Winston Wächter Fine Art
The Hunting Party
Claire Partington
Claire Partington West Gallery, The Hunting Party June 8 – July 27, 2019 Opening Reception, Saturday June 8, 1pm Winston Wachter Fine Art is pleased to present an exhibition of works by London-based ceramic artist Claire Partington. Claire Partington’s ceramic figures delight in a synthesis of historical characters, myths, fairytales and folklore. Her figures exist in a world that blends genres and time periods to present historically informed, contemporary and socially conscious works. With the hand of a formally trained sculptor, Partington creates exquisite figures, clothed in an 18th Century Marie Antoinette-style dress, paired with Adidas sneakers, gold chains and carefully placed Chanel logos. Partington plays with our attention to status cues, now and then, and how we identify our tribes. Her work seeks to explore the subtle mutations of the timeless narrative of the haves and have-nots, as it morphs and changes with each retelling and altered context. As Partington explains, subjects and themes explored in her work are drawn largely from the European tradition of “appropriation and reinterpretation (or misinterpretation) of “exotic” styles that can be seen in National Collections across the world.” Partington relishes in borrowing from many styles, themes, disciplines, time periods and countries blurring the lines of styles and meaning. The resulting sculptures present an intriguing and fantastical story of traditional and contemporary visual narratives. Partington’s powerful exhibition Taking Tea is on view in the Porcelain Room at the Seattle Art Museum through 2020. The first contemporary artist to exhibit in this space, Partington’s exhibition explores the dark historical themes surrounding the tea trade such as forced servitude, shipwrecks and the exploitation of international trade routes that resulted as the demand for tea increased. Claire Partington graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins with a degree in Fine Art Sculpture. Her work has been included in several museum exhibitions, most notably the Victoria and Albert Museum. Opposite: Claire Partington, The Dancing Bear, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 29 x 17.5 x 5.5 inches
Claire Partington, The Dancing Bear, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 29 x 17.5 x 5.5 inches
Claire Partington, Callisto and Arcas, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 21 x 19 x 10 inches
Claire Partington, The Woodsman, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 31 x 15 x 6.5 inches
Claire Partington, The Big Bad Wolf, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 25.5 x 15.5 x 5 inches
Claire Partington, Diana (after Cranach), 2019, Earthenware, glaze, luster, mixed media, 28 x 8 x 8 inches
Claire Partington, The Blue Boar, 2019, Earthenware, glaze, lustre, mixed media, 27 x 8.5 x 6.5 inches
Winston Wächter Fine Art gallery installation 2019
Winston Wächter Fine Art gallery installation 2019
Seattle Art Museum, Taking Tea installation 2019
Seattle Art Museum, Taking Tea installation 2019