Project Tag: Red Weldon Sandlin

14
May
2017
RED WELDON SANDLIN

RED WELDON SANDLIN

AVAILABLE FROM COLLECTIONS

Pride Rock Royal-Tea

Red Weldon Sandlin, “Pride Rock Royal-Tea”, clay, wood, underglaze, acrylic, 39 x 11.5 x 9″ with book.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “Pride Rock Royal-Tea”, clay, wood, underglaze, acrylic, 39 x 11.5 x 9″ with book.

“Pride Rock Royal-Tea” is a commissioned, carved work that is as interactive as it is whimsical. The hat functions as the teapot, the feet each teacups, and the figure in the chest the creamer – all of which can be removed from the main sculpture. What’s more is the surprise bird whistle and the mask which can be moved to cover the boy’s face.

VIEW ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS

INQUIRE
CLOSE

RED WELDON SANDLIN

ABOUT

American, b. 1958 Owensboro, Kentucky

Red Weldon Sandlin is a primarily self-taught clay artist who started her career as a graphic designer and illustrator. Inspired by children’s literature, she creates elaborately painted hand-built teapots and always incorporates the image of a book as a painted plinth in each piece. Each book’s title reflects the sculpture above, subtly changed to make a tongue-in-cheek play on the original – oftentimes aligning the story’s themes with her own coming-of-age, highlighting the universal experience of growing up.

Weldon Sandlin’s earlier career as a graphic designer and illustrator is evident in her process, which begins with sketches and detail motifs drawn on tissue in order to transfer the sketches onto ceramic surfaces. She spends ​“endless time” in libraries researching imagery and patterns for her sculptures, from ancient Chinese textile design to books on exotic animal care.

CV

ON TEAPOTS

“[The teapot] lends itself to a host of possibilities and is the perfect narrative form, since it can be read by rotating it. I handle teacups the same way: Tell a story start to finish by merely turning it. Spouts and handles can be arms, twigs, hair braids, tails, or even a suggestion of male anatomy. Teapot bodies can be anything from bodies, heads, or even whole caterpillars. Lids can often be a surprise reveal when removed. The narratives come from the stories I read as a child, mixed with life’s experiences. My hope is that I am presenting work that the viewer will be drawn into. Initially it appears fun and familiar, but on further inspection there is more to discover – like a good story.”
– Red Weldon Sandlin

04
May
2017
ANIMAL STORIES

ANIMAL STORIES

Animal Stories

October 10 – January 12, 2014
Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Event
Sergei Isupov Lecture: Humanimals
November 13, 6:30 – 8pm

Elephants, leopards, dogs, squirrels and dragons… From exotic creatures, household pets, urban wildlife to mythical beasts, animals have been an active part of human experience, an inexhaustible trigger of the imagination. Animal Stories presents the many tales of our encounters with the animal world, shedding light on how our social, symbolic, affectionate, scientific and utilitarian relationships with animals have been visualized through ceramics from the 17th century to our day.

Animal Stories will delight visitors of all ages, inviting them on a journey that is both colourful and heartwarming, and sometimes scientific or critical. The exhibition unfolds through a series of themes that cut across time periods and that take us to the core of human-animal relationships.  Themes include: the intersection between art and science, from different approaches to naturalism to the impact of scientific discourse on art; conceptions of the wild, from the introduction of “exotic” beasts in 18th-century Europe, to works that cast a critical look at the current state of wildlife; animals as part of our everyday, as faithful companions, pets, or beasts of burden; animals as storytellers, moral teachers and social commentators; and creatures of the imagination, with representations that bridge the realms of fantasy and reality.

The exhibition also features illustrated books alongside ceramics, thus exploring the longstanding connection between the two media as vehicles for storytelling. Examples include popular sources employed by 18th-century decorators and modellers, such as printed natural histories and Aesop’s Fables, as well as a selection of children’s books featuring beloved animal characters from the 19th century to the present.

Spanning four centuries of visual culture, Animal Stories will feature Japanese and Chinese porcelain, English and European ceramics, and the work of many contemporary ceramic artists, including Shary Boyle, Sergei Isupov, Janet Macpherson, Lindsay Montgomery, Ann Roberts, Adrian Saxe, Wendy Walgate and Jason Walker, and original book art by Canadian illustrators such as Brenda Clark and Barbara Reid among others. The works in the exhibition are drawn from the Gardiner Museum’s permanent collection, private collections and public institutions.

Curated by Karine Tsoumis

Sergei Isupov and Jason Walker are represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

Selected works by Red Weldon Sandlin are available from private collections.

Red Weldon Sandlin, “The Hurtea Gurdy Tales: A Nickel for the Monkey” 2006, ceramic, wood, acrylic paint, 16.5 x 11.5 x 11″, book 1 x 12 x 9″.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “The Hurtea Gurdy Tales: A Nickel for the Monkey” 2006, reverse, ceramic, wood, acrylic paint, 16.5 x 11.5 x 11″.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “The Hurtea Gurdy Tales: A Nickel for the Monkey” 2006, detail, ceramic, wood, acrylic paint, 16.5 x 11.5 x 11″.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “Mystic Caravans of Dragon’s Well… Chapter Four” 2000, clay, wood, acrylic, 18.5 x 13 x 5.5″.
Jason Walker, “City Animal: Squirrel” 2008, porcelain, underglaze, luster, 17 x 10 x 4″.
Jason Walker, “City Animal: Squirrel” 2008, porcelain, underglaze, luster, 17 x 10 x 4″.
Sergei Isupov, “Strong” 2011, porcelain, slip, glaze, 14.5 x 7.5 x 7.5″.
Sergei Isupov, “Future” 2011, porcelain, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 6 x 8″.
Sergei Isupov, “Lady Cat” 2012, porcelain, slip, glaze, 18 x 8 x 6.5″.
Sergei Isupov, “Future” 2011, reverse, porcelain, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 6 x 8″.
Sergei Isupov, “Lady Cat” 2012, reverse, porcelain, slip, glaze, 18 x 8 x 6.5″.
Sergei Isupov, “Strong” 2011, reverse, porcelain, slip, glaze, 14.5 x 7.5 x 7.5″.