An ode to the intimate ceramic object that can be held in the hand and taken to the heart
2–31 August 2024
An exhibition curated by Sassy Park
To be opened 2 August at 6pm by Sharon Veale, CEO GML Heritage
Gallery Lowe & Lee, 49-51 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Mon to Sat, 10am – 5.30pm
TIDE LINE BOTTLES
The Tide Line Bottles in Small Pleasures are inspired by the lines, patterns and textures left on the sand as the tide fluctuates between high and low – the trickling channels, the endless edges, the broken tracks.
I take many photos: of rocks on coastal platforms, the patterns left in the sand on the beach at high and low tide, the rough swells and calm, glassy ripples, and the drifting clouds in the sky. Although ever-changing and ephemeral, these aspects are also repetitive and consistently present. There is never an absence of movement, of something happening. The local coastal landscapes at Little Bay and La Perouse are an important part of my life, so I visit as often as I can.
Back in my studio while making my work, I seek beauty in the handmade details – fingerprints and marks made with natural tools, delicate edges and decoration – which unravel and expand as the viewer gets up close and (hopefully) holds the pieces in their hands. My work is functional, sculptural and decorative.
My works are small and precious. Small work has less environmental impact than large work (less materials, more can fit in the kiln etc). I am also working consciously to avoid waste and failed work. I like the idea that the work I make is accessible and affordable, and can fit almost anywhere. I enjoy making several pieces along a theme which I group together to achieve an impact.
REFERENCES WHICH HAVE INSPIRED ME TO WORK SMALL
How Size in Art Matters
In opposition to the “bigger is better” culture in today’s modern art world, some artists have chosen to take economy into consideration and focused on not only creating smaller works, but to encourage the idea that humankind can function beautifully on a smaller scale, impacting the world emotionally without as much physical impact. Small scale works confuse and disorient viewers, forcing them to focus on what they are viewing, and creating internal discourse.
Scale in Art
… Alan Wolfson takes as a reference one of the largest cities in the world, New York, and transforms its gritty reality into sculptural miniatures. Scaling down the streets, subway entrances, flats and other elements of the urban environment, his primary interest is in the story behind them: “I’m providing you with clues to a narrative, telling a story with minute details… The real impact of my work is not in how small everything is but in the stories these small things tell.