Clay Canvases
The Fine Art of Painted Ceramics
February 19 – August 9, 2009

This exhibition is generously supported by Mrs. Lorraine Veitch

Vases, plates, cups and bowls become three dimensional canvases for images that move far beyond simple decorative patterns to explore qualities of light, colour, texture, movement and emotion. From Renaissance realism to modern abstraction, this exhibition examines the correlations and connections that have existed between painting and ceramics in Western culture over the past 500 years.

MOST WESTERN CERAMICS produced before the 16th century were decorated with essentially two-dimensional patterns. This changed with the extraordinary artistic advances that occurred in Italy during the Renaissance period, which brought painting and pottery together in new and more complex ways. Inspired by stories and images transmitted through books and broadsheet prints, Italian ceramic artists began to decorate their wares with colourful, narrative images featuring the latest techniques in spatial perspective and three-dimensional representation. These new painted earthenwares quickly gained popularity throughout Italy and Western Europe, and established ceramics as an important form of visual art during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The advent of porcelain production in Europe during the early decades of the 18th century ushered in a new phase in the relationship between ceramics and painting. Porcelains could be painted with multiple layers of translucent enamels, allowing artists to create lush, detailed pictures that closely imitated the look of oil paintings, watercolours and various types of drawings. The quantities and technical virtuosity of these painted porcelains continued to increase throughout the 19th century, with the result that they became vehicles for disseminating many important trends in the art of that time.

As 20th century art moved away from the older academic styles toward styles that were more subjective and idea-driven, painting and ceramics continued to evolve together. Many modern art movements, from Impressionism to Fauvism, from Abstract Expressionism to Pop, had manifestations in both painting and ceramics. Today, many artists regularly cross the genre boundaries between ceramics and painting and both arts remain vibrant parts of our larger visual culture.

Clay Canvases includes important examples of painted ceramics from all three of the historical periods outlined above. Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Karel Appel, Jun Kaneko, and Grayson Perry are just some of the notable artists represented in this show.

Exhibition Curator
Clay Canvases is curated by Gardiner Museum Chief Curator Charles Mason. It features loans from the Royal Ontario Museum, the Racine Art Museum, the Everson Museum of Art, the Arizona State University Art Museum and several private collections.

Feature Exhibit Programs
Tour with Chief Curator Charles Mason
Sun Feb 22 at 2 pm
$8 /Members Free

Charles Mason, curator of Clay Canvases, leads an informative tour that will provide participants with additional insights about the fascinating themes he explores in his exhibition. Space is limited. Call 416.586.8080 or click the button "Register Now" today to reserve your place.