Cruising the Ceramics Fair yesterday, one of the longest running January antiques shows, one thing was immediately clear. Porcelain is a living art.
In fact none other than Ai Wi Wi, the Chinese artist who changed the economics of an entire porcelain making village by commissioning thousands of porcelain sunflower seeds for his installations, is on the cover of the “Ceramics in America.” The annual hardcover is published by the steward of porcelain, the Chipstone Foundation. If that’s putting the Present in Porcelain, what could?
The hand of the artist, in fact, is visible in all the sculptural and decorative items for sale. Whether old or contemporary, these works invite you to ask about the process.
One of the most notable exhibits is “Ceramic Art of Post 1945 Germany.” Set in the aftermath of World War II, a group of ceramic artists set out to make fresh beginnings. The highly geometric pieces, most with glazes of grays and earth tones, twist, twirl, rise, round, and reach out in all directions. The sculptural over rides the practical and from an aesthetic point of view, as you’ll see from the Beate Kuhn item in our featured image, they are visually stimulating.
At Katherine Houston Porcelain, Boston, MA, the artist herself was very much in
Katherine Houston with her "Big Apple" sculpture
evidence. Having once worked with Neiman Marcus, Houston fired up her own studio and now creates porcelains – real, hard paste porcelain, not pottery. Her large pumpkin, commissioned by Barbara Bush, decorates the White House.
Houston’s process is not a slap dash one. It begins with hand formed clay, moves on to a firing – bisque – at about 1500 to 1800 degrees, goes back into her hands for a clear glaze and another firing at 2500 degrees, which produces something like blanc d’chine. Overglazes in color are then fired at a lower temperature – each color gets its own firing – and if she uses gold, it’s fired three more times.
Clarice Cliff Art Deco Pottery at Cara Antiques
A Cara Antiques, from Langhorne, PA, the colorful Art Deco ceramics of Clarice Cliffe, active in the 1930s- 1940s, make you want to take them all home. The oranges, blues and greens on these pieces are vibrant, rare treats for the eye.
Best advice on this snowy day: head on over to the Ceramics Fair at Bohemian National Hall on East 73rd Street, and bask in the beauty of ceramics.
And if you’re still not convinced that porcelain is a living art, , maybe this picture of Ai Wi Wi, arguably
Ai Wi Wi and handfu of porcelain sunflower seeds on cover of 2012 Chipstone Society's Ceramics in America
the best known contemporary artist today, will convince you.
The NY Ceramics Fair opens at 11 a.m. and runs through tomorrow, Sunday, till 4:00. (Click the link for directions and details on discount parking.) Bohemian National Hall has a delightful cafe where you can snack on sandwiches made on “fried bread.” The prices are right. The menu perfect for a day like today. And, once inside, there’s no reason to leave until you have purchased the piece that’s perfect for your apartment.
While last year, a combination of economic concerns and uncertainty about the new venue resulted in a slightly smaller Fair than in years past, visitors to the 2012 Fair will enjoy the return of many US based galleries as well as a extensive participation of worldclass international dealers, many from the UK.
