John Foster|Accidental Mysteries
March 16, 2014
The Essence of a Teapot
If you had to guess what is considered to be one of the most collected archetypal forms in the craft world, what would it be? Before you spend too much time with that question, I will tell you. It’s the teapot. While the traditional teapot should be at the very least functional — that is, have the ability to hold and pour a liquid, I recently viewed an exhibition that turns all that on end with the “idea of a teapot.” This is exciting, for if you take the most basic functional elements of what defines a teapot, it boils down to three things: a vessel-like shape with an opening at the top, a handle, and a spout. Take those elements (and throw in a lid if you like) and you have the essence of a teapot.
This conceptual exhibition is at Craft Alliance in St. Louis. Here you will not find a teapot that your grandmother may have owned, but “teapots” that are more art than craft. With this exhibit and throughout the year, Craft Alliance is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with their beloved “Biennial Teapot Exhibition, Fif-TEA,” featuring over 50 artists who create innovative teapots made of clay, metal, glass, wood, and fiber. Additionally, for this special anniversary exhibition, each artist created a teacup to accompany the teapot.
This is the 14th year that Craft Alliance has been exhibiting nationally known and local artists who are challenging the functional and non-functional concepts of the teapot form.
Fif-TEA opened January 6 and closes March 23, 2014. Twitter: @CraftAlliance
Nancy Gardner & Burton Isenstein
Teapot, 2013
7″ x 6″ x 2″
Red earthenware
Christa Assad
Super Transformer Teapot, 2011
17.5″ x 17.5″ x 7″
Porcelain, underglaze, glaze
Cliff Lounsbury
Red + Blue, 2013
10″ x 8″ x 10″
Dyed and carved wood
Debora Muhl
Nesting Teapot II #1344, 2011
13.5 x 22 x 17 w/ branches
Coiled sweet grass
Eileen Braun
She’s So Hot, 2011
11″ x 7″ x 8″
Porcelain, matches
Susan Filley
Petite Teapot, 2013
6″ x 4.5 x 2.7
Altered porcelain
Fong Choo
Messed Up On Purpose, 2013
5.5” x 4” x 5.5”
Porcelain clay. Fired to Cone 6 oxidation
Jo Stealey
Cirque de Vert Teapot, 2013
13″ x 10″ x 5″ cup: 4″ x 3″ x5 ”
Handmade abaca paper, waxed linen, river willow, vintage wheels, mixed media
Joe Bova
Skinny Frog Teapot, 2013
8 ½ x 8- 1/2 w 5″
Stoneware, 10 sodafired
Kate Anderson
SUMMER TEAPOT / front – Alex Katz, 2013
7.75″ x 11.75″ x 2″
Knotted linen, stainless steel, wood
Kate Anderson
SUMMER TEAPOT / back – David Hockney, 2013
7.75″ x 11.75″ x 2″
Knotted linen, stainless steel, wood
Barbara Knuth
Teapot, 2013
10.5 x 7 x 3
Sewn and formed copper mesh
Malcolm & Mary Ann Owen
Tea-mmm Work, 2013
4.5″h x 7″ w x 6″d
Copper, sterling silver, books
Michael Parrett
Teabag-teapot, 2013
5″ x 6″ x 8″
Steel, kozo, iron
Ruth Ann Reese
The Scroobius Pip: A Teapot of Unknown Taxonomy, 2013
Dimension of teapot: Height: 7″ x depth 3 1/2″ x width 6 1/2″;
Dimension of covered cup: Height: 3 1/2″ x depth 2″ x width 3 1/2″
Porcelain
Robert Adams
Industrial Teapot #127, 2013
21″ x 9″ x 9″
Ceramic, aluminum, brass, steel
Eric Serritella
Meoto Yunomi, 2013
4.5″ 3.5″ 3.5 and 4″ x 3.5″ x 3″
Ceramic
Steve Shelby
Ambiguosaurus, 2013
8″ x 4″x 6.5″
Hammered copper
Susan Taylor Glasgow
Queen Anne’s Teapot, 2013
11″ x 11″ x 2″
Glass, mixed media
William Archer Rimel
Professor Film Flams Miracle Tonic, 2013
7.5″ x 15″ x 7″
Red earthenware, polyorylic, gold luster, found object
Observed
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Observed
By John Foster
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