“Critical Connections in Ceramics”, an online program designed by Elaine Olafson Henry for ceramicists and ceramicists who write.

As usual, Elaine greets all the most famous art critics first, only to repeat the same request : people, write !

Write about what you see, write about what you do, how you experience the world and what you read and why.

First of all I want to explain, that it took me a while to feel like myself again after a series of things knocked me off balance. The coronavirus inhabited me in february after which the war in Ukraine broke out. This inhumane violance litterally left me speachless. In my mind, my generation and the one of our parents had done everything imaginable to prevent this from happening. Living in the more western part of Europe confronted me with the collective fear around me, of an imminent threat of World War 3. People here were preparing the atomic shelters, that are either part of their private homes or in nearby community buildings. The fear is still palpable, as the killing and destruction continues not so far away.

This resonates with me, since I am constantly trying to understand the world around us. Many of the participants agree, that the pandemic made us go insinde, not only in a literal sense, but also it made us explore ourselves. We also had to learn how to keep connected with the means of the internet, zoom, skype, what have you.

Blogwriting was one of the most exciting elements that I found to have fun, reflect, engage, Finding words for something so profound as the work of artists working with clay, is not only reassuring, but also a peaceful way to understand one’s self. As a creator, I am an artist first, so for me it was always the most important thing to find a way to keep creating. Typing letters on the keyboard the search for expression is just a continuation of the work with clay.

Presentation Lydia Thompson

Lydia Thompson is a professor at the Ceramics program in Ohio, and the first to take the audience through her work for the audience. How in her quest to find her ancestral roots in Westafrica, she had to travel far. Her voice, her words and most of all, her family history, are touching me deeply. Her work is about migration, which she further investigates through family heirlooms. Some of the objects she shows during her studio visit presentation, are a comb, which was used by the women in Africa as jewelry and also to create a certain hairstyle, specific for a tribe. It is also a symbol for the transformation of the natural to the cultural, and is displayed by the women in society.

Another object is a bowy, an ambieouous hollow vessel on four feet, that are representations of the spititual side of working with clay. She also shows a head carved out of wood that represents the self discipline needed. All of these elements are being used in her colorful objects. Always they are an attempt to transform very painful events. Using very bright colors and abstract, yet approacheable forms, she sends a message out in the world, that I read as: look what you are doing! The impeccable beauty of the object makes the actual realization of what is going on in a socity possible.

During her life as a mother, she found new ways to keep her hands working

In collages with colored papers and glue she created spectacular images that she sold for ridicoulously low prices, which she now regrets. Women organize, they separate, they nurture, all represented in her interpretation of comb-like collages. Her more recent work is cut out insulation board with paper glued on them. Her visits to Nigeria inspires her more recent work.

Her explanation puts some things together in the own mind. There is her series of pouly vessels with references of the black american community in the US, and the painful aspect.

Work is about Migration, research about grandparents, houses trying to keep up with the rent for the growing families. Grandparents form the value system.

Knowing who you are is vital.

My own personal thoughts

As always I am immensly thankful for the oportunity to connect with other ceramicists who write about ceramics.