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Blue Projects in Collaboration with Ben Hunter

Blue Mountain School Terracotta

Blue Projects in Collaboration with Ben Hunter

Blue Mountain School Terracotta

Some of the oldest known human creations were made from coarse ; vessels or figurines hardened by the hot sun or in primitive ovens. Aside from innovations like the potter’s wheel and the , this simple and tactile process has remained largely unchanged to the present day, ofering us an intimate and visceral link with our most ancient past. The earliest known terracotta objects date from the Palaeolithic period and are roughly 28,000 years old. Clay was an abundant and pliable material and its use continued through the Neolithic period and into the Bronze and Iron Ages across Europe, Asia and . Terracotta was later used in ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Minoan, Mycenaean and Etruscan cultures, although its use in European died out almost entirely afer the fall of the in the 5th century CE. It wasn’t until the early Renaissance, and particularly in the work of Donatello, that terracotta re-emerged as a sculptural medium around the 15th century. In this exhibition, we have brought together artworks and artefacts dating back almost 5,000 years. As a group, they demonstrate the versatility of this seemingly humble material and the resultant multitude of creative possibilities over many millennia.

Terracotta is ofen thought of as a colour, or rather, the colour of a certain type of fired clay. More specifically, terracotta is sometimes defined as a type of with high amounts of iron oxide. (Earthenware itself is a term normally used for a low firing that remains porous unless it is glazed.) Archaeologists have historically referred to a pot made on a wheel as an earthenware vessel, whereas a small statuette made from the same material, thing about this material that seemed to fit well with the would more likely be called a terracotta figurine. To confuse spirit of Blue Mountain School. The notion of the handmade, matters further, when we start to ascribe sculptural qualities the intersection between art and craf, the tactility which to archaeological or utilitarian objects from ancient civilisa- is inherent in every terracotta object all chimed with the tions, terracotta ofen replaces the use of plain earthenware aesthetic that courses through the space. as a descriptor for such objects. Indeed, whilst terracotta objects can be cast, the mate- Perhaps, therefore, the terminology has more to do rial’s primary utility is that it allows artists to work fast and with a kind of arbitrary historical hierarchy, rather than the inexpensively, able to manipulate the clay and to shape it object or material itself. Art is made from terracotta; utili- spontaneously in the round. It is this process that gives tarian objects are not. The more ‘artful’ an object is (a quality terracotta works such a direct link to the hand of the artist that can shif over time) the more likely it is to be referred and makes it so endlessly fascinating. to as terracotta, rather than simply earthenware or clay. This seems to hold true when we look at and vessels, I hope that the exhibition encourages a sense of deep look- but doesn’t account for the fact that architectural , plant ing, of taking time to study each work in its own right. There pots, water pipes and other building materials are routinely is a timelessness to the beauty of terracotta objects and all of referred to as terracotta. the works in this exhibition share a sense of kinship in their The Italian translation of baked earth, derived from materiality and the ways they were made, irrespective of the the Latin terra cocta (cooked earth), is perhaps a more great historical, geographical or conceptual diferences appropriate definition. David Hamilton’s view, expressed in which may separate them. Architectural , is that ‘contrary to the commonly held belief, “terracotta” does not only refer to red-firing unglazed clay but may be applied to any unglazed clay’. Ben Hunter Whilst this certainly broadens the scope of any definition, it doesn’t account for the fact that scholars and art historians frequently refer to the glazed works of the High Renaissance, including those from the studio of the della Robbia family, as ‘glazed terracotta’. What we can say is that terracotta is porous when fired and lef unglazed. It is ofen (although by no means always) reddish pink in colour and will shatter less readily than its more vitreous cousin, .

