Jonathan Anderson is a master curator when it comes to weaving together disparate mediums. As Andrew Bonacina said of the ‘Disobedient Bodies’ exhibition he co-curated with Anderson earlier this year, the Irish designer ‘brings things together in a way that’s expansive and promiscuous’.
The same can be said of the diverse inventory of objects currently on show at Loewe’s Miami boutique. ‘Chance Encounters III’ attests to Anderson’s eclectic curatorial vision. It’s the third in a series of exhibitions established by the Loewe Foundation, that brings together artists from various disciplines in the hopes of promoting unexpected conversations.
The latest showcase includes specially made ceramic vessels by Irish artist (and Loewe Craft Prize 2017 finalist) Sara Flynn, seen in relation to photography of 1930s Ceylon by Sri Lankan artist Lionel Wendt, and a renowned 1975 fabric sculpture by Richard Smith. The works surround an imposing 18th-century Spanish granary that runs the length of the boutique.
More than simply aggregating variant objects, Anderson’s curatorial method is nuanced, balanced and trusting of his artists. ‘In terms of the brief, Jonathan didn’t ask me to make work in response to the other makers,’ Flynn explains. ‘Instead, he wanted me to respond to the space. He didn’t want me to be derivative or try to link the three artists together in a false way.’
‘Esker’ vessel, by Sara Flynn, 2017, for the Loewe Foundation
Held together and framed by the granary structure, a kind of effortless conversation exists between the works. Each bares an understanding of how three-dimensional forms interact with the space around them. Wendt’s dynamic portraits, for example, carry a dancerly sensitivity of how the body displaces the air, reflected in the ripples and contours of Flynn’s manipulated ceramics. Likewise, Smith’s protruding ‘kite painting’ juts out into the gallery, its contoured structures exploring the tension between volume and surface.
To wit, each work is preoccupied with craftsmanship. Flynn adopts an organic, almost folkloric approach. Her vessels are thrown on the potters wheel to start with, in ‘a method steeped in tradition’. Then they’re ‘cut, pushed, reassembled and stuck back together’. The resulting asymmetrical forms appear to shift and change as the surface unfolds.
Flynn has had a ‘lifelong love affair’ with clay. ‘I’ve been making clay pots for upwards of 20 years,’ she says, ‘and the clay is still the boss.’ Materiality is of the upmost importance to her – something she believes Anderson understands better than anyone. ‘Loewe have these master craftsmen working with the most incredible leather. His relationship with high quality materials is a real common thread between our works.’
More from Design Miami 2017
Explore the top 20 exhibitions and satellite events from Design Miami 2017
ICA Miami’s new home has all the right angles
For its tenth foray at Design Miami, Fendi teams up on living room furniture by Chiara Andreatti
‘Chance Encounters III’ features ceramic vessels by Sara Flynn, arranged on the 18th century granary
From left, two Double-spine camber vessels; two Spine camber vessels; two Double-spine camber vessels; two Spine camber vessels, by Sara Flynn, 2017
Young Man with Fishing Net, by Lionel Wendt, 1935
Shoulder vessels, by Sara Flynn, 2017
From left, Faceted Esker vessel; Flection vessel; Spine camber vessel; Flection vessel, by Sara Flynn, 2017
Double-spine camber vessel, by Sara Flynn, 2017
INFORMATION
‘Chance Encounters III’ runs from until 24 January. For more information, visit the Loewe website (opens in new tab)
Follow our live report from Design Miami (opens in new tab) and Art Basel Miami Beach 2017
ADDRESS
Loewe
Miami Design District
110 NE 39th Street
Miami
-
Patek Philippe’s Watches and Wonders 2023 releases embody a sharp technicalityDiscover the new watches from Patek Philippe
-
These London spas are utterly relaxing urban escapes
These London spas offer transformative treatments in awe-inspiring spaces for total relaxation in the midst of the big city
-
Max Richter: ‘Visual art culture is wide open in a way that classical music, unfortunately, sort of isn't’
Hot on the heels of Max Richter’s new album, ‘Sleep: Tranquility Base’, and recently opened multi-arts haven in rural Oxfordshire, we speak to the acclaimed composer about creating a sonic antidote to complex times
-
The best London art exhibitions: a guide for March 2023
Your guide to the best London art exhibitions, and those around the UK in March 2023, as chosen by the Wallpaper* arts desk
-
Janny Baek’s psychedelic ceramics are objects in flux
We speak to Korean-American architect and sculptor Janny Baek about expressing ‘vibrancy, pleasure, and hope’ through her vivid ceramics ahead of a major show at Culture Object, New York
-
Ceramic artists: top trail-glazers breaking the mould
A way with clay: discover the contemporary ceramic artists firing up a new age for the medium
-
Desert X 2023 is a staggering sculpture extravaganza spanning California’s Coachella Valley
Will Jennings travels to the Coachella Valley to explore outdoor sculpture exhibition Desert X 2023, which sees projects balance impact, subtlety, and unapologetic enormity
-
Supergraphics pioneer Barbara Stauffacher Solomon: ‘Sure, make things big – anything is possible'
94-year-old graphic designer Barbara Stauffacher Solomon talks radical typography, motherhood, and her cool welcome for St Moritz
-
Buckhorn Sculpture Park: inside the art paradise dreamt up by collectors Sherry and Joel Mallin
As legendary art collectors Sherry and Joel Mallin prepare to sell their upstate New York home – and the star-studded collection occupying Buckhorn, its onsite sculpture park – we go behind the scenes of this art treasure trove, and the extraordinary life, work and spirit of the Mallins
-
Theaster Gates’ New Museum exhibition meditates on mourning, materials and community
Theaster Gates talks about his first US museum show, ‘Young Lords and Their Traces’ at The New Museum (until 5 February 2023), a moving homage to the creative forces who came before
-
Fluffy bunnies meet office politics in Nicolas Haeni’s photo series
To mark the Year of the Rabbit, we return down the rabbit hole of Swiss photographer Nicolas Haeni’s photography series, where mischievous bunnies infiltrate the humdrum of corporate life
