Icarus Junior and the Nudes

I attend Emily Carr University, and each year brings forth many gallery shows in the Concourse Gallery in the center of the school. One of the first shows is the teacher exhibit show where the profs are allowed to display one of their works. This year I fell in love with two pieces, one which is a wall piece, ceramic and digit print on porcelain piece by Paul Mathieu called "Still-Life with Nudes and Vancouver Sunset" (which I wasn't able to get photos of) and the second is another work by a ceramicist, Justin Novak, called Icarus Junior. Icarus Junior is a ceramic cast piece with vinyl adhesive (the background). From knowing Justin and his process, I know that he has cast Icarus Junior in porcelain, and has made a decal for the image on the face. The gold frame around this modern myth is gold luster. Icarus Junior is a similar style of work to his 21st Century Bunnies, his hyperactive, 21st century creatures. However, Justin's Disfigurines will remain my favorite of his collections. Words cannot describe what I feel when I look at them. At first I feel saddened because of the limp, sorrow that is evident on the figure's faces, but then I am overwhelmed with amazement at the technique at which he produces this delicate, figurative forms. They are really an incredible site to see, and I really hope to see one of these works in person one day. The thing about Justin that most amazes me is that he is so incredibly tall, and he works in such small scale, mostly with the Disfigurines. I hope you all visit the websites of both Paul and Justin and look at their pieces because you haven't seen the modern, contemporary side of ceramics until you have seen their pieces. Ceramics isn't always functional, is it decorative, and as you can see with Justin's work, Sculptural. Icarus Junior is safe to eat off of, but I wouldn't recommend it.