What types of art do you specialize in?

We specialize in contemporary ceramics from the 1950s onward, including clay and porcelain sculptures.

Do you offer collection services?

Yes, we work with private collectors and artist archives to organize, document, and appraise ceramic art collections for deacquisition or placement.

Can you help with exhibition development?

Absolutely, we collaborate with museums and cultural institutions to develop and present ceramic art exhibitions.

Do you provide touring programs?

Yes, we curate and organize touring exhibitions for contemporary ceramic artists.

What are legacy projects?

Legacy projects include customized services for artists, such as retrospective catalogs, exhibitions, and museum acquisitions.

Project Tag: Giselle Hicks Past

Oct

2017

THE WOMEN

Oct 28, 2017 – Apr 21, 2018

Ferrin Contemporary
1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA

Click here for details.

Works on view include recent pieces by women whose primary medium is clay and selected works from private and artist archives by female potters and sculptors.

The Women provides Ferrin Contemporary an opportunity to highlight the range of work by women artists affiliated with the gallery program who are known for their work in ceramics.

Director Leslie Ferrin, a life long advocate for women in ceramics reflects on this moment, “It is gratifying to witness the attention to gender issues taking place throughout society. These same forces are fueling the interest in examining and bringing recognition to the overlooked contributions of women to postwar visual arts. Many of our collectors who brought a female perspective to building their collections are contributing to the public dialog by acquiring new works and making gifts to institutions. Museums are responding by offering exhibition opportunities, site specific commissions and adding to permanent collections to fill in gaps. It is an exciting time to see these changes taking place and being able to participate in the process.”

Ceramic Art and Figural Sculpture

Robin Best
Christie Brown
Caroline Cheng
Cristina Córdova
Claire Curneen
Ruth Duckworth
Viola Frey
Giselle Hicks
Coille McLaughlin Hooven
Crystal Morey
Kadri Pärnamets
Elsa Rady
Caroline Slotte
Mara Superior
Toshiko Takaezu
Susan Thayer
Patti Warashina
Beatrice Wood
Elizabeth (Betty) Woodman

Studio Pottery and Design*
Works by
Laura Andreson
Dorothy Hafner
Karen Karnes
Jenny Mendez
Linda Sikora
*available in Ferrin Contemporary square shop

Robin Best, “The Knight of the Lions,” 2016, porcelain with on-glaze Xin Cai, 14.125 x 7.875 x 10.25″.

Christie Brown, “Ghost Portrait” 2015, ceramic, 19 x 10 x 9″.

Caroline Cheng, “Prosperity V” 2007, porcelain, fabric, 71 x 71″.

Claire Curneen, “Mary Magdalene” 2013, porcelain, gold lustre, 22.5″.

Viola Frey, “Untitled Platter”, 1982, earthenware, slip, glaze, 25″. photo: John Polak (Pennington)

Dorothy Hafner, “Teapot, Sugar, Creamer” 1988, porcelain, underglaze.

Coille Hooven, “Second Skin” 1986, stoneware, 14.75 x 6.5 x 5.5″.

Crystal Morey, “New Symbiosis: Pronghorn” 2017, porcelain, 10.5 x 6 x 4.5″.

Kadri Pärnamets, “Question of Honor — Lucretia, after Lucas Cranach the Elder, porcelain, slip, glaze, 11 x 10.5 x 5”. photo: John Polak

Elsa Rady, “Four Zig Wings”, private collection

Mara Superior, “Mother Nature Says, ‘Wake Up'” 2010, porcelain, glaze, wood, pearls, gold leaf, 17 x 22 x 2″.

Susan Thayer, “Return” 2016, teapot: porcelain, china paint, glazebase: lowfire stoneware, slip, 16 x 9 x 5″.

Patti Warashina, “Beating the Housewife Blues” 1977, white earthenware, glaze, 24 x 16 x 13.75″.

Beatrice Wood, “Not Married” 1965, clay, glaze, 16 x 17 x 13″.

Betty Woodman, “Planter” ceramic, glaze, 27 x 5.5 x 8.5″.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Beatrice Wood pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Kadri Pärnamets pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Mara Superior pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Robin Best pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Cristina Córdova pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Kadri Pärnamets pictured.

