Porcelain, No Simple Matter Arlene Shechet and the Arnhold Collection
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special exhibition special exhibition Porcelain, No Simple Matter Arlene Shechet and the Arnhold Collection May 24, 2016, through April 2, 2017 michael michael bodycomb or this special exhibition, The Frick outside of Dresden. The Meissen factory has see mine. In the late 1980s, the art historian F Collection invited New York–based remained there, in continuous production, Maureen Cassidy-Geiger came up with the artist Arlene Shechet to select about one hun- ever since. idea of publishing a catalogue of my col- dred eighteenth-century pieces of Meissen Henry Arnhold’s parents, Lisa and lection; and at that point, I became very porcelain from the renowned collection Heinrich, began collecting Meissen porcelain involved again, a real activist in terms of my of Henry Arnhold and install them in the in 1926, when they lived in Dresden, acquir- collecting. I also took Maureen on trips to Portico Gallery, along with sixteen of her ing mostly tablewares, vases, and objects of what was called Leningrad at the time and own porcelain sculptures. Shechet’s inventive royal or noteworthy provenance. Henry fol- to Prague, Florence, Paris, Dresden, and installation richly extends the context of both lowed in their footsteps, becoming a patron Munich—everywhere. Well, l’appetit vient the eighteenth-century pieces and her work. of the arts and an avid Meissen collector. en mangeant [appetite comes with eating]— Although porcelain was manufactured in In a recent interview with exhibition that’s what the French taught me.” China as early as the seventh century, its pro- curator Charlotte Vignon and Arlene Not only does Mr. Arnhold have a great duction remained a mystery in Europe until Shechet, Mr. Arnhold recalled: “By the time appetite, he also has an unfailing eye—one 1709, when the alchemist Johann Friedrich we left Germany [in 1937], the Meissen col- that guided the acquisition of each of the Böttger succeeded in producing white por- lection was quite substantial. Shortly after I pieces in his collection, including the objects celain. Until then, porcelain had been known came back from the army after World War II, illustrated below, which are included in the as “white gold,” as it was available in Europe I got married and started to set up a home. exhibition. only through imports from China and Japan. By then, my mother had moved to an apart- By contrast, Arlene Shechet’s interest In 1710, Böttger’s patron, August II, elector ment in New York, and she was quite happy in Meissen porcelain came completely by of Saxony and king of Poland, established a to share things with both me and one of my chance, when a few years ago the curator and porcelain manufactory in Dresden, the seat sisters who also had moved to New York. I art dealer Peter Nagy, who knew Shechet’s of the Saxon court. So determined was he to made myself a little collection at home, and work and its relationship with historical keep the formula a secret that he relocated when professionals—whether artists, collec- material, recommended her for an artist’s clay, she had no previous experience work- came into being. It was the beginning of his manufactory to the secure clifftop castle tors, or museum people—came to see my residency at the Meissen factory. Although ing in porcelain and was excited by the figuring out that I needed to be an artist. I’m of Albrechtsburg in Meissen, fifteen miles mother’s collection, they also came over to Shechet had worked for many years with All works illustrated were made at the Meissen Porcelain opportunity to explore this very technical still deeply interested in the process of how Manufactory. Unless otherwise indicated, works are medium onsite at the Meissen manufactory. things grow. I grow things in my studio and on loan from the Arnhold Collection. Those by Arlene Shechet are courtesy of the artist. “The allure of spending time inside a func- also in my gardens. I believe art and nature tioning factory [was] extremely compelling. are very aligned.” this page Exhibition display with Arlene Shechet’s Big Dragon As a child in New York, I used to tell my Made during her residency at Meissen (bottom, center) and Three Hundred Years (far right and parents there were two things I wanted to be in 2012 and 2013, Shechet’s unique composi- far left), juxtaposed with Meissen porcelain, ca. 1725–35 when I grew up: a farmer or a factory worker. tions reflect her fascination with the process opposite page, left to right Thinking about that in recent years as I work of making porcelain. For example, she cre- Saucer and Tea Bowl, ca. 1720, decorated outside in my studio, I realize that being an artist is, ated Mix and Match, one