Photograph by Travis Roozée.
The ceramics of Marie Herwald Hermann seem to know they are on display. They are sensitive to your presence. Typically poised on modest shelves, her objects sit in serene, self-confident perfection, or wiggle themselves into amorphous blobs, as if evading attention. Taken together, they assemble themselves into abstracted still life sculptures, or perhaps encoded sentences, communicating a message quietly but intensely. In a discipline that tends towards the obvious when it comes to color—either basic brown or garishly polychrome—her palette is deeply considered, tending toward unorthodox yet harmonious color combinations.
These effects are further extended through the subtle manipulation of glazes, in a range from glossy to matte, and the inclusion of other, softer materials such as silicone. All of these techniques bind themselves together to create microcosms, miniature worlds, in which traditional associations with ceramic (function, ceremony, decor) are present as if in a half-remembered dream.
Both of Us, Flickering in ceramic, canvas, and silicone. Designed and made by Marie Hermann, USA, 2019.
18” L x 7” W x 15” H
45.7cm L x 17.8cm W x 38.1cm H
SP1374
Courtesy of Reyes Finn Gallery