susan flavell + andrew nicholls

scylla + charybdis

6 may - 4 june 2011 2011

In Greek legend, the journey of Jason and the Argonauts represented the first true international voyage: the Argo was the first ship capable of making a lengthy journey by sea, and the crew's mission – to retrieve the Golden Fleece – the first time ‘the West’ had gone abroad in search of imperial wealth and power.

On their journey, the Argonauts encountered a dangerous world filled with the threat of the monstrous foreign ‘other’, including Scylla and Charybdis, two hideous sea monsters lurking on either side of a narrow straight.

Scylla was a beautiful nymph transformed into a fierce monster with multiple heads, tentacles and a tail, including six snarling wolf heads growing from her waist. Charybdis, an equally-beautiful naiad, was turned into a hideous, bladder-like creature whose continual gulping and belching of seawater created powerful whirlpools. Vessels passing through the straight would have to negotiate a safe passage between the two creatures; steering away from one would send a ship directly toward the other. The phrase ‘between a rock and a hard place’ is thought to have originated from the phrase ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’. This exhibition presents the work of two artists, Susan Flavell and Andrew Nicholls, who similarly challenge the viewer to navigate a safe passage between their works.

Both artists have recently begun working within the medium of ceramics - a material rich with imperial and colonial associations. Flavell’s practice has always been obsessed by the creation of hybrid creatures and monsters. Her ceramic objects depict a range of such fantastic creatures, playing upon the medium’s history as a material reserved for emperors and aristocrats. Like Scylla, many of Flavell’s ceramic forms are hybridised, or have multiple animal heads erupting from them. Nicholls’ works are inspired by the medium of commercially-produced ceramics, an industry whose history is intricately tied to international expansion and colonisation. His works explore Western culture’s paranoia regarding the foreign ‘other’ and the dangers that have accompanied our culture’s insatiable desire to colonise and conquer, symbolised by ominous nautical imagery, including Charybdis’ vortex-like whirlpool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

