Ready, Set: Contemporary Tableware

R E A D Y, S E T: C O N T E M P O R A R Y TA B L E WA R E LILLSTREET’S 7TH ANNUAL JURIED CERAMICS EXHIBITION

Marc Digeros Ewer, 2013 Earthenware, 6.5 x 8 x 4.5 inches

© 2014 Lillstreet Art Center 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave. Chicago, IL 60640 Artwork © the artists.

Text © Heather Mae Erickson and Alyssa Gabriele.

Photographs by Guy Nicol. Design by Tracey Morrison.

Exhibition: August 22 - October 5.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, without permission in writing from Lillstreet Art Center.

Cover: Todd Hayes, Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Bowl, Tumbler, 2013

R E A D Y, S E T: C O N T E M P O R A R Y TA B L E WA R E LILLSTREET’S 7TH ANNUAL JURIED CERAMICS EXHIBITION

Juried by Heather Mae Erickson

J U R O R’ S S TAT E M E N T “Ready, Set” When jurying and inviting artists to take part in an exhibition on contemporary tableware in the form of place settings, I was searching for variety as well as unique and interesting approaches to present an overview of works currently being created in this vein. I am not only interested in the function of the individual pieces, but moreover with the dialogue between the works in the sets and objectives behind each grouping in relation to form, surface, and concept. The juxtaposition of the sets included speaks to various processes, concepts, and sculptural issues which makes for a well-rounded group to represent cohesiveness, utility, design, and function in 2014. There are artists that challenge the notion of what a set can and should be. Even though confined to what was called for (“dinner and salad plate, bowl, cup/mug…..more”) I enjoyed when I saw the inclusion of the “more.” When artists are confined to ubiquitous ideas, artistic invention is sometimes hindered. I was overjoyed to see collections that were able to break down the confines of the defined set. These are the ones that show the unexpected and create a different kind of ritual or narrative, all the while being confident in the significance of their inclusion in this discussion.

Heather Mae Erickson, July 2014 Heather Mae Erickson is an artist, a craftsperson, and a designer. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

R E A D Y, S E T : C O N T E M P O R A R Y T A B L E W A R E

by Alyssa Gabriele

W HE N PIC TUR ING A TABLE SET for an everyday meal, the image differs from that of a table set for a holiday. It starts with the ordinary plates and bowls of habit, and travels to the opposite end of the spectrum: toward settings so decorative they are too precious for daily use.

Why can’t this gap between function and design be bridged?

“Ready, Set: Contemporary Tableware” serves to answer this question by exhibiting works that function as traditional tableware without sacrificing aesthetics. Though setting the table is a ritualistic, everyday experience, tableware does not have to fall forgotten into the automatic rhythm of the daily routine. Instead, it can be a celebration of both design and utility, as each artist displays through their unique perspective. The tableware is set upon repurposed wood tables made by the local Rebuilding Exchange, offering an original backdrop that echoes the handmade quality of the vessels. Walking around the tables, the place settings serve to connect the viewer to various dining experiences.

Warm, undulating forms made of porcelain and fired in a wood kiln by Perry Haas take the viewer to a quiet, simple space in which they can reflect on the relationship between humanity and the natural landscape. By contrast, other porcelain pieces featured in the exhibition provide a point from which most viewers are familiar, but with a twist. Clean lines and forms are present

in the work of Bianka Groves, but minimal decoration speckled with “hints of imperfection” provides a sense of chance elegance. More conceptual pieces, such as Sheep Head Fittings by Maria Volokhova, give viewers cause to reconsider their previous notions of the traditional place setting. This sculptural piece provides an unexpected experience in which the user can engage with the unconventional tableware. Photography by Stephen Hamilton surrounds the tableware, showcasing impressive images of food in a manner that emphasizes the potential for function in the ceramic pieces.

The works exhibited in “Ready, Set: Contemporary Tableware” provide a visually wide range, but are all united by a single factor: the handmade. These pieces do more than give us a means to bring our food to the table, more than the generic efficiency of a mass-produced paper plate.

They offer a chance to relate to a person and their idea; they forge a connective link from the artist, to the table, to the consumer.

Alyssa Gabriele interned at LIllstreet Gallery in Summer, 2014 and is currently a student at Syracuse University, majoring in History and Art History.

