Kilning Me Softly by Nicholas Ridiculous
Presented as part of the group exhibit Mark Making: Narrating Our Histories hosted by The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts.
I have previously written about the two week intensive in ceramics we got the privilege of taking part in leading up to the showcase. Where we learned the basic techniques and mechanics of the ceramic practice. As we learned, the collections took shape.
Kilning Me Softly is a continued exploration of mainstay themes within my work. The maddening duality of life, and how we dangle in between. Growing up against the odds. To be raised by fiction & taught through story.
Ceramics is an interesting medium, and as somebody who has used clay for play all my life, the rules and hurdles it introduced were interesting. Disgruntled at first, as usual, at the muzzle to the creativity but, as usual, it is the obstruction that makes the creative problem solving interesting and worthwhile. My collection was fairly basic in presentation. I created dishes and ash trays, transcending the gap between childhood and adulthood. Bringing together those versions of ourselves through the habits that help us endure. The evolution of cope, and how our vices tend to grow with us through life.
Kilning Me Softly was also pondering, when put through the kiln of life, and forced to face the flames, do we come out cracked or do we sparkle? Maybe we just simply explode, inflicting damage upon those around us. And we are always reminded, it takes a lot, to do a little.
I will say for sure, I did learn a lot by the end of all this. And hope to return to ceramics and create a much better planned collection based on the same themes and ideas I took to the first collection. I also took the opportunity to adorn and embellish my cermaics collection with pieces I have made across many mediums, from my paintings and rugs, to garment pieces from underbellysociety.
Nicholas Ridiculous 