Joan Takayama-Ogawa: Ceramic Beacon

22
zaiden
(FIG. 7)
Miso Deflated
2010
Glazed earthenware,
wood, ceramic decals
23
ceramic beacon
For Miso Deflated, another teetering construction,
she incorporated her ideas about
the subprime lending disaster and deflation
with a jocular nod to her cultural identity.
Originally, and always, an English teacher, she
has a way with words, a love of puns, and a
knack for catchy, perfectly succinct descriptions
of the world as we know it. Ultimately
through the piece, Takayama-Ogawa questioned
the pursuit of the American dream and
presented it as a naive, sinking hope that was
utterly unachievable for most (FIG. 7).
From soup to sushi and pastries,
Takayama-Ogawa mimics food to represent
her criticism of the establishment. Her
trompe-l’œil pieces extend California’s Funk
tradition to contemporary culture. Ceramics
have always intersected with food and she
brings a cheeky twist to this symbiotic relationship.
Food is a way that Takayama-Ogawa
makes her messages most palatable to her
viewer. Ceramic sushi signifies overfished and polluted waters,
while cloyingly decadent treats are the ultimate embodiments
of American excess, privilege, superficiality, and indulgence.
Takayama-Ogawa’s take on desserts is an ongoing series of
tongue-in-cheek work about overconsumption, political corruption,
bureaucratic inefficiencies, and entitlement. She uses cake
decorating tools to frost them with slip (FIG. 8).