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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

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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