andrew nicholls various ceramic forms 2004-11
susan flavell various ceramic forms 2004-11
susan flavell dog handbuilt raku 17 x 8 x 21cm 2010 $1,100 sold	andrew nicholls Posie [Self-Portrait after Palissy] archival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 57 x 38cm 2010-11 $880
susan flavell dark lovers press moulded stoneware 31 x 9 x 12cm + 32 x 9 x 11.5cm 2010 $2,500	andrew nicholls in excess set of 22, edition of 8 Decal transfer on porcelain plates dimensions variable 2007 $2,500 sold 1/8 to city of perth, 2/8, 3/8 Photography by Renee Doropoulos
susan flavell double head press moulded raku 20 x 18 x 12cm 2010 $1,300	andrew nicholls Charybdis archival ink pen on watercolour paper 57 x 38cm 2011 $1,300
susan flavell lovers handbuilt raku 27 x 8 x 13cm + 22 x 8 x 11cm 2010 $1,800 sold	andrew nicholls Introduced Species Series: Cane Toad Teacup [right handed], Patterson's Curse Saucer, rabbit entree plate Decal transfer on Spode bone china dimensions varied 2004 $990
susan flavell scylla's rocks ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls Peril at Sea aArchival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 57 x 38cm 2010-11 $880sold
susan flavell queeen of the night ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls Blue Australian Collector's Plate: Bluebirds Decal transfer on Spode bone china 27 x 27cm 2009 $550 sold
susan flavell jewels and flowers ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls wally dogs [thylacine] decal transfer + gold lustre on hand modelled + carved porcelain 17 x 13 x 10cm [x2] 2011 $3,300 pair
susan flavell bird and flowers ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls children overboard + australia sinks decal transfer on spode bone china 27 x 27 x 2cm + 19 x 19 x 2cm 2011 $880 pair
susan flavell wolves and coral ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660 sold	andrew nicholls pretty lady: lavinia decal transfer on hand modelled + carved porcelain 16.5 x 14 x 13cm 2011 $1,800 sold
susan flavell sea anemone and jewels ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls petite lady: medea [sacrifice in the desert] decal transfer + gold lustre on hand modelled + carved porcelain 15 x 14 x 14cm 2011 $1,600
susan flavell seaweed and coral ink on watercolour paper 28.5 x 28.5cm 2011 $660	andrew nicholls star gazer urn decal transfer on spode bone china with swarovski diamantes 28 x 12 x 12cm 2004-11 $2,200
susan flavell ball sand cast bronze from cardboard formwork 53 x 53 x 53cm 2007 $18,700	andrew nicholls pretty lady: nalda decal transfer on hand modelled + carved porcelain 21.5 x 18 x 18cm 2011 $2,200
susan flavell golden bird and magnolia glaxed press moulded stoneware 47 x 18 x 29cm 2011 $3,500	andrew nicholls petite lady: nalda decal transfer on hand modelled + carved porcelain 18 x 15 x 15cm 2011 $2,000 sold
susan flavell maiden [globe/bust] glazed plemped stoneware 30 x 19 x 18cm 2011 $1,400	andrew nicholls Introduced Species Series: Cane Toad Teacup [left handed], Patterson's Curse Saucer, rabbit entree plate Decal transfer on Spode bone china dimensions varied 2004 $990
susan flavell garden of hesperides [enclosed vase] glazed plemped stoneware 29 x 18 x 19cm 2011 $1,200	andrew nicholls blow away archival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 57 x 38cm 2008-11 $880
susan flavell twins [sea snake and flowers] cast bronze 22 x 13 x 20cm [x2] 2011 $5,000 sold	andrew nicholls kookaburra decal transfer on porcelain, cast from wembley ware mould 26 x 16 x 19cm 2005-11 NFS
susan flavell green donkey glazed press moulded stoneware 35.5 x 10 x 12cm 2011 $1,500	andrew nicholls chimera archival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 76 x 57cm 2010-11 $1,200 sold
susan flavell queen of the night [globe/bust] handbuilt raku + stoneware 29 x 18.5 x 19cm 2010 $1,400	andrew nicholls willow archival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 76 x 57cm 2010-11 $1,200
susan flavell scylla [globe/bust] glazed plemped stoneware 29 x 18.5 x 19cm 2011 $1,400	andrew nicholls chinoiserie [portrait of tob chaiwat thongsang] archival ink pen + acrylic on watercolour paper 57 x 38cm 2010-11 $880 sold
susan flavell gold flower [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250	andrew nicholls drawing [such is life] decal transfer on wembley ware second 8.5 x 10 x 6cm 2011 $180
susan flavell rocks handbuilt raku + stoneware 24 x 15 x 12cm 2010 $1,100	andrew nicholls drawing [such is life] #2 decal transfer + gold lustre on wembley ware second 8.5 x 10 x 6cm 2011 $180
susan flavell pink coral with gold flowers glazed press moulded stoneware 13.5 x 19 x 13cm 2011 $1,100	andrew nicholls Blue Australian Collector's Plate: australian sporting Decal transfer on Spode bone china 27 x 27cm 2009 $550 sold
susan flavell rosebud glazed press moulded stoneware/dd> 29 x 13 x 14cm 2011 $1,200	andrew nicholls Blue Australian Collector's Plate: star gazer Decal transfer on Spode bone china with swarovski diamantes 27 x 27cm 2004-2011 $770
susan flavell blue roses [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250	andrew nicholls platypus gold lustre on hand modelled + carved porcelain 14 x 9 x 9cm 2011 $1,400
susan flavell water spirits [enclosed vase] glazed tempered stoneware 28.5 x 18 x 18cm 2011 $1,200	andrew nicholls platypus #2 gold lustre on hand modelled + carved porcelain 14 x 9 x 9cm 2011 $1,400
andrew nicholls floral [voyage of the argos]: the boats #1, palissy, floral, the boats #2 + folly decal transfer on spode bone china 19 x 19 x 2cm [x5] 2011 $1,600 or $350 each sold the boats #2
susan flavell scylla's wolves [enclosed vase] glazed plemped stoneware 28 x 17 x 18cm 2011 $1,200	susan flavell scylla's dogs [enclosed vase] glazed plemped stoneware 28 x 19 x 19cm 2011 $1,200
susan flavell odd couple [white] glazed press moulded stoneware 10 x 11 x 7 + 18 x 12 x 7.5cm 2011 $250 or $450 pair	susan flavell odd couple [raspberry] glazed press moulded stoneware 10 x 11 x 7 + 18 x 12 x 7.5cm 2011 $250 or $450 pair
susan flavell pink wolves [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250 sold	susan flavell floral gorillas [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250 sold
susan flavell seahorse [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250 sold	susan flavell seahorse dog [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 15 x 16 x 4cm 2011 $250 sold
susan flavell mirror with gorillas [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 18 x 14 x 3cm 2011 $250 sold	susan flavell blaze glazed press moulded stoneware 29 x 13 x 14cm 2011 $1,200
susan flavell odd couple [yellow] glazed press moulded stoneware 18 x 12 x 7.5cm 2011 $250 sold	susan flavell black dog press moulded stoneware 29 x 13 x 14cm 2011 $1,200
susan flavell two dogs [plaque] glazed press moulded stoneware 18 x 14 x 3cm 2011 $250 sold