“More and less in art do not depend on how many varieties of significance are present, but on the intensity and depth of such significances, be they few or many, as are present.”

—Clement Greenberg, “Abstract, Representational, and so forth,” 1954

Gladstone Gallery is pleased to present Abstract, Representational, and so forth, an exhibition that highlights a selection of contemporary artists who work with ceramics. Focusing on examples that are hung on the wall, the ceramics in this exhibition portray how this particularly malleable medium is able to transform in various modes and interact with architectural space as both a support and a means to elaborate different forms. Artists exhibiting include:

Sarah Crowner
Magdalena Suarez Frimkess
Alteronce Gumby
Mary Heilmann
Lena Henke
Cameron Jamie
Liz Larner
Andrew Lord
Nick Mauss
Luigi Ontani
Rosemarie Trockel
Betty Woodman

Taking up various traditions, such as the relief, the mosaic, or the bust, the artworks in this exhibition expand the relationship between the practice of ceramics and the structure of the white cube. These works move from the abstract to the figurative and query the objecthood of sculptures: some present glazed surfaces akin to paintings, while others further this questioning in hand-built objects that extend in three dimensions. Abstract, Representational, and so forth brings together a range of artists whose ceramics often fit within a multi-disciplinary practice that includes painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, but focuses on the technical, formal, and conceptual elements of their ceramic works. This show is a continuation of the gallery’s previous exhibitions of ceramics, which includes, “Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic,” from 2007, and “Prima Materia” in 2012. Tracking the resurgent interest of ceramics outside craft traditions, this exhibition includes a mix of artists from different regions and moments in their careers to continue investigating and demonstrating new approaches to ceramic sculpting practices.