“The Women” at Ferrin Contemporary in North Adams, MA. Work by Caroline Slotte and Claire Curneen pictured.

The Women

Ferrin Contemporary presents selected works by women artists whose primary medium is clay. On view in the gallery and online, we introduce new works by emerging and established artists along with masterworks available from private collections and artist archives.

STUDIO POTTER: WOMEN IN CERAMICS

Winter/Spring 2017
Women in Ceramics Vol. 45 No. 1

In this issue: nine essays remembering the life of Karen Karnes, a deep investigation of the legacy of women in wood-firing, several narratives about artists’ personal journeys in clay, essays on the lives of California artist Ruth Rippon and Swedish artist Hertha Hillfon, a dynamic discussion of contemporary motherhood, international perspectives from Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and India, a look at fourth-wave feminism, and more.

Click for info on Studio Potter.

Click to request complimentary issue online.

“Ruth Rippon, Her Story”
by Nancy M. Servis

Rippon’s artistic production is extensive and leaves an indelible mark on the artistic landscape of Northern California. … The breadth of her work mirrors the artist herself: technically accomplished, experimental, conceptually grounded, and quietly emotive.

Click here for more.

Artist Salon – Nancy M. Servis
Wednesday, November 8
at 6–8:30 pm

Project Art
54 Main St, Cummington, Massachusetts 01026

Join visiting scholar, Nancy M. Servis, from Sacramento, California, for an image-illustrated presentation ‘State of Clay: Bay Area Ceramics,’ followed by a potluck at Project Art.

From pottery to sculptural expression, Servis unveils the dynamic variety of ceramics found in Northern California. Long recognized as a vital and populous state with extensive clay deposits, California has been the home of refined vessel-makers and artistic rule-breakers for over 75 years, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her lecture contextualizes clay’s extensive use that includes stylistic architecture in Oakland, impassioned potters like Antonio Prieto and Marguerite Wildenhain from the 1950s, and unabashed practitioners like Peter Voulkos and Robert Arneson. They along with select others like Viola Frey, Ruth Rippon, and Ron Nagle laid Nancy Servis’ groundwork for what exists today – a population of fine artist-makers whose work coexists with those who embrace sculpture or even defy ceramic tradition.

Nancy is a recognized art historian, gallerist, and author. She has served as curator, educator and arts administrator in the greater San Francisco Bay Area for over twenty years.

Click for facebook page.

May

2017

AT YOUR SERVICE: Exploring the Plate as a Site for Cultural Exploration

February 5 – May 8, 2016
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

EVENTS

Saturday, February 6, 4pm
Artist Talks
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, TX

Objects of daily use often become intimately important and indispensable to people. Aside from their utility, such objects can be seen as representations of their owners or even extensions of the self. This kind of sentiment applies to a wide range of possible possessions including the seemingly humble and utilitarian plate. In At Your Service ten artists come together to encourage the viewer to consider and question the significance and wider implications of this common household item.

At Your Service is curated by artists Niki Johnson and Amelia Toelke, who have brought their own work together with the work of several other artists with a shared interest in the plate who have inspired them. In addition to the curators, artists featured in the exhibition include: Ariel Brice, Gésine Hackenberg, Molly Hatch, Giselle Hicks, Garth Johnson, Sue Johnson, Emily Loehle, and Caroline Slotte.

About the Artists
Giselle Hicks is an independent artist currently working at Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. Hicks was a resident artist at Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts 2006–2008. She is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

Caroline Slotte lives and works in Helsinki, Finland and holds a masters degree from Bergen Academy of Art and Design, Norway. The reworking of second hand objects play a pivotal role in Slotte’s practice. Represented by Ferrin Contemporary in the USA.

Garth Johnson is a studio artist, writer, and educator who lives in Eureka, California. He is a craft activist who explores craft’s influence and relevance in the 21st century.

The original At Your Service exhibition was held at
Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Washington from February 14, 2014 through September 21, 2014

Caroline Slotte, from the series “Landscape Multiples”, 2013, reworked second-hand ceramics, 20.5 x 16.5 x 2.75″

Caroline Slotte, from the series “Going Blank”, 2010, reworked second-hand ceramics, 10″

Caroline Slotte, from the series “Landscape Multiples”, 2013, reworked second-hand ceramics, 9.75″

Giselle Hicks, “Pattern Language”, 2010, porcelain, terra sigillata, wood, graphite, 36 x 24 x 114″

Giselle Hicks, “Pattern Language” (detail), 2010, porcelain, terra sigillata, wood, graphite, 36 x 24 x 114″

Caroline Slotte, “Landscape Multiple (white)” 2009, reworked second-hand ceramics, 2.5 x 13 x 13″.

Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – The Village Blacksmith #760)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.

Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – Autumn in New England #759)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.

Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – The Western Farmers Home #756)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.

May

2017

JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER 40th ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT THE EXHIBTION

through Aug 31, 2014
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI

In 2014, the Arts Center will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Arts/Industry with an extensive exhibition, a comprehensive book, and educational programming. The project will also highlight the long-term residency program’s importance to artists and the art world.

The residency program has been managed by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and hosted by Kohler Co. since 1974. Almost 400 artists have used the factory’s industrial materials, equipment, and techniques to create works of art that would have been difficult, if not impossible, to produce in their studios.

Work in the six-month exhibition will be drawn primarily from the collections of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Kohler Co. that includes a large body of work created by the resident artists. The exhibition, held at the Sheboygan facility, will open during the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference held in Milwaukee from March 19–22, 2014.

Ferrin Contemporary and Ferrin Gallery have been honored to work with several artists who have participated in the Arts/Industry program and offer selected works produced in the program for sale.

Jack Earl
Giselle Hicks
Sergei Isupov

Jack Earl, “CEL 001 Ohio Dog” 1976, vitreous china, 20 x 26 x 14.5″. (Pennington)

Giselle Hicks, “Floral Wave Tiles”, 2012, vitreous china, 80 x 45 x 1.5″

Giselle Hicks, “Floral Wave Tiles” (detail), 2012, vitreous china, 80 x 45 x 1.5″

Sergei Isupov, “Tile House (Man Woman)”, 2003, vitreous china, 86 x 43″

Sergei Isupov, “Girl with Cat (She Soon Comes)”, 2003, vitreous china, 58 x 24 x 3″

Sergei Isupov, “Fourteen Pleasures”, 2003, vitreous china, 43 x 74 x 3″.

Sergei Isupov, “Meteorite” (edition of 3), 2003, vitreous china, 9 x 12 x 3.5″

Sergei Isupov, “Likeness” (edition of 6), 2003, vitreous china, 18 x 12 x 6″

Sergei Isupov, “Figure” (edition of 7), 2003, vitreous china, 38 x 15 x 8″

Sergei Isupov, “Eye” (edition of 3), 2003, viterous china, 7 x 13 x 8.5″

Sergei Isupov, “Ear” (edition of 17), 2003, vitreous china, 13 x 6 x 6″

Sergei Isupov, “To Listen with Half and Ear” (edition of 6), 2003, vitreous china, 6 x 23 x 16″

May

2017

CERAMIC TOP 40

SURVEY EXHIBITION

2013 – 2015 | 3-City US TOUR

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

CERAMIC TOP 40
Belger Crane Yard Studios, Kansas City, MO
presented by Ferrin Contemporary and Red Star Studios
November 1, 2013–January 25, 2014

CERAMIC TOP 40 | selected works
Office for the Arts, Harvard, Gallery 224, Alston, MA
presented by Ferrin Contemporary and the Ceramics Program
May 17–June 27, 2014

CERAMIC TOP 40 | selected works
Independent Art Projects
1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA
January–April 2015

Ceramic art is experiencing an evolutionary leap. Economic conditions and technological advances have caused a dramatic shift in the way contemporary ceramics are conceived, designed, produced, and marketed. Ceramic Top 40 is an exhibition that emerged from the need to document this defining time in contemporary ceramics. Taking a snapshot of this pivotal transition provides a look back at recent history, an understanding of these forces of change, and a glimpse into the future of ceramic art.

