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Objects that are connected to rituals—and therefore connected to social and cultural traditions—have a symbolic or metaphoric significance as well as a practical function. Open October 18, 2015 through February 7, 2016, Standing on Ceremony at Racine Art Museum highlights functional artworks from the museum’s collection that could be used for everyday rituals such as drinking and eating. Ceramic tea services and metal serving ware offer opportunities to reflect on the marriage of form and function in contemporary crafts.
The teapot can be a container for liquid, but it could also be considered a vessel for communication and a symbol of interpersonal relationships as well as historic events. As part of a ritual, this object is held in human hands yet it can also be “understood” without being touched. The teapot may be viewed in combination with other functional pieces, such as a cup and saucer. These tea sets imply further use and activity. As such, the teapot is a rather mundane object that can still possess power.
In addition, this exhibition features goblets, vessels, jewelry, and non-functional works that allow a broader view of the concepts of ceremony and ritual. Self-consciously, contemporary artists sometimes choose to investigate the relationship between power, spirituality, and objects. They reference a broad range of sources—African rituals, Native American ceremonies, and Western religious traditions—as they create works that reverently speak to the desire to imbue materials and items with extraordinary meaning. The work references ritual objects even if they are no longer meant to be used in the same way.
Standing on Ceremony: Functional Ware from RAM’s Collection is made possible at Racine Art Museum by: Platinum Sponsors – Karen Johnson Boyd and William B. Boyd, SC Johnson, Windgate Charitable Foundation; Gold Sponsors – Herzfeld Foundation, Johnson Bank, National Endowment for the Arts, Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Racine Community Foundation, W.T. Walker Group, Inc.; Silver Sponsors – Racine County, Real Racine, Wisconsin Arts Board; Bronze Sponsors – EC Styberg Foundation, Educators Credit Union, In Sink Erator, The Norbell Foundation, Orkney Springs Retreat, Polyform Products, Inc., Rasmussen Diamonds, Ruud Family Foundation, Inc., and Wisconsin Public Radio.
