David Hicks’ “Poly Panel Triptych” (2022). (Robert Wedemeyer / Diane Rosenstein Gallery)
How pop culture and climate anxiety have galvanized a new generation of clay artists
By Eva Recinos, July 20, 2023
A review of two contemporary ceramics exhibibitions in Los Angeles highlights David Hicks' presentation at Craft Contemporary.
'Two recently opened shows near Mid-City Los Angeles especially capture the range of contemporary clay artists’ ideas. “Wayfinding,” Craft Contemporary’s third clay biennial, features the work of 14 contemporary artists “who harness clay’s powerful physical and metaphorical properties to embody their ties to land and water,” as described on the exhibition’s website. A short drive away, “Clay Pop Los Angeles,”curated by Alia Dahl at Jeffrey Deitch, embraces a playful and bold approach to clay, focusing on pop culture influences.
These two group shows highlight the themes contemporary clay artists are exploring — namely modern anxieties around industrialization and climate change as well as ancestral memory. As contemporary artists continue to push the possibilities of ceramic art, they are utilizing the medium’s connection to nature, time and chemistry to explore both global and personal narratives.'
July 20, 2023
