For What It’s Worth: Ceramic Experimentations by Julie & Jesse
Julie & Jesse
1 Dec 2023 – 20 Jan 2024
Curated by: Jennifer Wong
Novalis Art Design
G/F, 197 Hollywood Road, Hong Kong
For what it’s worth: ceramic experimentations by Julie & Jesse
Jennifer Wong
Rust, used cardboard wrapper, ceramic shards, saplings – these are all things that we come in contact with on a regular basis, yet are so ordinary that we don’t usually register having seen them. For Julie & Jesse, items considered useless to most are treasures. Each found object becomes an opportunity to discover the narratives hidden within the material. The duo’s curiosity and investigative approach drives their creative practice, allowing them to make sense of the world. They eschew the established values assigned to objects, whether dictated by market forces or cultural associations, and seek new ways to make use of the materials. The new works presented in this exhibition are both the documentation and culmination of their ceramic experimentations based on resources mined from the urban environment in the past decade. What they create is a poetic and personal testimony to their superb craftsmanship.
Both Irony (p. 46) and Anomalous Artefacts (p. 32) have their beginnings in China’s porcelain capital of Jingdezhen, where Julie & Jesse spent much of their time from 2012 up to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Like many of the duo’s early works, the two projects stemmed from found objects collected from visits to former factory sites. The extensive Fragments) series (pp. 80 and 92) was born from casting porcelain vessels with reassembled broken plaster moulds, with the uniqueness of each piece determined by the mould’s level of decay and uncontrollable factors in the firing process. Chance still plays a major role in the making of the two newer projects, but the focus is no longer on the clay itself.
In some ways, Anomalous Artefacts is the set of works with Julie & Jesse’s highest involvement in dictating the final form to date. They painstakingly assembled new creatures by combining broken animal sculpture parts unearthed from Jingdezhen and dining ware shards found at a beach in Hong Kong. Separated by geography, the fragments appear to have nothing in common, apart from belonging to the general category of “ceramics”. But to Julie & Jesse, the shards share a lineage. In particular, the horse sculptures were done in the style of Tang dynasty clay sculptures and exported abroad as toys and memorabilia. A number of the dining wares carry ornamentations that reference porcelain originating from Jingdezhen. They are all commodities, most likely copies that had earned their measly value through association with the authentic original. They also shared the same fate, discarded when they were no longer deemed to have commercial or utilitarian values. But with Julie & Jesse using a reconstructive approach akin to how archaeologists treat historical fragments, combined with their fantastical imagination, the shards came back to life as new breeds of ceramic creatures, regaining value as unique works that converse across time and place.
In Irony, iron oxide is given free reign to grow on a porcelain surface, which is something unthinkable in the usual production process. More commonly known as rust, iron oxide is the culprit behind causing black spots on the flawless white. The sight of rust is also undesirable on metal surfaces, something to be polished off or remedied. In the eyes of Julie & Jesse, however, there is beauty in the organic paintings of iron oxide, which they see as abstract landscapes. The duo first tested the technique in 2017 on large eggshell porcelain bowls, which they fired and resulted in the rust staying on permanently like glaze. In this new edition, they chose to work on thin discs that give a larger flat surface for the rust to expand on while also alluding to each piece being a window transporting viewers to other worlds. The unfired iron oxide is left at its most vulnerable state, creating the paradox that rust is the frailer counterpart out of the two, and most certainly the desirable part that gives the work its character.
With the pandemic halting international travel for several years, Julie & Jesse turned their gaze to Hong Kong and their personal lives for inspiration. Unpacked (p. 70) is a result of reexamining their own consumption habits and Taking Root (p. 60) is a reflection on the controlled interaction between humans and nature in the urban environment. These projects are also experimentations that depart further away from archetypal forms in ceramics and consider new types of relationship between clay and other materials.
As artists who work with other people’s rubbish, Julie & Jesse began to examine their own waste production during the lockdown. Online shopping shipment created a sizable reserve of honeycomb packaging wrapper in their studio and home. Made from used cardboard boxes, these packing materials often end up as trash, but Julie & Jesse experimented with them and made Unpacked, a “ceramic fossil” of the source material. Under high heat in the firing process, the pores of the cardboard absorb clay in while breaking down at the same time. The resulting lattice structure reflects the unusual ceramic making process, unlocking new possibilities in form building without mould. An earlier work that also showcases the fusing of other materials with clay is Terra Mobile (p. 116), wherein the duo added yarn to the mixture. In both works, the ceramic body serves as the phantom record of the disintegrated source material.
In addition to ceramic shards and other industrial materials, Julie & Jesse has been picking up plants dislodged by city cleaners and extreme weather in Hong Kong. They have also been observing how plants naturally find ways to survive in the urban environment, from saplings growing from concrete cracks and crevices to moss covering wall surfaces. Taking Root is the duo’s experiment to help orphaned saplings earn a place in the city by rehousing them in ceramic housing units. It is also a way to make sense of the double standard that people have towards plants. Cut flowers and potted plants command commercial value and are expected to be cared for, whereas roadside weeds and trees are seen as unruly and somehow destructive, and need to be removed. The work poignantly highlights how humans assign arbitrary value to plants, threatening their survival in the city.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It rings true particularly in this case as Julie & Jesse’s works always start with something found; a fragment mined from a city’s vast resources. But should we perpetuate existing ways of determining what is trash? What if the underlying issue goes back to how society dictates what is valuable? By fusing the city’s discarded and overlooked materials with ceramics, they bring the unseen into view and elevate the unwanted to the forefront. They may have begun their journey with clay, but over time it has become so much more. Their process of foraging, research and experimentation contributes to and becomes the work while reassigning value through creation. In their own understated yet defiant way, they protest – for what it’s worth.
Jennifer Wong is a Hong Kong-based independent curator and writer specialising in the visual cultures of East Asia. In 2021, she established Narratives Studio, which focuses on art, design and cultural content creation. Previously, Jennifer was Assistant Curator at M+ and the Victoria and Albert Museum. She holds an MA from the RCA/V&A History of Design programme and a BA in Art History from Northwestern University.
視如瑰寶:Julie & Jesse 的陶瓷實驗
黃鈺雯
鐵銹、紙箱包裝物料、陶瓷碎片、樹苗一一這些都是我們日常接觸到的東西,卻因太過尋常,都被我們視而不見。然而對 Julie & Jesse 來說,這些大多數人視為「無用之物」的,他倗卻如獲至珍;每一件拾獲的物件,都揭示了其物料蘊藏的故事。三人的好奇心和探究精神,推動薯他們進行創作,藉此理解世界萬物。對於物件被市場或文化賦予的既定價值,他們刻意規避,更試圖開關這些物件的新用法。這次展覽中的新作,記錄和總結了他們過去十年在城市空問挖掘資源的陶瓷實驗,是其精湛工藝的詩意與個人見證。
