PORTER, Jenelle; SCHAFFNER, Ingrid (ed.)
Dirt on Delight. Impulses That Form Clay

This is not new, of course—it’s an exhibition catalogue from 2009—do you remember these times?—but there’s good chances you haven’t heard about that exhibition at the ICA Philadelphia then … have you? Organized by Ingrid Schaffner and Jenelle Porter, Dirt on Delight turned to clay art with a rather wild & wide angle. Ranging from modestly scaled pots to figurines to large sculptures, the objects shown in the exhibition & in the catalogue cross a spectrum of conventional delineations among fine art, craft, and outsider practices. Collectively, they suggest that clay appeals to basic impulses, starting with the delight of building form, coupled with the anxiety of completion. All of the works appear to be in some state of flux or growth, challenging taste in an exhilarating manner! 

Dirt on Delight presents works by Ann Agee, Robert Arneson, Kathy Butterly, Nicole Cherubini, Lucio Fontana, Viola Frey, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Jane Irish, Jeffry Mitchell, Ron Nagle, George Ohr, Ken Price, Sterling Ruby, Adrian Saxe, Beverly Semmes, Arlene Shechet, Rudolf Staffel, Paul Swenbeck, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, and Peter Voulkos.

With texts by Ingrid Schaffner, Jenelle Porter, and Glenn Adamson.

Published by ICA Philadelphia, 2009
Design by Purtill Family Business
Exhibition Catalogues / Crafts / Material Culture