Morgan Pennington
Nice Dishes
About This Project
Artist Statement
I elevate everyday objects by recreating them in porcelain; utilizing precious materials and traditional techniques to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. This work focuses on the inherent value of objects I use daily, such as pantry items. Through the use of glassy porcelain and blue underglaze, I reference antique Delftware, a historical ceramic tradition often found in an average country grandmother’s home. Through the use of these materials, I highlight the significance of the overlooked and domestic.
Themes of tradition and domesticity also inspire my inclusion of embroidery; a technique historically used to decorate garments for special occasions. By reenvisioning these objects as purely sculptural forms, I align them with Delftware: functional in appearance, yet because of their materials they are too precious for practical use. The crossover between materiality and practicality speaks to the ways in which we assign meaning and worth to everyday objects.
History and Process
I created this project as my thesis work for my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I began this project in the fall of 2024, and completed it in the spring of 2025. I was inspired by fine china and my mother's pantry.
You can see me giving my defense here.
To make each ceramic object, I first cast real vegetables in plaster. The potatoes, onions, garlic, clementines, and squash were 2-part molds. The jars were 5-part molds, with a separate 3-part lid mold. The tuna can stacks 5-part molds as well.
After the pieces were bisqued, I used a mixture of black and blue underglaze to recreate the cobalt-like blue. I brushed the color on everything and then wipe it back, leaving the color only in the recesses. On some of the pieces, I replicated patterns from historic pieces of Delftware. I then glazed over those portions in clear glaze to draw the distinction closer to the inspiration source. There are a total of 82 casts in this project.
The floating shelves were built for me by David Jones at the University of Wyoming, he also built the steal parts that connect the shelves to the walls. I painted them to make them look like old wood.
The backboards for the quilted items are made of Masonite. I made the wood-like background by dying an outdoor upholstery material, then painting it in water-based acrylic because not even polyester dye stuck to the canvas-like material. I stitched polyester batting on the back of it, using long lines to create a wood grain pattern.
I cut the large piece of fabric into 5 strips to make it easier to get into the machine and to make it easier to create wood-grain lines.
The fabrics I used for the pantry items were bought second-hand. Everything that is a solid color, is from one light blue, brand-new, king sized sheet that I then dyed darker shades of blue. The floral pattern came from a vintage table cloth.
The embroidery took me 3 months to complete. I tried to replicate the details of my dry goods as close to real as possible. After everything was embroidered, I cut them out with seam allowance, which I turned but did not stitch down. I used liquid starch in a spray bottom to press everything down with an iron. Once all of my pieces had been press-hemmed, I carefully stitched them onto the backing fabric.
Then I stapled them onto the backboards and hung it up.