Tea in Art – focus on Mary Cassatt

Tea has always been an important part of daily lives and therefore also became an important theme often portrayed by artists and painter in their works. Tea is a reoccurring theme in the paintings of American impressionist Mary Cassatt (1844 – 1926). She focused a lot on the private and social lives of women in late 19th and early 20th century. Additionally a large part of her work also shows the bond between mothers and children. Cassatt was the only American woman invited to exhibit along with other great independent Impressionists.

Mary Cassatt “Five O’clock Tea” – painted in France in 1880, oil on canvas, the painting can be seen in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

Mary Cassatt “The Cup of Tea II” –  1879, the painting portrays the painter’s sister Lydia Simpson

Mary Cassatt “Lady at the Tea Table” –  1883, oil on canvas, the painting can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum in New York

Mary Cassatt “The Cup of Tea I” – 1897, pastel on tan wove paper

Mary Cassatt “Afternoon Tea Party” – 1891, drypoint, aquatint, and gold paint on laid paper, part of a 10 print series that explores the domestic activities and roles of women in the 19th century

A Teacup full of Paint

There is no doubt that tea completely redefines what is ‘cool’. We can drink it, put it on our faces, stuff our pillows and spice up our pastries with it and it can even foretell our future. The list goes on and on, but one important activity that should be added to it is – we can paint with it.

Tea as a painting medium is by no means a new concept, but certainly one that’s worth paying attention to. What does this technique involve you ask? It’s as simple as brewing a strong cup of tea and paining with it on watercolor paper. Different strengths of color can be achieved by brewing a stronger or weaker tea, or using a red herbal tea instead of e.g. a black tea.

Tea is the main medium for artist Andy Brown aka. Mr.Brown, who, in a playful fashion, expresses a sense of Britishness in this artwork. He not only uses the tea liquor, but also tea bags and one of his pieces featuring Queen Elizabeth consists of a 1000 used and unused tea bags!

There are also some artworks by Zach Franzen from Portland Studios, that use very strong tea. They are the very proof that one can create beautiful things with tea.

Assam Artifact

This engraving from 1850 shows various stages of making tea in Assam – from preparing and irrigating the ground, gathering, to the stages of drying the tea leaves. In the two stages of drying moisture is completely removed from the leaves to prevent spoiling during transportation. Artist – Joseph Lionel Williams after Thomas Brown.

Tea Infuser – An Artistic Expression

This abstract infuser is the work of silversmith Terri Gelenian-Wood. The piece comes from 1999 and is made of sterling silver. To me, this is a very Picassoesque take on tableware and the infuser is only one part of the unique collection. At the same time the design feels organic with its leaf-like shapes and smooth, curvy lines.

 

The Paper Tea House

This piece of contemporary architecture/design/art was exhibited and auctioned off by Phillips de Pury & Company and finally sold for £31,700. The Paper Tea House was created by Japanese architect Shingeru Ban and it uses paper and cardboard as building materials. The choice of materials – recyclable and low-tech counter the current trends of sophisticated consumer technology.

The structure is over 5 meters long and consists of a room for the Tea Ceremony and a waiting area with a bench. The interior is furnished with a table and four stools all made of cardboard. The walls and the floor of the house is made of hollow cardboard tubes. It is a good example of modern simplicity. This design has certainly fueled today’s growing trend of green solutions.

 

Steeped In History: The Art of Tea Exhibition

From the 16th August to the 29th november the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles will be holding a tea exhibition Steeped In History: The Art of Tea. Visitors will be able to view paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics and other tea paraphernalia from three different continents. The exhibition will focus on how tea affected and intertwined with culture in China, Japan and the West. There will be various, tea-related  lectures and activities taking place at the Museum during this time, so check out more information on their website.

Pots, pots, pots! | Part 3

Yet another batch of interesting and inspirational pots of all shapes and forms. Some of them can be very useful, while others are simply decorative pieces. This 3rd in a series of articles features the futuristic, elegant and and modern teapot ideas.

Shatter Teapot by William Harvey for Umbra

A modern style teapot inspired by neo-cubism and geometrical forms. Its dramatic look, shattered look is makes it out of the ordinary. Made of fine bone china.

Cactus Teapot Bascet by JoAnne Russo

Filio Teapot by Mono

This pot has probable the biggest ever straining basket, all to improve the quality of tea and leave enough space for the leaves. The glass hemisphere is suspended in the air, supported by stainless steel base and arm.

If traditional teapots just arenít your cuppa, check out this modern masterpiece. Designed by William Harvey, this neo-cubist teapot has a dynamic urban style. The white bone china becomes a study of shadows created by the many faceted surfaces. Shattering your expectations, the Umbra Teapot complements sharp contemporary interiors. A dramatic designer centrepiece for your next kaffeeklatsch, the Shatter Teapot is and available from Umbra.com.

Mars Teapot by Raju Peddada

A futuristic vision of mars in a teapot.

Sweetheart teapot by Christian Ghion

750ml porcelain made teapot that has a maternal and feminine curves, These curves give the sweetheart teapot a unique and classy look making it not only the perfect tableware for your kitchen or patio, but a décor as well

Text Teapot by Holly Hansessian

earthen-ware with low-fire glaze

1 Shatter Teapot by William Harvey for Umbra

A modern style teapot inspired by neo-cubism and geometrical forms. Its dramatic look, shattered look is makes it out of the ordinary. Made of fine bone china for shattering impressions.

