Challenged with creating new work for auctions and exhibitions for 2019 – 2020, I decided to utilize recently acquired vintage ceramic elements in a series of pedestal sized ceramic pieces. My inventory of collected vintage ceramic elements is reasonably extensive, primarily porcelain and split between functional ware and sculptural objects. I’ve been developing a vocabulary with these collected pieces over the past decade, utilizing the pieces in both pedestal sized pieces and installation work. Periodically, individuals who are aware of my creative use of this type of ceramic material in my art practice entrust a piece or even a collection of ceramic pieces for my use.
Recently I was gifted a wonderful collection of mid-20th C Japanese miniature figurines. The inspiration for these ‘conglomerate’ pieces came after examining the collection. I began each piece with a porcelain base; a plate or some type of container. Then I set about coming up with a composition of various elements, including using some of my own hand-built porcelain houses. Some of the elements have china paint, ceramic decals and gold luster applied to them and are re-fired. Once the additional firings are complete, the pieces are attached to one another, which may take a number of days. These pieces are available with prices on request.