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The basic elements of sculpture haven't changed for millenia, but MICA's exhibit shows some innovations. (Coutesy of http://www.citypaper.com) [Click to enlarge]

(Courtesy of http://www.mica.edu) [Click to enlarge]

(Courtesy of http://www.mica.edu) [Click to enlarge]

The art of sculpture is one that dates back many millennia, but it is also an art form that has not seen drastic changes in its method. New Ceramics by the Staff of the Glasgow School of Art, now on display at the Brown Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art until March 27th, is a good example of this continuity of tradition.

The staff at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland has sent pieces all the way to Baltimore as part of the exhibit, which was compiled to celebrate twenty years of cooperation between MICA and the Glasgow School of Art.

The exhibit features brilliant objects that are not only marvels because of their three dimensional structure but also because of the elaborately painted designs on them. For example, Archie McCall's ceramics that resemble warped kettles have designs and images that portray the landscape of southwest Scotland.

Bill Brown's brilliant "24" consists of twenty-four ceramic pieces that are film frames, each consisting of beautifully painted scenes from a metropolitan life.

One artist that puts her main emphasis on design rather than structure is Wendy Kershaw, but her items are still materially marvelous. Her porcelain panels that create a small sized book amazed a Hopkins freshman Katie Saku, "You would normally expect a book to be fragile and easy to alter or destroy, but the messages in Kershaw's work are written in stone-literally."

One of her pieces, "The Seven Deadly Birds" depicts a bird in each panel, committing each of the earthly sins. Kershaw's work was one of the most enjoyable pieces at the exhibit.

Perhaps the quality that makes each artist unique is how the pieces in each set are able to complement each other and create a work of art, not separately, but together. Brown's "24" makes an obvious connection, but Franks' rock creations are a more subtle work that, upon closer inspection, reveals the processes that rocks have been through over long periods of time. These processes include pressure, heat, cold, accumulation, and degradation.

There is also a compelling sense of modernism in many of the pieces. Ken Eastman's piece is one that comes immediately to mind as an example of modern art. Dawn Youll's figurines also ring with familiarity as they are made into modern people decked with T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baggy pants. Again, Brown's "24" also comes to mind in this instance, with his various depictions of urban life.

One artist, Peter Bevan, draws influence from cultural sources as far-ranging as India, Japan and Scandinavia, and puts them into one work. His "Hybrid Pair" contains two pieces that each have designs painted onto them that are clearly of eastern influence. The engraved floral designs are ones of asymmetry with a scrupulous eye on detail.

He did, indeed, study a great deal at the Kanoria Centre for Arts in India, and that influence can be seen in the work.

With such a wide array of artists and art forms, the New Ceramics exhibit is certainly not one that should be missed. The exhibit is after all a culmination of the efforts of two very well known art schools.

The Brown Center at MICA can be accessed by the JHMI shuttle at the Penn Station stop. There is a reception on Tuesday, March 15, 6 - 7:30 pm.

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