Focused on the collection of Diane and Marc Grainer, this installation is a survey of contemporary British studio ceramics. Comprising functional and sculptural objects made between the 1980s and today, the show features work by artists either born or residing in Great Britain, including established “contemporary classics” like Gordon Baldwin and Rupert Spira, and cutting-edge ceramicists such as Julian Stair and Kate Malone. Several recently-gifted works from the Grainers are included.
The Grainers are well-known in the United States as collectors of Studio Furniture and American craft in general, and as leaders in the craft community through their work with the American Crafts Council, the Furniture Society, the James Renwick Alliance, and the Founders’ Circle Ltd. Their extensive and virtuoso collection of contemporary British ceramics is perhaps their greatest contribution to the field.
Rooted in the materiality of clay, a hallmark of studio pottery, the ceramic art featured in the installation chronicles the history of Contemporary British Studio Ceramics. Whether a pot or sculpture, the properties of the raw material, from its soft malleable texture to the alchemy of slips and glazes, and tis propensity to melt and harden, are at the core of the artist’s passion.
This installation will be on view in the Bridges and Levine Galleries at Mint Museum Randolph .
