Platter c. 1995

Curator: Welcome. Before us, we have a ceramic platter crafted by Robert Briscoe around 1995. It resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: You know, it looks like someone had a great time just… splattering paint on it, you know? But in a controlled, almost zen-like way. Makes me want to grab some brushes. Curator: The neutrality of its glaze contrasted with those confident brushstrokes feels deeply intentional. It sits at an intersection of function and expression. We should consider Briscoe’s influences. Was he responding to studio pottery, with its emphasis on utility? Or, perhaps, abstract expressionism, focusing on gesture and materiality? Editor: Yeah, totally functional… if you want to serve appetizers with a side of existentialism. Those intersecting lines… are they a crossroad? A barrier? Maybe they just represent the intersection of art and craft, trying to be profound here. I could totally see this on a minimalist's dining table, though. Curator: Perhaps the work itself reflects on the commercial forces, and even cultural appropriation, operating within the market. As pottery became recognized as 'fine art,' that trajectory brought complicated social, economic, and historical issues. Editor: You know, when I step back, the whole thing does feel a bit... unbalanced, a bit wonky. The shape is round and those thick stripes feel awkward with the brushstrokes cutting across them. It's sort of like a perfectly imperfect harmony. Does that make sense? Curator: Absolutely, there's tension here, formally and conceptually. Briscoe plays with what is considered high or low art and with consumerism to complicate how we relate to handmade things. Editor: I'm still stuck on that splatter effect...It is as if Briscoe didn't have the will to finish the job. The longer I stare, I more I fall into that abyss of indecision. Curator: Considering both its visual simplicity and historical contexts certainly enriches one's perception of such an object, transforming something quite banal into something profoundly philosophical. Editor: Well, next time I’m at a ceramics studio, I’m definitely letting loose with some brushes. Might accidentally create a masterpiece, who knows?