the graduate exhibition: ceramic imagery

The ceramic image was a concept I developed whilst studying Ceramics at Camberwell College of Arts. Having already worked on the live-making performance, ‘Untitled (Homage To Boy)’, I already began exploring new ways of working with ceramics, and consciously questioning the object itself and the arena in which it sits. I wanted to understand ceramics’ relevance and position within a world of images, and demonstrated that ceramics value could be re-placed into its image - into a separate entity and reality.

The project culminated with an art installation presenting ceramic images from 'The Statue' and 'The Commuter' series. Backstage, there was a studio workspace containing all the body-sculptures used to create the ceramic images. The audience is confronted with the photographs first and foremost, forced to question where the value of the ceramic object is placed.

FRONT-OF-HOUSE, UNEXPECTED IMAGES TAKE PRECEDENT ON THE WHITE GALLERY WALLS AND ONLY THROUGH ACTIVE DISCOVERY DOES ONE WITNESS THE CERAMIC SCULPTURES IN TRANSIT, WAITING TO BE SEEN.

(Li, 2009, atcamberwell.com)

The ceramic images capture the single photographic moment where performance, fashion and ceramics could all combine, with the true essence of the ceramics only coming alive within the image. Most importantly, this vision was all about the ceramics.

BY PLACING THE OBJECT INTO THE PHOTOGRAPH, THE IMAGES YOU SEE ACT AS REMNANTS, TRACES OF THE PROCESS OF PHYSICAL EXPLORATION LI HAS UNDERTAKEN. THROUGH A CONSIDERED MANIPULATION OF HIS OWN SELF-IMAGE LI DRAWS OUT THE PERFORMATIVE QUALITIES OF THE CERAMIC OBJECT WHEN COMBINED WITH THE PALPABILITY OF THE BODY.