Time Sensitive

Edmund de Waal on Pottery, Poetry, and the Act of Letting Go

Oct 4, 2023

London-based artist, Edmund de Waal, discusses his infatuation with Japan, his affinity for Isamu Noguchi, and the roles of rhythm and breath in his work. He explores the power of language and time in a poem by Paul Celan, his collaborative exhibition with Sally Mann, his childhood memories of cathedrals, and the mentorship of potter Jeffrey Whiting. The concept of letting go is also explored through personal experiences and grief.

01:08:43

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Edmund de Waal

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Quick takeaways

Edmund de Waal views his pottery and texts as a single, rigorously sculpted body of work and ongoing conversation across time.

Edmund de Waal incorporates poetic references to the works of John Milton, Wallace Stevens, and Emily Dickinson in his pottery installations.

Deep dives

Exploring Memory and History through Objects

Edmund DeWalle, a London-based artist and writer, delves into the theme of memory through his work in pottery and prose. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling and emotion in his exploration of history and objects. His exhibitions at Gagosian in New York, titled 'To Light and Then Return' and 'This Must Be the Place', showcase his porcelain vessels and stone benches carved from marble. DeWalle views his pots and texts as part of a larger, interconnected body of work and ongoing conversation.

Introduction

3min

Exploring the Power of Language and Time in a Poem

5min

Exploring the Connection Between the Speaker and Isamu Noguchi

12min

Collaborative Exhibition with Sally Mann

13min

Childhood Memories and the Influence of Cathedrals

5min

The Mentorship of Potter Jeffrey Whiting

25min

Exploring the Complexities of Letting Go

5min

The London-based artist, master potter, and author Edmund de Waal has an astoundingly astute sense for the inner lives of objects. Each of his works, whether in clay or stone, is imbued with a certain alchemy, embodying traces of far-away or long-ago ancestors, ideas, and histories. This fall, two exhibitions featuring his artworks are on view at Gagosian in New York (through October 28): “to light, and then return,” which pairs his pieces with tintypes and platinum prints by Sally Mann, and “this must be the place,” a solo presentation displaying his porcelain vessels poetically arranged in vitrines, as well as stone benches carved from marble. As respected for his writing as he is for his pots, de Waal is the author of 20th Century Ceramics (2003), The Pot Book (2011), The White Road (2015), Letters to Camondo (2021), and, perhaps most notably, the New York Times bestseller The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010). All that de Waal does is part of one long continuum: He views his pots and texts as a single, rigorously sculpted body of work and ongoing conversation across time.

On this episode, de Waal talks about his infatuation with Japan, his affinity for the life and work of the Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988), and the roles of rhythm and breath in his work.

Special thanks to our Season 8 sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels.

Show notes:

[00:28] Edmund de Waal

[03:43] Paul Celan

[08:12] 2023 Isamu Noguchi Award

[08:17] Gagosian

[08:20] “this must be the place”

[08:22] “to light, and then return”

[09:09] Twentieth-Century Ceramics

[09:20] The Pot Book

[18:23] “Letters to Camondo” Exhibition

[20:32] Sally Mann