more textures, more colors, more patterns: more is, in fact, more. if you know me a little you will know that i am generally more attracted to the most exuberant, the most expressive ceramics. the productions that i present to you today could be described as too loud by some, but for me they arouse a strong feeling of joy.
ceramicism
Ceramicism is the ceramic work of the artist Dustin Barzell, based in Brooklyn, NY. He uses cane techniques in different ways, in tile construction like the images 1 to 3, and with slabs on forms like the image 4. Notice how the crack is assumed and becomes part of the final composition. Nerikomi is a very favorable technique for creating cracks because there is tension between all the assembled parts, and colored clay is necessarily more fragile than natural clay, adding pigments lessen plasticity. By using a protective layer (the white in the interior of the pieces) it ensures that the vessels are waterproof and functional despite the cracks. His construction technique makes me think of the extraordinary work (but in a style that could not be farther than his) of Sarah Scampton. Cracks are an aspect that all nerikomi ceramists must learn to deal with. I, for example, choose to hide them, (I might write an article on that) but I love that Dustin on the contrary managed to find how to exploit them to his advantage, and make it an integral part of the decor.
The color palette of Dustin is ultra contrasted, with neon tones, zebra and leopard patterns and extravagant aesthetic, which reminds me of that of TY plush toys, and the superb men's collection of Marni FW19. I would really like to have one of his pieces in my collection ...
ruby pilven
Ruby Pilven is a ceramic artist from Ballarat, Australia, who mainly makes functional ceramic objects using the technique I call myself "collage" where a large neutral clay slab is used as the base for applying several layers of colored clay pieces to create the pattern. Ruby works a bit like screen printing; each color is applied after the other to build the image by layering many strata of colored clay. It’s the same technique that I also use in my work. If we broke a piece in half, we could see in the walls the different colors that are embedded in the base clay. The advantage of this technique compared to the cane technique like in my previous post, Living Legends edition , is that the unaltered clay at the heart of the piece protects in a way from separations and cracks between colors to go all the way. (But it can happen anyway) If you choose to explore this technique, you can still have patterns on both sides by flipping the slab to work the other side, but Ruby chooses to use only enamels for its interiors.
Ruby Pilven's compositions are a bit like tapestries or textiles, she also describes her aesthetic as “Neo-Chintz”, the Chintz being textiles with floral and colorful patterns originating in India. There was a trend in pottery in the mid-century that lasted until the 90’s that was inspired by it, which is called Chintzware, you have surely already seen it ... Now you can name it! Do you see the affiliation? I love the fun and spontaneous aspect of Ruby's work, her pieces are cheerful, bursting, energetic!
katie stout
Katie Stout is an artist based in Brooklyn, United States, and describes her work as "naive pop." Her works are "caricatures" of household objects; lamps and furniture. I present to you today some works in which she used the technique of nerikomi but she also uses a range of techniques including modeling, but she also work with other materials such as textiles, wood and more. I strongly invite you to visit her instagram page, and her website, her corpus is breathtaking! Katie Stout subverts the utilitarian objects of the domestic sphere and creates quirky immersive environments that cause discomfort and reveal the absurdity of ordinary life. Just starting her thirties, her curriculum is already very impressive. Her “Bedroom Curio” exhibition at Design Miami 2015 was photographed by Juergen Teller for Barney's Rick Owens campaign; she collaborated with Bjarne Melgaard on furniture for his installation at the 2014 Whitney Biennale; she won the first season of the Ellen's Design Challenge series in 2015; and she was listed in the Forbes "30 Under 30" in 2017. She also collaborated with fashion designer Jeremy Scott for her fall-winter 2018 collection. Her work was also presented in the "Free Museum" exhibition at Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art in 2017 and has artworks in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Wow, such an remarkable journey!
Its field is so broad that I would not describe her as a nerikomi artist, but I absolutely wanted you to discover her this possible avenue. I always say that nerikomi avenues are infinite, and Katie Stout's work is proof of that. I am so in love with her work that I’m out of words to express how much. I have selected works that contain nerikomi but go discover the rest of her work, really, I insist.
And you, are you more likely to be attracted to minimalist or maximalist aesthetics? Would you say that more is more or that less is more? Despite my love of exaggeration, bright colors, abundance of textures and patterns, if you read my post Less is more you know that I also love sober and measured aesthetics. To me the duality between minimalism and maximalism is obsolete. We can appreciate both. I think what touch me the most is an assumed “rift” or “cleavage” that creates tension in the work, and a surprise me. A deviation of the techniques, unusual color schemes, a flawless finish a little bit coocoo or the freedom of the ways that witness expression of self. Oddly, a subscriber sent me a message last night, the person said that it took them a while to understand my aesthetic because they were rather adept of minimalisme but that they were now I quote, "charmed ”. I have absolutely no goal of pleasing everyone, it's impossible, but to know that my work opens minds to get out of our natural inclinations, it really touches me. The 3 artists I presented you today did that to me.