The Clay Studio is proud to present The Material Image, organized by Teaching Artist Ian Petrie, to celebrate the connection of graphic images and pottery in the work of several Philadelphia artists: Celia Feldberg, Jeremiah Ibarra, Arista Wilson, and Soso Capaldi.
Contemporary ceramics and comics have grown out of the same tradition of sequential illustration originally found on Greek pottery. The two art practices both explore duplication and iteration. Repetition aids in a better understanding and skill in the medium. Throwing pot after pot, or drawing panel after panel, is how the artist masters their form. That repetition also conveys meaning to the viewer.
In the comics universe, the format prioritizes quantity and narrative flow over the pure quality of any single image. Rather than a single overworked artwork, sequential narrative offers us a multifaceted view: an imperfect sketch from every possible angle. Similarly, repetition is key for ceramic artists as they throw pot after pot in pursuit of their artform.
Now, thousands of years after Euphronios (c. 535–470 BCE) painted figures dancing around his pots, they often lie in museums as fragments. Just like panels in a comic, when pieced together these fragments form a whole that is greater than their individual parts.
Curated by Ian Petrie and Naimah Stith, The Material Image highlights 5 artists who engage illustration with their ceramic art.
