Arete
Beatrice Waller, Arete, 2018. 76 glazed stoneware cylinders, plywood, ink, coffee, steel. 630 x 430x 1200 mm.
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
-Samuel Beckett, Worstward Ho
Arete is an exploration of the connection between excellence in making and morality reflecting the artist’s experience of improvement in both these areas as a maker and a person of faith. The symbol of virtuosity in craftsmanship and the journey toward the perfect Platonic cylinder draws strong parallels to this idea.
‘arete’ - a Greek word means both ‘excellence’ and ‘virtue’ that leads to happiness.
The repeated copies of the Platonic cylinder are symbolic of people being imperfect and shows the process of moral and technical improvement. The word ‘arete’ is a summary of the connection between the two aspects of the work. The idea of excellence as the goal for a craftsman relates to virtue being a goal for Christians and connects these two aspects of my life.
Consisting of 76 ceramic cylinders in neat, chronological rows, this process of improvement is distinct. An absent place is left for the 77th vessel which is a symbol of unattainable perfection. The number 77 is significant as seven is the biblical number of completeness. All of the cylinders fall short of perfection having started as a 77 gram balls of clay and through the throwing and firing process losing most of this weight.
The use of iron oxide in the glaze as a colourant is symbolic of forgiveness which is achieved by His death, the iron being a reference to blood.
The colour choice is another reference to the unattainable with white used as a symbol of purity. The vessels again will fail to achieve this being off-white. The inside will be a tone darker symbolising the inner being where imperfections cannot be hidden and the outside as the image we project to others. They are also imperfect in their weight, starting out as 77gram ball before they are thrown and losing this weight through the process of making.