W O R K S A R E P I C T U R E D in alphabetical order by artist name.

To inquire about availability or to purchase, please call 773-769-4226 or email lillstreet@lillstreet.com.

A S H L E Y D E V I T T received her BFA from Arcadia University, where she currently

manages the ceramics department. She presently works in her personal studio in the Philadelphia area. Ashley’s illustrated functional wares are boldly colored and bring a sense of playfulness to the table and home.

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Ashley Devitt Halibut, Grouper, Mola Mola, Wahoo, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

J E N N Y G A W R O N S K I received her BFA from Pennsylvania State University and

her MFA from Louisiana State University. Jenny is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. As a ceramic artist, she explores the form and function of objects used in the daily rituals of serving food and drink. She is interested in the personal sentiment and nostalgia that develop with repeated use of these functional objects.

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Jenny Gawronski Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Cup, Bowl, 2014 Stoneware Various sizes

R E B E C C A A . G R A N T received a BFA in Ceramics from Southern Illinois

University, Edwardsville in 2010. She has continued her education through workshops taught by a wide variety of ceramic artists. She works primarily from her home studio in Alton, Illinois, where she lives with her husband and two dogs.

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Rebecca A. Grant Black Floral Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Soup Bowl, Tumbler, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

The work of B I A N K A G R O V E S is thoughtfully functional and has the ability to complete the elegance of any interior space. Groves received her BFA in Washington, D.C., at the Corcoran School of Art in 2012. She taught at Baltimore Clayworks and recently moved to Minneapolis where she now teaches at Northern Clay Center and makes work out of her home studio.

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Bianka Groves Line Plate, Small Line Plate, Line Tumbler, Salad Bowl, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

P E R R Y H A A S grew up in Geneva, Illinois. He received his BFA from Utah State

University, then moved to Montana and started his residency at the Clay Studio of Missoula. Haas is now a long term resident at Red Lodge Clay Center. He will be traveling to Denmark this August to participate in the 2nd Annual European Woodfire Conference at Guldagergaard, followed by the American Pottery Festival at Northern Clay Center, and he is organizing the first Woodfire Invitational and Exhibition at Red Lodge Clay Center in January 2015.

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Perry Haas Large Shallow Bowl, Plate, Noodle Bowl, Shallow Dish, Yunomi, Tumbler, Tea Cups, Tea Pot, Pouring Pot, 2014 Wood-fired porcelain Various sizes

M A R G A R E T H A D E N was born and raised in California’s Central Valley. She

received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin River Falls, and was a PostBaccalaureate student at Oregon College of Art and Craft. In 2013 Haden received her MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Currently Haden is the 2014-2015 artist-in-residence at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

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Margaret Haden Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Bowl, Tumbler, 2014 Earthenware Various sizes

T O D D H A Y E S was born and raised in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range

of Utah. He received a BFA from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and an MFA from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Having spent much of his childhood in the hills, he gained an acute awareness of nature. His work evolves from these experiences, looking at the balance of nature and our constructed realities within. Hayes currently lives and works in Logan, Utah, where he is a studio potter who focuses primarily on tableware. He is also the Ceramics Studio Coordinator and Instructor in the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University.

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Todd Hayes Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Bowl, Tumbler, 2013 Terracotta Various sizes

J U S T I N L A M B E R T received his BFA from Florida Atlantic University in 1999 and

his MFA from Indiana University in 2003. Lambert has spent the last 15 years firing utilitarian pottery in wood burning kilns. Investigations into reduction cooling in the teardrop anagama add dramatic decoration to the subtle curves in his pots.

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Justin Lambert Dinner Plate, Lunch Plate, Cereal Bowl, Flared Bowl, Shot Glass, Yunomi, 2014 Porcelain Blend Various sizes

S H A N E M C N U T T is a ceramic artist working as a long-term artist-in-residence

at Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto, Ontario. He attended the Ontario College of Art & Design where he received his undergraduate degree in Ceramics.

Since graduating, McNutt has maintained a full-time studio practice that has focused primarily on porcelain wheel thrown and carved domestic objects. In 2013 he completed a one-year residency at Medalta in the historic clay district in Medicine Hat, Alberta. During this yearlong intensive, his work evolved into highly patterned and decorated surfaces combining traditional low-fire slipware techniques with iconic 80s and 90s video game imagery.

