Peter Shire and Rashid Johnson

Peter Shire, long time resident of Echo Park and one of its more prominent citizens, is an artist who has long used ceramics as a medium for commentary. The only American to be included in Memphis, the Italian post-modern design group, Shire is best known for his form over function teapots. Since the 1970s, he has used their shape as the basis of extreme experimentation. Shire’s visual wit and passion for color evolved over the decades into ever more outrageous small ceramic sculptures that only nod in the direction of a utilitarian origin.

Peter Shire Saki Pot As The World Turns, 2011 Whiteware with cone 06 glazes,stainless steel tops 12 1/4 x 9 5/8 x 5 3/8 inches 31.8 x 25.4 x 14 cm (ShireP.1866) Images courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Los Angeles.

Peter Shire Giza, 2018 Kvadrat Divina fabric, aluminum, paint, wood, upholstery material 60 1/4 x 40 x 39 inches 153 x 101.6 x 99.1 cm (ShireP.1886) Images courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Los Angeles.

Peter Shire Pecker Mo, 2014 Steel, stainless steel and two part polyurethane paint 29 x 16 1/8 x 28 ½ inches 73.7 x 41 x 71.1 cm (ShireP.1864) Images courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Los Angeles.

Peter Shire Mexican Bauhaus Your House, 2016 Whiteware with cone 06 underglazes and cone 06 clear glazes 10 1/2 x 23 7/8 x 7 3/4 inches 26.7 x 60.6 x 19.7 cm (ShireP.1856) Images courtesy of the artist and Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Los Angeles.

on view to May 19.

Rashid Johnson Untitled Ugly Pots pots. Photo credit: Martin Parsekian, Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Rashid Johnson Untitled Ugly Pots, 2018 kiln-fired clay with glaze in eight parts, dimensions variable smallest pot: 6 x 6 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches (15.2 x 15.9 x 17.1 cm) largest pot: 11 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/8 inches (27.9 x 31.8 x 30.8 cm)

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