She gathers strength as she goes 2018

Summary

Artist statement This urn-shaped standing vase is a response to the similar grand Sèvres porcelain vase presented, at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880, to the public of the colony of Victoria. I have always been interested in the commemorative potential of ceramics; the permanence of the material being almost at odds with the transience of the commemoration. The idea of heraldry is similarly at odds with the way commerce and culture shift over time to a point where symbols and metaphors become cloudy in their origins. The imagery on my urn draws from the one in the collection but also reflects on the changing popular culture of the city and its populace. So, my version of the heraldry celebrates the musical aspects of the city and the songs and literature I associate with it. The vase is glazed ceramic, wheel thrown and decorated with cobalt underglaze. Gerry Wedd August 2018