New directions in Ceramics

New Directions in Ceramics explores and responds to contemporary ceramists use of new modes of practice, investigating how change is happening and interpreting key works. Jo Dahn provides an overview of the current ceramics landscape, identifying influential exhibitions, events and publications, to convey a flavour of debates at a time when much of ceramics' practice is in a state of flux. Which non-traditional activities does the term 'ceramics now encompass? How have these practices developed and how have they been accommodated by institutions in Britain and internationally?

Work by a wide range of artists, including Edmund de Waal, Nina Hole, Clare Twomey, Keith Harrison, Linda Sormin, Alexandra Engelfriet, Linda Sormin, Walter McConnell and Phoebe Cummings is considered, with an extended introduction addressing ceramics in critical discourse. Chapters focusing on performance, installation, raw clay and figuration provide an introductory overview to the area under discussion, followed by a closer examination of work by key ceramists, with illustrations of relevant examples. The interplay of actions and ideas is a central concern: critical and cultural contexts are woven into the account throughout, and dialogues with practitioners provide a privileged insight into thought processes and studio activities.