Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. -William Blake
Matthew Chambers Ceramic Art
“I was a [production] potter for seven years, mass throwing cups, bowls, etc, in specific measurements depending on the style of pot that was being made at any one time. Although what I do now is certainly not this, to me, the essence of it still really is, as the repetition and the measuring are just the same. It’s just that today, I capture all pieces within one form to create an abstract expression in pattern instead of placing each individually out on a shelf next to the last to create a function as I did in times past.” Matthew Chambers
See
Artists have been creating and appreciating the symbolism of infinity patterns throughout time. Look at the similarities between Chambers's work, the beauty and magic of Russian nesting dolls, and the Droste Effect.
All work is constructed on the potter’s wheel. They are made up of a gathering of individual thrown parts; all joined in conformity to make the whole. Each section inside is measured and then joined to the last, with an aim to end with a pattern that creates an individual symmetry and rhythm within each work.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Sign up for in-person mindfulness and painting workshops in Minneapolis, MN, on December 17th! Registration is still open, but space is limited.
Russian Matryoshka Dolls
Matryoshka is associated with family and fertility in Russia. Matryoshka is used as the symbol for the epithet Mother Russia. Matryoshka dolls are a traditional representation of the mother carrying a child within her and can be seen as a representation of a chain of mothers carrying on the family legacy through the child in their womb.
The Droste Effect
The Droste effect is named after the image on the tins and boxes of Droste cocoa powder, which displayed a nurse carrying a serving tray with a cup of hot chocolate and a box with the same image, designed by Jan Misset.
Say
Does looking at these concentric nested pots and dolls imbibe a sense of wonder for you? Describe.
What questions does it raise for you?
What meaning might you draw from the works above?
How are the nested forms similar to the Droste effect?
Do
Watch
Chambers work
Look for things around you in nature and the constructed world that neatly nest within the larger form. How does it make you feel?
Read A History of Nesting Dolls to learn about Chinese origins.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Sign up for in-person mindfulness and painting workshops in Minneapolis, MN, on December 16th! Registration is still open, but space is limited.
About Matthew Chambers
Matthew Chambers (b.1972, London, England) makes sculpture that is born from the potter’s wheel. Each piece is constructed of many sections that are thrown and built to create a sculpture of complex, individual beauty with rhythm and symmetry in each form.
An early training in production ceramics gave Chambers the passion for the making process, and it is still the driving force behind the creation of his sculpture today. Through education, practice, and persistence, he has developed a unique method that utilizes the versatility of clay to its potential, which is essential for creating the individual character of the work.
Watch Chambers' focus is on the repetition of pattern: he creates sculptural forms that hold repeating shapes and patterns within a single form. The repetition in each piece holds a true and honest rhythm and beauty. His sculptural pieces have a visual rhythm that is wholly conscious and purposefully created, achieved by placing each repeat form layered inside another. (Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery)
Portfolio, Matthew Chambers, Instagram, info@matthewchambers.co.uk
DON’T MISS OUT!
Sign up for in-person mindfulness and painting workshops in Minneapolis, MN, on December 17th! Registration is still open, but space is limited.
Please share your reflections with me by replying to this post and tagging my Wonder Wander Facebook or Instagram pages!