of the exhibition’s the Meissen factory, ca. 1745, promised gift from the Arnhold Collection in many ways, like being both a farmer and featured works, by using eighteenth-century a factory worker. I’m growing things and molds from the Meissen archives. Each ele- Freemason Couple Taking Chocolate, model by Johann Joachim Kändler (1706–1775), ca. 1745 generating a vision. I’m not completely in ment of the fanciful sculpture was cast sepa- control and am always aware of a process rately then decorated with a different color or Small Two-Handled Bowl with Cover, 1735 or 1738, model by Johann Joachim Kändler and/or Johann that’s bigger than me. As a child, I always pattern. After her first few weeks at Meissen, Friedrich Eberlein (1696–1749) wanted to know how things were made or Shechet realized that the molds were the 10 The Frick Collection Members’ Magazine Spring/Summer 2016 11 special exhibition special exhibition Porcelain, No Simple Matter Arlene Shechet and the Arnhold Collection May 24, 2016, through April 2, 2017 michael michael bodycomb or this special exhibition, The Frick outside of Dresden. The Meissen factory has see mine. In the late 1980s, the art historian F Collection invited New York–based remained there, in continuous production, Maureen Cassidy-Geiger came up with the artist Arlene Shechet to select about one hun- ever since. idea of publishing a catalogue of my col- dred eighteenth-century pieces of Meissen Henry Arnhold’s parents, Lisa and lection; and at that point, I became very porcelain from the renowned collection Heinrich, began collecting Meissen porcelain involved again, a real activist in terms of my of Henry Arnhold and install them in the in 1926, when they lived in Dresden, acquir- collecting. I also took Maureen on trips to Portico Gallery, along with sixteen of her ing mostly tablewares, vases, and objects of what was called Leningrad at the time and own porcelain sculptures. Shechet’s inventive royal or noteworthy provenance. Henry fol- to Prague, Florence, Paris, Dresden, and installation richly extends the context of both lowed in their footsteps, becoming a patron Munich—everywhere. Well, l’appetit vient the eighteenth-century pieces and her work. of the arts and an avid Meissen collector. en mangeant [appetite comes with eating]— Although porcelain was manufactured in In a recent interview with exhibition that’s what the French taught me.” China as early as the seventh century, its pro- curator Charlotte Vignon and Arlene Not only does Mr. Arnhold have a great duction remained a mystery in Europe until Shechet, Mr. Arnhold recalled: “By the time appetite, he also has an unfailing eye—one 1709, when the alchemist Johann Friedrich we left Germany [in 1937], the Meissen col- that guided the acquisition of each of the Böttger succeeded in producing white por- lection was quite substantial. Shortly after I pieces in his collection, including the objects celain. Until then, porcelain had been known came back from the army after World War II, illustrated below, which are included in the as “white gold,” as it was available in Europe I got married and started to set up a home. exhibition. only through imports from China and Japan. By then, my mother had moved to an apart- By contrast, Arlene Shechet’s interest In 1710, Böttger’s patron, August II, elector ment in New York, and she was quite happy in Meissen porcelain came completely by of Saxony and king of Poland, established a to share things with both me and one of my chance, when a few years ago the curator and porcelain manufactory in Dresden, the seat sisters who also had moved to New York. I art dealer Peter Nagy, who knew Shechet’s of the Saxon court. So determined was he to made myself a little collection at home, and work and its relationship with historical keep the formula a secret that he relocated when professionals—whether artists, collec- material, recommended her for an artist’s clay, she had no previous experience work- came into being. It was the beginning of his manufactory to the secure clifftop castle tors, or museum people—came to see my residency at the Meissen factory. Although ing in porcelain and was excited by the figuring out that I needed to be an artist. I’m of Albrechtsburg in Meissen, fifteen miles mother’s collection, they also came over to Shechet had worked for many years with All works illustrated were made at the Meissen Porcelain opportunity to explore this very technical still deeply interested in the process of how Manufactory. Unless otherwise indicated, works are medium onsite at the Meissen manufactory. things grow. I grow things in my studio and on loan from the Arnhold Collection. Those by Arlene Shechet are courtesy of the artist. “The allure of spending time inside a func- also in my gardens.