Scallop Block 2013

Curator: Here we have Arlene Shechet's intriguing ceramic sculpture, "Scallop Block." Editor: My initial sense is one of raw elegance. The rough exterior juxtaposed with the delicate, almost organic patterns is quite striking. Curator: Indeed. The piece’s power resides in the tension between its form and surface. The blocky shape is disrupted by the scallop pattern, creating visual and tactile dissonance. Editor: It makes me think about the processes of creation, of pushing against the limitations of the material, and the hand of the artist in shaping meaning. Curator: Perhaps. The interplay hints at themes of containment and release. How do we define such things? Editor: I agree, and that's one of the reasons why art is often so fascinating: we don't know. But that is what I see, and how I interpret this piece! Curator: A wonderfully interpretive note to end on.