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.
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| David Potter as part of the Margaret Lawrence Collection |
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| Grayson Perry, Urban Butterflies from MCA 2016 |
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| Detail |
