Emmanuel Boos's 'Noir C'est Noir': Embracing Imperfection in Porcelain Art
At the Raisonné gallery in New York, Emmanuel Boos invites visitors to experience his solo exhibition, 'Noir C’est Noir,' which features an array of ceramic creations. His tables, seating, vessels, and modular brick-like forms demonstrate the inherent discipline of porcelain, yet they also bear the distinctive marks of where control was relinquished. These celebrated 'errors,' such as uneven seams, pools of extra glaze, and subtly sagging surfaces, reflect the material's natural tendencies. Boos emphasizes the delicate balance between his intentions and the material's reactions, acknowledging that porcelain often behaves in ways that cannot be entirely predetermined, a characteristic he has learned to embrace.
Boos's journey into ceramics began during an exchange program in the United States, a period when, as he recalls, the art form held a different cultural status in France. His extensive studies took him through various apprenticeships in China, South Korea, Paris, and Burgundy. His doctoral research at the Royal College of Art specifically delved into the intricacies of glaze, a central element in all his artistic endeavors. For Boos, porcelain is far from a passive medium; he describes it as a challenging material with a will of its own, possessing a 'memory' that allows minor imperfections to resurface even after apparent correction. Rather than concealing these natural occurrences, he integrates them into the final aesthetic of his pieces, transforming what might traditionally be seen as flaws into integral parts of their character.
This acceptance of imperfection stems from years of challenging the modernist ideology, which often promoted the artist's dominance over nature. Boos's work, particularly the pieces displayed at Raisonné, reflects this shift. His porcelain tables, constructed from modular bricks, exhibit a structured, almost architectural quality, yet upon closer inspection, they reveal subtle variations, sags, and warps. These elements hint at an underlying order while simultaneously celebrating the unpredictable nature of the material. For 'Noir C’est Noir,' Boos developed new pieces using black and dark brown Tenmoku glazes, complemented by celadons and kakis. The exhibition features over seventy unique items, including various tables, stools, and vases, all of which are designed with repeated elements such as bricks, squares, and hollow modules, allowing for flexible configurations held together by balance, weight, and occasional wooden dowels. This deliberate disturbance of conventional function, where tables have uneven surfaces or vases lean on each other, invites a more thoughtful engagement between the viewer and the object, transforming utility into a dynamic relationship.
Throughout the exhibition, Boos explores a creative philosophy that is both technically informed and playfully adaptive. His deep understanding of glazes, porcelain behavior, and firing processes is matched by his willingness to allow the material to express itself. He advises emerging artists to view disappointment not as a setback but as an invitation to innovate, transforming unexpected outcomes into new possibilities. It is in this dance between control and spontaneity that his work truly comes alive, offering a profound reflection on embracing the inherent chaos and beauty of the artistic process.