Themes

Themes - The Vessel as Body


QTVR OBJECT (2 megs)

Historically, not only has the vessel served as a container, but also its elements have been given human definition. When we speak of the body of the pot, we refer to the section that bulges, offering the possibility of holding and capacity. The mouth is the opening, the lip is the edge of the orifice, and the foot supports the body, as with the human form. The concept of containment also relates to the human body since the body has long been considered the receptacle for either the soul or the spirit, as well as for the unborn and new life. These concepts appear in the swollen pots of Betty Woodman, Toshiko Takaezu, and Christopher Gustin that express a sense of ripeness and fullness. Kathy Butterly's Hiding indicates a shelter, a retreat for the inhabitant, and a place of solitude and refuge.

A number of contemporary ceramists have taken the bodily metaphor more literally, imbuing their objects with obvious references to human form. The gourd-like form used by Shirley Keys in Diversiform makes associations with the female figure in its sense of volume and pinched waist. Torso shapes define the vessels of Kyoko Hori, Ralph Bacerra, Jacqui Poncelet, Larry Elsner and Vladimir Tsivin.

The vessel is also a stage for sexuality and bodily functions. Kenneth Ferguson's Udder Pot makes the analogy to the body as both container and nourisher. The pink, fleshy forms of Paul Dresang's teapot are "memory echoes" of body parts that are not consciously recognized, but are relevant all the same. Daisy Youngblood's indefinable piece could be either a vessel or figure, but its shape also mimics the anatomy of female reproductive organs.

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The Mint Museum of Craft + Design is supported by the Annual Fund Drive of the Arts & Science Council - Charlotte/Mecklenburg, Inc.; the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency; the City of Charlotte; and its members.