Vase 1893 - 1911

Hugh Robertson made this vase without a date but he probably used stoneware with a crystalline glaze. Look how the glaze runs down the sides! It's like he let the colors do their own thing, a real process-oriented move. I'm really drawn to the materiality of this piece. The surface isn't just colored, it's alive with texture. You can almost feel the drips and pools of the glaze, thick in some spots, almost transparent in others. See how the red and green intermingle, creating these surprising moments of depth? And the way the colors cascade down, it’s as though the vase is weeping, giving it a real emotional depth. Think about someone like, say, Lucio Fontana and his slashing of the canvas. Like that, Robertson’s Vase embraces chance, and reminds us that art is always a conversation, always open to new interpretations.