Phil Brooks: Vent
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When reduced to its most basic definition, a vessel is a container of space, delimited from the rest of the universe. Regardless of the exact topologies and intricacies of the vessel, the separation between the inside and the outside is the chief feature of vases, cups, and amphorae, as it is with other holders of all types.
Phil Brooks' work questions this definition, reimagining vessels as items where the lines between interior and exterior are blurred. Her ceramics in this exhibition explore the vents — the places where volume, be it in the form of air, sound, or thought, transfer between the inner and outer surfaces of her vessels.1 This transfer subconsciously suggests the sharing of breath found in the traditional greeting of the hongi, whilst also implying the windows and doors which allow ingress and egress from buildings. This last is perhaps an echo of Brooks' formal education within the field of architecture.
Some of the pieces seem to suggest wary beings, probing the right moment to make their move, as if unsure of possible interaction. Others, more bold, are instantly welcoming.2 The rough and smooth surfaces and geometries in the glazed pattern of works such as Share are friendly, almost demanding human touch. Texture and pattern inform and invite, delineating the points where interior and exterior might be expected to meet. Here, however, there is often deliberate deception. Glazes and textures stop part-way down a vessel's interior, or the expectation of what surface might be suitable for either the inside or outside of a vessel is reversed. The topology of the surfaces often reflects this subversion with folds and slots which extend the interior to the outer surface of containers such as Psst. The concepts of "inside" and "outside" become confounded and confused.
Form and style are also confounded in these works. The carefully hand-coiled pieces seem to fit within the long historic concept of utilitarian vessels, yet their form also brings to mind both architecture and the more industrial side of ceramics. The forms and rich glaze of Flue and Reel suggest insulating components from some arcane electrical motor, whilst the austere beauty of Breathe reflects the ramparts of ancient fortifications. As interior and exterior are deliberately made ambiguous, so too are the uses and origins of the forms of these remarkable vessels.
1. Artist's statement, 2024.
2. Ibid.
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