POTHEADS

Featuring Soojin Choi, Sanié Bokhari, Whit Harris, Amra Causevic, Alejandro García Contreras, Debra Broz, Melissa Joseph, Wade Tullier, Derek Weisberg, Charles Snowden, Krista Louise Smith, Billy White, Juntae TeeJay Hwang, Michelle Im, Anousha Payne, and Edward Salas

January 26th - February 25th 2023

Swivel Gallery is pleased to present Potheads, a group exhibition bringing together fifteen different artists working in and around ceramics. From the figurative works of Soojin Choi, to the highly tactile amalgamations of Amra Causevic, and everything in between, Potheads seeks to spotlight the multifaceted nature of ceramics, as well as raise questions of the medium’s storied and unique relationship to the human race.

Anousha Payne, *Amma as Surahonne (A Jacket)*, 2022, Ceramic Stoneware and Silk Ties, 12.5”H x 8.5”W x 12.5”D

As one of the most widespread and abundant natural resources, clay was readily accessible by early humans. Although we largely think of the progression of ceramics as being from functional to more artistic, some of the first manmade ceramic objects – often consisting of human and animal figurines, and dating back to at least 24,000 B.C. – are not thought to have been utilitarian at all, posing questions about humanity’s natural instinct for representation and creative expression.

Charles Snowden, *Snail’s Pace*, 2022, Ceramic and Glaze, 7"H x 6"W x 3.5”D

Functional pottery emerged around 9,000 B.C. in the forms of ceramic vessels, likely used for food preparation and storage, which raised the quality of life. With the advent of the pottery wheel, humans were no longer limited to molding by hand, and ventured into more artistic pursuits, creating intricately painted bowls or painstakingly formed figurines. One of our oldest and most enduring inventions, pottery has evolved right alongside us.

Alejandro García Contreras, *Speculum III*, 2022, Ceramic and Glaze, 14”H x 9.5”W, 5.5”D

Amra Causevic, *Mariana Trench’s Salty Sister*, 2022, Salt, Egg Carton, Glue, Raw Pigment, Balloon, LED Light, Wood, Plastic Snake, Dried Flower, Foam Ear Buds, Thread, Sponge, Nitrile Gloves, Ginger Ale Aluminium Can, Plastic Bag, Glue Cap, Peach Pit, Gold Thread, Magazines, Plastic Bottle, Glass Lid, Rag, Bubble Wrap, Silicone Tongue, Metal Wire, Plastic Lid, Paint Can, and Glass Shards, 22"H x 15"W x 9"D

Ceramics are doubtlessly one of the most durable mediums, supported by the fact that we still find ancient ceramic artifacts thousands of years later, yet surprisingly fragile. The artist Isamu Noguchi once said, “The attractions of ceramics lie partly in its contradictions. It is both difficult and easy, with an element beyond our control…it does not lend itself to erasures and indecision.”

Krista Louise Smith, *Stems*, 2023, Ceramic, Glaze, Glass, 22 Karat Gold Leaf and Luster, Opals, and River Pearls, 24"H x 22"W x 14”D

In an age when technology is constantly evolving, perhaps even dominating, there is something comforting about an art which is made with intuition and inspiration, undeniably marked by human touch, and whose properties are likewise in some ways outside of our control. The discipline of ceramics transcends age, location, and culture, uniting us with one of the most basic elements of our existence: the earth itself.

Text by Brynn Knapik and Graham Wilson