Ateneo Art Gallery
Ateneo School of Humanities
Ateneo Fine Arts Program
in cooperation with British Council Philippines
have the pleasure of inviting you to
RAZORLIGHT by Alan Whittaker
on Monday, 4 July 2011
ArtSpeak, "Translucence and Light in Bone China: Alan Whittaker's Ceramic Art," 4.30 pm
To be followed by the opening reception for the exhibition at 6pm
Ateneo Art Gallery
Level 2 Rizal Library Special Collections Building
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue Loyola Heights
Quezon City
Alan Whittaker, Head of Fine and Applied Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Liverpool Hope University and Associate Professor of Ceramics at Hope's Bachelor of Design program, will be opening "Razorlight," an exhibition of his recent works, at the Ateneo Art Gallery on Monday, 4 July 2011. The event will begin at 4:30 with ArtSpeak: Translucence and Light in Bone China, in which Mr. Whittaker will speak about his practice, followed by the opening reception for his exhibition at 6pm.
Whittaker, who is in the country as a juror of the 2011 Ateneo Art Awards, is currently experimenting with the use of bones from kangaroos and Shetland sheep in the latest stage of his career-long interest in translucence and light in bone china.
While the use of bone in the production of ceramics is nothing new - ox bones having been traditionally used in the manufacture of English bone china - it is the use of different types of animal bones that interests the artist. In his current research and experimentation he compares the chemical composition of the various bones and examines their effects on the character of the ceramics.
Whittaker’s current body of work is reflective of his enduring fascination with light and translucency in pierced pottery, which began with an encounter with a Chinese piece on exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London during his college years. Since then he has continued in his practice to be influenced by that vessel, producing some of the most delicate yet dramatic ceramic works.
"Razorlight" by Alan Whittaker runs from 4 July to 5 August 2011. For more information, please phone IC Jaucian at 4266488 or email ijaucian@ateneo.edu
