Monuments [slide]
by Gail Mary Busch
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts
Montana State University
© Copyright by Gail Mary Busch (1986)
Abstract:
no abstract found in this volume MONUMENTS
by
GaiI Mary Busch
A t h e s i s submitted in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t
o f the r equirements f o r the degree
of
Master o f Fi ne A rt s
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman , Montana
May 1986
^ cI k 2Ii
Approval
o f a t h e s i s submi tted by
GaiI Mary Busch
Thi s t h e s i s has been read by each member o f the a u t h o r ' s graduate
committee and has been found t o be s a t i s f a c t o r y r egar di ng c o n t e n t ,
E n gl is h usage, f o r m a t , c i t a t i o n s , b i b l i o g r a p h i c s t y l e , and c o n si s t e nc y,
and is ready f o r submission to the C ol l e g e o f Graduate S t u d i e s .
A
Date
/
/ f / / 9 /F 6
/
/M tc L u / / / ^ c /
Cha ir per son, Graduate Committee
Approved f o r the Major Department
Approved f o r the C o ll e ge o f Graduate Studi es
/f
Date
v
Graduate 56
Dean
iiI
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f u l f i l l m e n t o f t he
r equi rements f o r a m a s t e r ' s degree a t Montana S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y ,
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Dean o f L i b r a r i e s when, in t he o pi n i o n o f e i t h e r ,
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iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
APPROVAL.................................. ....................... ............... ...........................................................
15
STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE............................................. ....................................
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TABLE OF CONTENTS................................ ................................................................................
!v
ARTIST'S STATEMENT....................... ...................................................... -
....... .............
LIST OF SLIDES.............................................................................................................
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1
3
I
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
The process o f making t he p o t t e r y forms I have chosen as b u i l d i n g
units
is a way o f l i n k i n g my l i f e w i t h t h a t o f those whose thumbs have
smoothed one c o i l o f c l a y
pe opl e.
i n t o a not he r almost as long as t h e r e have been
The vase and p i t c h e r forms a r e t r a d i t i o n a l ,
i n f l u e n c e d by
a r c h a i c and modern peasant p o t t e r y , examples o f which in some c u l t u r e s
are nearly id e n tic a l
to one a n o t h e r .
I re spe ct the v igor ous grace o f
these p o t s , and suspect t h e i r s t r e n g t h comes from a c l e a r memory o f
t h e i r fu nctional o r i g i n s .
Although my own work is not f u n c t i o n a l ,
I
p r e se r ve t he v i t a l i t y o f the forms by a v o i d i n g the c o r r u p t i o n o f o v e r ­
r e f i n e m e n t , which f a s t i d i o u s l y d e l e t e s e s s e n t i a l
name o f e le g an c e.
(Throughout ceramic h i s t o r y ,
deadened many l i v e l y t r a d i t i o n s . )
nuances o f form in the
t h i s d a i n t y concern has
I make p o r t r a i t s o f pots
I admire.
My work w i t h p o t t e r y as s u b j e c t m a t t e r has led me to become involved
w i t h p l a c i n g pots in v i s u a l , h i s t o r i c a l , and a r c h i t e c t u r a l
The t a l l ,
tectural
s l e n d e r stacks o f p o t t e r y forms put pots i n t o an a r c h i ­
c o n t e x t by i m p l i c a t i o n .
pilasters.
contexts.
The work r e f e r s t o t o we r s, columns,
By most ceramic s t a nd ar ds , the se towers a r e q u i t e l a r g e ,
s t a c k i n g t o h e i g ht s between s i x and t w e l v e f e e t .
The s i g n i f i c a n c e o f
s c a l e and t he emphasis o f r e p e t i t i o n make t h i s work a monument to
pottery.
The r e p e t i t i o n o f forms w i t h i n each column encourages m a ni pul at ion
o f t he p e r c e p t i o n o f those forms.
