HISTORIC CRAFT OBJECTS; NON-HISTORIC MATERIALS

Henry James Crissman and Virginia Rose Torrence graduated from Alfred University in 2015 and took their MFA degrees with them to start grown up life in Detroit.  Henry was hired to lead the ceramics department in a small liberal arts college and Virginia found her niche in studio ceramics with a few adjunct faculty jobs thrown in.

Virginia Rose Torrence, Untitled Mosaic, 48"x69"

Remember that old adage about “best laid plans?” The college abandoned its ceramic program and Henry was without a regular paycheck. Now what?

“What” is this couples’ search for creative routes toward a full-filling way to live in a challenging neighborhood, in a depressed city, in a stressed physical environment without my generation’s requirement - financial security. Here are routes they are exploring.

Teapot form

Virginia built rather ugly sculptural work at Alfred interspersed with (snooze alert) “utilitarian sculpture.” (Please spare me from ever seeing another “teapot form!”) But in her new studio spaces, she noticed the bins of discards and throw aways. She began retrieving junk from which to build collages. (Didn’t we all do that few years ago -  making mosaic backsplashes and picture frames out of broken china?)

Her mosaics took on added dimension when she began incorporating junk - real junk! - into the ceramic mix: leaves, wood shards, orange peel, odd cast offs picked up along her daily routes. To preserve the organic pieces, she turned to resin as the grout for these super tiles. The resin gives the illusion of looking through cataract lenses. (Virginia describes the effect as “looking through water.” I like my analogy better.)

Will these constructions survive or will the organic bits begin to rot out? I doubt that Virginia knows. Not much in our world is eternal - why should we expect that of art? 

Detail, ceramic mosaic with ½ lemon, resin grout

Henry, meanwhile, built himself a wood fired kiln in the yard of his pottery place and decided to produce  utilitarian tableware - plates and cups and bowls. He set off to blaze new trails that trace back to William Morris “Arts and Crafts” Movement, the dignity of handmade.

North End Pottery

With an NCECA grant in hand, Henry’s first aim was to seduce his impoverished North End Detroit neighborhood. He passed word to announce the firings and invited neighbors to participate in loading, stoking and unloading the kiln; the firings became “people events.” Each piece of pottery was stamped “Made In the North End” and each piece was sold for $1 each but only to neighbors, people who lived within 1 mile of the pottery. 

I don’t know if using hand made dinnerware changed any lives. I’m pretty sure that a few schemers found ways to circumvent the residency requirement - there are always abusers. Clearly, this system required financial subsidy.

But Dang! What a cool project! During my lifetime, I’ve witnessed and been part of the “Turn Inward - Me Generation - Explore the World Within” years. It’s time for change and the change seems to be the age of socially engaged art projects. Our planet cries for compassion. The multiple strands of society must be knit together. 

Artists can be Cassandras warning of the breakdown of our physical and social climate -  a legitimate and honorable role.  But they are uniquely qualified to explore and show us alternative options.  

The rest of us are required to pay attention.  

Tableware made for neighborhood restaurant