Joanne Jaffe, Ceramics

Joanne Jaffe’s “Balancing Act,” from her series “Applied Geometry,” are contemporary ceramic artworks in shades of blue, yellow, red, and orange. It was inspired by Jaffe’s love of Kandinsky and the Russian Constructivists and the sublimity of the worlds they create. Jaffe, whose past work was relatively muted in color, in this series took a leap into a palette of primaries, chose a simple rectangular solid as her base, and the triangle, circle, and checkerboard as her dominant motifs. The rectangular form becomes a 3-D “tablet” around which the drawings are wrapped. 

The pieces are slab-built, high-fired stoneware decorated with underglazes. Several employ mishima, a technique which involves carving and inlaying slip. While sculptural, the rectangles can also function as vases. A common denominator in Jaffe’s pieces is her fondness for trompe l’oeil effects such as disguising corners by carrying patterns around them.

Mugs: 4.75"H x 3"W

Tea Cups: 4.75"H x 3"W

Ruly Small Vase:  6.5"H x 4.5"D

Big Tent Vase: 6 3/8” L x 4.25” W x 8.5" H

Sun Spots Vase: 8 1/4"L x 4 1/8"W x  8 1/4"H