《鐵鏽的諷刺》(第46頁和《變異古物》(第32頁)的創作源頭均來自中國瓷都景德鎮。Julie & Jesse 從2012年至2020年疫情爆發之前,經常造訪該地,而這兩組作品亦一如他們許多早期之作,靈感來自舊工廠遺址中拾獲的物件。早期的《碎片》系列(第80頁及第92頁)以重組的廢棄模具來鑄造瓷器,每件作品的獨特之處,取決於模具本身的破損程度,以及燒製過程中的不可控因素。「偶然性」仍是這兩組新作的關鍵,但重點已不再放在陶土本身。
某程度上,《變異古物》是Jalie & Jesse 迄今為止最積極決定作品最終形態之作。他們把景德鎮出士的破碎動物雕塑,精心結合在香港海灘發現的陶瓷餐具碎片,組裝成全新生物。兩款碎片各來自不同地域,除了皆屬「陶瓷」這個籠統類別之外,似乎並無相似之處,然面Julie & Jesse卻看到兩者有菩共同源頭一其中陶馬以仿唐朝風格製作,成為玩具和紀念品出口外國;許多餐具的裝飾,都參考了景德鎮瓷器的特色。兩者均是商品,都只是因為模仿真品而得到微薄價值,而且彼此命運相同,在失去商業或實用價值後,就被當成廢物丢棄。Julie &Jesse 卻像考古學家利用出土碎片重塑歷史文物一樣,結合他們的奇幻異想,把這些碎片復活成新品種的陶瓷生物,成為超越時問和地域的獨特作品,重新獲得價值。
作品《鐵鏽的諷刺》任由鐵鏽在瓷器表面自由生長,這在一般生產過程中實屬異想天開之舉。氧化鐵,亦即鐵鏽,會令潔白無瑕的白色瓷器產生黑點,出現在金屬表面亦需打磨抹掉,是招人討厭的污點。來到Julie & Jesse 的眼中,氧化鐵卻有其自然之美,宛如抽象的風景畫。二人於 2017 年初次在薄胎瓷大碗上測試這項技術,燒製後的鏽斑能像釉彩般永久留在瓷面;今次的新版本則選用蓮胎瓷盤,讓鐵鏽在更大的平面上擴展,就像一扇窗戶,帶觀眾通往異世界。不經燒製的氧化鐵處於最脆弱的狀熊,弔詭地巒得比瓷器更不堪一擊,反而為作品賦予特色,成為最具魅力的部份。
疫情幾年,出埠旅遊備受限制,Julie & Jesse 於是把目光移到香港及其個人生活,從中尋索靈感一—《解封》(第70頁是他們重新審視自身消費習慣的結果,而《禁根》(第60頁則是他們對都市裡的人與自然之間受控互動的反思。兩組作品也在實驗如何進一步擺脫陶瓷的典型形式,更多思考陶土與其他材料之間的新關係。
Julie &Jesse 的創作經常圍繞他人遺下的垃圾,二人在疫下封城期間,開始審視自己製造出來的垃圾。網上購物運送過程,令他們的工作室和家中充斥用來包装商品的蜂巢紙。這些物料由回收紙箱製成,一般只會淪為垃圾,但Julie & Jesse 卻拿來做實驗,以此創造出陶盗「化石」,成就了 《解封》系列。在燒製過程的高溫之下,紙板的孔隙吸收了陶泥並同時分解,由此產生晶格狀結構,說明了今次的製作過程非同尋常,亦為無盂模具的塑型方式帶來全新可能性。另一件比較早期結合陶士與其他材料的作品是《移動之景》(第116頁),他們在混合物中添加了紗線。在這兩件作品中,陶瓷主體成為一種幻影般的記錄,把分解了的原材料封存起來。
除了巧用陶瓷碎片和其他工業材料,Julie & Jesse 亦會把一些被清潔工人除掉或被惡劣天氣吹走的樹苗收集起來,更一直觀察植物如何在城市環境中自己找到生存方法,例如從混凝士裂縫間生長的樹苗、覆蓋牆壁表面的苔蘚。《紮根》是一場實驗,二人把這些孤兒樹苗重新安置在陶瓷製的「房屋單位」中,令這些植物在都市之中仍有一席之地。人類對待植物總是帶著雙重標準一花束和盆栽植物就具有商業價值,需要悉心照顧,但路邊雜草和樹木則被視為不妥控制、帶來破壞,因而需要清除。此作一針見血,突顯了人類如何擅自為植物賦子價值,令其在都市環境下難以生存。
同一物件,有人棄如敝羅,有人珍視如寶。這在 Julie & Jesse的作品中尤其如此,因為二人的創作源頭往往來自現成物件、從都市廣大資源中發掘出來的碎片。然而,我們應否沿用世間釐定何謂「垃圾」的既定準則?如果根本問題其實來自社會如何定斷何謂「有價值」呢?二人透過結合陶瓷與城中被人遺棄的物料,帶人重新看見不著眼的東西,令其成為主角。雖然創作旅程或許始於陶土,但卻隨著時間愈見豐富。他們的搜尋、研究和實驗過程,非但成就了作品,亦成為了作品本身;他們亦透過創作,為世間之物重賦價值,以其低調而挑釁的方式提出異議一為了他們眼中的瑰寶。
黃鈺雯現為獨立策展人和作家,活躍於香港,主要研究東亞視覺文化。她於2021 年創辦敍意工作室,專注有關藝術、設計和文化的內容創作。黃鈺雯曾擔任香港M+和英國維多利亞與艾伯特博物館的助理策展人。她擁有倫敦皇家藝術學院/維多利亞與艾伯特博物館的設計史碩士學位,以及西北大學的藝術史學士學位。
SELECTED WORKS
-
Unpacked Study 07
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 07, 2023
Porcelain.
30 x 30 x 21 cm -
Unpacked Study 06
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 06, 2023
Porcelain.
42 x 39 x 10 cm -
Unpacked Study 05
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 05, 2023
Porcelain.
