Ceramic Sausages and Crowns Show the Playful Power of Clay

Ceramic becomes richly-textured still lifes, stunning detailed crowns, abstract unpolished sculptures, and a bunch of orange sausage-shapes which have the words, “I am thinking of a reverse sunset,” carved into them. The pieces are strikingly different from one another, but these differences create a playful atmosphere, presenting each piece in a different light. In, Ceramics Now, diversity of aesthetic is celebrated with an eclectic collection by The Jane Hartsook Gallery. The gallery, where artists Giselle Hicks, Margaret Lanzetta, Sheila Pepe, and Halsey Rodman have just completed residencies, prizes a deep relationship with ceramics and encourages immersion into the medium.

Together, the artists bring out interesting aspects of each other’s works. Hicks, who was the Jane Hartsook Gallery’s fellow this year, creates extremely elegant pieces which are polished in the same way that Lanzetta’s work is. Sheila Pepe’s work contrasts this simple beauty with bold colors and an aesthetic of imperfection. Meanwhile, Rodman’s conceptual I Am Thinking of a Reverse Sunset, perhaps the most typically modernist piece, stands out as the only piece associated with the verbal. Its headiness is interesting within the context of Lanzetta’s old-school ornate headpieces. Check out images from the group exhibition below:

The exhibition is open until August 11th. To learn more, click here.

Related:

The Art of Mending Ceramics Disasters

The 5 Best Things About Contemporary Ceramics

Custom 3D Printer Turns Songs into Ceramics