%C2%A9 2005 Irv Tepper
Two Deconstructed Cups, 2005
Irv Tepperexpand_more
Porcelainexpand_more
Gift of Tamara and Michael Root in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Minneapolis Institute of Artsexpand_more 2015.27.2
On View in Gallery 103expand_more
This sculpture by Irv Tepper traces the inspiration of mass-produced, thick-walled "dinerware" into finely potted and then crushed ceramic sculpture in the form of cups. While an M.F.A. student at the University of Washington in Seattle, Tepper "liberated" a mass-produced, diner-style coffee cup from the student union. The cup became an obsession, along with all it symbolizes--conversations over coffee, pleasant or difficult, or the late-afternoon pick-me-up--and the repeated use, washing, and eventual damage of these everyday objects.
Tepper squishes, slashes, and sands his cups to give a sense of the acceleration of time and use, without any pretense to function or even to realistic scale. The porcelain of his cups is sanded thin, allowing light to pass through. His manipulation of the cup's form allows it to still be recognizable, but to also possess a sense of animation, personality, and accumulated experience.
Details
- Title
- Two Deconstructed Cups
- Artist Life
- born 1947
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.27.2
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© 2005 Irv Tepper