This survey exhibition features work by individual artists, collaborators, and design partners who are working on the cutting edge of current processes, ideas, and presentation concepts in conceptual utilitarian and sculptural ceramics. They are responding to the external forces of a changing world and, in turn, shaping those influences.

Jason Walker, “Infinite Growth”, 2013, porcelain, china paint and glaze, 84 x 36 x 3″

Doda Design: Aya Margulis & Rae’ut Stern, “Web Souvenirs” 2010-2013, earthenware, under glaze, glaze, gold luster, digital print, 148 x 42″.

Mark Cooper, “YuYu Kansas” 2013, installation using ceramic, wood, fiberglass, digital photography, rice paper, size variable.

Tip Toland, “Long Ago and Far Away”, 2008, stoneware, paint, pastel, synthetic hair, fiddle, bow, 78 x 31x 30″. Courtesy of Barry Friedman Ltd.

Linda Sormin, “List”, 2013, ceramic, found materials, 16 x 23 x 15″

Susan Beiner, “Germinating Domes”, 2012, porcelain, acrylic rods, foam, thread, 40 x 46 x 45″

CERAMIC TOP 40 CATALOG

Ceramic Top 40 cover

Click here to view.

Click here to order a print copy.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

CERAMIC TOP 40 ARTISTS

Susan Beiner • Robin Best • Stephen Bird • Stephen Bowers • Jessica Brandl • Andy Brayman • Beth Cavener • Craig Clifford • Mark Cooper • Cristina Cordova • Guy Michael Davis (Future Retrieval) • Thomas Lowell Edwards • Michelle Erickson • Sean Erwin • Leopold Foulem • Alessandro Gallo • Misty Gamble • Gerit Grimm • Rain Harris • Giselle Hicks • Peter Christian Johnson • Brian R. Jones • Ryan LaBar • Steven Young Lee • Linda Lighton • Daniel Listwan • Lauren Mabry • Aya Margulis (Doda Design) • Walter McConnell • Sara Moorhouse • Ron Nagle • Katie Parker (Future Retrieval) • Kate Roberts • Stephanie Rozene • Anders Ruhwald • Michael Schwegmann • Paul Scott • Richard Shaw • Adam Shiverdecker • Bobby Silverman • Linda Sormin • Shawn Spangler • Vipoo Srivilasa (The Spoon Project) • Dirk Staschke • Rae’ut Stern (Doda Design) • Emily Sudd • Tip Toland • Clare Twomey • Shaleene Valenzuela • Jason Walker

VIPOO SRIVILASA | OBJECT: SPOON | Liz Burrit • Thomas Cheong • Naomi Clement • Jenn Demke-Lange • Jason Desnoyers • Krisaya Luenganantakul • Laura McKibbon • Noriko Masuda • Teo Huey Min • Jun Myoung • Aaron Nelson • Joshua Primmer • James Seet • Vipoo Srivilasa • Jenna Stanton

CERAMIC TOP 40
Belger Crane Yard Studios, Kansas City, MO
presented by Ferrin Contemporary and Red Star Studios
November 1, 2013–January 25, 2014

CERAMIC TOP 40 | selected works
Office for the Arts, Harvard, Gallery 224, Alston, MA
presented by Ferrin Contemporary and the Ceramics Program
May 17–June 27, 2014

CERAMIC TOP 40 | selected works
Independent Art Projects
1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA
January–April 2015

Susan Beiner, “Germinating Domes”, 2012, porcelain, acrylic rods, foam, thread, 40 x 46 x 45″

Jessica Brandl, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” 2013, terracotta, 28 x 34 x 10″.

Andy Brayman, “Vase with Orange and Blue” (left), 2013, porcelain, glaze, decals, 19 x 10 x 7″. “Black Vase with Yellow and Green” (right), 2013, porcelain, glaze, decals, 17.5 x 10 x 7″

Beth Cavener, “Obariyon”, 2013, stoneware, antique hooks, 17 x 46 x 30″

Craig Clifford, “Flush” 2013, earthenware, casting slip, 10 x 16 x 5″.

