This is an exhibition about material transforming, from a lump of dirt into a myriad of forms. Clay is an expressive material, from the belly of a bowl to the gestural marks of an abstract sculpture there is something seductive about clay, it calls out for human touch.
The making of an artwork in the studio is a very private performance. The physicality of working with clay and drawing is rarely discussed, as it is a side of an artist’s life that is almost never made public. Pushing blocks of clay around, denting, altering and moving over the surface of form, the physical rhythm of making is a large part of a ceramic artist’s life. Clay is heavy; being able to manipulate it requires strength and ingenuity to solve technical problems that arise between the material and the human body.
This exhibition highlights 10 Queensland artists working with clay from the raw woodfired works of Ray Cavill to the refined, delicate porcelain of Anne Mossman. These objects are highlighted and linked by the ephemeral eco installation of artist Tijn Meulendijks; his airy, gravity defying installation is a physical embodiment of the idea of desire. Tijn’s installations and Shannon Garson’s exhibition design draw the viewer further and further into the luscious, mysterious, tactile, colourful world of Objects of Desire.
Curated by Shannon Garson
Artists:
Mollie Bosworth, Andrew Bryant, Ray Cavill, Janet Fieldhouse, Chizuko Jones, Clairy Laurence, Tijn Meulendijks, Pru Morrison, Anne Mossman, Jenny Mulcahy and Megan Puls
Image: Megan Puls, Mangrove Series 1 – 10, 2016. Scarva stoneware clay. Photo by Jaala Alex.
