For the Birds

For the Birds is a homogenous material exhibition of porcelain pottery that explores the relationships between, expectations of, and roles placed upon women and pottery. Using traditional craft processes, still life imagery, and the language and limits of porcelain, I create arrangements that expose the viewers assumptions of both subjects. Pottery- pitchers, cups, and vases—is a product of anthropocentrism and anthropomorphism and can be entirely taken for granted- their role is assumed and unquestionable—to serve. The language and expectations of these objects are the medium I build with. The title of the show, For the Birds, is both a dedication to women—so often compared to birds—and a nod to the familiar phrase of dismissal. My intention for the exhibition is to give the viewer an experience not unlike the unfolding of a meal. Throughout the exhibition, the arrangements draw on the familiarity of domestic space—bedside tables, a sideboard, a dining table with chairs, a curio cabinet—all displaying porcelain treasures who are both host and guest, dazzling in the warm light. However, save for the faux-wood curio cabinet, the furniture has been stripped, and sanded, and left raw to render them incomplete—unusable. The compositions, scale, and surfaces of both pottery and wood furniture becomes beguiling once the viewer has been seated. Advisor: Peter Pinnell