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Lancette Arts Journal Founded in 2000 |
Art Reviews From our Archives |
Spring 2002 |
By Alidė Kohlhaas
Something very unusual is on view at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto. It is the work of 400 ordinary citizens of that city. They range from public school-age to senior, from art student to steelworker, museum board member to member of community groups. They represent many ethnic and racial backgrounds, and various faiths. Each of these 400 individuals agreed to take a lump of clay and create something inspired by the wheel. The only limitation to the expression of the imagination was the circle. What resulted is often enchanting, never disappointing.
Why the wheel? The display's curator, himself an artist, chose it because of its universal application and its ancient history. The circle, though not the wheel of transportation, was known in every society that has left a record on this planet. Sanjit Sethi, an American who has acquired an international reputation for his work, is to be commended for having chosen this universal symbol to create a display that draws on the universal nature of Toronto. He said this: "The Museum is taking a risk by allowing individuals of varied and diverse backgrounds access to a venue usually reserved for what the museum or society has traditionally deemed legitimate creators." In other words, for allowing non-artists to take on the role of creator. He also noted that "The public participants' . . .
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