“Against the Wall V”
by Lillian Tørlen · Oslo, Norway

“Against the wall V” is part of Levels of Attachment and Belonging – a series of site-relational ceramic vases, where each object is hand-built and unique. The titles refer to the original site for which the pieces were created and may highlight any subsequent displacement.

The pieces are defined by the architecture and interior of the space for which they were initially created. They relate in different ways to their environment—some through a gently altered shape, while others seem forced into their new form. While some have retained their potential as functional vases, others are rendered as objects where the characteristics of the vase are nearly wiped out.

In this series of work the vase is appropriated to examine a theme of belonging and adaptation. The vase has established anthropomorphic qualities with shapes that are often described in terms of human anatomy; feet, belly, shoulder, neck and lip – and invites to a corporeal as well as a psychological reading. By preserving the unglazed clay’s organic expression this aspect is emphasized.

As these vases are moved from their initial place of exhibition, they take on a different relationship to their new surroundings. Some find similar spaces in which to dwell, easily adapting to new structures, whilst others are rendered as awkward shapes with no apparent sense of belonging.

Originally part of installation for Norwegian Presence, Milan.

Note: Though glazed on the inside, it is not intended to hold water.