Kelley Knickerbocker, But I Digress & We’ve Known All Along

Back to Gallery

We’ve known all along 

Country : United States

Materials : Defaced ceramic, india ink, acrylic, epoxy

Dimensions : 43 x 33 x 5 cms

But I Digress

Country : United States

Materials : Defaced ceramic, acrylic, epoxy

Dimensions : 43 x 35 x 5 cms

In the current political process of tearing off cultural bandaids and blinders and working to make sense of what we’re finding beneath, a strong focus of my work is the defacement of surfaces to expose, analyse, and engage with the material beneath.

This often takes the form of chipping off part of the top layer of glazed ceramic/stoneware to expose the raw, porous interior surface, then stringing the whole and chipped pieces together to create a meaningful visual dialogue between the shielded and the revealed.

Recently I’ve begun painting and drawing on the raw surface areas, exploring the potential of unifying individual tesserae across their defined lines of andamento.

Juror’s Comments

“By definition, innovation is the act of introducing something new. Experimentation requires thinking outside the perceived boundaries of the norm to produce or discover something not seen before. While remaining squarely a mosaic, with beautiful use of andamento, composition and materials – and some surprising and fresh use of dimensional setting – this work by Kelley Knickerbocker pushes the boundaries of the medium. Kelley makes use of uncommon techniques, defacing the glaze layer to uncover more or less of the clay body of the tesserae to produce a subtle gradation of light reflection. She introduces the drawing medium onto the work, not by adding lines to complement the mosaic, but using the mosaic itself as a canvas to completely change the character of the tesserae and direct the narrative. These techniques enhance and complement the work, bringing an unexpected and delightful twist that redefines what mosaic can be.”