Criticism and Craft: Reflections on the State of Criticism in the Ceramic Arts Summer Hills-Bonczyk

1. Criticism and Craft: Reflections on the State of Criticism in the Ceramic ArtsSummer Hills-Bonczyk

2. Speakers/Panelists:Ted Adler, Joe Arredondo, Robert Atkins, Ivan Barnett, Terry Barrett, Glen Brown, Garth Clark, Gabi Dewald, Linda Durham, Moyra Elliot, Amy Gogarty, Tanya Harrod, Elaine O. Henry, Dave Hickey, Jacques Kaufmann, Janet Koplos, Paul Kotula, Donald Kuspit, Paul Mathieu, Hunt Prothro, Howard Risatti, Jim Romberg, Raphael Rubinstein, Roberta Smith, Adam Welch

3. �Criticism in the arts has fueled artistic innovations, exploration and even revolution; these practices have forwarded arts disciplines in areas from technical development and mastery, through investigating conceptually untried territories. Practice in the field of ceramic art is at an unprecedented height, but the field has seen a much more uneven history when it comes to criticism. Establishing consistent critical practices in the ceramics arts should provide the same benefits as it has in other arts fields. NCECA believes that fostering more consistent critical practices in the field will further quality production, and surely a heightened recognition of ceramic art.� - Keith Williams, NCECA President

4. �Criticism in the arts has fueled artistic innovations, exploration and even revolution; these practices have forwarded arts disciplines in areas from technical development and mastery, through investigating conceptually untried territories. Practice in the field of ceramic art is at an unprecedented height, but the field has seen a much more uneven history when it comes to criticism. Establishing consistent critical practices in the ceramics arts should provide the same benefits as it has in other arts fields. NCECA believes that fostering more consistent critical practices in the field will further quality production, and surely a heightened recognition of ceramic art.� - Keith Williams, NCECA President

5. Criticism Questions Why is there so little criticism of Ceramic Art? Why do we need criticism? What is criticism? Do we need to develop a new critical language with which to talk about ceramics, or do we already have enough words? What critical publications/sources already exist? Which ones are good? What is the critic�s role? Does one require background in ceramics art in order to critique it? What is the function of judgment in ceramics criticism? What is the criteria for criticizing ceramic art? What are the problems/issues with criticism of ceramics? What tools of quality control exist for criticism? Were any of the above questions actually answered at this conference? First question - thesis of this conference.First question - thesis of this conference.

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7. WHAT IS CRITICISM?

8. My four modes of criticism: critical writing, critical making, critical thinking, critical curating. Slides 8 - 19 are examples of these modes of criticism. My four modes of criticism: critical writing, critical making, critical thinking, critical curating. Slides 8 - 19 are examples of these modes of criticism.

9. These artists ask the following questions: What is the cultural and historical burden of the ceramic object? What does it mean to make work that is authentic? I ask: What is the gained and what is lost by working within the �ceramic art� or �pottery� category?These artists ask the following questions: What is the cultural and historical burden of the ceramic object? What does it mean to make work that is authentic? I ask: What is the gained and what is lost by working within the �ceramic art� or �pottery� category?

11. �In turning his attention away from subject matter of common experience, the poet or artist turns it in upon the medium of his own craft.�  -Clement Greenberg, From his 1939 essay �Avant-Garde and Kitsch�

15. CRITICAL CURATING Artists include the current generation (Nicole Cherubini, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Jeffry Mitchell, Sterling Ruby, and Paul Swenbeck), artists who emerged during the 1990s (Ann Agee, Kathy Butterly, Jane Irish, Arlene Shechet, and Beverly Semmes), those who established clay as a critical material during the 1960s and 1970s (Robert Arneson, Viola Frey, Ron Nagle, Ken Price, Adrian Saxe, Beatrice Wood and Betty Woodman), and historic and outsider figures (Lucio Fontana, Peter Voulkos, and Rudolf Staffel, as well as George Ohr and Eugene Von Bruenchenhein Artists include the current generation (Nicole Cherubini, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Jeffry Mitchell, Sterling Ruby, and Paul Swenbeck), artists who emerged during the 1990s (Ann Agee, Kathy Butterly, Jane Irish, Arlene Shechet, and Beverly Semmes), those who established clay as a critical material during the 1960s and 1970s (Robert Arneson, Viola Frey, Ron Nagle, Ken Price, Adrian Saxe, Beatrice Wood and Betty Woodman), and historic and outsider figures (Lucio Fontana, Peter Voulkos, and Rudolf Staffel, as well as George Ohr and Eugene Von Bruenchenhein

16. Undone: Making and Unmaking in Contemporary Sculpture Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK Sep 2010 - Jan 2011Curators Stephen Feeke and Sophie Raikes

