The Gardiner Museum is 30 years old this year. My very first visit was for Doors Open which took place in Toronto on May 24th and 25th. It was fascinating to visit as I had heard so much about the collection from friends. I wondered who the Gardiner’s were and this is what I found: “George Gardiner began collecting ceramics in 1976, initially to decorate his home. His interests were eclectic – Ancient Americas, 18th-century European, and Chinese – and his collections assumed significant dimensions. He was joined in this passion by his wife, Helen, a native of Kirkland Lake, Ont., who had studied at York University. In 1984 they co-founded the Gardiner Museum. The Gardiners’ hope, Helen later wrote, was that the Museum “would contribute in a meaningful way to the understanding and appreciation of ceramic art worldwide.”
It’s a pleasure for me to share some of my collages from that visit with you. Hope you enjoy!
The top three are Viola Frey’s. She was American and as you can see her ceramic work is brightly colored. The plate on its own doesn’t really convey the intensity of color or size she uses in her work. The images on the left and right of the plate give a better idea.
The bottom left work is Betty Woodman’s “Balustrade Relief Vase” and here is some information about her from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Betty Woodman began her career with clay as her chosen medium. The vase was her earliest – and over time, it has become her most salient – subject. For Woodman, the vase can be a vessel, a metaphor, or an art-historical reference. Her work alludes to and infuses numerous sources, including Minoan and Egyptian art, Greek and Etruscan sculpture, Tang Dynasty works, majolica and Sèvres porcelain, Italian Baroque architecture, and the paintings of Picasso and Matisse.”
The image on the lower right by Greg Payce is fascinating. It is called “Apparently” and if you look at the spaces between the vases, you will see silhouettes. Underlying the art of Greg Payce is a belief in the cultural significance of ceramics. His work references history, philosophy, poetry, painting, and architecture. His powerful vision and technical mastery transform these references into elegant contemporary work that delights and surprises viewers. (Gardiner Museum)
Some interesting sculptures!
Lots of variety at The Gardiner!
All references internet-based or from brochures collected at the Museum.