~ POTTERS an COLUMBIA a Tidal Drifts, Conrd from Page 8 called Tidal Drifis, on which she arranges an assortment of rocks, sea kelp and shell-like forms. Reflecting the touch of the artist's hand in their making, the pieces beg to be handled. While not literal or representational, the shell- like components so convincingly conjure the sea one can almost smell and hear it. At the Art Gallery at Evergreen, Au and Chuang present Variations on Symmetry, an impressive and challenging set of works that explore issues of nature, culture, decoration and order. The exhibition covers several years of each artist’s work, and given the richness, complexity and multitude of components that make up each work, the time frame is entirely understandable. The installation process itself was extremely labour-intensive, and, by the time this goes to print, the gallery should have uploaded .a time-lapse animation documenting it. Both artists work with slip-casting and/ or press moulding to produce multiples, yet each further modifies the resulting forms in very personal ways. Eliza Au assembles lobed. forms into layers of pattern that simulate rugs or gothic tracery. Each component is glazed in shifting colours that burst into bright accents at tips and nodes. In addition to her ceramic AB fy alll The Meditation of Order, Center Mandala (detail), 2009, by Eliza Au. Cone 6 slipcast stoneware, metal and paper. 180 cm wide x 150 cm high. works, she includes a carpet-like piece created. from cast glass and two mandala forms that combine ceramic and paper. The artist is interested in exploring the qualities of her different materials, yet she is also driven to www.geeenbarn.com 9548 192 Street, Surrey, B.C. VAN 3R9 Phone: 604.888.3411 Fax: 604.888.4247 een Darn POTTERS SUPPLY LTD. Tuesday-Friday 9-5 Saturday 9-1 Closed Long Weekends greenbam@telus.net explore connections between pattern, order and spiritual states. Ying-Yueh Chuang, who now lives in Toronto, was born in Taiwan, but she moved to Vancouver to attend Langara and Emily Carr. Her works often incorporate hundreds of individually shaped and brightly glazed components that resemble food, underwater coral or strange hybrid animals. In their presentation on acrylic rods in gridded arrangements, they further suggest weird science or other-worldly environments. Several works created in Jingdezhen, China, incorporate the very difficult-to-use Imperial porcelain, selected for its extreme whiteness and tendency to glow slightly when properly fired. These works combine unglazed stylized flowers with brightly patterned fabric. As the fabric is associated with peasant culture, and the porcelain with aristocracy, Chuang sees the works as commenting on the importance of treating everyone the same regardless of class or origin. Together, these artists explore symmetry and order as found in the natural and human world, and they inspire with their sense of beauty and impressive craftsmanship. While the two shows are quite different, both demonstrate commitment to the work of the hand and the values of craft, and both respond to the beauty and complexity of nature. On view in Coquitlam until May 19, Variations on Symmetry will travel through 2013 to Castlegar, Kingston, Toronto and Halifax. Traces: Inspirations from the Coastal Shorelines has been extended at the Craft Council on Granville Island until May 24. we For more information on both shows, please see the gallery websites: Craft Council of BC: www.craftcouncilbc.ca Art Gallery at Evergreen: www.evergreenculturalcentre.ca Flower Series #1, 2011 (detail), by Ying-Yueh Chuang. Fabric, Porcelain 302 x 265 x 12 cm. Potters Guild of BC Newsletter - May 2012 9