic Jug, Cyprus, c 2300-2200BCE University of Melbourne Art Collection

Uniitled Figure 13 2016 earthenware, glaze, gold lustre, plantinum lustre, enamel & Untitled (Hindu God) not dated, concrete The University of Melbourne Art Collection. Purchased by the Faculty of Architecture. Unkown Artist (Madhubani, India) Kali, the black goddess, 1982, brush and ink on paper,  The University of Melbourne Art Collection. Purchased by the Faculty of Indian Studies.

Untitled, 2016, Bronze

Untitled Figure 14, 2016, un-fired clay, synthetic wig, glitter, acrylic, garbage bag, plastic fern

Super-stimulated!!