Sludge Trashcan
Trompe L’oeil Sculpture
1986 (made)
1986 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Victor Spinski (1940-2013) was a leading figure in the avant-garde ceramics movement of the 1960’s and 70’s.
Throughout his career, Spinski experimented with many different materials, forms and techniques, becoming most well-known for his trompe l’oeil clay sculptures. Trompe l’oeil refers to a specific tradition in Western art in which the representation of reality fools the viewer. This practice become prominent in the contemporary ceramics of the 1970’s and became known as Super Realism. Artists replicated actual objects such as tin cans and wood using industrial methods of slip casting, china paint and ceramic decals to create exacting detail. 'Sludge Trashcan' is technically sophisticated and fascinating in its imitation of non-ceramic objects.
Throughout his life, Spinski always balanced exquisite craftsmanship with his sharp wit and conceptual rigour, infusing his sculptures with stories, pranks and wordplay. Mundane objects become extraordinary through their articulation in clay, requiring viewers to question their assumptions about clay and the reality of what lay before them.
Throughout his career, Spinski experimented with many different materials, forms and techniques, becoming most well-known for his trompe l’oeil clay sculptures. Trompe l’oeil refers to a specific tradition in Western art in which the representation of reality fools the viewer. This practice become prominent in the contemporary ceramics of the 1970’s and became known as Super Realism. Artists replicated actual objects such as tin cans and wood using industrial methods of slip casting, china paint and ceramic decals to create exacting detail. 'Sludge Trashcan' is technically sophisticated and fascinating in its imitation of non-ceramic objects.
Throughout his life, Spinski always balanced exquisite craftsmanship with his sharp wit and conceptual rigour, infusing his sculptures with stories, pranks and wordplay. Mundane objects become extraordinary through their articulation in clay, requiring viewers to question their assumptions about clay and the reality of what lay before them.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Sludge Trashcan (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Handmade ceramic sculpture |
| Brief description | A trompe l’oeil ceramic sculpture which gives the appearance of a metal waste bin containing brown 'sludge', a cup, a bottle and a banana skin. Made by Victor Spinski, United States of America (probably New York), 1986. |
| Physical description | 'Sludge Trashcan'. A trompe l’oeil ceramic sculpture which gives the appearance of a metal waste bin containing brown 'sludge', a cup, a bottle and a banana skin. Made by Victor Spinski, United States of America (probably New York), 1986. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Bin day
Victor Spinski wanted us to appreciate ordinary things – like bins. Without them, and the people who empty them, our neighbourhoods would be pretty dirty.
[Young V&A, Imagine Gallery short object label](2023) |
| Credit line | Given by Sally Van Orden and Tristan Spinski |
| Object history | This object is from a series of 'trashcans' produced by the artist. Other pieces date from the mid-1970s, making this a later example. In 2015 this object was lent by the donor to Delaware Art Museum for display in the exhibition 'Dream Streets: Art in Wilmington 1970–1990', 27th June – 27th September 2015. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Victor Spinski (1940-2013) was a leading figure in the avant-garde ceramics movement of the 1960’s and 70’s. Throughout his career, Spinski experimented with many different materials, forms and techniques, becoming most well-known for his trompe l’oeil clay sculptures. Trompe l’oeil refers to a specific tradition in Western art in which the representation of reality fools the viewer. This practice become prominent in the contemporary ceramics of the 1970’s and became known as Super Realism. Artists replicated actual objects such as tin cans and wood using industrial methods of slip casting, china paint and ceramic decals to create exacting detail. 'Sludge Trashcan' is technically sophisticated and fascinating in its imitation of non-ceramic objects. Throughout his life, Spinski always balanced exquisite craftsmanship with his sharp wit and conceptual rigour, infusing his sculptures with stories, pranks and wordplay. Mundane objects become extraordinary through their articulation in clay, requiring viewers to question their assumptions about clay and the reality of what lay before them. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.403-2017 |
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| Record created | October 24, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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