Dear Viewer,

Recall the first time you spoke to someone you love. Imagine the sweetest memories you have with your family. Think of the most fulfilling conversation you have ever had. I can guarantee that one if not all of those memories were created while sitting at a table. This is a ceremony that shouldn't be described, but rather experienced. We could try to write a million different words that would never come close to capturing the feeling of sitting, surrounded by people you love or soon will love sharing food, words, and yourself. As ceramics majors, Massie and Alan understand the importance of communing at the table; this is our New York gallery, our Art Basel, the pedestal for which our art is both displayed, and engaged. Ceramic work is often devalued because of its utilitarian nature and its stubbornness to fit comfortably in craft or fine art. Being a ceramic artist means embracing nuance and encouraging others too as well. This show was created to help bring a better understanding of what it means to pursue and use ceramics. Our show, “Time at the Table'' is an intersection of performance, installation, ceramic, and photographic art. We designed an entire set of dishes created by Alan’s hand and decorated by Massie’s in order to set our own table. We then invited several of the people we each hold dear to join us. This performance highlights the collaborative aspect of pottery, and the collaborative nature of friendship. From family dinners to first dates so much of our lives are spent and shared around a table. As this performative communion occurred, Alex documented it through his unique, nostalgic photography style, which perfectly complements the nature of human connection that we offer as art. We brought this experience back into the gallery by placing the same table used in the center of the space. Furthering the installation, we embellished it with our collaborative wares and large-scale photographs of our performance on the walls. In this way, we aim for you the viewer to feel as though you are invited to our table, as witness and participant. The limitations and sterilization of the gallery space has historically prevented ceramics from being understood in its intended element. Through this unconventional approach of displaying the work, we hope you will walk away from our table the same way we walk away from tables in our own lives: having learned something new. 

 Sincerely, 

Alan, Alex, and Massie