One of the ways in which art is appreciated and discussed is based on its narrative quality. What story does it tell visually? No words. We are led through the comments by elements that have become universal symbols. The teapot is a symbol recognized worldwide for peace and tranquility, for elegance and sophistication. And like tea, there is a rich history of dedicated artists recognized as masters of the sculptural craft. In addition to being a blank canvas onto which the sculptor can display his ideas, the teapot has the benefit of incorporating many different elements - the body, the foot, the handle, the spout, the knob and the lid.

Richard Notkin is a contemporary sculptor who works almost exclusively with narrative teapots. He creates different series of teapots with strong social and political themes. Some of his most famous are his heart teapots and cubed skulls. But underlying the dramatic and controversial themes is his appreciation of the Yixing Teapots.

In an article in “Ceramics Today”, his work was reviewed and the artist gave the following statement:

Artist’s Statement
As the poet economizes words, I have developed a similar means of expression in the ceramic arts through the conservation of materials. I believe that the aesthetic impact of a work of art is not proportional to its size, but to its content. It is not the objects created which are of prime importance, but the lives of people who may be touched in significant ways.

It seems quite logical that the tools of tea should be in close company with poetry and sculpture. I have found that most tea lovers share an interest in the arts and an interest in the cultures of the world. In the same way that the use of the narrative in visual arts tell stories without the barriers of language, tea offers an experience of different geography and cultures when we taste the terrier in the brewed leaf.

Notkin pays special homage to ancient potters and reflects this in his work. His Yixing Series of teapots incorporates the elegance of form with highly politicized messages.

One from this series (pictured here) is “Nuclear Nuts” created in 1992.

His images are not subtle.

In fact his themes and images are very controversial; very non-teapot-ish. He builds his fears and concerns about the future of our world upon the elegance and peacefulness of the symbol of tea. The body rests on peanuts, the spout is a die. The handle is a lightning bold of electricity and the knob is a mushroom cloud. Nothing subtle here. The commentary is a shocking contrast between what we have held dear for thousands of years and where our cultural conflicts are taking us.

From this he moves on and continues to call his sculptures teapots even though they have far less recognition of the form and probably less to do with consuming the beverage.

Designs like this reach so far into the narrative and veer so far away from the preparation and serving of tea that we are left wondering - why?

Why bother giving a sculpture like this a body, handle, foot, knob and spout?

In this the foot and handle are crumbling brick. The body is a die. The spout is a cannon and the knob is a stack of cannon balls. There are no elements common to a traditional teapot.

And I can add from my experience as a teapot sculptor and attendee at a great many teapot shows, someone will always ask, “Will it pour tea?”

So, is it still a teapot if it doesn’t serve tea? Yes? No?

The artist gives us a bit of insight into these choices.

“I consider myself a sculptor with a strong commitment to social commentary. My chosen medium — the material I love to work with — is clay. The vessel is the primal “canvas” for the ceramic artist, and my vessel of choice is the teapot, the most complex of vessels, consisting of body, handle, spout, lid and knob. This allows me the widest latitude in juxtaposing the many images I use to set up my narrative pieces….the teapot is a universally recognized object, with strong associations to domesticity and tranquility.”               Ceramics Today,  Online Magazine For Artists; Featured Artist

And with this, Richard Notkin answers one aspect of our question. Tea is a universally recognized symbol which evokes many different associations. Peacefulness and tranquility. Home and family. Elegance and sophistication. Mindfulness. And those of us who have chosen to make tea an important part of daily life - as a practice and/or a profession - accept these as personal symbols.

The artistic adaptation of the teapot can be disturbing. But I can’t help but think of the lyrics of the nursery rhyme when I appreciate Notkin’s extremes.

I’m a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle. Here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, hear me shout . . .”

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