Être Fleur Bleue
Malory Tate (Ceramic Artist in Residence 2017/2018)
Être Fleur Bleue is a collection of sentimental and romantic ceramic vessels embodying the French expression of “the little blue flower.” These vessels inspire the actions of arranging, gathering, and collecting.
I’ve been looking forward to Malory Tate’s year-end show ever since last September when she started her year-long residency in Port Moody Arts Centre. With a Ceramics degree from NSCAD University and a year of apprenticing to well-known Nova Scotia potter Jim Smith, Malory was well prepared for a year in a rent-free studio to perfect her collection for the current show.
Over the Winter Malory gave a presentation to TriCity Potters and showed what she enjoys making and hoped to complete during her Residency. She works in a white mid-range porcelain, which presents challenges. At the end of this blog I’ve added the link to my blog reporting on that evening.
The July/August Port Moody Arts Centre shows opened last Thursday evening and Malory’s show was installed in the Ann Kitching gallery, a well-lit perfect area for a 3D show. Malory has made several old-fashioned writing boxes, with ink-wells and pen holders and drawers (yes, all clay!). Displayed with them are flower bricks, and on other plinths are her signature tulipieres and vases. All are mainly white, with accents of blue. There is a quiet dignity to her work, a definite reference to earlier times, and clearly a love of flowers and ways of displaying them.
My photos show Malory thanking the Arts Centre and Janice Cotter for the opportunity, some of her guests (Vancouver potter Laura Van der Linde also teaches at Trout Lake Community Centre where Malory has been teaching when not in her Port Moody studio), and some of the lovely work in her show ‘Être Fleur Bleue’.
You can take a look at this show of Malory’s pottery until August 9th. At 7pm on that evening she will be giving a talk and slide show and a tour through the exhibition space.
I’ll mention the other two Arts Centre shows which opened last Thursday in my next blog.
https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/2018/03/22/malory-tate-ceramic-artist-in-residence-pmac/
