When a Vessel Transcends its Function

Jonas Vansteenkiste
visual artist and curator who researches emotion and psychological impact of images in artworks and architecture.

To call Stefanie Smith a ceramist would be to sell her and her work to short. It is true that her main medium is clay but this has more to do with the material language of the medium; the fragility and brittleness is what her subject matter requires. Throughout her work she explores themes of identity and memories. These often do not take literal forms but function as visual metaphors that can be read layered.

Her art often bridges the gap between arts and crafts, and has many references to mythological ornaments and para-psychological elements. For instance, creatures such as bulls, snakes, and rams appear as subjects in her work.

Although her work exudes a very typical atmosphere it is difficult to pin it down to a zeitgeist. It is in a zone of its own. I can perhaps best describe her work as a dreamscape.

If we take a look at Hold we can clearly see that she coralizes her fascinations in a strong sculpture. The image is haunting, a wooden sloop that has been reduced to an unnavigable skeleton, stranded, still and lonely. The image is deceptively simple, until you realize that it is made entirely of ceramic; the ribs, the paddles, the wood structure, the pebbles and even the barnacles on the bow and sides. But what does this image tell us, what does Smith want to share with us?

Lets analyse the different elements of Boat, Wood and Skeleton to find some keys to approach it.

The Boat is in this way a vessel. The idea of a vessel is a carefully chosen word in this context because in the ceramic philosophy one often works around the concept of a vessel. Often these are vase-like forms where a content can be added to the inner space. The ceramic is a carrier and a caretaker for its contents. In Smith's case this vessel carrier is far from functional, though it carries a content with it.

If we look at the motive of a boat in dream analysis we find the following meanings: A dream about a boat or ship often refers to a spiritual journey. A dream in which you relax on the boat indicates safety and can foretell good times with your family or friends in the near future. This dream can also symbolize how you deal with the emotions in your life. A dream about water represents some of your emotions that you are overlooking. This dream then symbolizes that you must navigate through emotional tides. Also consider whether the water was rough, clear or murky.

A dream about wood: symbolizes labor, passion, earthly things.

A dream about a skeleton represents something that is not fully developed. You may still be in the planning stages of a situation or project. Or this dream symbolizes death, impermanence, transformation or change. You need to get to the bottom of something. This dream may also

mean that you have something to hide or that you are afraid that your own character and vulnerability will be exposed.

So is this stranded boat a safe space that is deconstructed? Is this a emotion or feeling from the past overgrown with barnacles and greens of life? Emotions that are stranded? And what to say about the metamorphose into fired clay?

It feels like Smith wanted to solidify a dream-like memory to give it a place and form. The fact is that we only can guess what the true nature of her vessel is, but she activates us with her work to think about our own world of thought, to experience our feelings and memories, and how we give them a place in our lives.