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Age-old institutions seek out contemporary talent as traditional porcelain and ceramics take on bold new forms.
Taking art to innovative forms, ceramic is the new cool, as porcelain producers inject fresh blood into old traditions.
There was a time, not so long ago, when porcelain and ceramic design conjured up images of bored housewives enrolled in evening classes, turning out glazed blobs, or dusty white elephants accumulating in the homes of old folk. As artist Grayson Perry admits, "My initial reaction to pottery was that pottery was for hippies and housewives who make crusty brown salt pigs and wind chimes." Fortunately for him, this was not the view of Charles Saatchi, a leading figure in contemporary art, who bought several of the artist's ceramic works at the 2000 British Art show.
In 2001, the artist Jeff Koons broke all previous personal records when his sculpture of Michael Jackson with famed companion Bubbles the chimp fetched an astounding $5.6 million at Sotheby's. Grayson Perry's triumph as the winner of the 2003 Turner Prize for his controversial collection of vases cemented the fact that the art snobs who once derided ceramics as mere "pottery" are finally giving the malleable material a second look. When making his acceptance speech dressed in women's attire, the artist humorously quipped, "I think the art world had more trouble coming to terms with me being a potter than my choice of frocks."
While the traditional porcelain and ceramic market is still thriving, it has long been deemed to be squarely outside the domain of fashionability. Generations-old institutions, such as the 18th-century producer Nymphenburg, were the first to spot that it was time for a shakeup within the industry. "Nymphenburg started with contemporary artists in 1999, with the first piece being the egg cup and spoon Belle & Bon, designed by the Munich-based designer Konstantin Grcic. We have continually brought out new works since then, working with Ted Muehling, Hella Jongerius, Khashayar Naimanan, Sebastian Menschhorn and Barnaby Barford," says Ingrid Harding.
The Dutch ceramic manufacturer Royal Tichelaar Makkum is the country's oldest enterprise, dating back to the 16th century. Its collaborations with the hippest names in the country's flourishing design scene, such as Marcel Wanders and the Dutch/Belgian duo Studio Job, has earned the company kudos and visibility within the world of contemporary art. The Spanish art porcelain manufacturer Lladró recently made the news with its appointment of design wunderkind Jaime Hayon as Artistic Director, a bold move for a company renowned for creating fine art figurines – but, as Harding notes in Nyphenburg's case, traditional clients are embracing the new generation of talent. "The contemporary collections have always been received readily by the public. Some items, such as the Hella Jongerius animal bowls, were a bit of a shock for our traditional clients at first sight, but many have taken the time and effort to learn about her work and have really learned to love them. They have regularly been sold out since the launch three years ago."
Angel Monzon, co-founder of the London-based Vessel Gallery, which specializes in glass and ceramics, has noticed a real upturn in the market. "For Vessel, it has always been much easier to sell glass rather than ceramic objects or vases, but the trend is taking a turn, both with handmade porcelain and ceramic industrial products. Companies like Rosenthal are doing well once again, while newcomer Industriel is the most exciting 'new kid on the block' for young and fresh ideas. The luxury-minded premium brand Sieger design has taken a very decadent approach to bone china production." He adds, "It isn't only in the fine porcelain world that the new tendencies are developing and succeeding, either; also the more chunky, rustic looking ceramic/earthenware is now appreciated and bought by our collectors."
One of the theories behind the re-emergence of ceramic and clay art is the modest cost of materials. As Monzon points out, it is an economical medium for non-ceramic artists or designers, in terms of both materials and subcontracting production. As Jaime Hayon recalls of his early large-scale works, "If the company never believed in it, then I came with the work already made. Although I almost went bankrupt five times getting my pieces made!"
Artistic upstarts such as Barnaby Barford and Karen Ryan deconstruct traditional porcelain pieces, challenging traditional themes and forms, creating edgy, even controversial works that are on show in leading galleries throughout the world, rather than grandma's china cabinet. As Perry points out, "There have always been good ceramic artists around, they just have not received attention." So, we might sing along with Bob Dylan, here, "the times, they are a'changin'."