Mark Cooper, “YuYu Kansas” 2013, installation using ceramic, wood, fiberglass, digital photography, rice paper, size variable.

Doda Design: Aya Margulis & Rae’ut Stern, “Web Souvenirs” 2010-2013, earthenware, under glaze, glaze, gold luster, digital print, 148 x 42″.

Misty Gamble, “Indulgence” and “Succulence” 2012, ceramic, variable size.

Walter McConnell, “A Theory of Everything: White Corner”, 2011-13, porcelain, glaze, plywood, 77 x 39 x 39″

Kate Roberts, “The Space Between You and Me”, 2011, colored porcelain, mirror, tulle, 96 x 60 x 6″

Stephanie Rozene, “The Politics of Porcelain” 2011, porcelain, glaze, 48 x 156″.

Adam Shiverdecker, “Banquet Series: Red Krater 1″ 2013, stoneware, nichrome, steel, 14 x 12 x 14”

Dirk Staschke, “My Beautiful Nothing” 2010, ceramic, mixed media, 96 x 21.75 x 126″. Courtesy of Wexler Gallery

Clare Twomey, “Is It Madness. Is It Beauty.” 2010, video.

Jason Walker, “Infinite Growth”, 2013, porcelain, china paint and glaze, 84 x 36 x 3″

Future Retrieval: Guy Michael Davis and Katie Parker, “Grand Theft Lion” 2013, porcelain, china paint, grammertry, rapid prototying, 11 x 8 x 7″.

Future Retrieval: Guy Michael Davis and Katie Parker, “Grand Theft Lion” 2013, Future Retrieval: Guy Michael Davis and Katie Parker, “Grand Theft Lion” 2013, porcelain, china paint, grammertry, rapid prototying, 11 x 14 x 7″.

Brian R. Jones, “Alembic (Letter B)” 2012, earthenware, slips, glaze, plywood, milk paint, 18 x 18 x 3″.

Rain Harris, “Florem Vernum” 2013, wood, black clay, resin, silk flowers, 21 x 13 x 12″.

Giselle Hicks, “And Then It Was Still, II” 2012, porcelain, glaze, wood, 50 x 60 x 24″.

Stephen Bird, “Persian Blue Shoot Out” 2012, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 15.75 x 19.75″. Courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery.

Stephen Bird, “Adam and Eve with Eyes and Spoon” 2013, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 7.25 x 9 x 2″, photo courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery

Stephen Bird, “Majolica Shoot Out” 2012, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 15.75 x 19.5″. Courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery.

Stephen Bird, “What Picasso Called an Erection for the Eyes” 2012, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 11.5 x 8 x 2.5″. Courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery.

Steven Young Lee, “Cup Panels” (red), 2013, porcelain, copper inlay, glaze, glass shelving, aluminum, 46 x 50 x 4″

Steven Young Lee, “Cup Panels” (white), 2013, porcelain, white slip, glaze, glass shelving, aluminum, 46 x 50 x 4″

Steven Young Lee, “Blue Cup Panel” 2013, porcelain with cobalt inlay, 46 x 50 x 4″

Steven Young Lee, “Vase with Scroll Pattern”, 2013, porcelain, copper inlay, 14 x 19 x 9″

Peter Christian Johnson, “Ovoid #3″ 2013, ceramic, glaze, steel, 21.5 x 62 x 7”.

Peter Christian Johnson, “Blue X” 2014, ceramic, 16.5 x 16.5 x 5″.

Shalene Valenzuela, “Easy Vac: Always in Fashion” 2011, porcelain, underglaze, print transfer, 42 x 11x 14″.

Shalene Valenzuela, “Dressform” 2012, porcelain, underglaze, pins, wooden stand, 56 x 14 x 8″.

Shalene Valenzuela, “Follow the Pattern: Bathroom Vanity” 2012-13, porcelain, underglaze, print transfer, 15 x 21 x 2″.

Michelle Erickson, “Green Squirrel” (left), “Second Amendment Squirrel” (right), 2013, indigenous clay, glaze, 8″.

