MATHIEU

With thanks to the Alberta Potters’ Association and its Contact magazine [Spring
‘89), we reprint Léopold Foulem's article on a 1988 show of Paul's work.

Paul Mathieu's recent solo exhibition, held in Garth Clark Gailleny in New York City in-
eluded various types of ceramic objects.

As well as the well-mown and highly innovative series of temporaniypstacked
dishes, stoneware wases and porcelain bowls recalling Mathieu's earlier repertoire of
Junctional forms were exhibited.

AL first impression, this fixtapeosition of pieces seems to be incongruous, haphazard,
inconclusive and most dis turbirw—upsetting because of the apparent discormection
beter the more complex and formally aggressive works, namely his proverbial pile
of dishes, and the simpler, mundane falthough by no means less intelligent) vases
and bouts.

Mathieu's decision to present a variety of ceramic containers, instead of a single
series of “high vessels", is unquestionably political. Here the artist alludes to the
“gentrification”, or perhaps more accurately, the “prettifieation” of craft objects as
essentially static merchandise for interior decorctior.

By including what apparently is, at first glance, simple vases and simple bowls in the
same exhibition uth his conceptually more daring stacked dishes, Uhe artist clarifies
his Jormal credo, His statement is clear and direct. All, yes, all the objects that
comprise this one-man shew, ane stamdand and usable pottery forms, ane i is only
with this wiclerstanding that the particular selection of items makes net only good
sense, but also a strengy ert coherent statersent.

By contracting “high vessels" (the stacked dishes in this case), and “low vessels" the
straightforpard functional pots}, Poul Mathieu addresses @ truly pertinent issue in
this “finde siecle” era, where far loo many ceramic vessels could easily be discounted
as decadent and degenerate curios. Poul Mathieu's ceramics always respect and
refer to the generic group. Within the decorative arts tracition especially, Mathteu's
artistic contribution is singularly sigriiflennt.

The whieet-thrown bases and bowls, with (heir fogged cut-out rims and troised_floral
polychromatic motifs, owe as much to Kenzan as to colorirg-book illustrations. to
Sevres os to Noritake. This impotent ambivalence creates an intellectual anguish
ushen such warks are fitaposed uth the noble temporariiy-stacked dishes,

Workshop hours will be from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, both days. Registration, through
the Guild office, can be made using the form on page 7.

“Porcelain Bowl", 1948
by Paul Muathiew

Page 4

OPPORTUNITIES

Instructor, preferably Fraser Valley
based, required for ceramic workshops
through B.C. Prison Arts program.
Contact Marianne Otterstrom or Gary
Wyatt at 421-6015.

APAS® annual Ceramic Seminar in
Calgary ls scheduled for May 17-19,
1991. On the guest list is Jennifer Opie,
Curator of Contemporary Ceramics,
Victoria and Albert Museum, London,
Anne Cummings. Rona Neuen-
schwender, Torbjorn Kvabo, Jeannol
Blackburn, Bruce Taylor, Lindsay
Dumas, Ralph Becerra, Vina Borging-
Aberale. More info to come in January!

Alberta Potters Association celebrates
its 20th Anniversary with an exhibition
of CUPS in May 1991]—open to all alumni
and people who have worked in clay in
Alberta in the past 20 years, Contact:
Glenys Marshall-lrman, Box 2, Site 8,
R.R. #1, Priddis, Alberta TOL 1WO (409)
991-3566.

Vancouver Craft Market at the Van-
Dusen Botanical Gardens takes place
on a regular basis. Conlact Simone
Avram, 8540 Demorest Dr.. Richmared,
B.C., V7A 4M, 275-2724 for details.

Parke International Markets are ac-
cepling application for their craft mar-
kets at Whistler, Kamloops, Van Dusen
Gardens, Vancouver, Weal Vancouver,
Coquitlam, White Rock, and Penticton.
Contact J257 W. 36th Ave., Vancouver,
B.C., VEN 2R6, or phone 263-2363.

Call For Entry: The Assembly of B.C.
Arts Councils ninth annual provincial
juried art exhibition “Images and Ob-
jects” will be held tn North Vancouver
from May 22 to 22, 1991. [t has a new
thematic concept, “Creative Approaches
te Community Issues", and further in-
formation may be obtained by calling
the Community Arts Council In your
region. Deadline dates vary from Janua-
ary through March, depending on re-
gion. The Assembly office in Vancouver
may also be contacted at 748-0749.

The B.C. Creative Arts Show will be
held March 10-12 at the B.C. Place
Stadium. Application deadline is De-
cember 20th.

December, 1990