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. 




Holly & last vestiges,  porcelain & ceramic stain

sub rosa,  porcelain & ceramic stain




last vestiges, porcelain & ceramic stain

detail last vestiges, porcelain & ceramic stain

detail last vestiges, porcelain & ceramic stain


florescence & shimmer,  porcelain & ceramic stain h. 34cm

deep midnight,  porcelain & ceramic stain

Workshop Reveals


'how to' for chalks, engobes, testing & recording of colours 

making of hump mould for consistent and supported vessel base,  pinching, , masking

Saturday, 16 September 2017

Claire McArdle - Up North


31 August - 16 September 2017

Gallerysmith Project Space

Sometimes my soft eye strays from a purely ceramic/clay focus. Happily, I will stray towards this Melbourne based artist Claire McArdle.

McArdle's work is ever inventive and creatively responsive to the material and history of place. Up North is a reflection on her residency in Iceland. 

Check out McArdle's use of material, form and how the body might carry a reference to place (Iceland).


Coming Home, shoes, 2017, Icelandic wolfish skin, sterling silver, thread


details of Brooches, 2017 natural dyed Icelandic wool, sterling silver

Mountains, 2017

Námafjall, mountain, 2017, raised copper, tiger eye, camel agate, marble, petrified wood, brass

Sheep, neckpieces, 2017, natural dyed Icelandic wool

tray of dyes with list of material: Downy Birch Twigs, Lupin Seed Pods, Crowberries, Soft Pine Tree, Bog Bilberries etc.

detail of dye lots

gallerysmith entry to the Project Space

Saturday, 2 September 2017

Every Second Feels Like A Century

Curated by Hannah Presley & Debbie Pryor
Artists
Alterfact, Vito Bila, John Brooks, Sarah Mary Chadwick, Nicholas Hovington, Angela Thirlwell, Adam Ridgeway, Jasmine Targett

1 September - 7 October 2017

westspace, Melbourne


A real treat to visit this thoughtfully curated exhibition. Full curatorial points for the presentation of artworks and artist in a non-didactic way. The portentous title introduces a range of artists whose works generate questions, notice behaviours, predict outcomes, respond to 



Installation view of Every Second Feels Like A Century

Adam Ridgeway. Takin aback, 2017, porcelain. glaze, acrylic, ochre & mixed media

Vito Bila, 2014, Tray #2,  electroplated nickel sliver, sahib ichi
Vito Bila

John Brooks, Carpet & Plaster, 2017, 7 minute video


Angela Thirwell, installation, photography, performance, drawing and tattoo
Angela Thirwell, tattoo installation
Angela Thirwell, drawing


Jasmine Targett, Thirst Know No Season, 2017, glass crystal, dichroic lens
Jasmine Targett, My Nike Will Live Longer Than Me 2, 2017, glass crystal, dichroic lens

detail Bounty
detail Bounty
Nicholas Hovington, Bounty, 2017, kangaroo bones, skins, river reeds



Alterfact, Field Kit #1, 3D printing in clay
Alterfact are Ben Landau & Lucile Sciallano

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

Cooked – a group show of contemporary ceramics

Andrei Davidoff, Dawn Vachon, Grace Brown, Kenny Pittock, Madeleine Thornton-Smith, Mechelle Bounpraseuth, Susan Robey and Tai Snaith. 

Lamington Drive
55 Budd Street Collingwood

3-19 August 2017

Curated in collaboration with artist Jane Sawyer, director of Slow Clay Centre.
Dawn Vachon, Bow Tie, 2017
Mechelle Bounpraseuth,  Yeo's Chysanthamum Tea, Built in Ashtray, Extra Wrapper & Gum, 2017

Grace Brown, Untitled, 2017

Grace Brown, Untitled, 2017

Madeleine Thornton-Smith, Vase, Framing, Right Angles,  2017

Madeleine Thornton-Smith, Pedestal, Blue Brushstrokes, 2017
Sue Robey, MINER BLACK & MINER WHITE,  2015

Kenny Pittock, Every hotdog has its day, 2017

Lamington Drive facade

Thursday, 3 August 2017

In Common

Chela Edmunds + Abbey Rich
Elizabeth Barnett + Katia Carletti
Bianca Mavrick + Louise Meuwissen
Tessy King + Samantha O'Farrell
Kirsten Perry + Merryn Lloyd
Ashley Ronning + Rosaleen Ryan
Cheralyn Lim + Georgina Glanville


3 - 12 August 2017

Guild of Objects
690 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne


Each of these artist  pairs have interpreted the collaboration paremetre differently. It is always exciting to look at collaboratively made objects and to try and decipher where the two makers appear separately and where practice and aesthetic begins to meld and flow.

In Common is part of Craft Cubed Festival with the theme of 'Crafting Communities'

Elizabeth Barnett + Katia Carletti


Tessy King + Sam O'Farrell


Kirsten Perry + Merryn Lloyd 

Chela Edmunds + Abby Rich


Inside

Craft 16 November 2020 - 30 January 2021 (with a 'soft eye' on ceramics) Inside presents a maximalist celebration of contemporary c...