Solitude

• Sat, Oct 3, 2020 - Sat, Jan 9, 2021  

TANK Space is proud to have artist Michelle Matthews on-site for her installation Solitude. 

A field of stationary porcelain strips that appear to move across the surface, bowing and swirling as if blown by the winds, even as they are enclosed here, in solitude. The reed-like strips are lit from the side, and their elongated shadows project on the wall of the Tank Space.  When lit, the porcelain becomes luminous. In shades of white, with thick and thin areas, glassy smoothness and textured surfaces, each is unique. Unseen by the viewer is the internal strength, masked by the material’s fragility.

Each porcelain strip is made of fabric dipped into a porcelain solution, then fired. The fabric is medical gauze normally used to bandage wounds. By itself, gauze is an insubstantial material, lightweight without structure, but in this installation, the gauze engages with the porcelain solution to create a tentative union. The action of creation forces the porcelain solution and the gauze to meld. Yet the fabric’s use is only fleeting: during firing the gauze burns away, leaving a remnant of itself.

www.michellematthewsceramics.com

All exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday - Saturday 9 AM - 5 PM.

TANK Space - Spring Street Studios 
1824 Spring Street, Houston, TX 77007