“Patricia Glave comes full circle to migration in its first-degree meaning, i.e., the migration of peoples. Glave similarly exploits the fragility of the medium of porcelain, referencing the precarity of dwellings as they relate to the homeless. Curiously, Glave speaks to the beginning of humanity, citing, “The very first shelter is the womb of the woman who bore us; it is the most beautiful shelter.” For Glave, The Shelter, evolves into the children’s play hut, and ultimately the survival huts that adults build out of necessity. The installation is minimal, yet powerful. The beauty and simplicity of monochrome porcelain asserts a sobering observation, “a paradox in view of the drama of migration and of our world, which learns nothing from the history of the past . . . an imaginary shelter..”
Originally published in June/July/August 2023 issue of Ceramics Monthly pages 51-56 . http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org . Copyright, The American Ceramic Society. Reprinted with permission.
