page 6

Exclusion, cont. from p. 5

The installation is a very old ceramic
concept after all, as is abstraction and large
scale sculpture, Nothing mew here, What
is the point of a show of large seale
CERAMIC sculpture and installations,
anyway! How does it differ from other large
scale sculpture shows and installarons!
Simply by the material used, in this case
clay. This reinforces the false and
dangerous notion that what distinguishes
ceramics from other disciplines and
practices is the simple face char ir uses clay.
‘This emphasis on materiality, which the
present politics of the Biennale reinforces,
doesn't help in a world where art has been
moving away from an obsession with
materials in order to focus on contents,
contexts and concept. Instead of adopting
old formalist modes (large scale sculpture
and installations) why not investigate and
focus om the contents, concepts and
contexts specific to ceramics. Isn't the very
concept of installation a bit “passe” anyway,
very 1970's?

The mind set behind chis prejudice and
discriminatory format comes from

people with an inferiority complex. They — the country) functioning with the generous
firmly believe That in order co be accepted — support of public funds, with the same

ceramics must conform to the dominant oppressive mentaliry for years, in what can
model of another discipline, namely only be defined as a state of aesthetic
sculpture, and in che process co-opt its apartheid and elitist superiority.

history and che extraordinary contribution it
has made co culoure for millennia. They The politics of exclusion demonstrated by

would have you believe that pottery, the the organizers of the Trois-Rivieres Biennale
figurine, tiles and bricks, a5 well as small, amount to nething but shameful alencing
decorative ciucal or votive objects have and censorship,

become obsolete, a thing of the past and
should be altogether dispensed with in the Paul Mathieu és a potter presenely living m

rarafied armosphere of art. Vancouver, where he teaches ceramics at the
Emil Carr Institute of Art & Desig He
This attitude stems from what | call has won monerous international awards, been

“artim”, a pathology rarely to be found in featured in American Ceramics and
artists, but present inemdemic proportions — participated im several past Beenmales.
in those whe surround the practice of art, ie.
curators, critics, historians, gallery owners,
exhibition organizers and other bureaucrats.
They believe that a narrow definition of art
prevails. Narrow definitions are as
pernicious and false wichin arts as they are
for race or gender, and must be challenged
and denounced as vigorously.

We do not need another space where only
certain forms of expression are acceptable.
There is already Cirea Gallery in Montreal
(and countless other art institutions across

2 Made of Clay ‘98 Application Form

Please return by December 1/97. A $100 non-refundable deposit should be included with the application, and 2 post-
« dated cheques ($200 January 15, 1998 and $150 February 15, 1998)

* Name:

Address: Postal Code:
: Telephone: Fax:

UiWe enclose:

: «cheque # for $100 dated December 1, 1997

* -cheque # for $200 dated January 15, 1998

» “cheque # for $150 dated February 15, 1998

. l'we can volunteer for one of the fallawing:

: selup clean up——- publicity mailout_

* demonstrations (please detail):

musicvddeos party billeting oddjobs—
collecting purchaser's prizes (from Participants) __ tabulating customer survey

: Number of Post cards needed for publicity: