Group Exhibition
Ceramics & Graphite
14 July – 22 August 2015

Opening reception: Saturday 4th July, 7 pm
Until: 22nd August, 2015

Artists: Laura Aldridge, Felicia Atkinson, Peppi Bottrop, Lucy Coggle, Tommaso Corvi-Mora, Emilie Ding, Jérémie Gindre, Emma Hart, Hannah James, Klara Kayser, Marthe Krüger, Bevis Martin and Charlie Youle, Lucie Mičíková, Diogo Pimentão, Vanessa Safavi, Erik Steinbrecher, Ignacio Uriarte, J. Parker Valentine, Renata Ward

Text by Lilly Daniell

 

 Notes on the materials

During the summer, Chert will present the work of twenty artists who use ceramics and graphite in their practice.
This is an exhibition focused on mark-making with solid gestures and a kinetic immediacy of expression at the hand of a spiky pencil or a malleable putty.
An exhibition that invests in the expressive physicality of the materials.
To make an exhibition with the medium as its foundation is to start at the very beginning of the work.
To build an exhibition grounded by two humble materials, contests the turbulent, present-day-ness of a digitalised, pixelated culture.
Reckoning the tacit labour involved in the crafting.
Clay and pencil have endured the restless consumption of a culture driven by an attention deficit disorder.
Disregarding the slick apathy of digital surfaces for a glorious, sometimes grotesque, handmade reality.
Reducing the variables to see what happens.
That is, to open a window (or a vitrine) on contemporary drawing and sculpture, and view the work through the binoculars of the medium.
The earthly timelessness of ceramics and graphite references the historicity of the medium, echoing ancient, almost archaeological artefacts.
(Remember these materials facilitated the first marks of art-making.)
Solid, traditional mediums expressing contemporary customs and rituals.
Clay is a material that takes on aspects of the body, and shows the traces of its making.
Here are works that adopt the language of their own production.
The gesture of a pencil, and its erasures, is a return to planning, drafting and refining a skill.
The effort is not hard to see; the work involved is evident in the workability of the medium.
Forming, deforming and reforming these two visceral, immediate materials.

A very special thank to: Kendall Koppe, Jan Kaps, Samy Abraham, Christiane Rekade, Simone Neuenschwander, Heike Kabisch, Michael Barthel, Julia Schleicher, Andreas Schleicher-Lange, Philipp von Rosen, Stefania Palumbo, Gigiotto del Vecchio, Max Mayer, Lilly Daniell, Gregorio Magnani, Alexis Zavialoff, Giammarco Cugusi, Egle Genutyte, Dirk Gehlen, Kasia Fudakowski.

 

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Marthe Krüger, 2013.
Fine wood with monochrome graphite, graphite drawings on paper. Variable size. Courtesy Kunstraum Michael Barthel, Leipzig.
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Marthe Krüger, 2013.
Fine wood with monochrome graphite, graphite drawings on paper. Variable size. Courtesy Kunstraum Michael Barthel, Leipzig.
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Marthe Krüger, 2013.
Fine wood with monochrome graphite, graphite drawings on paper. Variable size. Courtesy Kunstraum Michael Barthel, Leipzig.
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Félicia Atkinson, This shouldn’t be a dialogue: a score as an argument, 2014.
Drawings and collages on paper, musical instruments, metal and clay, various materials, performance for the opening night.
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Félicia Atkinson, This shouldn’t be a dialogue: a score as an argument, 2014.
Drawings and collages on paper, musical instruments, metal and clay, various materials, performance for the opening night.
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Félicia Atkinson, This shouldn’t be a dialogue: a score as an argument, 2014.
Drawings and collages on paper, musical instruments, metal and clay, various materials, performance for the opening night.
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Jérémie Gindre, Le Présent, (Ongoing series since 2005)
Engraved brass, stones, carbon, sausages (on opening night), wood sticks. Variable size. Collection Christiane Rekade & Simone Neuenschwander, Berlin.
IMG_1058
Jérémie Gindre, Le Présent, (Ongoing series since 2005)
Engraved brass, stones, carbon, sausages (on opening night), wood sticks. Variable size. Collection Christiane Rekade & Simone Neuenschwander, Berlin.
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Erik Steinbrecher, MEHR TROUBLE MIT DER ANIMA, 2015. Two offset prints, 78.7 x 59.5 cm each. Edition of 50 plus V AP.
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Tommaso Corvi Mora, Tea set, 2015.
Glazed stoneware and stoneware. Teapot: 18 x 22.5 x 15.5 cm, bottle: 13 x 9.5 x 9.5 cm, sugar bowl: 5.5 x 8.5 x 5.5 cm, cups: 7 x 8 x 8 cm each
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Tommaso Corvi Mora, Tea set, 2015.
Glazed stoneware and stoneware. Teapot: 18 x 22.5 x 15.5 cm, bottle: 13 x 9.5 x 9.5 cm, sugar bowl: 5.5 x 8.5 x 5.5 cm, cups: 7 x 8 x 8 cm each
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Emilie Ding, ARCHETYPE IX, 2015.
Mixed technic, graphite on cement. 180 x 120 cm. Courtesy Samy Abraham, Paris.
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Emilie Ding, ARCHETYPE IX, 2015.
Mixed technic, graphite on cement. 180 x 120 cm. Courtesy Samy Abraham, Paris.
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Diogo Pimentao, Bouffee D’Air, 2009.
Graphite. 14 x 10 x 10 cm each. Courtesy Schleicher / Lange, Berlin.
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Diogo Pimentao, Bouffee D’Air, 2009.
Graphite. 14 x 10 x 10 cm each. Courtesy Schleicher / Lange, Berlin.
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Vanessa Safavi, deep sea fingers, 2014.
Ceramics, paint. 18 x 11 x 13 cm; 16 x 16 x 10 cm; 12 x 14 x 14 cm.
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Vanessa Safavi, deep sea fingers, 2014.
Ceramics, paint. 18 x 11 x 13 cm; 16 x 16 x 10 cm; 12 x 14 x 14 cm.
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Vanessa Safavi, deep sea fingers, 2014.
Ceramics, paint. 18 x 11 x 13 cm; 16 x 16 x 10 cm; 12 x 14 x 14 cm.
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Vanessa Safavi, deep sea fingers, 2014.
Ceramics, paint. 18 x 11 x 13 cm; 16 x 16 x 10 cm; 12 x 14 x 14 cm.
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Renata Ward, Esibizionista, 2014.
Ceramic and graphite paint. 28 x 21 x 13 cm.
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Klara Kayser, Candlestick, 2013. Ceramics, paint and candle. 14 x 13 x 20 cm.
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Ignacio Uriarte, Accumulative clock, 2006.
Single channel video. Duration: 60”, looped Edition of 5. Courtesy Philipp von Rosen Galerie, Köln.

