Karen Ryan is a British designer whose work reflects on domestic life through an inquiry of everyday objects. In her series Second Hand (via heart and design) Ryan removed the glazes on vintage china to reveal alarming messages, perhaps signaling the inner-psychology of the objects’ past owners. Ryan uses charged words like “Guilt” and “Anger,” inciting us, the viewers, to conjure up these unknown histories. We ask ourselves, “Who owned this plate and what occurred behind their closed doors?” The series taps into our fascination with the private lives of others but, like the walls they were once housed in, these plates don’t say much.
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As the artist explains, “I remove the decorative patterns that camouflage our everyday lies and in its place I leave words that prick our conscience and create portraits of hidden domestics left open for others to interpret.“
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I have a weakness for simple, modern ceramics. In stores I stop to ogle and handle every little bowl, wondering if it feels as good in my hands as it looks. Through my passion for modern ceramics I’ve gained an understanding of the principle that good design, no matter how simple, is inherently beautiful. But ceramics are not just pretty objects to look at. From your morning cup of coffee to your midnight snack, they are a part of your everyday life.
Photo of our cupboard by Jill Slater for AT; Heath Ceramics
While I find all of the designs in this round-up inspired, Heath’s Coupe line (above) holds a special place in my heart as it’s what we use in our household. The line, which we have in linen and mist, is so modern in every sense of the word that it blows my mind that it was designed by Edith Heath back in 1949. It turns out my grandmother has a casserole she purchased from Heath back in the 50’s and now I have the same one.
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A Round-up of Modern Ceramics (dinnerware and decorative objects)
I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon checking out the art and design scene in Portland, Maine. I really wish I had had at least a full day there, but sadly we were just passing through. One of the few places on my wish list that I was able to visit was Eli-Phant, a shop full of handmade and designer goods. Next time I make it up to Portland I will be sure to hit up Angela Adams (which was closed), SPACE Gallery, Whitney Art Works, and The Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA.
While at Eli-Phant I was pleasantly surprised to find that they carry goods by many of my favorite designers: pillows and blankets by Donna Wilson, tea towels by Skinny LaMinx, posters by Nate Williams, and candle holders by Jean Pelle. It’s always so much fun to see stuff in person that I’ve been eye-ing online.
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I also discovered some new designers, which is always the best! My favorite find at Eli-Phant were the wooden house trays by Emilie Ek (below). Aren’t they fabulous? The House, City, and Factory trays are available on the shop’s website for $58.
Wall decals can be a fantastic substitute for hanging art or paint. For starters, they’re cheap and quick to install, and can be removed in a flash if you get sick of the design or end up moving. What’s also great about wall decals is how fun and colorful they are. They can make even a dead-white wall come to life.
It’d been a while since I had checked out BLIK, the Venice, CA design company that has led the pack in removable wall graphics and was blown away by all the awesome new merch. BLIK has partnered with art accessories shop, Third Drawer Down, and the ever-popular t-shirt company, Threadless. Their newly expanded offerings include work by many great artists and designers including Art Hound fav’s Saelee Oh, Camilla Engman and Amy Ruppel.
Below are some of my favorites from BLIK.
These are, hands down, the freshest, hippest teapots I’ve ever seen. Sam Chung, based in Tempe, Arizona, reinterprets an ancient art form, the ceramic vessel, within the context of modern aesthetics and function.
I came across Chung’s work in a little gallery in Concord, MA and was struck by the work’s delightful and unusual mix of highbrow and lowbrow themes. What immediately stands out about Chung’s work is the obvious influence of street art. The bright, bulbous forms, outlined in thick black lines, look remarkably like graffiti, especially the “tags” street artists use to sign their work. The visual interplay between traditional ceramics and street art is at once strange, ironic and wonderful.
Graphics and drawing play a significant role in Chung’s process as well: “my most recent work explores more graphic line drawings that are inspired by various forms of script – Islamic calligraphy, graffiti, and Korean cloud motifs… There is something lyrical about these marks that I find curiously similar to the way I conceive, originate, and develop my forms, all of which occurs through the act of drawing.”
Chung’s work and approach offer a much-needed shot of adrenalin into the world of ceramics. I’m so glad I stumbled upon his work.
There is a movement in the art world of artists spurning the idea of art-as-sacred-object and redefining art by way of unexpected application. Many of these artists are turning everyday objects, as mundane as magnets and tea towels, into art that is innovative, authentic and practical.
As the public also questions the elitist notion of art-as-institution, it will discover the rich market of low-brow art* that these talented but disenfranchised artists have taken to.
So, in the spirit of promoting art in all it’s glorious forms, I’m highlighting artists whose work can be downloaded as desktop wallpaper/skins (mostly for free). Why not make our computers are little more expressive? Plus, when art is free, it’s practically a crime to say no.
Wallpapers and skins:
Kitsune Noir
Zookimono.
Tiel at tsktsk
* Art with strong street or folk influences. Art in alternative media (e.g. art as magnets, tea towels, handmade cards, notebooks, desktop wallpaper, ceramics, and so on…)
