Unseemly: Soda-fired ceramics and the breakdown of social class distinctions

Abstract

In Victorian England, having the proper goods in one’s home indicated one’s social status on a scale of vulgar to tasteful. This project, consisting of soda-fired functional tableware, takes the material symbol of fine porcelain goods, and rather than holding them up reverently, lets them visually disintegrate, ruining the very qualities Victorians would have most valued in these types of objects. It elevates rough stoneware by forming it into the shapes usually reserved for fine porcelain. It moves away from conventional Victorian design elements while remaining attractive to the eye, referencing those ideals while simultaneously subverting them. It is a loose metaphor for the desire to break free from strict social expectations. Through references to ceramic history and the Arts and Crafts movement, this work is aware of the preconceived notions that exist around certain ceramic objects and breaks them down. Essentially, Unseemly is a show about belonging and acceptance.