March 25 - April 17, 2016
Belongings
Claire Parrish
Sculptural Ceramics
Frable Gallery
Opening Reception for the Artists
Fourth Friday, March 25, 2016
7:00-10:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Closing Artist Talk
Sunday, April 17, 2016
2:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Artist Statement
Belonging (n.)
1. Something that belongs.
2. The things that a person owns or has with him; possessions; effects
3. Secure relationship; affinity (esp. in the phrase a sense of belonging)
My four grandparents passed from this life either before I was born or before I was old enough to know them. Most, if not all, of what I know about their lives has come to me through stories acknowledged by material objects that were once their belongings.
Throughout my life, my idea of my grandparent's belongings changed from a sort of child-like idolization to a mature appreciation of them. Recreating and drawing portraits from these objects recognizes a reverence for them as artifacts that tell me stories, reveal truths, and make known characteristics about those whose lives and decisions directly affected the world into which I was born.
The physicality of the clay medium established a process of intimate discovery and stands analogous to the tangible effects that the past still holds on our present lives. The permanence of fired clay recognizes the lasting quality that these belongings hold as they continue to live beyond the lives of my loved ones. And yet, if any of these works were to fall, they would instantly break. The fragility of ceramic reminds us of both the fragility of this life and the impermanence of the material world.
Belongings will never reveal souls or bring them back to life. They cannot define us or give us worth. Yet I cherish the stories, illustrations, personalities, likenesses, and characteristics - both significant and trivial - that their belongings share with us.
More at: www.claireparrish.com
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