Orrery 1979

Editor: Here we have Kit Williams's "Orrery" from 1979, a mixed-media piece with elements of ceramic and sculpture. There's almost a dream-like quality to it. Figures floating in what seems to be the sky... what strikes you first about this artwork? Curator: The most compelling element for me is how Williams combines traditionally disparate materials: sculpture, ceramic elements, and what looks like oil painting. The frame itself is a handcrafted wooden base. Consider the labor involved, not just in the artistic rendering but also in the construction. Editor: Yes, that is unusual. I had focused more on the…fantasy aspect. Curator: Exactly! And the labor embedded isn't just Williams's own. It's suggestive of various skilled crafts—the ceramicist, the woodworker, the painter. This blurring of high art and craft speaks volumes about shifting perceptions of value and skill. How are these media socially valued? And, who has historically had access to the means of creating such works? Editor: That’s a really interesting angle, considering it challenges this hierarchy of artistic expression. Curator: It does! We must also ask, what materials are privileged? Why sculpture over ceramics in a fine art context? By combining these media, Williams subtly critiques those value judgments that exist in the art market. Editor: It gives a different perspective to appreciate it. Thinking about all those levels of process! Curator: Precisely. Looking at it this way brings in those socio-economic factors that informed it, making the “Orrery” more profound than a beautiful illustration.