CAVIN-MORRIS GALLERY

CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS & JAPANESE PATCHWORK

OCTOBER 18 - NOVEMBER 24, 2007

Cavin-Morris is pleased to present our third Contemporary Ceramic Show in conjunction with an exhibition of a rare collection of Japanese and Korean patchwork textiles.

Our first exhibition of Japanese Wood fired Ceramics set the baseline of our collecting interests in the appreciation of the more raw aesthetics of works fired in anagama or wood burning kilns. Our next exhibition focused on Tim Rowan, a young contemporary American Studio ceramist who uses what he learned in Japan with world-renowned artist Kakurezaki Ryuichi to apply iconoclastic explorations of surface, form and meaning to his always meaningful and bold pieces.

This exhibition combines the intentions of the previous shows and gives an idea of the directions we plan to explore in the future. It will feature studio ceramists from the US, Australia, and Japan working with glazes and porcelain as well as wood-fired works as we continue our interests in classic forms but expand toward abstraction and non-utilitarian pieces.

Japanese patchwork textiles reflect the family histories and aspirations of country people. On one hand they were indicators of hardship and on the other they were recycled from textiles considered imbued with meaning and were more often than not beautiful. For several years we have been researching and building this collection which includes Buddhist Ceremonial cloths, wrapping cloths, jubans or under-kimonos, futon covers and kesas; patched garments worn by monks to emphasize their humility. Almost all the wide range of textiles dates from the mid-nineteenth Century up until pre-World War II. Some are older. We were greatly inspired by the exhibition in Japan: The Japanese Culture Through Hagire: The Power of Fabric that Connects Time. So much so that in fact we are privileged to include several textiles from that exhibition featured in the catalog and others from some of the same collections in our show. This will be the first exhibition of its kind in the United States.

Artists:  Christopher Adams, Jill Bonovitz, Suk Jin Choi, John Dix, Mihara Ken, Ryoji Koie, Yohei Nishimura, Gail Nichols, Tim Rowan, Jeff Shapiro, Ryo Toyonaga, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein.