Press Release: Discover the Artistry and Craft of Contemporary Ceramics – Ceramic Plasticity Symposium
Internationally acclaimed artists, ceramicists and academics come together for CERAMIC PLASTICITY - a one day Symposium at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation on Friday, 26 January 2018 (11am-6pm). Reflecting the resurgence of craft and skills-based making in art, the symposium explores common ground between contemporary art and studio ceramics. Emphasising the commonalities between artist and craftsperson, the event focuses on practical, theoretical, and professional aspects of working with clay, embodied in its malleability and resistance - its plasticity.
Francine Norris, Director of Education, West Dean College of
Arts and Conservation, says:
"We are excited to bring together these leading artists and writers
all exploring ceramics as a contemporary medium. The College
continues to promote ceramic making across a range of programmes
and is well-placed to support artists exploring and reinterpreting
the material".
The Ceramic Plasticity Symposium will be chaired by De La Warr Pavillion curator Rosie Cooper with Glenn Adamson, senior scholar at Yale University and former head of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York as keynote speaker. Glenn has spent much of his career highlighting and defining the often-blurred lines of ground breaking artistry and craft.
The four disciplines within ceramics will be represented by
experts in their fields: Studio pottery by Julian Stair and
Assemble, Contemporary Art by Caroline Achaintre and Florence
Peake, Theory by Glenn Adamson and Dr. David Stent and Conservation
by Bouke de Vries (West Dean alumnus).
Speaker bios:
• Dr. David Stent., artist, writer, curator,
performer and Visual Arts subject leader at West Dean
College.
• Julian Stair, one of the U.K.'s leading potters
will examine the state of contemporary ceramic practice and what
certain changes offer for the future.
• Assemble is a collective based in London who
work across the fields of art, architecture and design. Assemble's
working practice seeks to address the typical disconnection between
the public and the process by which places are made. Assemble won
the Turner Prize in 2015.
• Caroline Achaintre, artist renowned for her
theatrical and grimacing creations made in textiles and ceramics
will discuss Fantomas an exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion from
January, with ceramics co-commissioned by West Dean College.
• Florence Peake, performance artist and an
artist-in-residence at West Dean College, will speak about her
recent project that has led to various iterations of Stravinsky's
Rite of Spring performed on a stage of wet clay.
• Bouke de Vries, College alumnus and ceramic
conservationist turned artist, best known for his sculptural pieces
that fuse together old with the new.
The symposium will appeal to art students, academics, curators,
professional ceramicists and studio potters and industry
professionals alike. As well as anyone interested in learning more
about trends, practices and developments in the field of ceramics.
The day offers an excellent platform for attendees to extend their
knowledge and understanding of the range of contemporary ceramics
and to create and develop links with those who share an interest in
contemporary ceramics.
The symposium, hosted in the Old Library at the College near
Chichester in West Sussex, is £25 for the day and includes a buffet
lunch in the Oak Hall.
Booking is now open: www.westdean.org.uk/events/ceramic-plasticity The
College attracts ceramics tutors and students nationally and
internationally to courses ranging from craft -based short courses,
to a Diploma or Masters degree in the conservation of Ceramics.
Notes to Editors
• West Dean College of Arts and Conservation near Chichester in
West Sussex, is internationally recognised for creative arts and
conservation education. Edward James, who founded the College, was
a poet, artist and patron of the Surrealist Movement. During his
lifetime he sponsored emerging artists and writers including John
Betjeman, Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. Today the College
continues this work by supporting people to realise their creative
ambitions and potential.
• West Dean College is part of The Edward James Foundation, a
charitable trust, also comprising West Dean Gardens, West Dean
Estate and the West Dean Tapestry Studio. Charity No.
1126084.
• West Dean College is situated on the A286, six miles north of
Chichester and within easy access of Portsmouth, Guildford,
Brighton and London
• All photography is free to use for editorial purposes
For further information, media accreditation, filming opportunities
and high-resolution digital images please contact: Phoebe Ladenburg
Golden Squared Consulting [email protected] / +44 (0)207 439
2822
