White Heat

Original document contained images.

Exhibition Review June 2009


Exhibition: White Heat
(n. an extreme heat that stretches the limits of the safety and
familiarity)
The Australian Ceramics Association’s
Biennial Exhibition 2009
Manly Art Gallery and Museum
12 June – 19 July 2009






While the twenty five artists represented in this exhibition all choose to work within the medium of ceramics, each has interpreted their concern for social, political or cultural matters in a very personal way.

Gerry Wedd, usually known for his Mambo t-shirt designs or his blue and white vessels, this time chose to highlight his concerns for the effects of pesticides on the small birds that appear to be dying near his favourite surf beach. This installation is quite emotive for the viewer as the little birds are so fragile and being arrayed along the base of a wall to represent the roadway along which Gerry walks to surf each day, emphasizes their plight.
Penny Smith comments on the appalling collection of garbage in the centre of the North Pacific Gyre. This accumulation of flotsam and debris informally known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is represented in this installation by a large tubular ‘horn of plenty’ which is spewing out many and varied ‘plastic’ bottle forms. The installation calls on the viewer to be mindful of the need to recycle plastics so as not to add to this degradation of the oceans of the world.

Mel Robson brings a new meaning to the use of the recycled object to her art. Using a found, Willow pattern plate which has been cut by water jet to her design, Robson explores the history of the object while reflecting on her own perspectives on war.



Another artist in this show who has chosen to express a political view through the use of recycled objects is Penny Byrne. Her altered vintage porcelain figurines are a comment on the Howard Government. In one instance, “George and Laura simply adore the War on Terror” she protests the war in Iraq while with the piece titled, “John and Janette Were All Set for the Long Walk” Byrne comments on that Governments relationship with the Aboriginal community. Featuring old style European figurines, Byrne has painted the pieces in Aboriginal motifs and colours to represent the disparity between the Howard Government’s rhetoric and the lack of action on Aboriginal issues. This piece was inspired by the walk undertaken by Aboriginal activist, Michael Long, from Melbourne to Canberra.




The current work of Pru Morrison is a comment on the Rudd Federal Government’s 42 billion dollar stimulus rescue package. Her small slipcast and handbuilt pieces depict various members of the parliament along with satirical comments relating to each character.
The characters are drawn onto a cylinder using coloured slips which are then etched away using hand tools to reveal the cartoon portrait along with the witty comments. Borrowing from the American Democratic Party emblem, each cylinder is topped with a donkey’s head which has an individual expression.









Two other works of note is this extensive exhibition were those chosen to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth.
Kate Dunn’s mixed media triptych uses a clever pun to refer to “The Beagle”, Darwin’s ship, with the use of a slipcast dog while the aluminium backing is decorated in a wall paper print which incorporates a photo of his wife, Emma. The use of blue background and a white addition relates back to Emma’s family links to the Wedgewood ceramics company who are known for their blue and white decorative ware. Dunn wished to honour the women in history who have supported great men to achieve their ambitions. She has achieved this with proficiency while expressing her view with subtle humour.

Christopher Headley supposes that perhaps Darwin would need to update his major principles in light of modern scientific advances with genetic manipulation. His installation includes large photographs depicting his figures in various seascapes while the main work is gathered on the floor. The imaginative figures show a man entering a circle of knowledge depicted by books, a mix of animals in various combinations and emerging on the other side is a new species of man with an animal’s head.













While there were many other fascinating and skilfully made entries in this year’s exhibition, the ones mentioned are those which I found most interesting.

The Manly Gallery and the Curator, Dr Julie Bartholomew have brought together the best of Australia’s leading ceramic artists and presented a marvellous exhibition. The two rooms were well filled without any one installation overwhelming another. Each artist provided the viewer with provocative ideas to take away and contemplate.


References:

 Personal Notes of Exhibition
 Exhibition flyers
• Websites:
o http://australianceramicstriennale.com/component/option,com_eventlist/Itemid,22/id,7/view,details/
o http://flickr.com/photos/32665176@N08/3044161073/
o http://www.avicam.com/gallery/whiteheat.php
o http://www.artmonthly.org.au/artnotes.asp?aID=8&issueNumber=221