There is an infinite scope for inspiration in the show of works being exhibited currently at St James. The artist? George Muscat. Turning 61 has nothing to do with his age, but rather the fact that the exhibition welcomes 61 stoneware artworks, making this possibly the largest collection of stoneware pieces ever to go contemporarily on show under one roof, in Malta. This was certainly a feat the artist admits he never thought he’d ever possibly achieve.
“I guess one should ‘never say never’. I had sworn I would never get myself into a big exhibition again after March 2009. In that exhibition I had shown 38 pieces. It was a first for me to show so many at one go and all had been rigorously made with the Raku technique. It was such a big show, so much work, hard work.” I am impressed that George Muscat makes the organisational bit sound more exhaustive than the actual production of these generally large pieces that are very obviously created with great insight and much dedication.
The 2009 exhibition may have been big, but it certainly pales in contrast with this one. Ceramic and stoneware lovers are in for a medley of artistic interpretations, which the extremely versatile artist manages to bring forth. It has taken the artist precisely one year and 10 months of hard work to bring together all these artefacts – more than 50 are very recent productions. Glazes, matt finishes, swirls, ridges.... they all come together in a symphony of colours and textures and allow the artist to show off his techniques in varied interpretations. I single out one piece which to me is especially emblematic of this artist’ skill. It is entitled Memories of Blue, a stoneware wall hanging that provides a vivid and tangible visual contrast between the artist’s depiction of the dazzling blue sea set against the parched land on the shore adjacent to it. It is all such a vivid bird’s eye view that brings us in on the experience with its tactile play of textures brought about through a studied experimentation with colour and much inventiveness.
“Each piece is representational of my feelings. I try to let the better moods emerge in my work although, you understand, the difficult moods are not always easy to ignore and many times, it is hard to quell their interpretation in my work. I am inspired by memories, experiences, and the sea. Everything is rigorously spontaneous – I feel strongly about the fact that art cannot be planned for.” One deceivingly understated wall hanging made of stoneware paperclay is entitled 1988-2005. It is a piece representational of one big part of the artist’s own past. “I spent 17 years of my life working as a tile layer. It was a long time, hard work and yet I did it to earn enough to be able to allow myself today to dedicate my time to art, teaching art and making art. Obviously a viewer who is extraneous to this experience will observe and comment about the hanging and interpret it in his or her own subjective way. Only I can fully know its true significance.”
There are several instances in which George Muscat has gone ahead and made it a point to prove all the technical books wrong. “I may have been presumptuous in some instances. Many technical books will strongly negate the possibility of certain procedures ever being possible and as a consequence that such procedures could ever bring forth positive results. I have gone ahead and experimented, and the results are here for all to see. This is especially so with regards to my use of Malta clay. I am exhibiting numerous circular plaques and have heard visitors to the exhibition comment that these must be made out of a ready-made form. I have to disappoint them – these were all made by hand on a throwing wheel. It may seem impossible, but it’s true.”
Muscat, who is not only a seasoned artist but also a teacher of ceramics of many years, has several “firsts” to his credit within his realm of art. For instance, he was the first to introduce black clay to Malta through his compositions. Today he is well aware that other artists have been strongly inspired by his work and his use of raw materials. Nonetheless Muscat’s works from the Nebula series, namely Veil, Starry Night and Ring are intriguingly compiled, making the composition seemingly complicated to achieve. He responds otherwise, but still, these masterpieces of movement, matter and sheer fantasy are marvels to admire.
‘On Site’ by George Muscat is at St James Cavalier, Valletta until 27 February. Open Monday and Tuesday 9am to 4.30pm; Wednesday – Sunday 9am to 8pm.
For more information about this artist visit www.gmuscat.com