Convergence: Pottery from Studio and Factory
Examples of work by 36 artists/designers from the United States and Europe, including mass-produced and limited edition objects by well-known designers, short-run “boutique” ceramics commissioned for high-end retailers, objects produced on a contract basis by independent designers, and the work of studio potters who embrace industrial techniques and the aesthetic of industrial design. Artists include: Heather Mae Erickson, Paul Eshelman, Karen Swyler, Hella Jongerius, Andy Brayman, Kristine Morich, Paul Kotula, Alain Goyer & Denise Bonneau, Janet DeBoos, Marek Cecula.
Until recently, studio pottery and industrial ceramic production have existed in entirely separate spheres. But the line between them is becoming increasingly blurred. The current generation of studio potters is far more open to inspiration from industrial design, popular culture, and fashion than their predecessors, and industrial design today is also less regimented than even a few decades ago. Recent developments in prototyping technology, small-batch production and web-based marketing, along with a tremendous expansion of public design awareness, have created surprising new opportunities for making and selling objects of all kinds. This exhibition will explore the effects of these changes in contemporary ceramics, focusing on functional wares that cross, expand, or confuse the boundaries between industrial design and studio production. The works on view will include studio pottery that relates to the aesthetics of industrial design, mass-produced and limited edition objects by well-known industrial designers, and “self-generated” ceramics produced and often marketed by independent designers.