Michelle Erickson, “Pectin Shell Teapot” 2005, porcelain, jasperware, metallic oxide, underglaze, slip, glaze, gold enamel, 14″.

Sean Erwin, “Adoration of the Golden Calf” 2013, polished porcelain, glaze, steel, resin, cast cement, LED lights, glass, flocking, 9 x 10 x 22″.

Sean Erwin, “The Ego and the Id” 2013, polished porcelain, glaze, steel, resin, cast cement, LED lights, glass, flocking, 13 x 8 x 22″.

Bobby Silverman, “Decision Before Action” 2011, clay, commercial tile, 36 x 28 x 1/2″.

Bobby Silverman, “4 Versions of Red (1)” 2012, re-fired commercial porcelain tiles, 12 x 12″ each.

Robin Best, “The Wallace Line”, 2013, porcelain, onglaze, 8 x 4″

Stephen Bowers, “Explorers’ Skulls” 2010, ceramic, underglaze, stains, 5.25″.

Cristina Cordova, “Codigo I”, 2013, ceramic, 10.5 x 6 x 6″. Courtesy Barry Friedman Ltd.

Thomas Lowell Edwards, “Ridge” 2012, concrete, porcelain, 26 x 13 x 3″.

Leopold Foulem, “Boy with Cape on Empire Style Stand” 2012, ceramic, found object, decal, gold luster, 16.5 x 5 x 4.5″. Courtesy of David Kaye Gallery

Alessandro Gallo, “Scripta elegans” (tarantula), 2011, clay, acrylics, 15.75 x 13.75 x 13″

Gerit Grimm, “Tango” 2012, stoneware, 26 x 17 x 9″

Ryan LaBar, “The Subconscious Shelf” 2011, porcelain, stoneware, 25 x 28 x 22″.

Linda Lighton, “Cause and Effect” 2012, whiteware, glaze, 23 x 25 x 22.5″.

Daniel Listwan, “Biohazard Jasperware: Wedgwood Blue Series” 2013, colored porcelain, tallest: 10″

Lauren Mabry, “Composition of Enclosed Cylinders”, 2013, red earthenware, slips, glaze, 20 x 17 x 6″

Sara Moorhouse, “Large Pulse” 2013, earthenware, underglaze, glaze, 18 x 7″

Ron Nagle, “Snuff Bottle”, 2013, porcelain, glaze, 6 x 2.5 x 2.5″. Courtesy Jeffrey Spahn Gallery.

Anders Ruhwald, “Lamp” 2005-10, earthenware, socket, plug, shade, bulb, 50 x 14 x 14″

Michael Schwegmann, “Ball and Chain”, 2013, porcelain, glaze, 9 x 9 x 38″

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s): Crooklands Cow in a Meadow”, 2007/2013, earthenware, tin glaze, bone china platter, inglaze decals, gold lustre, 15.75″

Richard Shaw, “Still Life with Open Drawer” 2013, porcelain, decals, 33 x 13.5 x 14″.

Linda Sormin, “List”, 2013, ceramic, found materials, 16 x 23 x 15″

Shawn Spangler, “Ewer and Salt Cellar with Digital Print” 2013, porcelain, acrylic, paper, digital print by Bryan Czibesz, variable size.

From OBJECT: SPOON 2013, Vipoo Srivilasa, “Spoon of Contentment”, 2013, porcelain, 3 x 16 x 7″.

Emily Sudd, “Untitled”, 2012

Tip Toland, “Long Ago and Far Away”, 2008, stoneware, paint, pastel, synthetic hair, fiddle, bow, 78 x 31x 30″. Courtesy of Barry Friedman Ltd.

May

2017

NEW BLUE AND WHITE

Robin Best, "The British East India Company - Trade and War", 2012

NEW BLUE AND WHITE

MFA BOSTON

February 20 – July 14, 2013

Discover contemporary interpretations of blue-and-white ceramics

“sumptuous, conceptually elegant show”—The Boston Globe

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Exhibition of works by 37 artists, pairs or collectives curated by Emily Zilber, Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts, presented with generous support from The Wornick Fund for Contemporary Craft.