When James and Christie suggested putting together an exhibition for Blue Projects, I thought that there was some- Anatolian Temple Frieze with Horse and Grifn circa 525 BCE painted terracotta 22 × 16 × 4 cm

During the 6th century BCE Anatolia fell under Persian rule and became part of the Achaemenid Empire. The change brought about innovations in art and architecture and stone temples began to replace the older timber and adobe struc- tures. The Persian influence also began to emerge in the pottery being produced in the region. Depictions of animals, human figures, lotuses, rosettes and palmettes all gained in popularity. The present example was part of a terracotta frieze that would have adorned an Anatolian temple in Düver, located in the region of Lydia, Western Anatolia. The animals on this work are painted in rich red and black pigments, with a galloping horse chasing a grifn depicted in shallow .

1 Egyptian Predynastic Pottery Jar Naqada II period, circa 3600–3200 BCE painted terracotta 24 × 13.5 × 13.5 cm

The periods of Predynastic (c. 6000–3150 BCE), prior to the ruling of the pharaohs, are named afer the regions or cities in which ancient relics were discovered. The Naqada period is named afer the town of Naqada (c. 4400–3000 BCE), which translates as ‘Gold City’ and was further subdivided by British Egyptologist William Flinders Petrie, who named the Naqada II period afer artifacts found at Gerzeh. The present jar is tall and oval shaped with a flat base and a thick collared rim. It has been covered in an orange and pink which has been beautifully painted with vertical bands of wavy umber paint.

2 Cypriot Figure of a Goddess Archaic Period, 7th–early 5th century BCE painted terracotta 21 × 8 × 5 cm

The Archaic period preceded the Classical period and gave rise to the expansion of permanent settlements, agricul- ture and societies in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. At the beginning of the first millennium BCE, Cyprus was organised into independent kingdoms before falling under the rule of the Assyrian Empire during the 8th century BCE. Afer a brief period of independence following the death of the last great Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal, the Egyptians gained control over Cyprus during the 6th century BCE. Through centuries of political upheaval, Cypriot pottery began to reflect the influence of both Greek and Egyptian art. The present votive terracotta figurine depicts a goddess wearing a large headdress and raising her arms in worship. Her long cylindrical body stands on a flared base and the figure has been constructed from separate pieces of clay. The goddess is decorated in red and black paint and remains in remarkably fine condition considering that examples such as this are commonly found painted over or in fragments.

3 Sir Richard Long Untitled, 2013 River Avon mud, china clay, binder and paint on canvas 130 × 225 cm

“My materials are elemental; stone, water, mud, days, nights, rivers, sunrises. And our bodies are elemental; we are animals, we make marks, we leave traces, we leave footprints.” —Richard Long

Richard Long (b.1945) is one of Britain’s most notable living artists. His wide ranging practice encompasses sculpture, texts, photographic documentation, site specific interven- tions, wall drawings, works on , canvas or wood and is ofen characterised by the walks he makes all over the world. Sometimes ‘the artwork’ remains in the landscape or exists only as a document of an intervention, other times the material of the landscape is brought back to the gallery or the studio. In this work, china clay has been drawn from vast quarries in St Austell, Cornwall and the mud has been sourced directly from the River Avon in Bristol where the artist lives. These materials are applied to the canvas with a vigour that calls to mind the expeditions themselves. Long diferentiates the china clay from the mud only in as much as ‘it’s good to use white sometimes, it looks good. It gives me another option, another variation.’ His works are included in the permanent collections of Centres Georges Pompidou, Paris; Tate, London; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago; and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, amongst others.

4 Bronze Age Earthenware with Lug Handles terracotta 25 × 27.5 × 27.5 cm

This early Bronze Age vessel remains remarkably intact for its age and would have been used for storage before being buried with its owner for the aferlife. Across the Levant, the socio-economic system changed significantly between the Proto-Urban period and the Early Bronze Age at the start of the 3rd millen- nium BCE. Through productive agriculture, village based economies developed into larger settlements by increas- ing trade across the regions. By 2800 BCE, characteristics of urbanisation, such as bureaucracy and public buildings started to appear. Today, vessels such as this, seem just as readily deco- rative as they do utilitarian – an efect accentuated by the earthy patination obtained afer years underground.