2 Cactus Teapot Basket by JoAnne Russo

Not an actual teapot, but it has the shape of one. It has a dangerous and rugged look.

3 Filio Teapot by Mono

This pot has probable the biggest ever straining basket, all to improve the quality of tea and leave enough space for the leaves. The glass hemisphere is suspended in the air, supported by stainless steel base and arm.

4 Mars Teapot by Raju Peddada

A futuristic vision of mars in a teapot. Made of sterling silver, with round, but defined features.

5 Text Teapot by Holly Hanessian

An artistic interpretation of letters in earthen ware with low-fire glaze. This teapot can give a touch of the abstract to any home.

6 Sweetheart teapot by Christian Ghion

Classy looking teapot made of porcelain, with soft shapes and curves. It imitates the look of a heart.

Related  Part 2 Part 1

Pots, pots, pots! | Part 2

Unique, strange, out-of-ordinary, practical or useful – pots can be described in many ways, some of them are pieces of art that communicate concepts and ideas, others we use in our daily lives, they decorate our kitchens and dining rooms. This the second, out of a series of articles featuring unusual teapot designs.

Teapot Mutation by Pascal Morabito

for Etain & Prestige’s new line, Convergences, the pewter teapot combines new design with an antique metal. Designer from Paris

Cuerda Seca Teapot by Ian Symons

ceramic

Ark Teapot Malcom Law

Malcom Law is inspired by all themes nautical and mythological which is clearly visible in his Ark Teapot.

Noire Teapot by Tapio Wirkkala

In black matte porcelain with a wooden and silver-plated handle made for Rosenthal Studio between 1963 to 1975

The Aggregated Teapot by Andy Lomas

the connection between Nature and particle primitives set in motion by Andy Lomas to generate artificial life in The Aggregated Teapot

Sapphire Teapot by Donald Clark

created from found objects like foil, dice, game pieces, rings and faux jewels to add a jewel touch to the teapot.

1 Teapot Mutation – by Pascal Morabito
Teapot for Etain & Prestige’s new line, Convergences, the pewter teapot combines new design with an antique metal

2 Cuerda Seca Teapot – by Ian Symons
A ceramic, colorful and imaginative, almost like something out of Alice’s tea party.

3 Ark Teapot – by Malcom Law
Malcom Law is inspired by all themes nautical and mythological which is clearly visible in his Ark Teapot.

4 Noire Teapot – by Tapio Wirkkala
In black matte porcelain with a wooden and silver-plated handle made for Rosenthal Studio between 1963 to 1975.

5 The Aggregated Teapot – by Andy Lomas
The connection between Nature and particle primitives set in motion by Andy Lomas to generate artificial life in The Aggregated Teapot.

6 Sapphire Teapot – by Donald Clark
Created from found objects like foil, dice, game pieces, rings and faux jewels to add a jewel touch to the teapot.

Related – Pots, pots, pots! Part 1

Pots, pots, pots! | Part 1

Unique, strange, out-of-ordinary, practical or useful – pots can be described in many ways, some of them are pieces of art that communicate concepts and ideas, others we use in our daily lives, they decorate our kitchens and dining rooms. This the first, out of a series of articles featuring unusual teapot designs.

1 Heart Teapot: Hostage Metamorphosis – by Richard Notkin
Richard Notkin is an American ceramist and the majority of his work consists of tea pots. He uses clay as the material to create his pieces, which are to a great extent inspired by the form, colors and textures of Yixing teapots. The whole series of Heart Teapots depicts and explores the origins of conflict in human culture.

2 Zygo Teapot – by Shaun Redsar
An alienesque looking teapot with a stainless steel sphere in a ceramic frame. Designed to emphasize the ceremonial and meditative values of tea.

3 Mixed Media Teapot – by Madeline Kaczmarczyk
Like something out of Alice’s Tea Party, this unique teapot is made of clay, luster glazed, beads and metal wood. The work of Madaline Kaczmarczyk is carefully handmade with a lot of attention to detail.

4 Teapot 2000 – by Kristina Logan
Made of pate de verre, lampwork glass, fine & sterling silver. Kristina Logan is an independent artist from New Hampshire and she is most famous for her beads, which also visibly influence her teapot designs.

5 Spiky Teapot – by Alex Metcalf
This teapot questions what a teapot can be – by appearing functionless, but being functional and by seeming aggressive, while being delicate.

6 Metal Teapot – by Christopher Dresser
Christopher Dresser was one of Britain’s most talented designers of the 19th century. He is said to be one of the first industrial designers who’s work was mass produced. This is only one of his many innovative teapot designs and they  all have common rigorous and defined forms.

Related – Pots, pots pots! Part 2

Lighting Bag – tea themed design art

Did you ever imagine that your tea bag could illuminate your cup from inside? ‘Lighting Bag’ is a design project by Wonsik Chae featured on Design Boom, but this tea bag has little to do with tea drinking. The glass is filled with a chemical intermediate and the bag contains fluorescent molecules, which combined give off a fluorescent light and create an atmosphere of mystery.