Contemporary Vase

The vase is an ancient art form. However, many modern masters have recapitulated this art form in new and stylish ways. Before discussing the modern masters, let's review the basic anatomy of the vase. Each vase is usually broken down into several components: a foot, a body, a shoulder, a neck, and lips. Some vases also contain handles, but purists contend that handles are actually body components.Vases are by and large ornamental, although some people employ them for storage or to hold flowers. Traditional vases are made from ceramics and other glasses, but some modern artists have used alternative materials like fiberglass and even pollen to create their pieces. Vases are often intricately decorated to reflect a particular style, political statement, or story.Some of the more famous modern vase makers include Lalique, BeiMoDian, LePage, and Sonoma Forge. In 2003, a ceramics expert and vase artist named Grayson Perry won the prestigious Turner prize for his work with vases. Perry's modern masterpieces look almost nothing like their ancient Greek, Mayan, and Egyptian predecessors.Contemporary vase makers often play with the ceramics form. These vases may eschew the curving shoulder or feature distended bodies. Oftentimes, contemporary vase designers either create long, curvaceous handle 'caricatures' or leave the handles out altogether. Not all modern vase makers are intent on reinventing the form. Some mimic the work of the classicists and create pieces which look indistinguishable from 18th-century vases.