5 Frank Dobson Levée, 1945 terracotta 11 × 17 × 9 cm

One of the pioneers of Modern British art, Frank Dobson (1886–1963) began his career as a painter before becoming one of Britain’s most famous sculptors during the 1920s and 30s. The pure, sensuous form of the present work owes much to the artist’s knowledge of the classical world and despite its size, conveys a sense of cool monumentality. The model is similar in style to the three figures Dobson made around 1941 in response to a possible commission to decorate Waterloo Bridge. At the time, the bridge was being rebuilt by Giles Gilbert Scott and the theme that had been chosen was the Four Freedoms. Dobson submitted a number of recumbent figures holding fabric or and whilst the bridge’s new decorative scheme was never executed, the process gave rise to a number of highly original hand modelled figures such as the present example. In a letter to Sir Charles Herbert Reilly dated 15 Septem- ber 1945, Dobson wrote ‘now about your terracotta. I am so glad you like it. A photograph of it will be reproduced in a book which is to be published on my work and it is listed as being in your collection. It is the original clay model made by me, baked, and it is unique. That is there can be no other copies.’

6 Pablo Picasso Petit Buste de Femme, 1964 earthenware plaque with black paint 32.8 × 25.2 × 1.8 cm stamped Madoura Plein Feu, Empreinte Originale de Picasso edition of 100

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, whose career spanned over seven decades. The present work was produced by the Madoura workshop in 1964 and forms part of his important ceramic oeuvre. Picasso first met the owners of Madoura in 1946 during a visit to Vallauris for the annual pottery exhibition. Over the next 25 years, he collaborated with the workshop to produce editioned models including the present earthenware plaque with black glaze. This work is particularly interesting as it depicts Picas- so’s muse and second wife, Jacqueline Roque. Introduced by ceramicist Suzanne Ramié, who was Roque’s cousin, the two met in Vallauris in 1953 and were married 9 years later. Picasso went on to make more portraits of Jacqueline than any of his other lovers.

7 Girolamo della Robbia (Workshop of) Roundel Decorated with a Garland of Fruits and Flowers 16th century polychrome terracotta 74 cm diameter

With accents of warm yellow, vivid green and cerulean blue set against a background of luminous white, this exquisitely fine glazed earthenware roundel represents an exemplary della Robbia terracotta. Arguably one of the most prominent and well-known families of sculptors from the Florentine Renaissance, the della Robbia family have, since the fifeenth century, become synonymous with the development and highest achievements of the polychrome terracotta technique. The technique of decorating roundels with garlands of fruits and flowers was first established by Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525) and it was his son Girolamo (1488–1566), in who’s workshop the present work originates, who popularised the technique outside . In 1517, Girolamo della Robbia was summoned by King François I of France to design and decorate the Royal resi- dence at Château de Madrid near north-west Paris. The Château became so heavily decorated in polychrome terracotta reliefs that it came to be known as the ‘Château de Faïence’. During this period, the King of France commissioned many of the most eminent Italian artist of the day, including Andrea del Sarto, Benvenuto Cellini and Leonardo da Vinci. Following the commission for the King, Girolamo began to make works for the King’s closest court circle and to decorate other palatial French residences. It is likely the present roundel originated from one such commission.

8 Urara Tsuchiya Hog Roast, 2018 glazed earthenware 25 × 19 × 22 cm

Urara Tsuchiya (b. 1979 in Japan) works across a range of media, including performance, book works, video and sculp- ture. ‘Hog Roast’ is typical of the artist’s surreal ceramic practice in which scenes of hedonism, sex, orgies and animals collide in a strange thought-provoking world. Tsuchiya received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Goldsmiths in 2007 and a Master of Fine Art from the Glasgow School of Art in 2012. She lives and works in Glasgow. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Urara Tsuchiya’, Trade Gallery, Nottingham (2017); ‘Amazing girls/ It’s complicated’, Kevin Space, Vienna (2017); ‘Room Service’, Union Pacific, London (2016); and ‘Connoisseurs world’, Queen’s Park Railway Club, Glasgow, Scotland (2015). Group exhibitions include Glasgow international (2018); ‘If you can‘t stand the heat’, Roaming Projects London (2018); and ‘LIT’, Union Pacific, London (2017).

