CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS

CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS.

It’s been seventy centuries since man created the first utensil by using raw materials and fire. Since that time many things have been produced using this primitive but very effective method.

One of these biproducts was the création of ceramics, by basically using the combination of water, earth and fire.

Ceramics have become a part of our everyday lives, but the évolution of this medium from basic utilitarianism to more décorative and artistic forms has been phénoménal over the past décades. What started as simple manipulation of the human hand, with clay and other materials, has become a major force in the artistic world.

At the end of the eighteen century, the japanese and koreans opened up the channels of expression throught the medium of ceramics.

Ceramic Art is the only utilitarian function that concentrates on esthetic values.

The european ceramic movement encouraged its artists to be adventurous in their approach.

For example, in France, Jean CARRIES (1855-1894) was experimenting with japanese sandstone and presented pièces at an exposition in 1878.It was a way of imitating this ancient technique and create « european » contemporary work.

PICASSO lived in Valauris and helped the ceramic movement flourish.

Ceramics have been placed in the background, especially during the two world wars.Later, many new ateliers were created en Europe and North America and young, stimulated artists began to create new methods of expression.

Techniques such as raku have been revolutionized and since the seventies in the United States and the eighties in Europe, what was once small régional exhibitions have become international events, in places such as Faenza in Italy, Vallauris in France, Icheon in Korea and Mino in Japan.

Richard Karsenty

See : Fausto SALVI, Gerard ELI, Guive KHOSRAVI