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Dublin Biennial, Ireland, 12-22 June 2014 

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The 2014 Dublin Biennial featured the works of over 50 Contemporary International and National Artists, at the CHQ Building in the IFSC, Dublin 1, 13-22 June

Copy of Catalogue

Ceramic Ireland Journal article 


Introduction

This is the tale of the evolution of the ideas and processes behind the work exhibited there, by one artist, Graham Hay, from Perth, Western Australia.

Background

The Director, Maggie Magee, first saw my work and then meet me while I was exhibiting in the 2013 Florence Biennale. She encouraged me then, and in latter emails, to apply to participate in the Dublin Biennial, which I eventually did.

In February 2014 I was advised that I had been selected to participate.

There is a real danger with shipping large ceramic works. I remember 20 years ago, after I shipped two works to Darwin (Australia), 4000 km (2500 miles) away, I received a phone call from the curator saying that my work (singular) was broken, and did they want me to repair it for the exhibition? What had happened is that the road vibration had destroyed any padding, and then went on to grind one work against the other, until only the top half of the upper work remained. This was my introduction to the ceramics “school of hard knocks”!

I tend to make ceramic paper clay sculptures from hundreds of small parts, predominately rod forms. This was to illustrate my understanding of dynamic nature of social networks and institutions in the the Western Australian arts community over the last 30 years. 

More recently an emerging academic research area, called Social Network Analysis (SNA) has emerged. This now provides an alternative theoretical framework for my ongoing work, to my previous interest in the elite theories developed by Mosca (1858-1941). 

As a consequence of using Social Media (think Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat etc) we are all beginning to see our family and friends as visual networks. 

For myself, a good starting point to show these ideas as sculptures, was our uniquely Western Australian Banksia tree flower, with hundreds of tiny flower heads. Unaware of my inspiration, some think my ceramic paper clay sculptures were inspired by sea coral. See for yourself some of my ceramic paper clay sculptures here.  Over the last few years I mostly use Les Blakebrough’s Southern Ice Porcelain Paper Clay, manufactured by Clayworks.

Exploring the physical and social boundaries of ceramic art and paper practice, by fragmenting artworks down into small parts prior to shipping. I am using them to create social engagement and connects with fellow artists. I hope to incorporate a public ritual with the work in Dublin. An early example of this social process.

Irish Ceramic History

I like to make art that is about the social, economic and cultural context it is presented.

More recently I have begun to research the history of ceramics in different places. For example, when making large sculptures about smart phones, I researched the first non-pictorial language and the material it was recorded on - clay cuneiform tablets.

For this project I researched some of the earliest Irish pottery, particularly the late third millennium BC Beaker culture. Eventually I contacted expert Dr. Neil Carlin, from the University College Dublin.

Dr. Carlin has an interest in the social rituals associated with pottery/ceramics, and how these in Ireland, were fundamentally different to that in Britain and Europe.

I was particularly taken with the polypod bowls, many of which were discovered on the outskirts of Dublin. These are similar in form to the Kava bowels used in W. Samoa, drunk at all important gatherings and ceremonies. 

Studio Art Production:

3D Printing option
As a consequence of my research I was interested in creating two large multi legged ceramic and compressed polypod bowls. I then hand-making and firing over 330 porcelain paper clay flute forms, which would both be part of the two sculptures, as well be used in some ritual during one of the social functions at the exhibition. 

Having previously assembled and then hacked an open source 3D printer to enable it to print clay, I was very familiar with this emerging technology. So I designed the bowl forms to be eventually printed in sections in Dublin, using new Irish technology, the  MCOR 3D printer, which prints in paper. 

In Western Australia, Michael Dixon, from Dixon Design + Development - industrial design / product development, kindly converted my drawings into CAD and then STL file format. 

I was very surprised to discover that MCOR 3D printer services were not available in Ireland! However I was encouraged by the Irish manufacturer to contact German and Belgium companies who provided retail 3D printer services using the MCOR machines. Despite claims that this is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly 3D printer technology, the quotes were 3,000 - 8,000 Euro! This completely deflated my aspirations to reduce shipping costs by using Irish 3D printer technology to make the paperwork (parts) for my sculpture for the audience in Ireland. 

Back to Hand Crafts
So, I quickly made the paperwork in my studio, by cannibalising some old sculptures I had made from thousands of identical Western Australia maps. I used laborious dry techniques I had invented and developed since 1993. Examples of my work and an explanation is here.