The pot forms may be i n d i v i d u a l l y
2
examined, compound forms c r e a t e d by t he i n t e r a c t i o n o f p a r t s o f two or
more u n i t s may be d i s c o v e r e d , and the s i l h o u e t t e o f t he combined forms
may be read as a s i n g l e shape.
a t e l y pursued.
Some o f t he compound forms were d e l i b e r ­
I searched f o r a vase shape t h a t when repeated y i e l d e d a
compound form l i k e the body o f a v i o l i n .
Many o f t he towers a r e banded w i t h c o lor ed s l i p s and g l a z e s .
The
s t r i p e s a r e an a r t i c u l a t e way t o d e s c r i b e t he r eal or i I l u s i o n i s t i c
volume o f t he forms w i t h o u t unduly d i s t r a c t i n g a t t e n t i o n from those
forms.
These h o r i z o n t a l
t he columns.
bands a l s o a s s i s t
The s t r i p e s a r e s t a c k ed , t oo.
in f u r t h e r segmentation o f
The c o l o r o f the bands may
be used t o s t r e s s d i f f e r e n t ways o f p e r c e i v i n g the u n i t s which compose
t he columns, Or f a c i l i t a t e bl ending those u n i t s
For me, c o l o r has c o n t e n t .
certain q u a lity of lig h t.
i n t o one f l o w i n g shape.
Some sur fa ce s r e f e r t o w a t e r , o r a
There is a Medi te rr ane an c h a r a c t e r about the
work, a t t r i b u t a b l e t o t he c o l o r s ,
r e mi n i s c e n t o f pr e- Re nna isance I t a l i a n
p a i n t i n g , and t o an atmospheri c suggesti on o f l i g h t on w a t e r .
F o r t h r i g h t as they a r e in t h e i r
r h y th m ic ,
individual
parts,
t he stacks a re
i n v i t i n g t he eye t o measure t he cadence o f t h e i r contours.
The h i s t o r i c a l
r e f e r e nc e s o f t he p o t t e r y forms and t h e i r c ont e xt ua l
placement as monuments evoke the n ot ion t h a t they might be the a r t i f a c t s
o f a not he r t ime and p l a c e .
f o r c o nt e m p l a t i o n .
The ambiance provi des a q u i e t circumstance
3
LIST OF SLIDES
1.
G a l l e r y I n s t a l l a t i o n , Thesi s E x h i b i t i o n
Fi ne A rt s G a l l e r y , Haynes H a l l , MSU
2.
G a l l e r y I n s t a l l a t i o n , Thesi s E x h i b i t i o n
Fi ne A r t s G a l l e r y , Haynes H a l l , MSU
3.
Ramparts ( V i o l i n s )
9'x 21 'x l5 '
terracotta
4.
Ramparts ( V i o l i n s )
s i d e view
5.
Progenitors
30"x38"xl4"
terracotta
6.
Adriatic
1 2 ' x2 6 "x 26 "
w h i t e ear thenwar e
7.
Red G u i t a r
5 ' 10"x30"x30"
w h i t e e a rthenware
8.
Red Ba ll
5'8"xl3"xl3"
w h i t e eart henwar e
9.
A r t i f a c t / 1con
5 l 4 "x30"x28"
t e r r a c o t t a , wood, p l a s t e r
10.
A r t i f a c t / 1con
s i d e view
11.
A M a t t e r o f Ta st e
8'x l4 "x l4"
t e r r a c o t t a , wood, e r s a t z gold l e a f ,
12.
A M a t t e r o f Ta st e
detail
13.
Aegean
7'x24"x24"
w h i t e e a r t h en w ar e , wood
formica, a c r y l i c paint
4
14.
Aegean
detaiI
15.
Lambent
7'6"xl3"xl3"
w h i t e e ar t h e n wa r e ,
ink
16.
Lambent
detaiI
17-
S t r i p e d S p indl e
6 'xl4"xl4"
w h i t e e a r t h e n w a r e , wood
18 .
Gazebo
10 1xl 2 1xl 0 1
terracotta
19.
Gazebo
s i d e view ( l e f t )
.20.
Gazebo
s i d e view ( r i g h t )
5
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