17. �The exhibition juxtaposes work by sculptors, including Kenneth Armitage, Ralph Brown, Geoffrey Clarke, Peter King, F.E McWilliam, E.R. Nele and Eduardo Paolozzi, with that of ceramicists, including Dan Arbeid, Ian Auld, Peg Campion, Hans Coper, John Dan, Bryan Newman, Colin Pearson, Robert Sturm and Denise Wren.� - From the Museum Catalog

18. Terra Incognita: Italy's Ceramic RevivalEstorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, September - December, 2009Curated by art and design historian Lisa HockemeyerTerra Incognita translates to�unknown land�

19. JIM ROMBERG, Moderator and project director at CSF:�Criticism is civilization�s defense of itself��Criticism separates: Triviality from Significance Sensational from Profound Mortal from Immortal� ROBERTA SMITH, NY Times senior art critic:�Criticism is all around us. Every sentient being is being critical all the time��The criticism of ceramics begins with the ceramists. Their job is to do/say something that hasn�t been done before. This takes a tremendous amount of discipline and information.�

20. Broader questions proposed at conference: Why are non-ceramic artists suddenly embracing clay? Is the craft versus art debate obsolete or still relevant? What is the effect of defining categories within ceramic-base art? ie. pottery, ceramic sculpture, ceramic art etc� What is the difference between artists who hold university jobs and those who compete in the commercial world? How does this affect the production of ceramics work? What can ceramics do and say that other art forms cannot? How does clay contribute to the broader fine art conversations? Is what ceramics has to say still relevant? Are we experiencing a collapse in distinctions between general practices in western arts? (a so-called �sisterhood� of the arts.) Is the clay community�s desire for unity and common interest detrimental to the development and growth of ceramics art? Does the university system stunt creative growth and minimize risk-taking?

21. Some of my questions during the conference: How are ceramists embracing the future, using new technology and competing in the broader art world? How important is originality? Why do I feel like the youngest person at this conference? Authenticity�. what does it mean and how does one build and authenticate an artistic practice? Why doesn�t NCECA dedicate more time and space to these critical questions at the larger annual conference? Is NCECA the right organization to take on all these difficult questions? How can I remain professionally engaged in the field of ceramics if I am not affiliated with a university? Should artists read art criticism?

22. Symposium HighlightsSpeakers, Panelists� Their thoughts and questions:

23. GARTH CLARK

25. PAUL MATHIEU Faculty at Emily Carr University, Vancouver Artist, author, lecturer Author of Sex Pots: Eroticism in Ceramics Author of The Art of the Future, online book on the history of ceramics

26. TANYA HARROD In my opinion, Harrod was one of the most forward-thinking speakers. A colleague of Adamson, thinks about craft and design as conceptual ideas to be performed by makers of any media. In my opinion, Harrod was one of the most forward-thinking speakers. A colleague of Adamson, thinks about craft and design as conceptual ideas to be performed by makers of any media.

27. DONALD KUSPIT Professor of Art History and Philosophy, State U of NY, Stony Brook Author of over 20 books on art including, Redeeming Art: Critical Reveries and The Critic is Artist: The Intentionality of Art. A true academic.

28. HOWARD RISATTI Professor of Contemporary Art and Critical Theory, Virginia Commonwealth University Author of �A Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression�, 2007

29. ROBERTA SMITH Senior art critic for the NY Times since 1986 Contributor to Village Voice, Art Forum, Art in America, Vogue and Newsweek Delivered controversial keynote speech at 2009 NCECA conference Reviewed Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay, 2009 at Philly Institute of Contemporary Art and Minneapolis Walker Art Center Former studio assistant to Donald Judd

30. DAVE HICKEY Contributor to Art in America, Rolling Stone, ArtNews, ArtForum, Vanity Fair Two books of critical essays: The Invisible Dragon and Air Guitar: Essays on Art and Democracy Professor of English at University of Nevada, Las Vegas Known for his arguments against academicism and in favor of the effects of rough, free markets on art

31. Broader questions proposed at conference: Why are non-ceramic artists suddenly embracing clay? Is the craft versus art debate obsolete or still relevant? What is the effect of defining categories within ceramic-base art? ie. pottery, ceramic sculpture, ceramic art etc� What is the difference between artists who hold university jobs and those who compete in the commercial world? How does this affect the production of ceramics work? What can ceramics do and say that other art forms cannot? How does clay contribute to the broader fine art conversations? Is what ceramics has to say still relevant? Are we experiencing a collapse in distinctions between general practices in western arts? (a so-called �sisterhood� of the arts.) Is the clay community�s desire for unity and common interest detrimental to the development and growth of ceramics art? Does the university system stunt creative growth and minimize risk-taking?

32. - Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)Letters to a Young Poet

33. THANK YOU!