In the lunch break we had a chance to take another look at the show ‘Playing with Fire: Ceramics of the Extraordinary’, find David Lambert’s work in the Multiversity Gallery and locate Debra Sloan’s pieces in amongst the ceramics of the Koerner Gallery.

The third ‘conversation’ in the Great Hall was hosted by Paul Mathieu and his guests were Ying Yueh Chuang and Alwyn O’Brien. We quickly discovered that both had been Paul’s students at Emily Carr University. The word to consider was FRAGILITY. Of all the works in the show the pieces by these two artists are the ones that beg to be touched. Ying Yueh’s delicate, painstaking botanical forms are porcelain, and although delicate-looking are strong. Alwyn’s porcelain work, on the other hand, stretches the limits of the medium. One can imagine the extraordinary effort it takes form them, glaze them and to move them into a kiln. But they survive, and exude fragility. Alwyn says she is capturing fluidity.

Ying Yueh and Alwyn described their work and their lives as ceramics instructors at Kwantlen U and Emily Carr U respectively and Paul enjoyed adding his thoughts on the state of Ceramics in BC and ‘Artism’. I’ll just add photos of Ying Yueh’s and Alwyn’s work to connect the pieces to their creators.

Gathie Falk was not part of a public ‘conversation’ on this day so I will post her notes and photos of her one piece in the show. Her ceramic fruit, shoes and quilts and her paintings have been part of the Vancouver Art scene for as long as I can remember. She is represented by Equinox Gallery.

My final blog in this series will cover the conversation between Alwyn O’Brien, Ian Johnston and Jeremy Hatch. But this afternoon I shall enjoy joining my fellow firers at the opening of the Shadbolt soda kiln.