BODIL MANZ
Bodil Manz
2023-10-26 ~ 2023-11-23
Gallery LVS is pleased to present Bodil Manz's second solo exhibition. This marks her second solo exhibition in Seoul, five years after her first exhibition in 2018. The exhibition features over 30 ceramic cylinders, with her signature piece showcasing geometric patterns. Bodil Manz (b. 1943) is a pioneer in the field of modern ceramic, inspiring ceramic artists not only in Denmark but also across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Over the course of 63 years, she has dedicated herself to ceramic research and craftsmanship, transforming thin cylinders that resemble eggshells into contemporary designs. Her representative works are characterized by geometric shapes and a vibrant array of colors, creating a translucent and delicate ceramic piece that evokes the qualities of paper and glass. Both the interior and exterior of the cylinders feature intricate patterns, allowing light to pass through and giving the impression of interconnected paintings, blending the characteristics of painting and ceramics. Her innovative and modern ceramic forms, born from profound material and technique research, as well as her creative endeavors and inspiration drawn from nature and history, have influenced numerous sculptural artists.
Bodil Manz displayed a keen curiosity about materials and design from a young age, enjoying the creative process of handcrafting and constantly envisioning various ideas. She has earned global acclaim as a ceramic artist, and even at the age of 80, she continues to focus on crafting new works and intriguing designs. Bodil Manz's works are held in renowned museums worldwide, including the Danish Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Gifu Prefectural Ceramic Museum in Japan, and the Sévres Museum of Art in France.
“I love working with ceramics. I once said that it is because it is so interesting, exciting and tiresome. Working with and exploring the ceramic materials is a lifelong process which never stops. A ceramic artist once said : " We are romantics of material" the materials seduce us. In recent years I have been working on a very simple cylinder in porcelain where the transparency of the body allows the light to show the compositions made up by decorations both on the inside and on the outside of the cylinder. To me the cylinder is like a sheet of paper on which I can do different things depending on where I am in life. That is why I do not get fed up with them. I am often asked how I get the inspiration, but that is not an issue. On the contrary, having enough time to carry out my ideas and thoughts is the problem. The excitement I feel is what keeps me going. The outcome of my experiments with the materials. If I have a beautiful glaze or clay, then the ideas of how to use it will pop up. And things happen in life. Everyday life, a trip away, my garden, people around me. Such things also inspire me. The privilege of being an artist is that the work never stops. It is always there.”
Bodil Manz
Bodil Manz is known as an artist who has had a significant impact on the modern history of ceramics, redefining the concept of ceramics as a pictorial and freeform sculptural art. In the 1980s, she worked on large-scaled polygonal cast ceramics, and in the 1990s, she extensively incorporated the concept of ceramic cylinders into her designs, creating decorative pieces that exude a sense of grandeur. This trend continues to this day. To convey the pictorial feeling created by the interaction of the interior and exterior of the cylinders, she implemented various patterns.
The works can be filled and can be emptied depending it on purpose of functionality or as an object. It is a tight accumulation of study and yet visually translucent and light. It is packed yet light. Decorations contain infinite culture symbol, culture and history yet simple and elegant. The light, translucent work truly shines with the decoration in and out of the cylinder through the exceptional talent of the artist. Decoration in and out of the biscuit interplays with each other. They become a shadow of each other, become a joint form, together they support each other in the best way. With the help of light, Horizontal lines outside interacts with vertical lines over the thin layer. Often this lines and geometrical forms are easily referred to abstraction. However, when realizing the composition is the result of interaction between decoration in and out, it is possible to experience a new phase. Union of the decoration by the light displays to an emotional exchange between objects and can experience the vitality the object expresses.
There are ‘lines’ throughout the surface of the work that can be referred to a symbolic system of culture. These systems are inspired from different cultural, historical elements and natural environment. It meets with experimental ideas of the artist and re-interpreted into the artist’s unique artistic language, shining silently within the artwork. Artwork title explains the element of line in two. First, it identifies tests the object has gone through. Such as diagonal, fence, line and square, shady side, broadness, construction with black, red line and more. Secondly, it tells about the subject, location, and terrain of inspiration, such as Greece, autumn, ripple water, and wadi. The rich history of ceramic culture, human life developed around the culture, culture, and nature of Denmark and other countries have influenced Manz. Elements of line and face from each culture are found from each natural and cultural identities and applied on cylindrical from.
There are ‘lines’ throughout the surface of the work that can be referred to a symbolic system of culture. These systems are inspired from different cultural, historical elements and natural environment. It meets with experimental ideas of the artist and re-interpreted into the artist’s unique artistic language, shining silently within the artwork. Artwork title explains the element of line in two. First, it identifies tests the object has gone through. Such as diagonal, fence, line and square, shady side, broadness, construction with black, red line and more. Secondly, it tells about the subject, location, and terrain of inspiration, such as Greece, autumn, ripple water, and wadi. The rich history of ceramic culture, human life developed around the culture, culture, and nature of Denmark and other countries have influenced Manz. Elements of line and face from each culture are found from each natural and cultural identities and applied on cylindrical from.
To become the translucent biscuit, it needs to go through multiple processes. The first step is to plan space in and out by folding paper to calculate interaction between the two space. The artist has once mentioned, “transiency is ‘interpreting decorations in and out as one’”.
A proportioned mix of clay, water, and electrolyte is poured into the plaster mold and poured out right away, leaving a thin layer on the sides and bottom of the mold. When the cylinder is loosened from the mold, it is biscuit fired at 900 degrees and dried. After, white glaze is sprayed and fired at 1300 degrees. Lastly, colored foils are dabbed with water onto the cylinder and hi-fired 1300 degree or lower, depending on the property of colored foils. Then the colors are transferred to the body of the cylinder.
In this exhibition, Bodil Manz presents the 'Seoul' series, inspired by her travels in Seoul, drawing inspiration from the city's bustling urban environment, rivers, forests, and the spaces in between. She captures the essence of the vibrant culture of downtown Seoul with her signature use of dots, lines, and geometric shapes on ceramics. Additionally, she unveils seasonal series, including 'Farewell Summer' with cooling shades and deep colors, 'Autumn' evoking autumn leaves and withered fields, and 'Winter' reminiscent of a serene landscape covered in snow.
Selected Public Collections
