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Clay: Thick and Thin
North Coast Ceramics
4 December – 30 January 2021
Open for viewing on Friday 4 December 10am
The exhibition Clay: Thick and Thin was conceived to highlight the importance of clay to potters from the North Coast Ceramic group.
Artists were invited to use “Thick and Thin” as a creative proposition that could be responded to literally or metaphorically. From a technical and formal point of view, thickness and thinness are a given to ceramicists, they use these terms almost subconsciously when responding to the material of clay. The structural integrity of form and aesthetic impact are dependent on these qualities.
Thinness and thickness are to a ceramic artist what vertical and horizontal are to a painter. A more penetrating interpretation of this theme might consider the literary associations of the phrase. Through “thick and thin” has always referred to tenacity and loyalty through times of hardship. It conjures issues such as resilience, perseverance and Stoicism. These qualities are highly valued in moral terms but during the pandemic have become almost compulsory if civil society and its economy are to survive.
The title and timing of this show are deeply ironic.
IMAGE: Gudrun Clix Still Afloat, Handbuilt S/W – specialised glazes.