BEYOND BOUNDRIES: The Yixing Influence on Contemporary American Ceramics

Arizona State University Art Museum
Nelson Fine Arts Center
October 3, 2003 - February 7, 2004

image credit: Kathleen Royster, Thorned Bonsai, 2001. Porcelaineous Stoneware, 7h x 9w x 9d inches. Courtesy of the artist.

RECEPTION
Friday, October 3, 2003
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

BEYOND BOUNDRIES: The Yixing Influence on Contemporary American Ceramics

Beyond Boundaries: The Yixing Influence on Contemporary American Ceramics will present the work of six American ceramic artists influenced by the pottery traditions of Yixing, China. Yixing is a county in Southeast China and been a center of ceramic production for over one thousand years. The teapot form was most revered by Chinese tea masters dating back to the 16th century when they commissioned potters to create works depicting the natural world. The vessels transcended their functionality and incorporated many art forms including calligraphy, poetry and painting.

The American leader in raising the awareness of the Yixing traditions is Richard Notkin, an internationally acclaimed artist who first traveled to China in 1991. His work has been greatly influenced by Yixing ware and mixes social and political imagery that speaks to our society’s current situations. His sense of proportion, attention to detail, and use of the format for storytelling are in harmony with the Eastern antecedents.

Artists in the Exhibition
Participating artists include: Gayle Fichtinger, Beth Lo, Richard Notkin, Richard Swanson, Eric Van Eimiren, Geo Lastimirsky, and Kathleen Royster. Many of these artists have traveled to China and are involved with an ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas and techniques. While their work finds a common source of inspiration, their work demonstrates a highly individual approach to scale, subject matter, and aesthetic approach.

ASU Art Museum Presentation
Organized by Peter Held, Beyond Boundries: The Yixing Influence on Contemporary American Ceramics will be installed in the Arizona State University Art Museum’s Ceramics Research Center location.

Duration
Beyond Boundries: The Yixing Influence on Contemporary American Ceramics
(October 3, 2003 – February 7, 2004) is open at the Ceramics Research Centerr: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Support
The exhibition and related programs are supported in part by CLA and Friends of the ASU Art Museum.