Appreciating the ginger pot
April 18th, 2006
Here is one of Hanneke van Oosterhout’s recent still-life paintings. She is focused on ginger pots at the moment. These glazed ceramic pots were in the past used to store candied ginger. They could be imported from China until a few years ago. Hanneke bought this old pot at an antique market in Haarlem.
I have to confess that I never saw much in these ginger pots until Hanneke started painting them. Now that I am looking at her pictures, I begin to appreciate the contrast of different materials — the transparent ceramic glaze, trimmed from the bottom of the pot to expose the rough clay; the woven reed straps. This particular painting almost has the character of a portrait.
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April 19th, 2006 at 8:33 am
In her ginger pot picture with leather strap, Hanneke van Oosterhout has achieved the symbolism that she was known for from her earlier still life pictures of single roses standing in water.
Here, the symbolism derives from the contrast in mechanical properties – a ceramic that can shatter and the tensile strength of the leather – and the contrast in color – the clarity of spiritual teal and the earthy warm of brown.
May 1st, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Ossi, the woven straps are reed, not leather. But don’t blame the artist. Many people make this mistake when looking at the real ginger-pot. Hanneke has faithfully conveyed the confusion of reality.