Stacking Box Form
Artist
Randy J. Johnston
(American, born 1950)
Date2006
MediumStoneware with glaze
DimensionsOverall: 9 5/8 × 11 × 9 3/8 inches (24.45 × 27.94 × 23.81 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: the Stephanie Hoffman Jacobson Fund
Object number2007.1.A-D
MarkingsArtist's initial's, RJ, in raised letters in the clay on bottom surface of the bottom layer of the box
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThe "Stacking Box Form" is made of hand-built, wood-fired stoneware with an ash glaze in four layers of interlocking containers in a dark reddish color; the upper-most element has a speckled, sandy-colored top. Looking down from the top, the general form of the "Stacking Box Form" is diamond nipped in at the middle. The inside of all the layers is glazed with a celadon glaze. The bottom element has a recessed foot. The exterior of all the layers, except for the top of the lid has a relief herringbone pattern. At some of the meeting points of two layers, there are small protuberances of clay (usually pierced), to help align the sections. An "RJ" mark in relief is at the base.Gallery LabelAlthough Randy Johnston studies ceramics, painting and sculpture from various historical periods and geographic areas, including Neolithic pots and Japanese baskets, his work does not merely imitate, but rather transforms traditional ceramics with innovative character. Johnston's vessels assume a volumetric form supported by an underlying structure, reflecting his interest in the tensile strength of the clay and the construction of the work. Here, the artist recalls the functionality, modularity and materials of a Japanese lacquer and basketry drinking set by creating a mottled reddish-brown surface imprinted with patterns of woven matting.
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