2014, Visual Arts Complex, Boulder, CO

I am intrigued with historical art especially ancient ceramic forms, floral and geometric patterns, and textile design. In this body of work, I was interested in exploring what happens when all of these disparate parts from many cultures come together, as a collage, into individual tableaus. The carpets immediately transformed each grouping into a stage where the pots became animated, the actors. Each tableau is comprised of multiple cultures where each pot, table, and carpet become a symbol of multiplicity, hybridization, and globalization.

Each tableau was displayed with standard wall text that included name, title, materials, and date. For this project, I translated that information into every language that the work was inspired by, each tableau included at least 5 languages.

The carpets were found and transformed with house paint. Originally mass produced carpets, I turned the ordinary into something extremely special, by painting traditional Turkish kilim and Persian garden designs on the surface of these throw-away pieces. All of the furniture was hand made with the intent of being simple, modernist designs whose purpose were to elevate the ceramic pots. Each pot began as a collaged drawing of multiple historic pots from numerous cultures. I began incising the decoration to play with embedded versus painted decoration exploring the idea of artifice.

Photos by George P. Perez


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