Film history is filled to the brim with depictions of fictional painters and sculptors (personal fave: Julianne Moore in The Big Lebowski), performance artists and oh-so-many aspiring filmmakers, but where are all the ceramicists?
Please see Ghost. No, please. See Ghost. Released in 1990, the supernatural thriller/love story includes possibly the most famous scene of ceramics in action, courtesy of Demi Mooreâs character throwing some clay in the middle of the night.
Who should join her to the sound of the Righteous Brotherâs âUnchained Melody,â offering to âhelpâ make a vessel? Why, a shirtless Patrick Swayze, of course. (Spoiler: They donât have a future as a collaborative artist duo.)
But the Oakland artist collective Mutual Stores doesnât seem to mind. On Saturday, Aug. 17 theyâll screen Ghost in their backyard garden (doors at 6pm, movie at sundown, a.k.a. 8:30pm), the second in an ongoing series of movie nights they promise will deliver âart films to classic American kitschâ (Ghost is, of course, the latter).
Itâs also a great opportunity to meet Mutual Storesâ organizers (the space was founded by Rosa Novak, Brendan Page and Kate Pruitt) and learn more about their events (brick-making workshops! clay days!), gallery space and residency programâwhich is dedicated to developing sustainable systems by offering artists the studioâs ceramic waste as a raw material.
And if you find yourself inspired by the aforementioned scene, the Mutual Stores folks might know where you can sign up for some pottery classes. âSarah Hotchkiss
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