Lisa Creskey: Telling Stories with Clay

Lisa Creskey, “Mirror” (detail), 2012 (Image used with artist’s permission)

It was such a happy accident that I discovered the work of local ceramic artist Lisa Creskey. A couple of years ago, I mistook her for another artist colleague with the same first name. We emailed back and forth until one day I realized I was “talking” to the wrong “Lisa”! Nevertheless, I was intrigued to learn that she’d be incorporating collage elements into her latest work so I made a point of visiting her next group exhibition. Coming face-to-face with her art was mind-blowing. There were 26 artists featured in the show, but I only had eyes for Lisa’s unusual pottery-like ceramic pieces upon which she had painted animated drawings. Every one, no matter how small formed a character or story that held me spellbound. Hybrid human/bird-like creatures and ancient settler-like natives seemed to be fighting for their very lives against the forces of nature… people being tossed upon the sea in boats surrounded by exotic northern sea creatures evoked memories of myths and legends I’d read as a child. Her pieces were so infused with emotion and vitality, that I felt like I could practically hear the cries of these souls from the past and even the sounds of the sea and natural world that enveloped them. It’s rare that a work of art strikes me so… the energy breathed into these pieces by the artist resonated long after they had been birthed in a kiln.

Lisa Creskey’s unconventional pottery reminds me of what it means to be an artist; an expressive soul; a life-time explorer who can’t ignore the cries of the world around them. After I saw her work, I wanted to learn more. So this summer I was all ears when she gave a talk at the Karsh-Masson Gallery here in Ottawa in conjunction with her exhibition “Pole Star Drift”. Here are some of my reflections from that event…

Lisa Creskey, “Hydra” Series (detail), 2012 (image used with artist’s permission)

A Personal Archaeology…

What I loved about unearthing the facts surrounding Lisa’s work is how much its origins are enmeshed in her personal life and passions. Growing up and living in the countryside, Lisa developed a special fondness for the natural world. The daughter of a mother who is also a potter, she acquired an appreciation for the medium at a young age. Her layered, paper thin pieces of clay come together to form bowl-like vessels and a variety of organically and geographically inspired two and three-dimensional pieces that result in objects that hover between the worlds of fine art and craft. They’re a captivating fusion of pottery, painting, drawing, sculpture and even animation. Some mimic mini dioramas and also, I think, children’s pop up story books. These fragile works, I hear, are a challenge to produce so that the very fact that they exist for a time as one solid piece is amazing in itself and a testament to Lisa’s great skill as a ceramicist! For her they’re a permanent record of her personal archaeology and feelings towards particular historical events and other subject matter that strikes her heart. Using her senses to connect with her materials, she draws and paints frenetic lines on clay to describe her characters and scenes. She uses earthy monochromatic colour schemes to tease out the emotions behind her subject matter. Her approach is an intuitive one in which she communicates with the characters she creates allowing them to guide her in the construction of her work.

Lisa Creskey, “Alien Landscapes”, Ceramic bowl, 2011 (Image used with artist’s permission)

History on a Dinner Plate…

Lisa’s enthralled by utilitarian objects such as bowls and plates which have been an integral part of art and the earth’s history since the dawn of civilization. She particularly values them for their role in commemorating historical events and serving superstitious/spiritual ceremonial functions. During her talk she reveals images of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum) on a special anniversary dinner plate as well as a mysterious and extraordinary Iraqi bowl upon which is inscribed an incantation for invoking the dead! My favourite pieces of hers were inspired by her fascination with Canadian history and her need to investigate and question the historical narratives of our nation’s past and present. Entranced by the drawings and maps she saw in her 1950’s school history text books; she incorporates their contours, terrains and stories into her pieces. I was struck by an account she mentioned (Skirmish at Bloody Point, 1577) in which explorer Martin Frobisher, while charting the North, mercilessly mistreats the northern Inuit peoples. I was moved to see Lisa incorporating positively-themed portraits of our northern peoples into her personal vision of that space. Another striking element in her work is the seemingly raceless group of people that inhabit some of her historical imaginings. Similar in appearance and dress, they resemble Egyptian mummies or even astronauts in space suits! – they’re truly compelling characters. Turning her eye to the present through another piece, she fashions a board game whose chess-like pieces consist of tiny boats*. This work is her personal apology to Ashley Smith, a teenager who tragically died in prison while guards watched her commit suicide refusing to come to her aid until it was too late. As a mother, Lisa laments young Ashley’s death and informs us that the girl’s first “big” crime was to steal an apple which eventually led to a downward spiral of unfortunate events in her life. Her use of the symbol of the boat in this piece reminded me of Egyptian mythology where they were used to transport the souls of the dead to the next world. Hopefully, Ashley’s journey to the afterlife will present her with the peace and happiness she was denied in this one.

Lisa Creskey, Ceramic Artist

Art as Confession…

Lisa might have easily chosen to relay her historical concerns through text. Unlike a book, however, clay’s ancient, tactile, visceral and malleable skin-life surface allows her to imbue her work with powerful emotional qualities that instantly seduce viewers. I find it quite a refreshing way of encountering and re-telling history. Her three-dimensional pieces especially lend themselves beautifully to discussion; in their presence, one is continually discovering new elements of her stories with every slight turn around her work. I can envision them in a museum surrounded by school children who unravel their stories with the guidance of a teacher. Lisa mentioned she felt was making “fake artefacts” as well as a “new anthropology”; I agree. I feel, in responding to historical events that matter to her, she creates objects of the here and now to come to terms with the past; in doing so she reinvents the Canadian landscape and its peoples suffusing it with her unique sense of inner geography. She shares a favourite quote with us by author Albert Camus that “… a work of art is a confession.” which is very telling. For me Lisa’s “confessions” thoughtfully acknowledge the sometimes bloody stains of Canada’s history in an attempt to redress the wounds of our nation and its peoples as well as proclaim her own personal stance on these issues. It’s a very courageous thing to do creatively and is the reason, besides her amazing story-telling and collage-inspired skills, that I admire her so much as an artist. I’m looking forward to the next exhibition, Lisa!

For more information and images of her work be sure to visit her exquisite website: Lisa Creskey Ceramic Artist.

* Note: Birds, nests, animals (i.e. polar bear), boats, canoes, mother and child imagery are recurring symbols in Lisa’s work which effortlessly blends the worlds of humans and nature.

Other Related Links:
The Artful Blogger… Lisa Creskey in a class by herself…
A Tour of Jonathan’s Haunting Exhibition
Painter Helen Gregory Breathes New Life into Death
Nancy Halpin Looks “Out of the Window”