Initially I had planned for the 302 ceramic and compressed paper parts as Carry, Checked and Excess airline luggage, and Emirates kindly offered to increase my allowances. However, in the end it was still cheaper to airfreight the work ahead. For curatorial staff I provided a short video with voice advice on how to assemble the work. Unfortunately Customs in Ireland held up the shipping process.  So, on the 12 June I flew in to Dublin, and begun assembling the work, finishing an hour before the Artist Reception and Welcome by the Mayor.

A week later I took part in a stimulating panel discussion

PANEL CONVERSATION: NATURE, CEREMONY AND SYMBOLS 
Saturday, 14 June, 3.00pm – 4.30pm 
The Dublin Biennial Gallery, The CHQ Building, IFSC, Docklands, Dublin 1

Chair: Dr. Marisa Ronan, Dublintellectual 
Dr. Neil Carlin, IRC Fellow, UCD School of Archaeology 
Graham Hay , Independent Artist 
David Orr, Independent Artist and Photographer 
Dr. Alan A.D. Peatfield, College Lecturer in Greek Archaeology, UCD School of Archaeology

Installation and Exhibit:
At the last public function I dismembered the top of the two sculptures, which became wine “flutes” for the audience to drink from, and to take away a physical memento or symbol of the event. “Human cultures use symbols to express specific ideologies and social structures and to represent aspects of their specific culture”- wikapedia (@17/7/14)

An early studio model. All work, including the final sculptures was made with Southern Ice Porcelain Paper Clay.

Developing a sense of the scale of the final work.

Concept Image

A lot broke as I pushed the material to it’s limit.

Left to right: Sadhbh de Barra, Sara Muthi, Nichola Butterly assist in unpacking and sorting the 300+ porcelain sections for the sculpture. Click on image for video for curators on how the work was assemble.

View into the Biennial Gallery.

View out of the Biennial Gallery. Photo: David Orr

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Dismantling and consuming the Artwork. Photo: Stephanier Bowner

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Exhibiting Artists
ANAN, Suzanne - USA
ARKUN, Aydin - TURKEY
BARR, Tommy - IRL
BELL Kevin - USA
BLACKBURNE, Katherine - USA
CHARIF, Khalili - BRAZIL
COYNE, ROD - IRL
DINKELBACH, Stefanie - GERMANY/IRL
DUGGAN, Andrew - IRL
FALCONE, Sonia - Bolivia/USA
GAVAZZENI RICORDI, Carlo - ITALY
GILLESPIE, Rachel - USA
GUGGI - IRL
HAY, Graham - AU/NZ
HARKINS, Matthews John - USA
HODSON, Canbra - USA
HUNTER, Sandra - USA
JACOBS, Blinn - USA
JAIN, ANUPAMA - INDIA/DUBAI
JOYNT, Rachel - IRL
JOYCE, Ian - IRL
KNOX RHAME, Holly - USA
LYTTLE, Martin - IRL
LOFTUS, Belinda - IRL
LIU, Zejing - UK/CHINA
MAZUR, Andrzej - POLAND/IRL
McLOUGHLIN, Catriona - IRL
MEGALL, Rafael - ARMENIA
MERDAN, Matthias - SWITZERLAND
MITREA, Ilie - ROMANIA
MORISAWA, Naoko - JAPAN/USA NASSI,
Krista - Iran-US
NIEMAN, James - USA
O CONNOR, Meadhbh - IRL
O DOWD, Gwen - IRL
OBERMEYER STRAUSS, Susan - USA
OITICICA, Christina - Brazil
ORR, David - USA
POLIT, Alegrai - ECUADOR/SWITZERLAND
PORISSE, Julien - FRANCE
POUPEL, Clara - FRANCE/USA
ROLFE, Nigel - IRL
ROTH, Thomas Aaron - USA
SACHSE, Karla - Germany
STEELE, Helen - IRL
SUI-KWONG LEE, Gordon - USA
TURK, Gavin - UK
VAN DER MEULEN, Ellen - Netherlands
WALKER, Rhynes - IRL
WALLACE, Brent - USA
WALTON, Conor - IRL
WAROUR, Nasr - Dubai
WOLFRAM, Deva - Germany
​ZHI XINXIN - CHINA

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