DESIGN IN CRAFTS
Ursula Munch-Petersen
Exhibition 3 - 23 December 2015
Open hours Mon-Sat 11-19.00
Celebrated ceramic designer exhibits original crafts.
Ursula Munch-Petersen is internationally known for her design of tableware.
From beautiful craftsmanship her work has become industrial design products, - still holding a sense of the handmade.
A true relationship between the touch of hands and use of common sense.
Ursula Munch-Petersen has created a myriad of works, tableware, experiments and prototypes of design for industrial or studio production, as well as unique pieces and public commissions.
Many people know the LAERKE SET and URSULA - dishes, bowls, cups and jugs of strong colours and characteristic forms.
Few has as Ursula succeeded in combining new design with craftsmanship.
This exhibition focuses on the crafts, original pieces and prototypes, that sometimes resulted in an industrial product - and displays a fine selection of small series and handmade tableware with traces of the hands.
The exhibition's pieces are single or in series - all beautifully useful.
LAERKE SET - dishes, cup, plate.. JUGS - tea, water, milk.. BUTTER DISHES - _ decorated.. DISHES, CENTREPIECES, PLATES - high, low, square, round, oval and curved in multiple sizes and colours.. - for beans , asparagus, fish, shrimp, sunflowers, sugar, salt.. BOWL SET - for the kitchen, table and living room, with and without glass cover .. OVEN DISHES a small selection.. VASES in a spiral, with lines, waves, edges.. MORTAR an early and new version..
This Christmas exhibition contains a large selection of old and new functional pieces found in Ursula's beautiful studio and farm house on the island Møn.
A visit to the place revealed a myriad of pieces from her productive life.
- Colours, shapes, purposes and landscapes went into one with the peace settling upon the countryside.
The scent of history, material and common sense mixed with a joy of making.
URSULA MUNCH-PETERSEN
"I have worked with clay and ceramics for 60 years. There have been numerous exhibitions along the way, and remains from here have ended up at the loft.
My work has been almost evenly divided between modelled objects and commissions - and tableware.
The one has not engaged more or been more important than the other.
Everyday objects require probably the most if you produce it yourself. With things in production, part of the work is collaboration with place of production and marketing.
For major public commissions, collaboration with studios is needed for extra space and kiln capacity. I have worked at The Tommerup Ceramic Workshop with great pleasure and the same for the National Studios for Arts and Crafts.
From one to the other, experience is new every time a new project arises.
For the exhibition, Ann and I looked at the many old and newer things, I have put aside over the years.
We spent some days together, selected things and packed 10 boxes, basically functional - as many as we could carry in each box. This is what is displayed at the exhibition.
When I received inquiries about a small mortar, that I did in the sixties on Bing&Grøndahl, I took the form up, came as well in with the throwing process that there will be a series in the exhibition - a mix of old and new."
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Ursula Munch-Petersen was born in 1937 on the island Bornholm. Following has her studio experience on The Hjorts Factory in Ronne and education at the Arts&Crafts School (now: Royal Academy Design school) 1956-60, she was employed at Artist Studios of the porcelain factory Bing & Grondahl 1961-68, and designer for The Royal Copenhagen and Kaehler. She has received numerous grants and awards including The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark's National Banks Foundation, Bindesbøll Medal, Ole Haslund's Artist Award, Arts&Crafts Council, - is a Knight of the Dannebrog. Following an active life as a craftsman and designer with travelling, teaching and exhibitions in Denmark and abroad among others Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, the USA, Mexico and China, she has her studio and home in Copenhagen and at the island of Møn. She designed among others faïence tableware 'Ursula' Royal Copenhagen in 1992, pieces in The Larch Set 1994 - and recent public commission is 'Timetable' for the Ancient Roman Road, Jutland 2010.
At the exhibition FormLanguage 2014 Ursula showed hand-thrown stoneware vessels related to 'Dao de Jing' (=way of virtue) by Lao Zi, Chinese book of wisdom (Taoism), probably written 6th. B.C. Quote: ” About the outer and inner – the meaning of the jar is what is not there – the void within.”
Grateful thanks to the Danish Arts Foundation and Denmark's National Banks Anniversary Foundation.
