“I began by visiting a workshop on the outskirts of Milano where they
produce terracotta pieces. I chose several vases of different sizes and shapes
and began the next day to systematically sand, wash, and then embellish the
surface with marking ink. The largest of these was big enough for me to stand
inside of. There were several small vases which I was attracted to because
of their similarity to the shape of nuclear cooling towers. The confrontation
between the history of vase paintings and the contemporary approach of drawing
with marker and the mixture of contemporary and ancient symbols produces
an ironic mixture of opposites.” –Keith Haring (via www.haring.com)
Thanks for sharing that. I will use these the next time I teach the ceramics unit in grade 9 art.
I think they’re awesome: Haring’s graffiti-derived graphics mixed with such literally classical forms. A new take on ‘black-figure’ vases.