National Cup Show

Starbrick National 2013 Cup Show

Through November 23 you can find the National Cup show at the Starbrick Gallery located in Nelsonville, Ohio.  If unable to come out to Nelsonville for the show all of the cups entered can be conveniently viewed on their webpage http://www.starbrick.com .  However, a trip to the Starbrick Gallery would defiantly surpass viewing online to get the full tactile experience of handling the cups along with each artist’s individual statements.

 I found the show to be interesting to the form of what a functional drinking cup can be.  There were many different variations within the formal aspects, conceptual ideas, and sculptural components behind each cup.  Being of affordable price also for a piece of unique art that’s functional as well had people claiming their own “one of its kind” before I even walked in the door opening night.  I found myself wanting to purchase one for myself but many had already been claimed, which left me wishing there had been more cups entered.  Knowing that it is Starbrick’s tradition to be specific to primarily the ceramic material for the cup show I couldn’t help but also wonder why not have a show with the theme of cups open to other materials?  Perhaps this is a biased view coming from someone who works within a range of mixed media, but within the Starbrick gallery itself there is already other work outside of this show in a whole range of materials.  Nevertheless I found the show to be quite charming and appreciated the individual characteristic style within each ceramic cup.  

Perhaps my favorites were ones by Mat Rude, James Tingey, and Lucien Koonce.  Their sense of handling the material to mimic a recreation of organic forms you’d find in nature appeals to me.  This referencing nature then becomes an idea or meditation of bringing it into your home or bringing it into your body as a way to become one with nature.  Some other artists like Emily Nickel and Noelle Horsfield reference nature but in more of a graphic style that suggests a drawing or printing processes that is very unique and interesting.  I had to laugh when I saw Dan Roe’s cup which was the resemblance of what you’d associate to be a “holy grail.”  You don’t get much more spiritual than that.  The idea of drinking out of a cup everyday to experience a kind of immortality and emphasizing it as such by its grandiose  gold color and goblet structure.  If not the literal “holy grail” cup then perhaps drinking from Tim Carlburg’s portrait of Andy Warhol on a ceramic tin cup is more your taste.  It’s kind of interesting how this idea of the “holy grail” could possibly be depicted in several different ways. 

With all of these and the other cups I haven’t mentioned I come to see the wonderment and value of investigating the everyday experience of the drinking cup.  The significance and importance of these cups in the personalization and/or reflection of what it’s associating to is what makes them interesting for me. 

  Laura Dabrota