 

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Emma Hart, Spread Legs, 2015. Ceramics and photography, 50 x 60 cm. 12a. Emma Hart, Big Mouth, 2013. Ceramic and pencil. 23 x 37 cm.
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Emma Hart, Spread Legs, 2015. Ceramics and photography, 50 x 60 cm. 12a. Emma Hart, Big Mouth, 2013. Ceramic and pencil. 23 x 37 cm.
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Emma Hart, Spread Legs, 2015. Ceramics and photography, 50 x 60 cm. 12a. Emma Hart, Big Mouth, 2013. Ceramic and pencil. 23 x 37 cm.
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Emma Hart, Big Mouth, 2013. Ceramic and pencil. 23 x 37 cm.
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J.Parker Valentine, Untitled (Broken Symmetry), 2015.
Laser jet print, paper, oil, dry pigment, graphite, metal, self hardening clay. 51.5 x 22 x 16 cm. Courtesy Max Mayer, Düsseldorf and Supportico Lopez, Berlin.
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J.Parker Valentine, Untitled (Broken Symmetry), 2015.
Laser jet print, paper, oil, dry pigment, graphite, metal, self hardening clay. 51.5 x 22 x 16 cm. Courtesy Max Mayer, Düsseldorf and Supportico Lopez, Berlin.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Laura Aldridge, Towards some openaries, 2014.
Ceramic, pit-fired with banaana skins, ferric oxide, sea weed, copper carbonate, magnesium sulphate and used coffee grinds. Variable size installation. Courtesy Koppe Astner, Glasgow.
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Peppi Bottrop, LNG8, 2015.
Graphite on canvas, 325 x 473 cm. Courtesy Jan Kaps, Köln.
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Peppi Bottrop, LNG8, 2015.
Graphite on canvas, 325 x 473 cm. Courtesy Jan Kaps, Köln.
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Peppi Bottrop, LNG8, 2015.
Graphite on canvas, 325 x 473 cm. Courtesy Jan Kaps, Köln. Klara Kayser, Pedantic pose/romantic rose, 2014. Ceramic, paint and rose. 95 x 40 x 35 cm.
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Klara Kayser, Pedantic pose/romantic rose, 2014. Ceramic, paint and rose. 95 x 40 x 35 cm.
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Klara Kayser, Pedantic pose/romantic rose, 2014. Ceramic, paint and rose. 95 x 40 x 35 cm.
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Lucie Micikova, Flower Pot, 2015.
Found object, ceramic pot from building Machnáč in Trencianske Teplice, soil, dry plants, transport cardboard. 113 x 113 x 20 cm.
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Lucie Micikova, Flower Pot, 2015.
Found object, ceramic pot from building Machnáč in Trencianske Teplice, soil, dry plants, transport cardboard. 113 x 113 x 20 cm.
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Lucie Micikova, Flower Pot, 2015.
Found object, ceramic pot from building Machnáč in Trencianske Teplice, soil, dry plants, transport cardboard. 113 x 113 x 20 cm.
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Hannah James, The Wrestler and the Crab (audio+sculpture version), 2015.
Crab shell, clay, sand, stones, audio 15,09, mp3 player, headphones. 17 x 10 x 7 cm.
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Bevis Martin and Charlie Youle, Pasta Necklace, 2015. Ceramics, paint, tread, wood. 250 x 50 x 10 cm.
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Lucy Coggle, Unsmudged, 2013.
Overhead projection, vinyls letters, give away papers. Dimensions variable. Edition of 3.
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Installation view. Ceramics and Graphite.
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Installation view. Ceramics and Graphite.
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Installation view. Ceramics and Graphite.