Jennifer Rochlin
Jennifer Rochlin
September15 - October 24, 2020
The Pit is pleased to present Jennifer Rochlin’s second solo exhibition at the gallery. The exhibition will be on view by appointment from September 15 through October 24, 2020.
For her latest show, Rochlin has filled the gallery with her signature ceramic amorphic vessels which are installed on a series of plinths of various scales throughout the space, creating an immersive installation for the viewer to traverse the artist’s body of work. Rochlin’s unique approach to the medium stems from her formal training as a painter. Rather than the form of the clay being the central impetus for working with ceramic, Rochlin uses the surface of the pot as a ground to compose colorful brushy compositions from underglaze and glaze. The imagery on the pots gives insight into the artist’s life, and lends itself to a deeper understanding of the human condition and the nature of connection. California native plants and wildlife such as coyotes, California condors, the horses of Griffith Park, and peacocks of Altadena reveal themselves on the surface of various pieces in the show. Other works depict moments and interactions pivotal in her life.
The show includes two pieces that showcase Rochlin’s method of applying sculptural techniques to the vessels as a way to imprint her physical presence onto the clay itself, giving the work a sense of immediacy and vitality. In this on-going series of pots, aptly named “Bites and Bruises,” the artist and others bite the clay form when it is still soft, leaving the impression of teeth in the surface of the clay, and creating a pattern-like composition. Rochlin then uses underglaze and glaze to add blue and purple hues to the bite marks, mimicking the bruising of the human body. However, at a distance, these bite marks and bruises resemble flowers and butterflies. The vessels in the series explore desire, pain, and physicality, as well as fragility and beauty.
This exhibition is the largest presentation of individual ceramic works by the artist to date.
