SIP: A CERAMIC CUP SHOW 2024
The Juror for the show:
Jen Allen received a BFA (2002) from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a MFA (2006) from Indiana University, Bloomington. From 1998-2002, she worked as a production assistant to Kris Bliss at Bliss Pottery in Anchorage, AK. In March 2008, the National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts (NCECA) recognized Jennifer as an “Emerging Artist”. Among other awards, she was the recipient of the 2006-2007 Taunt Fellowship at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT. In addition to keeping a home studio, Jennifer currently teaches ceramic classes at West Virginia University. She lives in Morgantown, WV with her husband Shoji Satake, their two kids, Annelise and Finn, and their pup Margot.
https://www.jenniferallenceramics.com
https://www.jenniferallenceramics.com
Juror’s Statement
Cups are the quintessential contemporary form, the most intimate and the most common. The cup, its scale in relation to the human hand (and sometimes a handle), begs to be touched. In a cup’s potential state, it whispers the absence of interaction, yet while it’s performing its intended function, a true conversation can happen between the maker and the user. It is for these reasons that I am forever intrigued by pottery’s ability to communicate both passively and actively.
As a juror, the task of distilling an expansive group of entries down to a selected number of works, is complicated. To be clear, with any juried exhibition, the accepted works end up reflecting the juror(s) viewpoint; a subjective opinion based on learned, current, and individual perspectives. That said, I was honored to be asked to jury such an esteemed annual exhibition and am delighted to share my selections with you all. As a result of the jurying process, I was able to curate an exceptional grouping of work that is expertly crafted, formally exciting, and notably creative.
As is common with this type of jurying process, I based my decisions from images only. Because of this, it was important that the photographs were well taken, in focus, properly cropped, color-corrected, the camera angle captured the best “side” of the pot, the cup was well lit, etc. All of this was taken into consideration as the craft and care of the photograph can directly reflect the craft and care of the work.
In reviewing the almost 750 entries for this exhibition, I went through several rounds of viewing. With my 25 years of making (40+ hours a week), I look at cup forms with a critical eye. These are the questions I ask when viewing work (in this case, cups). Does the sensibility and thoughtfulness of the surface match the sensibility and thoughtfulness or the form? Does the attached handle fit the form? Was the handle and the handle attachments given the same consideration that the maker gave the rest of the form? Did anything look fussed over or out of place? Even if it wasn’t my aesthetic, did the maker deliver their vision succinctly? If it was a written language or spoken word, did it form a complete, concise sentence? Did it communicate its full intent or were some words muffled or hollow when the rest of the song was clearly articulated? Was the piece and its parts harmonious? Does the cup or the handle showcase an understanding of ergonomics (if it was intended to be utilitarian)? From the hundreds of entries, I was tasked with curating an exhibition of 190 cups.
The pieces that were ultimately chosen for SIP include a diversity of construction techniques, a range of object types, a sampling of firing processes, and a variety of surface explorations. They were the pieces that bubbled to the top of the pack; ones that I felt exemplified impeccable craftsmanship, dynamic form, bold creativity, and decisive content. As a maker who has a fondness for form, texture, process, and color, I was driven to create an exhibition with a diversity of firing methods and surface techniques. Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, my goal was to choose work that reflects an individual’s unique creativity, perspective, and voice. What came from the process is, what I believe to be, a strong cross-section of cup forms from makers across the US. Many thanks to Savannah Clay Community for trusting me to jury this wonderful exhibition!
Cups are the quintessential contemporary form, the most intimate and the most common. The cup, its scale in relation to the human hand (and sometimes a handle), begs to be touched. In a cup’s potential state, it whispers the absence of interaction, yet while it’s performing its intended function, a true conversation can happen between the maker and the user. It is for these reasons that I am forever intrigued by pottery’s ability to communicate both passively and actively.
As a juror, the task of distilling an expansive group of entries down to a selected number of works, is complicated. To be clear, with any juried exhibition, the accepted works end up reflecting the juror(s) viewpoint; a subjective opinion based on learned, current, and individual perspectives. That said, I was honored to be asked to jury such an esteemed annual exhibition and am delighted to share my selections with you all. As a result of the jurying process, I was able to curate an exceptional grouping of work that is expertly crafted, formally exciting, and notably creative.
As is common with this type of jurying process, I based my decisions from images only. Because of this, it was important that the photographs were well taken, in focus, properly cropped, color-corrected, the camera angle captured the best “side” of the pot, the cup was well lit, etc. All of this was taken into consideration as the craft and care of the photograph can directly reflect the craft and care of the work.
In reviewing the almost 750 entries for this exhibition, I went through several rounds of viewing. With my 25 years of making (40+ hours a week), I look at cup forms with a critical eye. These are the questions I ask when viewing work (in this case, cups). Does the sensibility and thoughtfulness of the surface match the sensibility and thoughtfulness or the form? Does the attached handle fit the form? Was the handle and the handle attachments given the same consideration that the maker gave the rest of the form? Did anything look fussed over or out of place? Even if it wasn’t my aesthetic, did the maker deliver their vision succinctly? If it was a written language or spoken word, did it form a complete, concise sentence? Did it communicate its full intent or were some words muffled or hollow when the rest of the song was clearly articulated? Was the piece and its parts harmonious? Does the cup or the handle showcase an understanding of ergonomics (if it was intended to be utilitarian)? From the hundreds of entries, I was tasked with curating an exhibition of 190 cups.
The pieces that were ultimately chosen for SIP include a diversity of construction techniques, a range of object types, a sampling of firing processes, and a variety of surface explorations. They were the pieces that bubbled to the top of the pack; ones that I felt exemplified impeccable craftsmanship, dynamic form, bold creativity, and decisive content. As a maker who has a fondness for form, texture, process, and color, I was driven to create an exhibition with a diversity of firing methods and surface techniques. Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, my goal was to choose work that reflects an individual’s unique creativity, perspective, and voice. What came from the process is, what I believe to be, a strong cross-section of cup forms from makers across the US. Many thanks to Savannah Clay Community for trusting me to jury this wonderful exhibition!