9 Pair of Hares , 206 BCE–220 CE painted terracotta 6.5 × 12.5 × 5.5 cm (each)

The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China and is considered a golden age in Chinese history. Lasting over four centuries, the period gave rise to huge economic prosperity and artistic development facilitated by the opening of the Silk Road trade route to Europe. The arts flourished and for the first time figurative sculptures began to emerge in . Prior to this, pottery from the region had comprised primarily of vessels, and it was only during the Han dynasty that works such as these hares began to be used to decorate the tombs of wealthy members of society. Common examples of this new type of art included architectural models and depictions of farm animals such as these. Sculptures from this period were also ofen elaborately painted and some of the original decoration can still be seen on the surface of these terracotta models.

10 Chinese Green-Glazed Conjoined Sui dynasty, 7th century glazed terracotta 19.5 × 11 × 5.5 cm

Although the Sui dynasty was relatively short-lived (581–618 CE), it was of critical importance to the history of Ancient China. The Northern and Southern dynasties were united and reforms were introduced to centralise decision making. During this period, Chinese terracotta artworks began to echo the objects imported from the West via the Silk Road. This trade route, which linked Europe to Asia, brought economic, political, religious and cultural changes across the region, compelling Chinese crafsman to recreate versions of Western pottery adapted to local culture and taste. Silver and glass vases from the Roman Empire would have served as inspiration for the present conjoined amphora which incorporates two oval-shaped vessels decorated with handles that together form a dragon’s head. Vessels such as this served as prototypes for the single- bodied that became increasingly popular during the succeeding .

11 Chinese Green-Glazed “Bufalo” Rhyton Sui-Tang dynasty, 7th–8th century glazed terracotta 7.5 × 10.5 × 6.5 cm

This extremely rare and delicate glazed terracotta would have been used as a wine vessel. The tip is moulded with the head of a horned bufalo with its snout turned skyward and the sides moulded with four trotting legs. The rim incor- porates a moulded band of rope and the cup has an overall green glaze. The rhyton was a drinking vessel originally made from ox or bufalo horn, which was introduced into China through Central and Western Asia. Rhytons appeared in China as early as the Han dynasty and were made in a variety of mate- rials, including pottery, glass and silver. It appears that in the 7th and early 8th century, rhyton cups inspired by metal- ware prototypes were particularly fashionable.

12 Small Blue-Splashed Chinese Spittoon Tang dynasty, 8th century glazed terracotta 8 × 7.5 × 7.5 cm

This small blue-splashed ‘zhadou’ or spittoon incorporates a rare blue glaze that would have been imported into China from Persia. Glazes had only recently appeared in Chinese pottery, replacing the earlier practice of painting directly onto the fired terracotta (see 10 for ‘Pair of Hares’). This squat globular spittoon incorporates a small foot and a waisted neck rising to an upturned dish mouth. It is covered in a straw glaze and decorated with spots. The shape started appearing at the beginning of the Tang dynasty and the vessel would have functioned as a ‘spittoon’ (to spit the tea out into) during a tea ceremony. Very small examples such as this would also have served to collect used tea leaves.

