Ceramic art has little to do with funny slogans on coffee mugs. And another new exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art goes a long way in proving it.
Called "Born of Fire," the exhibit pulls in ceramic art of various forms from three regional museums -- Sequoyah National Research Center in Little Rock, Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Mo., and the Arkansas Arts Center, also in Little Rock.
FAQ
‘Born of Fire:
Ceramic Art in Regional Collections’
WHEN — Through March 2, 2015
WHERE — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville
COST — Free
INFO — 418-5700 or crystalbridges.org
Each of the three museums offers unique examples of the versatility of clay. The Sequoyah Research Center provided works with deep roots in Native American pottery traditions. The pieces from Springfield include examples of Imari pottery from Japan. And the bulk of those from the Arkansas Arts Center show hyper-realist contemporary works that attack at the notion that clay is only for vessels.
"Born of Fire" replaces the previous regional exhibit, which focused on important Arkansas individuals such as Bill Clinton. It followed the inaugural regional exhibit, which highlighted several local museums, including the Rogers Historical Museum and the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History.
Assistant curator Maneula Well-Off-Man has curated all three of the exhibits. The goal this time around involves highlighting a particular genre to show its depth. It also helps fill in a gap for Crystal Bridges; museum officials are not actively collecting ceramics, Well-Off-Man says.
However, in the case of many other regional art venues, there's much from which to choose.
"In the case of the Arkansas Arts Center, this is one of their strengths," Well-Off-Man says.
The exhibit starts with the more traditional forms and moves toward the more exotic ones. The Sequoyah Research Center holds a large collection of Native American-style works created in more modern times.
"It's really an interesting revival in Cherokee ceramics," Well-Off-Man says.
Forms and figures take a prominent role, such as with Scott Roberts' "Guardian," which features a large spider looming over a jet black vessel. Another notable example is "Fish Mask Effigy Bottle" by Crystal "Run Free" Hannah. Styled like a traditional effigy bottle, the two-sided piece shows a fish on one side and a human face on the other.
The collection also includes examples of Imari porcelain made in Japan. Well-Off-Man describes them as "stunning" and particularly colorful.
Perhaps the most notable work in the exhibit comes from Peter Voulkos, an artist who was a contemporary of the great American abstract expressionists. With bold glaze spots and a very Mark Rothko-like color scheme, Voulkos clearly worked alongside those peers.
"He's one of the best known contemporary ceramic artists," Well-Off-Man says.
The Arkansas Arts Center's other contributions try -- and succeed -- to defy the eye. Jesse Small's "Small Flown Ghost V" borrows its shape from the Pac-Man video game. Vernon Patrick's "Plain Brown Bag" looks exactly like a plain brown bag. And similarly, the "Doctor's Bag -- Closed" by Marilyn Levine is remarkably lifelike, down to the colors on the buckles and the pockmarks in the aged leather.
It's all ceramic, of course.
Just like an entire wing of Crystal Bridges is right now.
NAN What's Up on 03/21/2014