Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

 

 

‘Supine Flames’ sculpture by Melanie Newcombe

 

The radical Cubist art developed at the beginning of the 20th Century by Braques and Picasso was one of the first forms of abstract art. The Cubists challenged conventional forms of representation, such as perspective, which had been the rule since the Renaissance. Their aim was to develop a revolutionary new way of seeing which reflected the streamlined modern age.

Picassos realisation in 1907 that African art had a deeper mission to give expression and form to an artists subconscious forces, in order to confront and conquer their inner fears, stands as one of the motivating factors that triggered the beginning of abstract art. The Cubists inspired many other artists around the same time to break free from the constraints of established art, which had remained the same for centuries. Matisse was also capturing a serenity through simplification of ideas and form, believing details lessened the purity of lines and harmed the emotional intensity. Brancusi was approching his art on a similar tragectory, where he belived the mind recognised form with a more minimalist perspective and saw movement as a flash of spirit, stripped of unessecary detail. Intuitive perception didn’t require too much cumbersome detail to grasp the form of a subject, as it had already filled in the spaces ahead of the intellect.

 

‘Joy of Dance’   Dan McDermott

 

Similarily, at the beginning of the 20th century, dance was also undergoing a revolution with the promotion of a spontaneous avant garde style of modern dance. Isadora Duncan was one of the key proponants during the early 1900’s, who toured Europe and America, believing dance to be a luminous expression of the soul. She wasn’t enthralled by the strict disiplines enacted by the European ballet schools and intitially rejected there routines in favour of a more free form dance style. “The beauty of a moving figure lies in its intention, and not in the expertness of its gymnastic.” Other creative dancers like Loi Fuller and Josephne Baker were also touring Europe during this era, promoting free spirited dance expressions of raw, unhinibited movement. Up to the 20th century, theatrical dance was by and large, content to be associated with dramatic spectacles of storytelling.

The evolution of abstract art converged with the introduction of avant garde dance performances at this time, where the shape, energy and rhythm of the expressive powers of dance were conveyed in a more minimalistic manner while combined with poetic abstractions. The risk, chaos and unpredictability of the abstract reflected the motion of dance movement, especially if it was synchopated, free form avant-garde or trance oreintated. The utilisation of line, textures and space in abstract, stylised and semi abstract art adapted nicely to the spirit of artistic dynamic motion.

In this post I am examining the abstract styles in sculpture and ceramic forms and decorations that allude to a free and sponataeous aesthetic conveying the expression of movement, rythym and dance.

 

 

 

Henri Matisse–‘Project for The Strana Forandola’

1938

 

 

Clement Massier ceramic lustre Charger, ‘La Danse’

Macklowe Gallery

 

 

Philippe Hiquily- ‘La Traviata’

 

 

Ivana Batalo sculpture

 

 

Keith Calder — ‘Faith’ nude dancing couple

 

 

Alexander Archipenko ourdoor bronze abstract sculpture

 

 

Aurelio Lebrato abstract sculpture

 

 

Antònia Palau Casañé Abstract figurative Young Lovers Kissing

 

 

Zhan Wang

 

 

Yunghsu Hsu groovin’ dance sculpture

 

 

Bronze dancers 2005 by Heather McFarlane

 

 

Tyra Lundgren ceramic panel for Gustavsberg

 

 

Saad Romany Mikhaiel painting with mosaic texture

 

 

‘New Eurybia’ Sculpture—Peter Mandl

 

 

 

Peter Mandl — ‘Gryningen’ bronze sculpture

 

 

Elena Sudakova — photo by Solve Sundsbo—Invitation to the dance series

 

 

Two Bronze female figure Sculptures – Gilbert Franklin

 

 

Mia Tyson bottle

 

 

 

Teyana Taylor by Sasha Samsonova

 

 

‘Torso’ by Elizabeth Catlett, USA

 

 

The Dyad—Twin Souls by Beverly Morrison

 

 

‘The Dancers’, Woodcut, 1939—Charles Turzak

 

‘The cosmorama IV’–Jean Dubuffet

 

‘Tango’ sculpture by Larry Young

 

‘Solar Woman’,’ Lighting Sculpture by Isabelle Masson Faure

1980

 

 

Abstract crystalline glaze Vase—Jen Stein

 

Brutalist stone monument in Tjentište

 

 

Bronze Tango Dancer

 

 

Picasso — ‘Femme aux bras ecarte’

 

 

Vintage Inca vessel

 

Ingrid Saag -‘Salsa’ vase

2006, UK

 

 

Isobel Folb Sokolow –  Dancer II

1985

 

 

Italian alabaster sculpture  ‘Aylya’ – Marie Jos e Leroux

Height 36cm

Arts Parks

 

 

