From September 13th through October 19th, the I.M. Weiss showroom at 1578 Belvidere St. becomes the stage for Benjamin Teague to share objects from distinct periods in his work, creating three installations expressing the shifts in his emotional, observational and philosophical relationship with the objects over time.
With inspiration ranging from emotional loss to references of film and art history to the visual inspiration of daily life, Teague’s vessels show us how seemingly disparate occurrences, people, and things are all connected and ever-evolving.
Each object is both a striking example of Teague’s mastery of his craft, and a humble testament to the beauty of simply enduring the vicissitudes of time.
ACT I | September 13-21
Setting the stage for observation. Teague transforms the showroom into an interpretation of his studio, with objects that have become the backdrop of his practice – vessels and other ceramic objects created five or more years ago line many shelves and functional objects such as a chair and stool have become distinct personalities cohabiting Teague’s creative space.
ACT II | September 27-October 5
The influence of time and observation. Teague’s second installation is a presentation of delicate ikebana floral arrangements composed in Offering Vases created by Teague over the past two years as an emotional and philosophical response to grief. As Teague confronted, coped and healed from grief over time he observed the familiar objects around him, sensing a deep shift in their meaning, some losing meaning altogether. And so, the act of creating each new vessel became an exploration of the adaptive nature of the objects in our lives.
ACT III | October 11-19
Renewal. Teague’s final installation presents his latest body of work. Taking fully realized objects, once beautiful and complete in surface and form, Teague transforms vessels that seem to have lost themselves over time. Through a cycle of slip dipping, drying, firing and glazing (repeated in no set pattern), Teague both obfuscates and rejuvenates the objects, to create ‘new’ vessels that feel, once again, complete.