There’s something about clay that causes trouble. Deep in the furnace, an alchemical reaction takes place. Hot air rises, cool air falls. In the process, something so soft and so supple begins to harden.
In the 1950s, a casserole dish firing in a kiln signalled the culmination of one maker’s lifelong pursuit of form, function, and financial independence. These dishes – praised for their utility – also showed unique aesthetic flourish: they included a twisted handle curved with a wink. Emerging from a workshop, hidden away in a creative commune, this maker took the means of production into her own hands and craft took her on a journey, from navigating life as a single-mother in experimental creative communes, to finding queer love in pursuit of the perfect kiln…
Welcome to our new series – Objects of Dissent – eight essays that will develop over the course of the year. In each one, we pick an object that holds a connection to decorative dissidence. We examine surface tensions and the stories objects reveal when we dive deeper into stories of makers who’ve crafted resistance in the last 150 years…
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