I recently made an exciting discovery when emptying and cleaning an inherited dresser that had last belonged to my grandmother. Wiping down the outside revealed its lovely, rich woodgrain and aged but shining mirror, though those parts were to be expected. Opening the drawers one by one to clear out their remaining contents, I found that some of them retained the floral wallpaper she had used as drawer liner decades ago. The wallpaper came out easily, as she had not fixed the pieces down, so I was able to salvage several large sections. My favorites of these are the pieces that she had clearly collaged together, making odd offcuts from the roll fit the footprint of the dresser’s two smaller drawers, creating nearly imperceptible jumps in the busy floral pattern. It’s fascinating to me to see the evidence of someone’s care for the longevity of their things (both the dresser and the garments it would store), plus their interest in pattern, color, and joy (that liner could have been plain). I removed the liners and framed them in one large composition, mimicking my grandma’s practical layering of singularly too-small remnants. Now, I get to share in the joy this wallpaper brought her each time she rooted through to the bottom of a drawer, though my presentation has the added meaning of a personal, familial artifact on top of its practicality and visual appeal.
This issue of Ceramics Monthly focuses on surface development. Like those drawer liners that so readily captivated my interest, the work featured in the pages that follow has expanded my thinking on the ceramic surface as an element of finished work with the potential for expression, function, narrative, and connection.
Our Studio Visit takes us to Kala Stein’s workspace, where she creates, among other projects, large-scale tile installations reminiscent of natural processes of weather and weathering through their deep, fluid surfaces (1). Andrew Castañeda describes the work of Sarah Allwine, which features additive and applied surfaces inspired by pop culture, still-life painting, and personal histories. Lindsay Montgomery invites us behind the scenes in a process article that outlines her unique approach to majolica painting. Montgomery’s finished surfaces are layered with nuance of color, texture, and mark, which serve to enrich the often cautionary illustrated scenes she portrays. Olivia Walker, as profiled by Kate Mothes, uses fine Limoges porcelain clay to build up undulating scale-like shards into a highly textural surface on non-functional and sculptural pieces. D Wood discusses the contemporary moon jars and vessels that Jane Yang D’Haene creates, which push beyond their forms’ source inspiration to express the artist’s take on perfection, challenges, healing, and success through their bold surfaces (2). Justin D’Onofrio, whose work is shared by Susan McHenry and is shown on this issue’s cover, builds directly with color, forming sedimentary strata with his preferred handbuilding process before adding accents of glaze. His finished vessels recall the mountainous terrain and striking skies of specific locales in which he spends time rock climbing.
From the objects that surround you in daily life—like framed mementos (3) and furniture—to those you make in the studio, I hope the artists and artwork gathered here inspire you to consider with fresh eyes the potency and potential of surface. Enjoy!
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I recently made an exciting discovery when emptying and cleaning an inherited dresser that had last belonged to my grandmother. Wiping down the outside revealed its lovely, rich woodgrain and aged but shining mirror, though those parts were to be expected. Opening the drawers one by one to clear out their remaining contents, I found that some of them retained the floral wallpaper she had used as drawer liner decades ago. The wallpaper came out easily, as she had not fixed the pieces down, so I was able to salvage several large sections. My favorites of these are the pieces that she had clearly collaged together, making odd offcuts from the roll fit the footprint of the dresser’s two smaller drawers, creating nearly imperceptible jumps in the busy floral pattern. It’s fascinating to me to see the evidence of someone’s care for the longevity of their things (both the dresser and the garments it would store), plus their interest in pattern, color, and joy (that liner could have been plain). I removed the liners and framed them in one large composition, mimicking my grandma’s practical layering of singularly too-small remnants. Now, I get to share in the joy this wallpaper brought her each time she rooted through to the bottom of a drawer, though my presentation has the added meaning of a personal, familial artifact on top of its practicality and visual appeal.
This issue of Ceramics Monthly focuses on surface development. Like those drawer liners that so readily captivated my interest, the work featured in the pages that follow has expanded my thinking on the ceramic surface as an element of finished work with the potential for expression, function, narrative, and connection.
Our Studio Visit takes us to Kala Stein’s workspace, where she creates, among other projects, large-scale tile installations reminiscent of natural processes of weather and weathering through their deep, fluid surfaces (1). Andrew Castañeda describes the work of Sarah Allwine, which features additive and applied surfaces inspired by pop culture, still-life painting, and personal histories. Lindsay Montgomery invites us behind the scenes in a process article that outlines her unique approach to majolica painting. Montgomery’s finished surfaces are layered with nuance of color, texture, and mark, which serve to enrich the often cautionary illustrated scenes she portrays. Olivia Walker, as profiled by Kate Mothes, uses fine Limoges porcelain clay to build up undulating scale-like shards into a highly textural surface on non-functional and sculptural pieces. D Wood discusses the contemporary moon jars and vessels that Jane Yang D’Haene creates, which push beyond their forms’ source inspiration to express the artist’s take on perfection, challenges, healing, and success through their bold surfaces (2). Justin D’Onofrio, whose work is shared by Susan McHenry and is shown on this issue’s cover, builds directly with color, forming sedimentary strata with his preferred handbuilding process before adding accents of glaze. His finished vessels recall the mountainous terrain and striking skies of specific locales in which he spends time rock climbing.
From the objects that surround you in daily life—like framed mementos (3) and furniture—to those you make in the studio, I hope the artists and artwork gathered here inspire you to consider with fresh eyes the potency and potential of surface. Enjoy!
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