5 – 24 March 2015
about the exhibition
Marianne Huhn’s intriguing new works investigate how contemporary political themes can be expressed through the integration of form and imagery.Inspired bycommemorative andSoviet Revolutionary propaganda ceramics, Marianne is fascinated by functional warethat tells a story. “Throughout history, the surfaces of ceramic vessels have included the study of prominent political narratives – from commemorative plates, dinner sets produced for the aristocracy, propaganda dinner ware,celebratory plates of battles won, through to contemporary pots arguing against current wars.” Following in this tradition, Marianne’s current works document contemporary Australian politics and often contentious issues of our time. These Limoges porcelain pieces are made by hand commencing with throwing the form on the wheel. Once the works are leather hard, she draws and scratches onto the surface with a fine pointed tool and either applies oxides and colours or paints directly onto the surface. The layers are then worked back to reveal the intricacy of the imagery through tones and shadow. The careful hand working of each piece highlights the individuality of the work and the importance of the human touch.
Marianne Huhn received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Ceramics from RMIT University in 1993, and a Master’s Degree in 1998. She is currently completing a PhD at RMIT University. She has participated in over two dozen group exhibitions since 1988, and she received the Newcastle Art Gallery National Ceramic Acquisition Award in 1997. Her work is represented in the collections of Newcastle Art Gallery, Powerhouse Museum, and numerous private collections in Hong Kong, Germany, South Africa and USA.
