Irene de Watteville likes to say she is exploring the absurd.
This is certainly true, but it is also her way to present contradictions: a
knitting crab or a bunny pushing an egg back
into a chicken. This exhibition explores some of the contradictions and contrasts between the French de Watteville and
the Turkish Beliz Iristay, but it also pulls the two artists together in a
wonderful joint table of inedible delights. I think it is that push and pull
that makes the show so exciting. And it is certainly the attention to details
that makes you stay to look and look and look.
Mavi is Turkish for Blue and Ma Vie is French for My Life
and together they become a life in blue which is such an important color in the
glazes for ceramics for both countries. It is ceramics that is the major tie
for these artists. de Watteville works freehand to make her enchanting
characters. Even her vegetables seems to have personalities. Iristay is a
master mold maker and her duplications of shapes and forms reinforced the
strength of patterns which is so important in Turkish graphics.
Beliz Iristay presents political and moral messages in most
of her work. Guns, emigrants, dictators, coming of age, rebirth, and one large tryptic
titled “Where is He?” that I think refers to God. Irene
de Watteville actually assumes the role of God when she creates all she sees in
her minds eye. She is not telling stories and when asked why dead bees with a series
of three apples, she replies, “Why not.” Of course you can use your own
imagination and create whatever fantasies you want. But for Ms. de Watteville,
the juxtaposition of incongruous things is sufficient reason for existence.
Both artists have taken advantage of happy accidents…a crack
in plate can be gold plated or filled with light. Both artists can create great
details using slips and glazes and fine brushes. Porcelain and clay paper is preferred
by de Watteville, the earth of her home in Mexican mixed with a variety of
chemicals for Iristay. Both are as authentic as they possibly can be with the history
of their mediums.
The artists discussed the work over the course of a year and a half
and used texting to co-create the centerpiece of the grand table. When they
finally brought all their efforts together at the Athenaeum and saw how it
could shine under the arrangement of Stephanie Scanga, there was spontaneous
jumping and dancing with glee. Every piece in this exhibition is unique and
even when the grand center piece of the show, Ludicrous Festum is shown
elsewhere, it will never be the same. Go and glory in the colliding of two
worlds and see the crazy, funny, intriguing land of Irene de Watteville and Beliz Iristay
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