Ceramics

[cheesepaws]

Ceramics seem to be making a come back. I've seen more fired clay in contemporary galleries in the last year than I have in ages. Whats up with that? Some of it is "sculptural" but lots seems to still be rooted in pottery.

Here is a good example of some contemporary ceramic works:

http://www.salon94.com/exhibitions/d...satan-ceramics

What say ye? Any thoughts on ceramics and sculpture?

[raspero]

I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. I appreciate great ceramic work, but as with most of the other art, great seems to be missing—not missing as in "not in existence", but missing as in "not in the public eye". I sometimes wonder how a pile of rocks stacked in a corner can occupy precious space in major museums while really superior works are sitting in artist's studios unheralded and unseen.

We have dumbed down our schools and universities and it seems we have dumbed down our art as well.

Richard

[Robson Valley]

Of course you have.

I have lurked here for long enough to hope for some encouragement
to work in clay and stone.
Aside from a rare few, there is no encouragement for beginners.
The put-downs are atrocious horse-puckey from a bunch of pumped up top-knots.
Am I some sort of threat?
Maybe I should enhance global warming in your neighborhood?

This site has gone to great lengths to prevent the easy display of works produced. What the Hello good can that possibly contribute?

I sincerely wanted really freakin' hard-nosed critique for my carvings (from 10-70"). No. There are some obtuse avenues for that which I have been unable to measure my steps to follow.

Break it off, puppies. Your site is dying for lack of discourse.
Adios

[Art-Deco]

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Of course you have.

This site has gone to great lengths to prevent the easy display of works produced. What the Hello good can that possibly contribute?

This site doesn't have the server space or bandwidth to indefinitely host thousands of images people would post, that is why you use an off-site host for that
How hard is it to simply post a LINK to a photo hosted on any of the dozens of free photo hosting sites out there like imgure and photobucket?? You upload photos there, copy the link, paste the link in here, real difficult...

[rika]

Dear Robson, encouragement and critique is not the same. I think you need to decide which one you want. It helps if you state at the time of the posting which one you want. There are times that we want encouragement and there are times when we want critique. I think both are needed, regardless in what stage of your development you are. But you have to be clear on what you expect, otherwise you just get hurt for no reason.
I read this forum from time to time still, but do not contribute much anymore. I think we had a good thing going here, I got ALL my education here, and NOT from the polite nods. Wanna be an artist? you have to have a tougher, stronger mind than most, and even more important in my opinion, is to always find the essence of what you're given, regardless how it is packaged or articulated to you. Very few are able to take honest criticism, and attack the ones that made an effort and spent time on giving it. Forums are for debate, Facebook is for "likes". I wish everybody would come back and we would give it a try again. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and theoretical discussions, in addition to seeing the work.

[rika]

Regarding Cheese's post, I see exciting things in ceramics, but not in the domain of pottery as much. It very well be because I am more interested in figurative work...
I especially like the contemporary continuation of porcelain in the work of Chris Antemann and Shary Boyle. Funny and twisted, and I find it interesting that the manufacturer of fine porcelain, Meissen, invited Antemann for a year long residency. Kinda ironic in a way, but exciting nevertheless.

http://www.chrisantemann.com/2011.html

http://flavorwire.com/193421/gallery...ain-sculptures

[cheesepaws]

Useful critiques are hard enough in person let alone in a virtual space where there is no eye contact and no "real" object to discuss. To be honest, I'm not even sure there is any real value in having any work critiqued unless you want evaluated on technique and are clear about the level of application of said technique you were hoping to achieve - but that is just skill building and sculpture can be so much more than that!

Love the links Rika. All figurative - of course

Personally I've been making sculpture for about 20 years now and I have yet to throw a pot. I was just never compelled by the material or the (seemingly) required love and knowledge of the science behind the craft.

