Ceramists from many different corners of the globe have generously offered their work for online presentation. The result is a rare glimpse of contemporary clay works from a broad range of contexts and styles. This should appeal to the growing section of the art world learning to pursue its particular interests on the Internet. The broad range is made possible partly by the limits imposed by the medium: the image compression that makes downloading feasible also presents problems in judgments of quality.

Given that the competition was intended for online display, I thought it best to base my judgments on how works appeared on the computer screen. Opinions have been formed on the basis of JPEG images (with details) and written statements - all anonymously presented. Given these limits, the kind of quality that came through most successfully on screen was a poetic simplicity of form.

In a medium swimming in information, the online presence of ceramic works offers an opportunity for a more contemplative experience. Complex works do not translate well onto the small screen. Conversely, simple graphic works tend to lose the distinctive surface language of clay. What counted most in the end was a poetic statementwhich was able to use the implied space evoked by clay. In future Internet competitions, it may well be that applications such as VRML are to exploit this further.

The winning entry, 'Halved' by Pilar Rojas, uses subtle variations of shape to suggest varied spatial moieties, from stone fruit to bowls. The burnished surface adds a contemplative tone to this exploration. As you browse through the entrants, you might even find a few echoes to this piece (try Dorothee Wenz for instance).Exactly where such an online ceramics competition proceeds from here offers a creative challenge both to the organiser and future participants. The inaugural competition should provide ceramists with the pretext for envisaging how their work might adapt to life online. Some might say that ceramists have an ornamental space to fill in the virtual living spaces on the Internet, just as they do in the domestic environment. Others claim that the tactile experience necessary for appreciation of ceramics is absent from the computer screen. The resolution of this issue lies in the hands of ceramists. Future competitions may well tell a different story.

Kevin Murray, 3rd February 1997

---

---