13 Leonardo di Domenico del Tasso Santa Maria Maddalena in Preghiera circa 1500 terracotta 158 × 59 × 34 cm

According to the four Gospels, Mary Magdalene travelled with Jesus along with his disciples, bearing witness to his miracles and later his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Sometime during the early 14th century, a Dominican friar wrote a biography of Mary, depicting her as an ascetic ex-prostitute who lived a secluded life of penitence and self-flagellation. This later portrayal probably inspired Donatello’s (c. 1386–1466) ‘Penitent Magdalene’, which shows Mary gaunt and frail, clasping her hands in prayer. Donatello’s work, which was made for the baptistry in Florence has become one of the most recognisable images of Magdalene and a key image of Early Renaissance art. The present model, cast in two large sections of terra- cotta that join at the figure’s hip, bears a great resemblance to Donatello’s version and it seems likely that del Tasso (1464–1500) would have known the master’s work. Here we see Mary depicted on a small rocky spur. Her body is wrapped in very long hair that has grown during years of penitence and now covers her naked body. The saint’s hands are clasped in prayer and her deep set eyes look towards the heavens. The work is a particularly early example of terracotta being used during the Renaissance, the medium having all but disappeared in Western art since the fall of the Roman Empire.

14 Frederick Edward McWilliam Mother and Child, 1946 terracotta 47.5 × 18 × 16 cm

Frederick Edwards McWilliam (1909–1992) was a Northern Irish sculptor. He began his studies at the Belfast College of Art and continued his education at the Slade between 1928 and 1931. His early sculptures were carved from Bucking- hamshire cherry wood and comprised of biomorphic forms influenced by the work of Jean Arp and Constantin Brancusi. Afer serving in the Royal Air Force in during World War II, McWilliam became a teacher of drawing and sculpture, first in (1944–1946), before lecturing in London at the Chelsea School of Art (1946–47), as well as the Slade (1947–66). He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1959 and was the subject of a retrospective at the Tate in 1989. In 1992, the F. E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio was opened in Banbridge, near Belfast, to celebrate his life’s work. McWilliam was a close friend of Henry Moore and the present work of a mother and child echoes a subject regu- larly depicted by his fellow sculptor. Here we see McWilliam using an unusual dark black terracotta, which owes a clear debt to the that he had encountered in Paris during the 1930s.

15 Katinka Bock Dark Red Speaker II, 2019 terracotta 49 × 63 × 54 cm

‘Dark Red Speaker II’ is part of a larger body of work based on the language of clay, which the artist has been developing over a number of years. By intentionally dropping the body of unfired clay to the floor, Bock forever marks the surface of the work with the traces of the fall, creating a lasting impression of tension and fragility. Part of her working process, the fall involves an element of chance and natural variations that can occur from the impact of the terracotta clay on the ground. A recurrent material and motif throughout the artist’s oeuvre, clay ofers Bock new ways of exploring questions of malleability, materiality and vulnerability within sculpture. Katinka Bock (b. 1976 in Germany) lives and works in Paris. She studied at the Kunsthochschule in Berlin and at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts of Lyon. She was an artist-in residence at Villa Medicis in Rome, and was awarded the Dorothea von Stetten Kunstpreis in Germany, the Prix Ricard in France and the production prize of Fundacion Botin in Spain. In 2019, she was nominated for the Prix Marcel Duchamp in France.

16 Domenico Antonio Vaccaro Cristo Risorto 18th century polychrome terracotta 71 × 33.5 × 18 cm

Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (1678–1745) was an Italian painter, sculptor and architect. He studied under his father Lorenzo Vaccaro before working in the studio of Francesco Solimena. His architectural designs include those for the Palace of the Immacolatella and the church of Santa Maria della Concezione a Montecalvario in Naples. The present work, which shows Christ with his right arm outstretched, echoes the pose of the Guardian Angel in Vaccaro’s most notable marble sculpture for the Basilica of San Paolo Maggiore, completed in 1724. Here, however, the highly resolved composition, detailed painted surface and size of the model suggest that it was made as a private devotional object rather than as a design for a larger statue. Vaccaro’s taste for brightly painted drapery and a sense of high Baroque drama is also evident (see ‘Solomon Ofer- ing Sacrifices to the Idols’, painted between 1795 and 1700, now in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts).

17 Published on the occasion of the exhibition

Terracotta Blue Projects in Collaboration with Ben Hunter

Blue Projects 25 February–18 April, 2020

Publication © Blue Mountain School Photography © Andy Malone

All rights reserved

ISBN 978-1-9999947-3-0