Please join The Current for a presentation of work “the weight of water” by potter Kristina Batiste on Friday April 26, 11-12:30pm.
Created during the Current Artist Residency, “the weight of water” is a series of coil-built clay jars, inspired by the traditional forms for gathering, carrying, and storing water in parts of the world that don’t have modern water infrastructure. In the making of these pots, Kristina explored method, shape, volume, and gendered labor.
Coil building is one of the oldest and most universal pottery methods, it’s a structurally strong, versatile, and scalable way of making that can be done with minimal tools. Various pot shapes will be (were) created, with a total target volume of 60 gallons (the indoor water footprint of a typical American). Although the vast majority of water is used in industry and agriculture, this volume is a way of visualizing, in part, the scale of individual water use. Finally, in parts of the world where water isn’t easy, obtaining it is usually the job of women and girls. The opportunity costs are incalculable, and the weight of water impacts every. single. day. Their lives are shaped around it. This piece bears witness.
Questions? Please contact vmiles@tacomaartmuseum.org