Jitterbugs – Weaver Hawkins

1945

 

 

Kawai Kanjiro— ‘Bird Flat’ ceramic vessel

 

 

Bill Wadman—‘Dancers in Motion’

 

 

Ursula von Rydingsvard, ‘The Contour of Feeling’

 

 

Komunikacija

 

 

‘Large Interior Form’—bronze sculpture — Henry Moore

50s

 

Niki de Saint Phalle mirror mosaic sculpture

 

 

 

Caroline Lee, Maquette for Monument to the Resistance

 

 

Large Lidded Jar by Ralph Bacerra

 

 

Large Mata Ortiz Pottery black and orange Vase

 

 

Ambacht Haalderen – AMHA dancing figures

Netherlands

 

 

Jenny Orchard – ‘A vegetarian cannibal’

 

 

Alied Nijp Holman—‘Aphrodite’

 

Catalo Josée- ‘On the ice’

 

 

Dancer Eros Volusia by Hart Preston

1941

 

 

Alexander Archipenko, ‘La Danse’ (Dance)

1912

 

 

René Buthaud naked dancer motif vase

 

 

Hal Fromhold-California Studio Pottery Ceramics – People Wall Sculpture

 

 

Glass mosaic Owl Panel by Kashena Hottinger

 

 

Gerald Trottier – ‘The Pilgrimage of Man’ mosaic mural

Carleton University

 

 

Frederick Weinberg-Pair of Abstract Wall Sculptures

Mid-Century

 

 

Elena Solomyanko, Vaganova Ballet Academy

Alexander Yakovlev photo

 

 

Ceramic  Vase ‘Enigma 4′-hotpaella

Valencia, Spain H12inch

 

 

Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti

Arizona

 

Vallauris, “Monika” sculpture by Jacotte & Roger Capron

 

 

‘Atalanta and Hippomenes’ — Jean Cocteau

1958

 

 

‘Dancer’ abstract wall mural  by Alfonso Muñoza

 

 

Dolorosa Sinaga foil sculpture–Indonesia

 

 

Larissa Smagarinsky– ‘The Song’ fibreglass resin sculpture

Mosman Gallery

 

 

Stoneware Bottle Form by California Ceramist Doug Lawrie

Lisa Cliff Collection

 

‘Dancing in Tango’ Abstract Sculpture by Mike Walsh

 

 

Edward Maracek- ‘Starlight Star Bright’

1950

 

 

Dumler and Breiden vase and jug

Germany, circa 1955

 

A figurative relief sculpture of a ballet dancer in arabesque pose by Colorado artist, Eric Bransby

 

 

Jenny Orchard

 

 

‘Blue Dancer’ – Alexander Archipenko

 

 

 

Barbara Hepworth, ORPHEUS (MAQUETTE-II)

 

 

 

Statue of Icarus by Marcello Mascherini in the Sala di Icaro, designed by the architect Giuseppe Pagano—1939 Milan Biennial

 

 

Ceramic dancer figure-Edouard Cazaux, France

 

 

‘Solano’ (1958) Glazed stoneware by Peter Voulkos. Photo by M. Lee Fatherree.

Oakland Museum of California

 

Sgraffito snake pot–Eleuterio Pinat

 

 

Jiubka Kirilova  – ‘Fire Dance’

 

 

 

Sascha Brastoff ‘MINOS LARGE’  footed Egg Dome

 

 

Sandra Wray large ceramic vessel

Art ZA

 

 

Raoul Larche – Loe FULLER Nouveau figure lamp

 

 

Loie Fuller – ‘Serpentine Dance’

ca. 1900

 

‘Pushed and Pulled’  — Denis John Rafman

 

 

Rudy Autio abstract figure sculpture

 

 

Ceramic Spherical Table Lamp with Dancing Figures by Tye of California

 

 

 

Paul Jackson— ‘Large Twisted Life Vase’

Penwith Gallery

 

 

Pauline Ohrel – female wire sculpture

 

 

Pablo Picasso — ‘The Dancer’—1942

 

 

Pablo Picasso, ‘Flute Player and Dancer’, 1947

(white earthenware, painted with enamels, glazed)

 

 

Mid century ceramic abstract sculptural lamp

 

 

Form 2017 – Monika-Debus

 

 

Carlton F Ball sgrafitto tri handle vase

 

 

 

Mid-Century Mod Burnt Wood Witco Style Sculpture—‘Cecil’ By SuZanna Anna

@-Atomic Lodge etsy

 

Marcello Fantoni–bottle with abstract dancer

 

 

Lisa Hammond ceramic ovoid bottle with abstract motive

 

 

 

Lena Arice Lucas,  Abstract Sculpture – ‘An Understanding’

 

 

HARSA-Monumental Vase Amphora Israeli Design