Special Exhibitions
Crying with Laughter
24 May - 14 September, 2008
This exhibition brings together a range of pots and prints from the 18th century to the present day exploring humour and the human condition through a variety of means.
For centuries, artists have used comedy and satire as tools to expose human quirks and shortcomings. Potters often manipulate form and imagery for the same effect. Poking fun at human foibles can raise a laugh or reduce one to tears. Tales of morality educate and depictions of popular characters entertain.
Highlights include a new acquisition, Six Jugs, made in 2007 by Philip Eglin. On first sight the jugs look medieval in appearance, but a closer inspection reveals offical and commercial symbols much more familiar to the modern eye. Nearby Paul Scott recalls the foot and mouth crisis of 2001 with his subtly altered printed mug.
Prints by the Victorian artist Phil May and illustrations from the magazine, Punch, illustrate the use of satire. James Gillray ridicules Napoleon and King George III by depicting them as characters from Gulliver’s Travels in one print. In The Bottle, a Victorian melodrama warns of the consequences of drinking.
A fascinating mix of imagery and ideas through the last 300 years.