POTTERS
GUILD
of BRITISH

COLUMBIA
a

OF MASHUPS, MANGA AND ALICE IN WONDERLAND...

By Kathryn O'Regan

Brendan Tang’ work has been exhibited at the Musée dart contemporain
de Montréal (as a Sobey Finalist 2010), Vancouver Art Gallery, and The
Power Plant, and upcoming exhibitions of his work will take place at
the Denver Art Museum, and the Museum London (Ont.) He has been
profiled by The Knowledge Network, and featured in printed publications
including The National Post, Wired (UK and Italy), and ELLE
(Canada). On Jan. 25, Brendan spoke about himself and his work at
an event co-sponsored by the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver
and the Simon Fraser University Gallery.

‘There was a breath of fresh air blasting through the lecture room
at SFU recently when Brendan Tang presented an energizing and
inspiring discussion on his work. Brendan has been quoted as saying:
“Sometimes I feel like 'm jumping up and down at the front of the
room, ‘here I am! Hooray for ceramics! [But] not everyone in class is
on board.” I too wanted to jump and down with Brendan! Finally a
ceramic artist having fun...such outrageous behaviour in an era when
many predict the demise of traditional ceramic art!

Brendan Tang describes himself as a typical Canadian—a hybrid. He
isa naturalized Canadian who was born in Ireland to fourth-generation
Trinidadian parents. His mother is of South Asian origin and his
father, Chinese. Not surprisingly, the focus of Brendan's work evolves
out of this culturally complex background. Logically, his research
and work are directly related to issues of cultural appropriation, and
globalization. Brendan's vessels are the product of a long and ongoing
cultural interplay. This itinerant traveler (both in the artistic sense and
the physical) generously shared the adventures of his journey to date.

In a very traditional manner, Brendan embarked on his ceramic
journey by apprenticing in the JoVic Pottery in Chemainus, B.C.
(1994). It was here that he learned the basics of throwing, glazing,
surface treatment and the general maintenance of a functional pottery
studio. Importantly, he learned about the business side of being an
artist, something which he says is not emphasized in art schools. His
initial formal education was completed at Malaspina University-
College in Nanaimo. On completion, he transferred to the Nova
Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), experimenting with
printmaking, jewelry, and media but was compelled to return to
ceramics. He was fortunate to study with Neil Forest, Doug Bamford,
Joan Bruneau, Walter Ostrom and Jackson Lee.

After completing his undergrad degree (1998) he seized upon the
opportunity to travel to a small village in India, in the foothills of the
Himalayas. This pivotal residency was facilitated through his godfather.
For the first time, Brendan experienced true culture shock. Here, pots
were made for sale to the local community in order to survive and to
literally put food on the potter's table. He experienced a sense of guilt,
viewing his personal approach as being very self-indulgent. Still reeling
from the experience Brendan moved back to Vancouver Island where
he taught in secondary and elementary schools while establishing his
studio and a ceramic supply business.

In 2003, he travelled to Edwardsville, Southern Illinois to work with
Matt Wilt and Paul Dresang, both of whom he admired and with
whom he had studied. While Matt creates narrative sculpture with
additions of nails, melted steel, fiberglass and wire hybridized with

other forms, Paul employs a trompe l'oeil technique in his work. The

Manga Ormolu Ver. 4.0-m (2011), by Brendan Tang; 25.5" x 12" x 14".

environment offered yet another cultural challenge for Brendan who
described the location as being “in the middle of cornfields, five hours
South of Chicago”.

Two Years after graduation from Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville, Brendan, along with 19 other high-caliber ceramic
artists, participated as a summer resident at the Archie Bray. He
discovered himself situated alongside artists working in both the
figurative and functional traditions. It was a great opportunity for
learning from fellow artists, and an opportunity to be immersed in
dynamic conversations. What he found fascinating was an amazing
shard pile. He mined this detritus and considered the experience not
unlike the opportunity of accessing a very interesting database. He
could pick them up; get a sense of weight, decoration and technique.

Subsequently, in 2009, he had an opportunity to go to Japan where
he experienced the complexities of what he describes as a “living
tradition” juxtaposed against the manga, anime, ormolu, and robotic
cultures. He visited Tokyo Disney, which he describes as an “awesome
cultural mash up”. Brendan was there for “this stuff?”

In 2010, he was invited to do a residency at Medalta to work with
peers under the umbrella of discussing ceramics as they relate to
technology, a dialogue regarding ceramics entering the new technology
both esthetically, and socially. He returned to Medalta for five months

Continued on Page 5, Research

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Potters Guild of BC Newsletter - February 2012 4