[Andrew Werby]

It makes sense that ceramics should be experiencing a revival about now. It's a medium that many of us have had experience with, and the first way most people ever get to work sculpturally, since there is a residual tradition that persists in rec centers and even a few schools. It's not that hard to set up a pottery studio, and in many places there are group studios that people can work in for a reasonable monthly fees. Compared to other media, like welding, stone-carving or casting in bronze, it's relatively accessible.

I'm not sure what the works shown have to do with "Satan," but I guess that draws people in.

I'm not sure this is the place to come to for encouragement, Robson. Usually I find that other artists are pretty touchy about their work, and saying anything about it tends to cause bad feelings. We all have staked out our own aesthetic territory, and are the foremost experts on our own way of seeing things. I think these forums work best if we leave all that at the door and concentrate what we've got in common.

Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com

[raspero]

Yes, so much of what went on here before the mass exodus was something more than simply criticism. Wasn't there an undercurrent of an inside clique ridiculing that which did not meet with their ideas of what real art should be?

I tried a number of times to engage in some of their discussions and they almost totally ignored my posts. It got so bad I quit posting my work and just used this forum as a technical resource. (I do a lot of figurative sculpture, and that was obviously passe.)

Richard

[cheesepaws]

Originally Posted by raspero

Wasn't there an undercurrent of an inside clique ridiculing that which did not meet with their ideas of what real art should be?

Yes - waaaay too much judgement back then. Needlessly toxic when there is clearly tons of room in "Art" for everyone.

More on ceramics. This guy's work is pretty awesome in my opinion:

http://www.wfmceramics.com/

Originally Posted by Andrew Werby

It makes sense that ceramics should be experiencing a revival about now. It's a medium that many of us have had experience with, and the first way most people ever get to work sculpturally, since there is a residual tradition that persists in rec centers and even a few schools. It's not that hard to set up a pottery studio, and in many places there are group studios that people can work in for a reasonable monthly fees. Compared to other media, like welding, stone-carving or casting in bronze, it's relatively accessible.

Good point.

[Nelson]

A true artist should stand up to all sorts of critics, a safer place would be the studio by ourselves and our art, and not so sure either. Fórums in my view are virtual spots where people meet to engage in all kinds of exchanges. In ocasions, we even deviate from the subject matter only to find out that we are humans, and as such we'll laugh, get pissed, learn, teach, come in and go out .... Think of it all as a Mexican dish, but omit spices, sauces and peppers of all sorts....tasteless right ? All right, so just pull some hot chllies to the side if they are too hot, and still enjoy the meal...lol

[evaldart]

I wouldnt imagine that the aesthetic significance of an effort/artifact should be evaluated by the matter/material. It might be evaluated though by approach, intent and technique.

So not all ceramics is pottery and not all pottery is ceramic. And, t IS possible for vessels to be 'art'. right?

[Blake]

Cools Sites Cheese and Rita
I like Chris Antemann a lot, some very sexy pieces...

I have been seeing more ceramics around as well and a few of the good pieces I've seen were pots... But vessels can definitely be art in my book, just off the top of my head, you can look to Asia for some vessels that are great art.

Personally I loved the critics on this site and have learned a lot from such criticism. Perhaps just a sucker for punishment but am happy to listen to what anyone has to say... good, bad and below the belt.
Bring it on!
I just use the "water off a ducks back" method for anything that is not useful, the comments that are true are alway useful, especially if they hurt, then you know to pay attention!

I don't know about this site being dead, i think that it has just become refined.

Keep up the good work
Cheers Blake

[tobias]

I think. Who cares what you make your sculpture from. That is off topic but... I see some really great ceramic sculpture.
As far as why.? Maybe we are just able to see it now. With social media it's way easier to see what's going on in the world. Instagram has pointed me to some amazing sculptors working in all sorts of cool stuff.
Huge ceramic sculpture
http://javiermarin.com.mx/en/?cat=111
Cardboard
http://www.laurencevallieres.com/#/e...-human-jungle/
Wood and abstract for cheese
http://www.laurabuchan.com/gallery.html
Maybe with the huge visibility available now it just doesn't matter what a person uses. Or it's just what they have to work with.
Any ways. Cheers