In one way or another, issues concerning humans as individuals and as sentient beings are a special concern of several artists in the exhibition, including Gay Smith [Bakersville, NC] who makes functional ceramics in porcelain. Most functional ceramics relate to the human body; that's why we describe them as having feet, handles, shoulders, torsos, and necks.
Moreover, it is through the bodily sense of touch that occurs through use, rather than sight, that we come to know certain things about the world such as texture, weight, temperature, hardness and softness, even volume. While Smith's ceramics employ casual forms geared to simple domestic use, their crinkled bodies, stretched handles, and swelling torsos give them distinct, even unique personalities that are accentuated by their complex glazes in pastel hues.
These features transform them from generic objects of use into objects capable of imparting special meaning and significance to the otherwise ordinary, mundane activities of everyday life.
