Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Yesterday I stopped by a local craft show in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, and discovered Ellen McGinnis, a crafty lady who makes a form of contemporary make-do’s. By pairing up unwanted single ceramic plates with glass candle stands and bases, she creates footed cake stands and serving bowls. Although not officially inventive repairs, they are a form of recycling that I feel have the same spirit as vintage make-do’s.

This cut crystal compote from my collection has a do-it-yourself replacement base made from a discarded wooden spool, which has the same sensibility of Ellen’s contemporary creations.

This past May I traveled to Dresden, Germany, to see the world renowned ceramics collection at the Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) at the Zwinger, Dresden’s magnificent palace. Not only did I see the jaw-droppingly gorgeous ceramics, sumptuously displayed in various rooms and hallways of the palace, but I was given a private tour by Heike Ulbricht, conservator of ceramics. Ms. Ulbricht was most generous with her time, spending over 2 hours showing me early repairs sprinkled throughout the collection, and giving me a peek at pieces she and her colleagues were currently working on. Only about 10% of the collection is on view to the public so I was thrilled to witness the astonishing collection of over 20,000 examples, kept cool in underground vaults below the great halls of the palace.

These two pieces of Meissen porcelain, both with sturdy brass staple repairs, are in the private collection of Heike Ulbricht.

Here are some more photos from my exhibit, Mended Ways, which ended last Sunday at the New York Ceramics & Glass Fair. In addition to the 100+ examples of my own antique ceramics and glassware, I also curated a collection of contemporary work by ceramic artists, with help from Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Contemporary. I’d like to thank these artists for loaning their work and for continuing the tradition of early repairs.

Details from fastidiously hand painted plates by Stephen Bowers, showing trompe l’oeil fragments and staples.

Ai Weiwei’s “Bubble” sphere using the Chinese kintsugi repair technique to enhance the cracks by filling them with gold.

Detail of a figure by Sergei Isupov with painted cracks.

Two pieces by Paul Scott, using reassembled antique ceramics.

Shattered and fused plate by Ruan Hoffmann.

Stoneware jug with wood “staples” by Adam Lefebre.

Nicolle Horsfield’s broken plate stitched back together using silk thread.

One of many explosive sculptures using reassembled broken antique ceramics by Bouke de Vries.

Vase with gold kintsugi repair by Frances Palmer

Mara Superior also used the kintsugi technique to repair a crack in a figural vase.