The rituals of dining, serving and entertaining with food will energize and transform the Lillstreet Gallery, when Setting the Table combines the functional work of ceramic artists Kari E. Radasch, Elizabeth Robinson and Silvie Granatelli into a set for a dinner party.
The exhibition runs April 2-May 8; there will be an Artists' Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Lillstreet Gallery is located at 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Kari E. Radasch's physical earthenware is pinched, printed and textured into taffy-like forms and covered in cloyingly sweet and syrupy glazes. Topping her butter dishes with country-charm lambs or proud roosters, her glazes ooze over the surface in a swirl of circus pinks, yellows, and turquoise greens. Citing traditions from folk pottery through to heirloom china, Radasch appeals to our sweet tooth as well as our sense of humor.
With a delicate hand and a visual repertoire of vintage decals, Elizabeth Robinson forms simple shapes: platters with ruffled edges, squat tea pots and tiny egg cups. She adorns her surfaces sparingly in asymmetrical transfers and multicolored droplets of subtle glaze. Turn over your dinner plate or peek into your teapot and you'll discover Robinson's gifts: the hidden surfaces contain the same decorative details, waiting for your surprise.
Silvie Granatelli's pottery is about food presentation and is made to bring the food we serve to light. Covered in glowing glazes, Granatelli's surfaces are reminiscent of bright summer days and cool reflective water. Plates are lily pads, pitchers are elegant swan necks, and simple bowls contain sherbet flavor colors that invite the lanterns to be lit and the patio table to be set, for a warm summer meal with friends.
A fanciful and fantastic array of dinnerware and serving pieces, Setting the Table is the mad tea-party of exhibitions. |
Like a mad tea-party