Bouke de Vries
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Discarded Ceramic Shards Are Celebrated in Multi-Part Assemblages by Conservator and Artist Bouke de Vries
Bouke de Vries works with ceramic assemblage to reinterpret historical pottery in multi-part sculptures. The Dutch artist studied at the prestigious Central St. Martin's in London and worked in high fashion before pivoting to ceramics conservation and restoration in the early 1990's, which he learned at West Dean College. Confronting the moral dilemmas around valuation of imperfect artifacts in his vocational practice, de Vries challenges the value of imperfection, damage, and cultural history in his exploded artworks. Broken blue willow plates amalgamate into a map of China, a shattered turquoise vase finds a new function as the contents of a…
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Using Shattered Ceramics, Artist Bouke de Vries Revitalizes Found Porcelain in New Sculptures
Bouke de Vries (previously) refers to some of his porcelain sculptures as "three-dimensional still lifes." The artist, who was born in the Netherlands and now lives in London, creates sprawling assemblages that resemble a classic bowl of fruit or table setting frequently found in Dutch art. "I compose these pieces as, after the painter has finished with them, the ceramics get broken and decayed, and I breathe new life into them. The butterfly in still life is a symbol for the resurrection in (the) way I see…
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A Menagerie of Ceramic Beasts and Curiosities at Messums Wiltshire’s ‘Material Earth II’
In Material Earth II, a group show that just opened at Messums Wiltshire, artists explore how materials can be used to morph the meaning of traditional narratives—particularly in the context of Northern European myths and fairytales. In a statement on the show, Messums describes the exhibition as "an ode to all those that are magical, fantastical and ever-changing." Artists include Livia Marin, Ann Carrington, Bouke de Vries, and Jessica Harrison. The works span a range of materials, with an emphasis on ceramics,…
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