Son of Fudge, 2012, Ceramic, 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 6 inches, 13.3 x 13.3 x 15.2 cm
This piece is pretty perfect in my eyes. It's small and pithy but still engaging. I like the matte cragginess of the pink "scoop". It reminds me of the moon. The shiny deep-chocolate-brown ceramic fudge looks delicious and warm. And is that an almond sliver on top?
Looking at Son of Fudge makes me giggle. It is sweet and silly and really pointless.
The blurb for the exhibition Stone Gravy, where this piece is featured:
“Unlike gods whose identities are defined by their ability to make something out of absolutely nothing, the nine artists in Stone Gravy make art out of nothing much or nothing special – just ordinary supplies and substances, like clay, paint and canvas, not to mention sweat, stubbornness and faith – in their own experiences and thinking, which are meticulously observed, rigorously analyzed, and constantly second-guessed.*”
"While art most commonly is defined by its significance, materials, markets, intentions, influences, forms, contexts, histories and institutions, Pagel explains that often stories, anecdotes and parables are well suited to illustrate art’s pleasures and the essence of creativity. The origin of the exhibition’s title is derived from the folktale, “Stone Soup.” According to legend, a group of hungry travelers visit a small village where there is no food in sight. The travelers decide to build a fire; they retrieve a pot from their knapsack, boil water and throw in a rock. When a curious villager asks about what the travelers are concocting, one traveler responds, “Stone Soup,” a delicious meal that would be even better with more ingredients. The villager runs home and is able to find some carrots. More villagers feel inclined to participate and toss in whatever their pantries can allow – peas, potatoes, rosemary, garlic, the list goes on. Soon, with the collaboration of all parties, a marvelous meal is created and shared festively among the travelers and villagers. The moral of such a story is that these separate individuals through their combined efforts were able to create something out of nothing, for the benefit of all.
First of all, Pagel clearly has never made gravy. Seriously.
I agree that sometimes talking about the usual suspects regarding art - "significance, materials, markets, intentions, influences, forms, contexts, histories and institutions" - simply isn't enough to convey what it is you're looking at. Or more importantly, what it is you're feeling when you're looking. But in my opinion, other than readymade art, all art is made from essentially nothing. An artist take things that are nothing on their own and by combining them makes something significant. Good art is so much greater than the sum of its parts. Creating a piece of art gives people pleasure because one did something no one else could ever do again, including the artist. It came from within, from one's own imagination, and that is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
I'm annoyed by the gravy reference. It's really pretentious and such a stretch. And it doesn't even make sense. These pieces did not just magically appear - they were labored over and took literally dozens of hours of think and work time.
Maybe Pagel is partial to the bottled gravy variety?
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