The Art of the Cup: Variations on Cups from RAM鈥檚 Collection
Disposable plastic cups notwithstanding, a cup has historically been defined as a bowl-shaped vessel for drinking, usually outfitted with a handle. While a cup can have social or cultural functions beyond use, such as a trophy or a vessel used within religious ceremonies, its primary historical role has been functional鈥攁s a container of liquid. Cups, made of a variety of materials, have been unearthed in archaeological digs throughout the world.
Unlike the teapot, whose functionality and meaning has been challenged or reframed repeatedly, the cup has not been the source of as many philosophical investigations within the field of contemporary craft. This does not mean it has been marginalized or avoided. In fact, handmade cups are ever popular as serving ware and the cup as a subject continues to be an organizing theme for numerous exhibitions in galleries and museums.
Contemporary makers, balancing the traditions of the past with those of the present, create cups that reflect their style and their interests. Drawn from RAM鈥檚 collection, this exhibition鈥攚ith works made of clay, glass, and metal鈥攆eatures contemporary iterations of cup forms, sometimes as multiples within a set. Mugs and goblets are included to offer contrasts and comparisons. There are also examples by those who play with the idea of a cup as a symbolic or metaphoric vessel.
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Disposable plastic cups notwithstanding, a cup has historically been defined as a bowl-shaped vessel for drinking, usually outfitted with a handle. While a cup can have social or cultural functions beyond use, such as a trophy or a vessel used within religious ceremonies, its primary historical role has been functional鈥攁s a container of liquid. Cups, made of a variety of materials, have been unearthed in archaeological digs throughout the world.
Unlike the teapot, whose functionality and meaning has been challenged or reframed repeatedly, the cup has not been the source of as many philosophical investigations within the field of contemporary craft. This does not mean it has been marginalized or avoided. In fact, handmade cups are ever popular as serving ware and the cup as a subject continues to be an organizing theme for numerous exhibitions in galleries and museums.
Contemporary makers, balancing the traditions of the past with those of the present, create cups that reflect their style and their interests. Drawn from RAM鈥檚 collection, this exhibition鈥攚ith works made of clay, glass, and metal鈥攆eatures contemporary iterations of cup forms, sometimes as multiples within a set. Mugs and goblets are included to offer contrasts and comparisons. There are also examples by those who play with the idea of a cup as a symbolic or metaphoric vessel.
Artists on show
- Akio Takamori
- Alan Caiger-Smith
- Anna Silver
- Cynthia Bringle
- Donovan Palmquist
- Dorothy Hafner
- Douglass Rankin
- Erik Gronborg
- Geo Lastomirsky
- Irina Zaytceva
- Jack Earl
- John Whitney
- Jon Groth
- Judith Salomon
- Judith Strong
- Karen Buhler
- Karl F. Borgeson
- Katherine Gray
- Ken Price
- Kurt Wallstab
- Kurt Weiser
- Lea Embree
- Leach Pottery
- Margaret Ponce Israel
- Martha A. Holt
- Matt Nolen
- Melanie Guernsey Leppla
- Michael Schunke
- Nadeige Choplet
- Oliver Doriss
- Patti Warashina
- Peter Shire
- Richard Milette
- Robert Carston Arneson
- Robert Levin
- Ron Nagle
- Rosalyn Tyge
- ROY
- Steven Hill
- Toshiko Takaezu
- Wesley Anderegg
- Will Ruggles
- Willem Gebben
- Yoko Sekino-Bove
- Zachery Lechtenberg
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