Ruth Park  

ceramics, Australia

I was born in 1960, graduated in 1980 from The Riverina College of Advanced Education (now Charles Sturt University) with a Diploma in Applied Art. In 1981 I completed a Graduate Diploma in Education from Sydney Teachers College and in 1989 graduated with a Diploma in Ceramic Design from the Chisholm Institute of Technology (now Monash University) in Melbourne. My vessels shown here represent work created during this time. My objective during this period was to explore the possibilities of ceramic surface and whilst simplicity of form and function predominate it marks a point at which making a statement becomes integral to my work.

Symbolic of our world and its countries, The Peace Pot, embodies a candle. Its flame, when lit, flickers light through the delicately pierced holes to create an atmosphere of unity. This piece was inspired by the Bahá´í prayer "O God. Grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth."
In this way the prayer for world peace is articulated into a material form. It was envisaged that this piece could be mass produced and used during Bahá´í Feasts to aid in the creation of a spiritual atmosphere.

A strong Middle Eastern influence is reflected in much of the work created during this period. This is due in part to the strong influence of the Middle Eastern ceramic tradition on the Western aesthetic but for me in particular it reflects the strong historical association the Western Bahá´í community has with Persian Art and culture. This is reflected in the artefacts of many Western Bahá´í's homes and holy books.

Since 1999 my work has taken a more sculptural form. Large figurative works explore issues related to the aesthetics of the female form.

In 2002 I completed a Masters Degree in Fine Art at the University of Newcastle NSW where I researched the effects of the Western female beauty ideal on the traditional aesthetic of women from different cultures. It documented the homogenisation of the Western aesthetic around the world and the bizarre lengths women will go in order to change inherent racial characteristics to conform with the Western female body ideal.
The voluptuous sometimes-obese female nude functions as a metaphor for human diversity and makes reference to the ethical dimensions involved when one cultures aesthetic is allowed to dominates the cultures of others.

Email address: parkreka@optusnet.com.au