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Shane McNutt Link’s Recovery Heart Dinner Plate, Side Plate, Soup Bowl, Cup, 2014 Earthenware Various sizes

N I C K M O E N grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2012 he completed a BFA in Art

and Design from Alfred University. In January of 2013 he moved to Asheville, North Carolina where he started a residency at Odyssey Clayworks. Moen has been focusing on organizing events that pair tableware with food and drink.

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Nick Moen Pasta Bowl, Entree Plate, Small Plate, Bowl, Cup, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

A B I G A I L M U R R A Y studied at Skidmore College and Alfred University and

received an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She makes her work in her studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and frequently collaborates with the architecture research group Archolab. After years of making and exhibiting installations, she began exploring similar ideas through functional work a few years ago.

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Abigail Murray Overlap Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Cup and Saucer, Tumbler, Pasta Bowl, Small Bowl, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

J U S T I N R O T H S H A N K is a studio ceramic artist working in Goshen, Indiana. In

2001 he co-founded the Union Project, a nonprofit organization located in Pittsburgh where he served as Associate Director and Principal Artist until 2009. Rothshank’s work at the Union Project was recognized with numerous historic preservation and social innovation awards from city, state, and national organizations.

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Justin Rothshank Small Cup, Tumbler, Mug, Bowl, Salad Plate, Dinner Plate, 2013 Earthenware Various sizes

Predominantly working within the realm of functional ceramics, A L B I O N S T A F F O R D draws from notions of landscape, architecture, and utility to inform his

current body of work. Hailing from Philadelphia, Stafford received his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Stafford comes to Illinois State University as a full time assistant professor after teaching most recently at his alma mater, NYSCC at Alfred University.

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BEST IN SHOW

Albion Stafford Place Setting - dinner, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

Contemporary ceramic artist N A T A L I E S T E I N M E T Z received her BFA from Columbia College Chicago in 2005. She currently resides in Chicago and is the ceramics department head at the Art Center Highland Park as well as the Glencoe Park District. Natalie’s distinctive work reflects her eclectic interests in medical science and the natural world.

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Natalie Steinmetz Moroccan Dinner Set, 2014 Brown Stoneware Various sizes

D A V I D S W E N S O N received a BFA from Alfred University in 2009. He currently

teaches at Northern Clay Center and the Bloomington Theater and Art Center. Many of his pieces are assembled while responding to the traditional decorative motif and historical architectural embellishment from Norway, Turkey, India, and China.

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David Swenson Large Plate, Small Plate, Rice Bowl, Curry Boat, Water Cup, Condiment Dish, 2014 Ceramic Various sizes

Originally trained as an architect, S A N D R A T O R R E S eventually transferred her creative outlet into clay work. She has worked in a vast diversity of venues, from an experimental studio in Mexico City to workshops in Southern California, an apprenticeship at Studio Stockmans in Belgium, and an artist residency at the ICSHU in Hungary. Her work explores the effect of small but significant variations of shape, size and patterns.

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Sandra Torres Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Bowl, Wine Glass, Water Glass, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

T W O I O N E C E R A M I C S is a collaborative between artists Elisa Di Feo and David

Eichelberger. Their goal as designers and makers is to produce fresh and authentic porcelain wares for the home. Both received their MFA in ceramics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2010. While starting a family it was clear that working together in the studio would suit their lifestyle and approach to making. From their rural studio in Virginia, Elisa and David create clean forms that celebrate the touch of the makers.

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TwoIOne Ceramics Charger, Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Soup Bowl, Demitasse, 2014 Porcelain Various sizes

M A R I A V O L O K H O V A received her MFA in Painting from the University of

Art and Design in Halle, Germany. She studied Porcelain at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts. Volokhova lives and works in Berlin where she founded her porcelain studio. Volokhova creates functional objects using the tradition of high-quality fine porcelain and putting it into a new context.

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RUNNER-UP

Maria Volokhova Sheep Head Set, 2013 Porcelain 4 x 9.25 x 9.25 inches

R I C H A R D A A R D S M A (Grandville, MI) received a BA Degree in Visual Arts from

Hope College, and went on to complete graduate work in intaglio printmaking at Michigan State University. His background includes graphic design, photography and painting. Inspiration for the digital print, Train Station, comes from the work of Georges Seurat and Edward Hopper.

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