Keramiek '84

Although Marlies always seemed pleasantly disorganized, she sometimes submitted herself to the unwelcome rules that are part of life in the art world. 

In 1984 a major ceramics exhibition was held in Friesland. To participate, one had to send in five slides of works, which were judged by a jury who did not know the names of the artists.

One thousand ceramists were contacted. 330 responded, and after the selection process, 130 were chosen.

That must have caused quite a lot of stress in Breda. In the end, though, everything was sent to Leeuwarden on time and Marlies was, of course, admitted to the exhibition.

This is how she came to participate in the gigantic flop that was Keramiek '84.

From the bitter review by Rudy Hodel in the Leeuwarder Courant of September 7, 1984 (Keramiek '84-manifestation disappoints) it appears that the sheer variety of objects and the way they were displayed -with the main location, the Princessehof, being the low point- made it impossible for viewers to properly appreciate the works on display. 

The poor lighting and careless arrangement of the works did not do them justice, and the underlying concept was disappointing too. The result was a somewhat murky, old-fashioned,  craft-oriented overview that left everyone dissatisfied (including the artists themselves).

The exhibition was accompanied by a folder containing 40 postcards of the exhibited works, as well as a leaflet. The submitted slides should also still exist.

Next time I'm in Leeuwarden I'll visit the Princessehof - I wouldn’t be be surprised if that folder is still on sale!