FACE VASE
A performative installation by Kristen Jensen and Paul Krause
June 6 – June 21, 2015
Opening Reception – Sunday, June 21, 6PM
For immediate release
I need a crowd of people, but I can’t face them day to day. —Neil Young
"Face Vase" is an ongoing project that consists of an accumulation of wheel thrown vases which receive a facial impression while the clay is still soft. The vases are then placed on shelves and left to dry for the duration of the show. For the exhibition at NOVELLA, the artists have lined the perimeter of the gallery with a long non-contiguous shelf.
As the face vases grow in number the repetition initiates a line of questioning pursuant to broader issues regarding identity, self-image versus projected image, and blur the line between material and subject.
The project began as a simple technical collaboration between Jensen who sought Krause’s adept wheel throwing skills. She began pressing facets of her face into the vessels which resulted in indexical and abstract references to her body. What began as a rather straightforward process developed into a more complex collaboration about the trust and communication between the artists, where Jensen literally held her breath as Krause assisted with the impressions.
The artists will be in the gallery during the following days and times, creating the installation in full view of the public: June 6th, 7th, and June 13th, 14th, 3-6PM. A closing reception will be held on Sunday, June 21st from 6-8PM when the full scope of the installation will be realized.
—Kristen Jensen & Paul Krause
