Kasia Piech & Wendy Walgate

Keith and Winifred Shantz Gallery and Donald and Pamela Bierstock Gallery

January 9th to March 11th, 2005

The Fisherman and His Wife: ceramic mixed media glaze made from salmon: 3h x 3w x 3.5d feet, 2004

The Little Pear Girl: Slip cast earthenware, glaze fired to Cone 06, wire egg baskets, metal conveyor belt Each basket 56cm x 40cm x 28cmConveyor belt approx. 914cm x 76cm x 38cm 2004

"Deeper meaning resides in the faerie tales told me in my childhood than in any truth that is taught in life."

~Johann Schiller~

German Poet (1759-1805)

Many people assume that faerie tales came about in the 17th century salons in France when women such as Marie-Catherine D'Aulnoy began writing tales dubbed "contes de fees," a term that was translated into English as "faerie tales." However faerie tales have been around for almost as long as the written word. Some scholars, for example, consider Cupid and Psyche, written by Apuleius AD100-200 as the first literary faerie tale. Since then, whether it has been the 4th century Hindu tales of Panchatantra, the 9th century Chinese tale of Cinderalla, the Tales of the Arabian Nights from the 16th century, the 19th century works of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, through to the Harry Potter series of our present day, faerie tales have held their audiences captive within their magical charms. Undeniably, faerie tales have an enormous and irreplaceable value in the life of a child. Not only do they entertain, they educate, support and liberate the emotions of children. Faerie tales provide a unique way for children – and adults - to come to terms with the dilemmas of their inner lives.

Part of the enduring power that faerie tales have is that, distinct from myths, faerie tales usually focus on normal, non-heroic people that children can identify with. Yet unmistakably there are strong and fearful aspects to faerie tales. Today many children unfortunately know only the distilled, “Disney-fied” version of the stories where the darker, disturbing aspects have been edited out. This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon however. The philosopher John Locke believed that faerie tales should be banned as they contributed to fantasy and subverted the ideals of the Age of Reason. And in 1903, a German-language education manual for parents, Dr. Karl Oppel's The Parent's Book: Practical Guidance for the Education at Home spoke out strongly against faerie tales. Because of their violence and terrifying figures Dr. Oppel believed that faerie tales established a foundation of fear and nervousness in children’s temperament. In more recent years faerie tales have been criticized within a feminist paradigm due to passive female princesses needing to be rescued by active princes and have been censured for their lack of political correctness.

Yet the allure of the faerie tale remains strong. All good faerie tales have meaning on many levels; only the child can know which meanings are significant to him or her, and these can and often do change as time goes on. As s/he grows up, the child discovers new aspects of these well-known tales. The stories can become mentors in a sense, permeating one’s unconscious and influencing how we react to the challenges we face in day-to-day living.

Symbol & Story is an exploration of the world of faerie tales by artists Kasia Piech and Wendy Walgate. They have created ceramic sculptures and installations inspired by faerie tales and fables from around the world. The finished works are an investigation of the symbolism, meaning and impact of historical and modern day faerie tales using a selection of diverse sources from around the world, including the classics of Aesop and Grimm and cultural folk tales from Asia, Europe and North America.

"In a utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that faerie tales should be respected."

~Charles Dickens~

British novelist (1812-1870)

Piech and Walgate were attracted to this project for a number of reasons. Firstly, as ceramic artists they noted that craft work and particularly ceramics have reflected societal myths, cultural folk ballads and even children’s faerie tales since surface decoration originated on the vessel. Minoan pots feature the simple brush strokes of a mythical sea world, Greek amphorae demonstrate the conviction of sacred legends, Russian Revolutionary ceramics portrayed political scenes with folk antecedents, and Royal Doulton developed the modern day “Bunny Kin” series to delight young viewers. So in this the artists felt a natural affinity for their medium as an appropriate means of exploring the subject.

Significantly, this is not their first foray into the world of childhood. Piech’s work is often inspired by childhood memory and symbols. Her recent sculptures of children on bicycles, swings and school chairs suggest reconstructed remembrances of youthful pastimes. The work is glazed in concoctions of hard candy, soft drinks and delectable treats that are loved by the young. Walgate has used the themes of accumulation and colour in her latest series of sculptural works. Using props such as a small wagon, a doll suitcase, a toy box and a small desk, ceramic elements are mounted high to evoke the assemblage of toys, objects and the detritus of life. Her saturated use of reds, yellows, oranges and greens suggest a child’s fearless use of colour.

