Contemplation:
animal – vegetable – mineral
- Ceramics Room
- Closes 2012
The objects on this display are mostly recent acquisitions for the Tatham Art Gallery from different areas of KwaZulu-Natal. There are exceptions, such as the ceramics purchased from Katherine Glenday, Ralph Johnson and Ian Garrett, who are all from the Cape.
On our recent field trips into KwaZulu-Natal the Tatham staff members became very aware of the resources available to artists and crafters in the geographical areas where they lived. The rural potters have access to clay deposits, river water and aloe leaves for fuel. City dwellers have electricity for their kilns and can import ingredients such as kaolin for porcelain. Wood carvers from remote areas use indigenous timber, with some exceptions. Because this is Africa, rural artists and crafters often work with rough materials or unsophisticated tools, but the results are frequently exquisite, such as the horn vessels by Willis Nxumalo and the wooden Rickshaw carrier by Vusumuzi Michael Mpungose.
The origins of any collection of objects on our planet can usually be traced to three basic materials: animal, vegetable and mineral. Children of all ages who like guessing games quickly learn to use these divisions in their questions, but answers can become surprisingly complicated when the object is an animal made from wood or clay, or when one needs to decide into which category charcoal, shell, horn or plastic fits.
This display also invites other comparisons, such as cultural origins and cross-cultural references. A further aspect to explore could be the original intention of the maker, whether it be functional, decorative or symbolic.
You are invited to ponder on the origins, similarities and contrasts of the objects on display.
