MUD
Posted by jimini - 08/03/11 at 11:03 amSo, between all the politics, an old-fashioned exhibition… a number of squished creatures from my series of ceramic Roadkill are joining MUD – in the newly renovated Glazenhuis in the Amstelpark in Amsterdam. Opening Sunday March 13th 2011 at 3pm. Exhibition curated by the indefatigable Alite Thijssen of Stichting ZET, co-exhibitors are Gijs Assmann, Chris Baaten, Mirjam Oosterbaan, Ulrike Rehm & Det Smeets.
The premise for the show, I quote: ‘For various reasons a revaluation of traditional techniques seems to be a topic currently attracting quite some attention. Is the gap between such things as the extraction of raw materials, transparency surrounding the flow of money, and commitment to production, at the root of the widely experienced sense of powerlessness apparent in large sections of the population? Is there, underlying this insecurity, a basic longing for a return to a time in which craftsmanship and identity – Carpenter, Potter – formed a natural unity? Within the visual arts there is also renewed attention for this idea of expertise, and ancient techniques are being reinserted into the discussion concerning contemporary developments. A possible response to the credit crunch in which all credible relationship to the product has gone up in smoke… Richard Sennet, in his book The Craftsman (2008) suggests that craftsmanship not only produces something in a concrete sense, but also offers possibilities for giving form to meaning(s). Reason enough for ZET to invite, for this exhibition, six artists who utilise their engagement with the material/technique (ceramics) to confront and give form to urgent current and personal questions with their work.’