“Blue and white” means, at its simplest, cobalt pigment applied to white clay. Over the course of a millennium, blue-and-white porcelain has become one of the most recognized types of ceramic production worldwide. With roots in the Islamic world and Asia, and strong presence in Europe and the Americas, various cultures adapted blue-and-white, from the Willow pattern to isznik. Taking inspiration from global blue-and-white traditions, today’s artists continue the story, creating works that speak to contemporary ideas. They tackle diverse issues, ranging from the public (the political landscape, cross-cultural interchange), to the personal (family, memory, the act of collecting), to the aesthetic (abstraction, pattern, the role of decoration). “New Blue and White” explores the ways in which contemporary makers, working in ceramics as well as other media ranging from fiber to furniture to glass, have explored this rich body of material culture. An international selection of artists and designers is featured in the exhibition, and recent acquisitions of work by the ceramic sculptor Chris Antemann and fashion designers Rodarte are drawn from the MFA’s own collection.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

For more information and available works by gallery artists featured in the exhibition view profiles below:

Robin Best
Stephen Bowers
Claire Curneen
Michelle Erickson
Molly Hatch
Giselle Hicks
Paul Scott
Adam Shiverdecker
Vipoo Srivilasa
Steven Young Lee
Kurt Weiser

PAST PROGRAMMING

MEET ME AT… New Blue and White | Boston, MA
July 9 – 10
Artist: Robin Best
Visiting Artist Lecture and Behind-the-Scenes private tours with artists and curators

Tuesday, July 9
3 – 4:30 Harvard Museum of Natural Sciences, Blaschka Flowers and Minerals with curator Ethan Lasser

5:30 – 6:30 Artist talk with Robin Best at the Ceramics Program – Office for the Arts at Harvard

Dinner TBA

Wednesday, July 10

10 – 12:00 Michael Lin Freeport Project | Peabody Essex Museum with curators, Trevor Smith and Dean Lahikainen

2:00 – 4:00 New Blue and White | Museum of Fine Arts with curator Emily Zilber

FEATURED ARTISTS

CHRIS ANTEMANN

Chris Antemann, “The Collector”, 2011, porcelain, china paint, decals, 19 x 13 x 10″. Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

Chris Antemann, “The Collector”, 2011, detail, porcelain, china paint, decals, 19 x 13 x 10″. Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

ROBIN BEST

Robin Best, “The British East India Company – Trade and War”, 2012, cast translucent white porcelain, on-glaze painting, silver foil, 12 x 41.25 x 4.25″

STEPHEN BOWERS

Stephen Bowers, “Explorers’ Skulls” 2010, slip cast, oxide stains, underglaze, 5.25″

CLAIRE CURNEEN

Claire Curneen, “Blue” 2013, porcelain, cobalt, gold luste, 24 x 21 x 6″.

Claire Curneen, “Blue”, 2013, Porcelain, cobalt blue, gold luster, 24 x 21 x 6″

GISELLE HICKS

Giselle Hicks, “And Then It Was Still II” 2012, detail, vitreous china porcelain, wood, 48 x 60 x 24″

Giselle Hicks, “And Then It Was Still II” 2012, detail, vitreous china porcelain,wood, 48 x 60 x 24″

Giselle Hicks, “And Then It Was Still II” 2012, detail, vitreous china porcelain,wood, 18 x 12 x 2″

PAUL SCOTT

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s) – Spode Works Closed, Italian Blue, 03/10/09/09l,” 2013, in-glaze decal, gold lustre on small Spode casserole, (marked Made in Portugal) salvaged from the kiln area in the closed Spode factory 07/09, 3.5 x 9 x 11.25″. Rhode Island School of Design Collection.

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s) – The Hartlepool Ghost Ships” 2013, in-glaze decal, gold lustre on bone china plate, 12″ diameter

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s) – A Willow for Ai Weiwei, Wen Tao, Liu Zhenggang, Zhang Jinsong, Hu Mingfen” 2012, in-glaze decals on partially erased Willow Pattern platter (c.1840), 13.75 x 17″.