Continuum, 2023
Museum of Brisbane: Clay Collected Ceramics
13 May – 22 October 2023
A celebration of contemporary ceramics and their imaginative makers.
Clay: Collected Ceramics is a celebration of ceramics combining works from Museum of Brisbane’s Collection and Kylie Johnson’s personal collection. It is accompanied by Commune, a display of single pieces contributed by more than 300 makers responding to MoB’s largest community callout to date.
The many highlights of Clay include a bold grouping selected from the MoB Collection to represent the many shades of brown, featuring works by ten renowned makers including Carl McConnell, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Milton Moon, Lyndal Moor and Kevin Grealy. In stunning contrast are newly commissioned and acquired pieces by diverse contemporary makers Bonnie Hislop, Nicolette Johnson, Jane du Rand, Kenji Uranishi and Steph Woods. Flowing throughout is an evolving performative installation by Artist in Residence Jody Rallah.
About the Work
Continuum, 2022 was my contribution to the Museum of Brisbane exhibition, Clay: Collected Ceramics. It features 10 ceramic sculptures created using the coiling technique and painted with coloured glaze. 5 of the 10 works have been aquired by the Museum of Brisbane.
'Objects in the shape of useful things, yet not meant to be used - for example, vases never intend to hold flowers - have existed for centuries. Most people accept the non-functionality of such pieces. Yet faced with a decorative piece that dones not resemble a useful thing, many will question what it is for.
Steph is intent on untangling ceramics from functional expectations, suggesting instead the limitlessness of ceramic art. Her balls and rods of colour and texture exist only to stimulate the eye and energise a space. Beginning witha small sphere and making flowing progress into larger, more extravagant individual entities, Continuum 1-10 is a luscious luxury, existing only to stimulate, to please and enliven.