Photos and reporting by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA.  If you enjoyed this post, then like the post, and also like my Facebook page.    Check out Beachfront Pottery posts on Instagram @beachfrontpottery.    There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.

The Venue

The Delving exhibit took place in the Art and Design West Gallery of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) from May 6-28 , 2021 in Edwardsville, Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

The Call for Entry

There was no formal call for entry, as this was an exhibit for art students in the BFA and MFA programs at SIUE.

The Ceramic Art Pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One part of the installation was a long wooden table covered with indigo-colored fabric, and ceramic items were placed on the fabric. There were bowls, a cup, a vase with flowers, and a set of nested bowls that held several cups by their handles.  The blue glaze on the ceramic pieces matched the blue of the table cover fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind the long table there was wall with three wall-attached sculptures.  It looks like each piece within the composite was individually formed.

Here is Abby’s statement for this installation: “Through this work I explore craft as social engagement and a ritual element. Artworks falling into the craft category have a long history of involving more than one maker. They rely on the skills and participation of multiple artists. This piece came to fruition because of quilting bees, group firings and team installations. My vision for the work drove the process, but it would have not come to fruition without the wisdom and generosity of others in the art field. Part of the artwork resides in those unseen moments and the unknown hands that helped create the whole. The draw to craft medium lies in these community efforts and the open sourcing of knowledge. This generated professional relationships through passing on of knowledge and personal ties through the time spent together. The installation celebrates the inheritance while acknowledging the current state of separation in our lives. A year of social distancing created a dichotomy in the desire to connect and the need to stay separate. The table setting suggests a social event, but the absence of seating tells the viewer they are not invited to participate. Everyone is experiencing this phenomenon, but we are altogether separate.”

For more of her works visit her web site.