“Grey Partridge” by Brenda Watt
Written by: Maia Stark, Exhibitions & Education Coordinator
On Saturday, March 16th at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery we invited Carole Epp, artist, ceramic arts advocate, and editor of Musing About Mud, to discuss the exhibition The Narrative Dish II.
“Neighbourhood Watch Mug” by Shaun Mallonga
With the recent passing of Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard and the terrorist attack in New Zealand in the forefront of attendee’s minds, there was a solemn beginning to the event as we acknowledged those losses. Much of the conversation about the exhibition that followed was regarding the value of art that is personal (and, as some argue, then necessarily political). Carole, the coordinator of the exhibition as well as a participating artist, discussed the value of art that uses aesthetic and function to broach difficult topics. Carole focuses on this in the new work she brings to the exhibition, which can be seen as a bridging of her functional ware (which features illustrations akin to children’s books) with her sculptural forms – combining sweetness with a dark undercurrent of what is happening politically and environmentally in our world.
“world on fire” by Carole Epp
The SCC was pleased to have Brenda Watt, Regina artist, attend and discuss her highly decorated porcelain ginger jars. Highly detailed underglaze painting comes from her own thoughts on the way that urban sprawl affects wildlife in Saskatchewan. Much of the work in The Narrative Dish II incorporates this push and pull – the pairing of beautiful aesthetic with personal and political intentions – with varying degrees of subtlety. Thank you, Carole Epp and Brenda Watt, for sharing with us!
The Narrative Dish II runs from March 9th to April 27th, 2019 at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery. If you cannot view the pieces in person, click here to access the online Gallery page.