17.8 x 17 x 7 cm -
Unpacked Study 04
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 04, 2023
Porcelain.
22.5 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm -
Unpacked Study 03
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 03, 2023
Porcelain.
22.5 x 26 x 4 cm -
Unpacked Study 02
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 02, 2023
Porcelain.
20 x 13 x 12.5 cm -
Unpacked Study 01
Julie & Jesse
Unpacked, Study 01, 2023
Porcelain.
25 x 26 x 6.5 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 6/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 6/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 5/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 5/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 4/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 4/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 3/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 3/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 2/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 2/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 50 Edition 1/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 50, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 1/8
51.5 x 51.5 x 0.35 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 7/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 7/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 6/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 6/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 5/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 5/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 4/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 4/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 3/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 3/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 2/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 2/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 25 Edition 1/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 25, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 1/8
25 x 25 x 0.25 cm -
Irony 12.5 Edition 5/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 12.5, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 5/8
12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm -
Irony 12.5 Edition 4/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 12.5, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 4/8
12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm -
Irony 12.5 Edition 3/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 12.5, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 3/8
12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm -
Irony 12.5 Edition 2/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 12.5, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 2/8
12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm -
Irony 12.5 Edition 1/8
Julie & Jesse
Irony 12.5, 2023
Porcelain and iron oxide.
Edition 1/8
12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm -
Taking Root 12
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 12, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
39 x 21.5 x 15.5 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 11
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 11, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
45 x 21.5 x 15.8 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 10
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 10, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
41.2 x 32.5 x 20 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 09
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 09, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
43 x 23 x 19 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 08
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 08, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
59.3 x 53 x 22.5 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 07
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 07, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
31 x 49 x 22.5 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 06
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 06, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
45.9 x 29.5 x 24.5 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 05
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 05, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
44.5 x 51 x 28 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 04
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 04, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
40.7 x 20.7 x 17.2 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 03
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 03, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
43.5 x 34 x 22 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 02
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 02, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
21.2 x 21.6 x 17 cm (vessel only) -
Taking Root 01
Julie & Jesse
Taking Root 01, 2023
Rescued banyan tree, porcelain, glaze, and wood.
29.3 x 18 x 18.3 cm (vessel only) -
Anomalous Artefacts 32
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 32, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9 x 7 x 5.4 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 01
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 01, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10 x 6.8 x 3.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 31
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 31, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.2 x 11.2 x 5.2 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 30
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 30, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10.7 x 10.4 x 4.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 29
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 29, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.8 x 7.8 x 6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 28
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 28, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10.5 x 7.5 x 8.2 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 27
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 27, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.8 x 27.8 x 4.2 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 26
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 26, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
22.8 x 22 x 5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 25
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 25, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
14.7 x 9.3 x 5.3 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 24
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 24, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
13.1 x 11 x 3.9 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 23
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 23, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.8 x 5.4 x 6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 22
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 22, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
6.8 x 6.3 x 4.6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 21
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 21, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
11.3 x 10.7 x 3.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 20
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 20, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.1 x 11.7 x 4.1 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 19
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 19, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
7.5 x 9.5 x 3.2 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 18
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 18, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
12.8 x 21 x 4.6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 17
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 17, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
16.9 x 16.9 x 7.5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 16
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 16, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10.4 x 9 x 4.5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 15
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 15, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
6.4 x 21.9 x 3.6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 14
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 14, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
8.8 x 16.9 x 4.8 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 13
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 13, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9 x 22.8 x 4.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 12
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 12, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10.8 x 13.6 x 4.9 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 11
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 11, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.1 x 10 x 2.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 10
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 10, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
12 x 11.8 x 3.5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 09
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 09, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
16.2 x 10.2 x 4.5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 08
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 08, 2023
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
10.3 x 13.3 x 4.8 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 07
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 07, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.1 x 9.1 x 3.3 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 06
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 06, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
14.6 x 8.6 x 4.3 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 05
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 05, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
11 x 8.6 x 6.7 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 04
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 04, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
11 x 9.5 x 5 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 03
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 03, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
9.7 x 11.6 x 3.6 cm -
Anomalous Artefacts 02
Julie & Jesse
Anomalous Artefacts 02, 2012
Found ceramic shards and epoxy
14 x 11 x 2.7 cm