Dialectic of Failure

2013
Installation view at West Vancouver Museum, West Vancouver

Dialectic of Failure employs clay and the craft process to probe the delicate balance between dichotomies such as historicism and modernity, art and craft, and reason and mysticism. Through terracotta “scream pots”—vessels that evoke both anatomical forms—viewers are invited to release pent-up emotions by screaming into forms that absorb and mute sound. This act of containment contrasts with other pieces created by forcefully hurling clay against a wall, embodying a visceral release from emotional suppression. Engaging with clay as a "craft" material traditionally outside critical contemporary art discourse, Dialectic of Failure repositions craft as a reflective process that addresses the complexities of contemporary existence. The work offers a cathartic exploration of frustration, distress, and the limitations of reason, challenging viewers to reconsider craft’s role within art as a space for confronting and processing the tensions of modern life.

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Dialectic of Failure

Detail

2013
Screampots

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Dialectic of Failure

Detail

2013
Screampots

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Dialectic of Failure

Detail

2013
Screampots