Continental Ceramics Show

The two pieces I was most attracted and intrigued by was Bethany Russen’s Went Missing and Slip.  The two pieces are white, unusual objects that are hung on the wall. I have always enjoyed white on white, which was part of the appeal to me. However, I had a little more of an advantage in picking out my piece because I unloaded most of the pieces at the show. Russen’s pieces grabbed my attention the most because of its texture and less traditional take on ceramics.  When I was unpacking the piece what surprised me the most was that when I picked it up a piece of the surface indented from my finger.  This does not usually happen when handling a ceramic piece. After talking with a professor I found out that the ceramic part of the piece was actually inside of it. The outer part of the piece was made with plaster and cloth, which would explain the unusual texture and flexibility of the piece. Along with this unorthodox take on ceramics I also enjoyed the piece for its disturbing simplicity. The shapes of the objects give off an uncomfortable feeling because they are hung on the wall and because the shapes are so unusual. The overall effect- the texture and overly simple, but unusual design of the pieces- was the reason this piece stood out more than the other pieces in the show.