Ceramic Biennial 'Melting Point' Showcases 22 Artists Pushing Clay in New Directions at CAFAM
From January 28 to May 6, 2018, the Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles hosted 'Melting Point: Movements in Contemporary Clay.' This exhibition showcased the work of 22 artists from the U.S. across three floors, delving into hybrid forms via installation, mixed media, technology, and performance. Curators highlighted themes such as 'Anti-Disciplinary Approaches,' 'Ephemerality,' and 'New Sociopolitical Interpretations.' Notable pieces included Armando Cortes' performance 'El Peso de La Tierra,' Stanton Hunter's interactive 'Untitled Unvesseled II,' and Kahlil Robert Irving's installation 'Protest: 1883 / United States vs. Harris.' Other featured artists were Matt Wedel, Julia Haft-Candell, and Jennifer Ling Datchuk, emphasizing ceramics' significance in contemporary sociopolitical discourse through varied techniques.
Key facts
- Exhibition ran from January 28 to May 6, 2018
- Featured 22 artists from across the United States
- Held at Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) at 2814 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
- First iteration of a planned ceramic biennial
- Curators identified three themes: Anti-Disciplinary Approaches, Ephemerality, New Sociopolitical Interpretations
- Opening performance by Armando Cortes referenced Chris Burden's 1970s works
- Kahlil Robert Irving's installation contained hundreds of black stoneware vessels
- Works included 3-D printing, performance, and mixed media approaches
Entities
Artists
- Armando Cortes
- Stanton Hunter
- Wayne Perry
- Cheryl Ann Thomas
- Walter McConnell
- Matt Wedel
- Julia Haft-Candell
- Kristen Morgin
- Patsy Cox
- Anthony Sonnenberg
- Brian Rochefort
- Jonathan Mess
- Emily Sudd
- Susannah Biondo-Gemmell
- Ling Chun
- Jennifer Ling Datchuk
- Jami Porter Lara
- Kahlil Robert Irving
- Chris Burden
Institutions
- Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM)
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- Alfred University
- Scripps Ceramic Annual
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Saint Louis