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Sludge Trashcan

Trompe L’oeil Sculpture
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.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSludge 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
  • Height: 37.7cm (Note: Provided by donor prior to acquisition - to be confirmed upon arrival in Museum)
  • Width: 34.4cm (Note: measurement includes banana and trashcan handle - Provided by donor prior to acquisition - to be confirmed upon arrival in Museum)
  • Depth: 30.5cm (Note: Provided by donor prior to acquisition - to be confirmed upon arrival in Museum)
  • Weight: 9.45kg
Gallery label
(01/07/2023)
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.

Sludge Trashcan sculpture
Made by Victor Spinski
1986
New York
Given by Sally Van Orden and Tristan Spinski
Museum no. C.403-2017

[Young V&A, Imagine Gallery, Living Together, short object label]
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
  • Taken from http://web.archive.org/web/20221213172204/https://ce0242li.webitrent.com/favicon.ico In January 2012, following an interview with Victor Spinski, Garth Johnson (Assistant Professor at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, CA.) relayed the following story about another garbage can work: 'An even better story is the story of his garbage can. Supposedly, back in the '70s, a collector bought a trompe l'oeil garbage can from a sold out show, then requested that Spinski make some changes to the piece. Spinski agreed, but as he drove the piece from Manhattan back to his studio in Delaware, he started to chafe at the request. He had some issues with his local sanitation company, so he did what any sane person would do. He decided to put the piece out with that night's trash. Spinski hid out with a camera behind a bush and waited for the garbage truck to arrive. When it finally did, a sanitation worker (who had obviously had a pretty rough night of partying) picked up the piece and tried to get the lid off. When he couldn't get the lid off, he started whacking it against the corner of the garbage truck until the whole thing shattered, which sobered him up real quick. Spinski got some classic photos of the whole thing, and the story ended like many of the stories I heard from him... with Victor making a quick exit before somebody beat the s--t out of him.'
  • Dream Streets: Art in Wilmington 1970–1990 Delaware Art Museum, 2015 Photograph on page 40.
Collection
Accession number
C.403-2017

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Record createdOctober 24, 2016
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