The Latest Trends of the Georgian Artistic Ceramics

Abstract

Inexhaustible plastic possibilities of clay, the use of pictorial elements and the ability to scale transformation in space allow ceramics to remain an urgent material used in the modern era. Starting from the 1960s Georgian ceramics took a long way to become part of the global production – an act reflected in the problems that are common to the field. The issue of interaction between a form, a space and a function is of a special urgency remaining the most important problem for all areas of plastic arts in the modern age of the 21st century and the multimedia synthesis when they become the most relevant elements. During the recent years artistic trends of the Georgian ceramics manifest this issue in different ways. Moreover, since the 1960s the Georgian school of ceramic production has already started to create a narrative about the innovations at the same time demonstrating the true nature of ceramic materials. It restored the connection with the past and introduced national traditions into the modern style. Therefore, the latest artistic trends are based on accomplishments of the local school and are genetically linked to the past. Monumental character of the works is strengthened through making conditional forms of artworks symbolic  and acquiring the role of a designer of space within the boundaries of utilitarian ceramics. This happens despite the state ideology. The artists use the attributes and elements that are characteristic to functionalism and minimalism while Georgian ceramic remains of a quest for its origin in the realm of generalized cosmopolitan trends and basically tries to maintain its indigenous appearance.