Caroline Holder is a ceramic artist currently based in New York. We think her pieces are a beautiful combination of drawing, sculpture and ceramics, and make us want to take a pottery class to make our own porcelain tool kit!
Her series "Conflict of Interest" features ivory ceramic sculptures that convincingly resemble hammers and are embellished with striking black designs and patterns. At first glance, they may appear to be the real objects, but hitting a nail with one would cause it to shatter. This material quality of the porcelain they are made of transitions the pieces from functional to aesthetic objects. The surface design of each one continues to emphasize its aesthetic purpose, and the unbelievable amount of detail in each design offers us a sense of intricacy and labour. The labour required to create these designs has replaced the functional use hammers are primarily associated with - hard work. Also, we find her methods of displaying these works interesting, as they make us think of artifacts in a natural history museum instead of sculptures in a gallery.
For us, these works of Caroline Holder are so successful because of their hybridity, specifically their ability to represent a tool, an aesthetic object, and as Holder explains, a weapon. However, this series is just a taste of her diverse body of work, all of which offer interesting narratives, intricate drawings, and captivating sculptures, just like "Conflict of Interest."
