Artwork: Salad days 2001
Artist: Janet DeBoos
Medium: Australian (Southern Ice) porcelain with a clear glaze
Dimensions: 10.5 x 20 x 20cm
Acquisition: An acquisition of the ACT Legislative Assembly Art Advisory Committee, 2001
Asset no: OLA002157
About the Work
The focus on domestic ware has been a long standing interest for Janet DeBoos. Throughout the 1990s she explored presenting multiples, often set within thrown trays—groupings such as tea sets, collections of long-necked bottles, or, as in Salad Days, a suite of drinking vessels. The undulating lines that snake around the forms from this period echo the potters hand on the wheel, and beautifully embrace the slumping qualities of the soft porcelain body. DeBoos says, ‘I like functional pottery because of its interaction with people, so it’s about relationships.’ ‘Salad days’, or the carefree days of youth, are hinted at in the couple using the set: the pairs of cups, the beakers, and mugs imply an underlying intimacy.