Clay on Clay features artworks from The Clay Studio Collection, which has grown since the early years of our history. The Collection acts as a physical historical record of The Clay Studio and the many artists whom have been fostered by our programming. With hundreds of objects representing artists from around the globe, the Collection is a unique resource for artists, scholars, and enthusiasts of contemporary ceramics. The connection artists make between the rich history of ceramic art and their contemporary practice has emerged as a major theme in the Collection.
These exhibited artists all share an interest in maintaining a functional pottery practice intandem with sculptural explorations. Barbara Tipton finds sources for her intuitive sculptures in iconic ceramic objects such as cups, saucers, and teapots. For his large vessel, Billy Ray Mangham drew inspiration from face jugs of the American South as well as the formative meeting of two master potters, Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach, in 1952 at the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. Mangham’s playful commemoration of the landmark Hamada-Leach workshop celebrates the union of eastern and western pottery traditions. Meanwhile, Australian artist David Ray looks to the florid, excessive beauty of Baroque art and threads it together with a messy pop energy to create spirited subversions of ceramic traditions.
Funny, thoughtful, and exuberant, the works in this exhibition quote their own past as ceramic art and showcase the boundless creative possibilities of looking back. Clay on Clay acts as a microcosm of the many different styles, trends, and traditions present in The Clay Studio Collection as a whole.
Curated by Nicole Elizabeth Cook, The Clay Studio Collection Project Coordinator
