Dimensions
214 x 290 x 30mm
One of the first surfaces on which early humans chose to express themselves creatively, clay remains a hugely prominent material in both fine and decorative art today. Pottery and ceramics show a unique juxtaposition being equally congruous in both the gallery to the everyday. In The Pot Book meticulously hand-created masterpieces share space with factory-made multiples of thousands.
As an instigator of extensive industry from Stoke-on-Trent to Dingzhou, the ceramics on show represent not only the artists' work but also the society for which they were intended. Including works from unknown makers as diverse as Abydos in Ancient Egypt and Colima in pre-classic Mexico, to more recently the works of Grayson Perry, the Bauhaus and Cindy Sherman, The Pot Book represents multiple cultures and time periods and illustrates the extensive variety of this ancient medium.
The loud colour-blocking of Clarice Cliff is juxtaposed with the pared down aesthetic of Hans Coper, while the rustic naturalism of Abydos contrasts with the floral intricacies of Famille Rose. The interrelationships of ceramics with other art forms are apparent in the Fauvist decorations of André Derain and the architectural forms of Russel Wright. Similarly influences across the globe are inadvertently explored when the detailed uniformity of the trim in a Josiah Wedgewood collection is reflected in the highly stylized patterning of Exekias over two millennia earlier.
The democratic format of allowing equal space to each maker creates a wealth of comparisons and an extensive trip through both time periods and geographical locations giving an unparalleled vision of the history of ceramics and their place in the creative world today.
