ART CITIES: N.York-Johan Creten

A key figure in the revival of ceramics in contemporary art, Johan Creten has been working in numerous locations for almost forty years. Since the 1980s, when ceramics were still considered taboo in the art world, Johan Creten’s dedication and innovation in clay have led to the development of unique and virtuoso techniques. Renowned for his allegorical sculptures in ceramic and bronze, Creten depicts a world full of poetry, lyricism, and mystery. Yet his work not only highlights the importance of beauty but also resonates socially and politically, affirming his humanist commitment. Johan Creten advocates for “Slow Art,” a return to introspection and an exploration of the world with all its individual and social afflictions.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Perrotin Gallery Archive

The exhibition “Strangers Welcome” is a continuation of Johan Creten’s exhibition “Le Coeur qui déborde” at the Abbaye de Beaulieu-en-Rouergue in France. The artist introduces his colorful, mysterious creations and gilded bas-reliefs to New York, presenting viewers with his eclectic metaphors on the human condition. Transposing the exhibition from one heart to another: the heart of one of the most remote places in France to that of the bustling contemporary art scene fulfills Creten’s desire to share these works with a wider audience (i.e., to welcome strangers to his most recent oeuvre) and in many ways further solidifies his place among the ranks of contemporary sculptors. Returning to the Moby-Dick reference that opened this essay, if Creten’s “white whale” is synonymous with the “white cube” of the contemporary art scene, it would seem he has caught it. The hybrid sculptures that populate both exhibitions—sea beasts or humans, pedestals (for display or performance) or seating (for observation or contemplation)—draw analogies to the human condition and all the dualities contained within it: sacred and secular, pious and sinful, beautiful and grotesque. Clay is a finely-textured composite material composed of minerals, soil, oxides and organic deposits. As one of the earliest mediums for our prehistoric ancestors, clay served a purpose beyond the aesthetic, forming containers for dry grain, vessels for water; and, hearths which would progress, with time, into rudimentary homes. In mythology, creation stories detail when the gods gave life to clay through breath and fire to create the first people; and, most importantly, clay composed the first tools to define advanced human society. As his vehicle for artistic expression, Johan Creten does not take the significance of clay lightly. Especially in his practice, clay reaches beyond the context of the applied crafts, adapting instead the vocabulary of Conceptual Art. Across contemporary art history, it is uncommon for artists to attempt representing the utility of clay in their works. Creten, however, does not see this as a challenge, for, as he states, “I should, as an artist, have the ability to take an idea from one method of representation and carry it to another means of representation”. Throughout the exhibition, Johan Creten displays an uncanny understanding of clay as a medium, further delving into the notion of the omnipotent, formidable force, “the Earth Mother”. As an untraditional medium for contemporary art, Creten’s manipulation of clay to wield his vital messages has resonated with the newest generation of artists, breaking preconceived notions regarding what exactly it can achieve. Where Creten succeeds most is in this visual dialogue towards the practices of artists from the past, implementing previous applications of methods for manipulating raw materials, into the context of today, as mentioned above. Notwithstanding, the same can be said for his handling of subject matter; specifically, in how Creten deifies his concepts into clay idols. By doing so, he transforms a banal medium into an icon to be worshipped today, powerful contextually even now as it might have been for our ancestors who prioritized our bond to the Earth.

Photo Left: Johan Creten, Point d’observation – Cirque bas 7, 2022 – 2023, Glazed stoneware, 45 cm, Ø 40 cm | 17 11/16 inch, Ø 15 3/4 inch, Unique, © Johan Creten, Courtesy the artist and Perrotin Gallery. Photo Right: Johan Creten, Gigolo Falling off a cliff, 2021 – 2023, Glazed stoneware, Overall dimensions : 183 × 70 × 86 cm | 72 1/16 × 27 9/16 × 33 1/4 inch, Sculpture : 104 × 37 × 86 cm | 40 15/16 × 14 9/16 × 33 1/4 inch, Pedestal : 79 cm, Ø 70 cm | 31 1/8 inch, Ø 27 9/16 inch, Unique, © Johan Creten, Courtesy the artist and Perrotin Gallery

Info: Perrotin Gallery, 130 orchard street, New York, NY, USA, Duration: 1/6-22/7/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00, www.perrotin.com/