While each artist created separate pieces for this exhibition there is a harmony and natural relationship between their works. Likewise their thematic approaches are distinct but complementary.

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them faerie tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more faerie tales."

~Albert Einstein~

Scientist (1879-1955)

Walgate is particularly interested in the aspects of transformation and anthromorphization of animals within faerie tales. Often, children first learn about animals through faerie tales and nursery stories. Thus, their first exposure to animals and beasts show them that frogs, cats, bears and pigs can walk, talk, sing, often wear clothes and are able to build houses, give advice and sometimes even slay giants. These animals become treasured companions – one only has to look in nearly any child’s room to find one (or several) beloved teddy bears. These bears, and other stuffed animals, have “magic” powers that provide comfort, companionship and can alleviate fears. They become “security” objects that help the child to deal with situations in which s/he feels anxious or afraid. Walgate believes that these anthromorphized companions help us as we make the transition from child to adult and teach us how to deal with our fears.

Likewise the process of transformation within faerie tales can be empowering for readers both young and old. Children identify themselves with the characters in the stories. They imagine themselves as the prince or princess, as the woodchopper or as the lost children who outwit the witch. In doing so they mentally enact a number of “what if” situations and are not only given hope, but also grow in the belief that they will be victorious over even a much stronger opponent. Many adults today tend to take literally the things said in faerie tales, whereas these stories should be viewed as symbolic renderings of crucial life experiences. Children understand this intuitively. So among the great merits of faerie tales is that through hearing them, the child comes to believe that such transformations are possible.

Piech’s exploration of the fascination of faerie tales is also two-fold. She is interested in uncovering the attraction of children to toys and of their relationship with one another but also in looking at the cautionary aspect of faerie tales. How do the endings – both happy and sad – effect children? What understanding and knowledge do children gain from them?

The attraction element is readily evident in Piech’s work. Her animal creatures are child-size and engaging. Further, she has coated and glazed many of them with sugary foodstuffs thereby metaphorically as well as physically making them appealing to children. Yet there also remains a somewhat sinister or disturbing element to them as well. With their sugary, candy coating one cannot help but think of the Witch’s house of candy that lured Hansel and Gretel to their almost certain demise. As such, her work embodies the contrasts and complexities that are found in the best and most enduring of faerie tales.

Faerie tales project fantastic other worlds; but they also pay close attention to real moral "laws" of character and virtue. By portraying wonderful and frightening worlds in which ugly beasts are transformed into princes and evil persons are turned to stones and good persons back to flesh, faerie tales remind us of moral truths whose ultimate claims to normality and permanence we would not think of questioning. Life often takes strange and perverse twists and turns. Figuring out what life is all about is often beyond our rational capacities, so we (re)turn to stories, to novels and faerie tales, folk tales, legends, and myths. How we live today, is ultimately related to those stories and faerie tales that we heard as children.

"In the art and fantasy of faerie tales lies a very deep wisdom which has power to awaken children from the sleep of ordinary life. Forces of healing are also hidden in each faerie tale. The most important effect of the faerie tale is that they stimulate the feeling that man is a being of development, of struggle, of metamorphosis, and that behind all the adverse forces of giants and dwarfs, witches and demons there lies the good world of the true genius of man."

~Frederick Hiebel ~

German Poet and Mystic - 20th Century

A graduate of the Masters of Fine Art programme from the University of Waterloo, Kasia Piech, Piech also has her BFA in Ceramic Sculpture from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies form the University of Windsor. She has exhibited at public and private galleries in Canada, the United States and Croatia.

Wendy Walgate studied at the University of Manitoba, George Brown College, Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan receiving her M.F.A., and completed her M.A. in Art History at the University of Toronto. She was an invited participant in the 2002 Biennale Nationale de céramique in Trois Rivières, Québec, and served as the President of the Ontario Crafts Council from 2000-2002. She has taught in both Canada and the United States, and her work is part of the Bronfman's Claridge Collection, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery permanent collection and the Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum's permanent collection

FAERIE TALES EXPLORED WITHIN THE EXHIBITION:

The Bird of Popular Song, Jorinda and Joringel

Little Red Riding Hood

The Little Pear Girl,

King Thrushbeard

Chumash Indians Creation Myth: Rainbow Bridge

Hansel and Gretel

Rapunzel

The Golden Reed Pipe: A Yao Folktale

The Frog Prince

The Frog’s Bridegroom

The Red Shoes

The Princess and The Pea

The Fisherman and His Wife

Jack and the Beanstalk

Pandora’s Box

Bremen Town Musicians

The Three Little Pigs

How the Sea Became Salty