Vessels part 1

i thought i'd make a short comment on the term 'vessels' as it keeps appearing here and there in the corners of the day. following edmund de waal's http:\\ site, he describes his real search into 'how objects embody memory - or more particularly, whether objects can hold memories.' the vessel being the object that performs the act of carrying. some nostagic anecdotes are suggested with these pieces.





The work of another ceramicist, hella jongerius, speaks to topics similar to de waal's, on the nature of the object as it relates to structure, the individual and its collective. the short clip is pretty good, and gives a sense of the craft of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPYmQDUpvoM







Of course this kindof talk always leads me to cremains, and the vessels that define them.



The Oregon State Hospital is looking to unite 3500 cremains of those who died while living at the hospital with their relatives. David Maisal has published a book of the collection called the library of dust.



Which, if by any chance, you are in the google market for an urn, the current selection of vessels is highly disappointing - not to say pretty damn awful. i would much rather a tin can with a label.

The wallenburg studio at the university of michigan, under the auspices of an amish riddle, are creating vessels that contain, through form, the set of parameters that created them. 10,000 forms to be exact.