Suzanne Wolfe: Seductive Cups

Mar 6th - Mar 29th, 2015

\"Cups, cups, and more cups.  My inventoryexceeds 600 and still I need to make more of them.  They are all \"cup size\" but employ several differentbodies -- earthenware, china, and porcelain. 

Theearthenware cups are slipcast in molds taken from ordinary throw-away cups --the plastic kind that you drink from and then casually discard.  An object that is impermanent, cheap, and often looked upon with disinterest becomes permanent and valuable, withgilded interiors and ornate exteriors. However, since I see everything as impermanent and subject to change, there is something a bit devious here. So too is the use of advertising text -- it seems so transparent as acliche but when it is taken out of its original context the message is eitherexposed for its baser aspects or reinterpreted as part of a richer, moreexpansive system of meaning.

The thrownporcelain cups are just the right size for whiskey (or tea if you are ateetotaler).They were madein Jingdezhen, PRC using the famous Chinese porcelain from that region called\"gao bai.\"  After glazefiring, they came back to my studio in Hawaii, where the final embellishmentswere completed. 

Finally, there are the breast cups, the other example of \"cup size.\"  Based on the original forms createdduring the 18th century for Marie Antoinette's rustic retreat, they embodyreferences to luxury and sensuality. \"

Suzanne Wolfewas born in Chicago, Illinois and received three degrees from the University ofMichigan, including a BA in anthropology in 1965, a BSD in art in 1968, and anMFA with concentration in ceramics in 1970.   From 1971, she was a professor of ceramics at theUniversity of Hawai’i in Honolulu, Hawai’i, where she taught courses at alllevels.  Since she retired in 2011as Professor Emeritus, she has been able to devote most of her efforts tocreative endeavors.




"