Lessons in Clay: New Bedford Art Museum Celebrates Ceramics

A bulbous sculpture by Chris Gustin in the foreground with three exciting forms by Ibrahim Said in the background. Photo by Michael Rose.

The New Bedford Art Museum is focused on clay these days. Its current exhibition Radical Reinvention: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture explores the work of artists who are experts in their earthy medium. On view through May 25, the show features works by an impressive slate of artists. This includes work by Deb Coolidge, Chris Gustin, Zemer Peled, Don Reitz, Ibrahim Said, Dana Sherwood, Nancy Train-Smith, Rigoberto Torres, Peter Voulkos and Betty Woodman. In pieces that are both expansive and intimate, the exhibition will make viewers appreciate the breadth of what clay can do.

Two forms by Betty Woodman on view in the exhibition. Photo by Michael Rose.

There is a sort of art historical slogan that goes ars longa, vita brevis: art is long, life is brief. It has a double meaning. First, that art outlasts its viewers and makers. Second, that the skills of a craftsperson are acquired over a lifetime of practice. This phrase encapsulates the world of ceramics. Clay is one of the world’s oldest artforms and ceramic objects can last intact for thousands of years. At the same time, the skills needed by a ceramist are so varied and complicated that they take decades to shape. This makes the kind of mastery displayed in Radical Reinvention doubly impressive.

Among the standouts in the exhibition are a pair of forms by Betty Woodman. Part vase, part slab, they are ecstatically colored and exemplify the tropical intentions of the artist. One of the most storied ceramists of the last century, Woodman was the first living woman artist to be featured in a solo exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum. Woodman, and other artists in the exhibition, draw inspiration from the natural world.

Porcelain flowers by Zemer Peled populate the vault of the former bank that NBAM calls home. They are fantastical and sculptural and bounce off the dark walls of the enclosed space. Nancy Train-Smith contributes a number of pieces to the show that also form botanical reliefs with references to stems, branches, and leaves that are both verdant and cloaked in frost.

A collection by Dana Sherwood recalls surreal and mythological themes in characteristic drawings. Gold luster added to shoulders and handles is set off against azure interiors that peek out to the keen observer. Sherwood is a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ceramics. Her contributions to the show crackle with inventiveness as well as with a reverence for known ceramic traditions and motifs.

An illustrated jug with serpents by Dana Sherwood. Photo by Michael Rose.

Sherwood is not the only artist who simultaneously references and bends expectations. Historic Egyptian pottery and Islamic arts provide the inspiration for works by Ibrahim Said. These pieces are precise, geometric, and strongly grounded in form. Positive and negative spaces create exciting tensions that invite studied inspection. Based in North Carolina, Said has received international recognition for his work and his art can be found in museum collections.

Artists in the show hail from far afield and nearby. Chris Gustin is based in Southeastern Massachusetts, but has earned a global reputation for his decades-long career as an artist and academic. His large scale forms in the show have a bodily aspect that suggests the figure. Deborah Coolidge is also connected to the region. A longtime RISD professor, she is a Dartmouth resident as well. Both she and Gustin participated in shows at the former DeDee Shattuck Gallery.

Many of the pieces in the exhibition hint at the long and storied history of the ceramic artform. There are vessels that recall classical vases and glazes that harken back to an earlier epoch. But all the work on view is also thoroughly contemporary, speaking to viewers of the present day. A vessel by Peter Voulkos from the 1950’s is a classic form that celebrates the skill of the potter. Where Voulkos is staid, works in the show by Rigoberto Torres and Don Reitz are expressive. 

Porcelain flowers by Zemer Peled seem to levitate off the dark walls of the vault gallery at NBAM. Photo by Michael Rose.

There is much to see in Radical Reinvention and every visitor will come away with a different favorite. Whether sculptural heft, surface design, narrative sensibility, or some other quality, the show offers something for a range of tastes. As a survey of contemporary ceramic sculpture, the show does its job well. The exhibition leaves viewers ready to learn more about the artists on view and to explore the thrilling potential for clay. It is also a compelling reminder of the timeless nature of great ceramics.

Radial Reinvention: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture is on view at the New Bedford Art Museum through May 25. The Museum is located in the heart of New Bedford at 608 Pleasant Street. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 9am - 5pm each day. Admission is $10 for adults. Learn more and plan your visit at www.newbedfordart.org.

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