‘Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating materials, generally including a material like kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 °C (2,200 and 2,600 °F). The strength, and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainly from vitrification and the formation of the mineral mullite within the body at these high temperatures. Though definitions vary, porcelain can be divided into three main categories: hard-paste, soft-paste and bone china. The category that an object belongs to depends on the composition of the paste used to make the body of the porcelain object and the firing conditions.
‘Porcelain slowly evolved in China and was finally achieved (depending on the definition used) at some point about 2,000 to 1,200 years ago, then slowly spread to other East Asian countries, and finally Europe and the rest of the world. Its manufacturing process is more demanding than that for earthenware and stoneware, the two other main types of pottery, and it has usually been regarded as the most prestigious type of pottery for its delicacy, strength, and its white colour. It combines well with both glazes and paint, and can be modelled very well, allowing a huge range of decorative treatments in tablewares, vessels and figurines. It also has many uses in technology and industry.’ — collaged
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Barnaby Barford
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Ren Clark
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Ronit Baranga
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Unknown
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Maria Rubinke
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Qixuan Lim
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Johan Talon
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Eva Thimgren
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Johnson Tsang
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Penny Byrne
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Laurent Craste
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Evelyn Bracklow
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Nicola Constantino
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Jessica Harrison
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Geng Xue
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Marc Alberghina
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Unknown
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OOAK
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p.s. Hey. ** Adem Berbic, Hey. I can only speak as someone who’s not remotely exhausted by what human creativity comes up with and produces, and, even if I were looking for an offramp, AI in its current state without all the ‘what ifs’ people are applying to it, positively and negatively, would not constitute one. So I guess let’s just agree to disagree? No further action in my hood, but they’re imposing a curfew on Republique starting tonight, so not sure about there. ** Ilán Valdés, Hey! Thanks. Never done ketamine myself, so it’s all fairytale. Haha, thanks re: the pack. I think that with the screenings and a bunch of longtime London friends I haven’t seen in ages plus the short time we’ll be there, I’m probably going to be pretty packed time-wise, but, if not, coffee or walk would be very nice. Enjoy! ** Dominik, Hi!!! By the time ketamine became available enough that I could try it, I had already quit drugs, so no. I have to say the reports of my friends who use it does not make me feel like I’m missing something valuable. The AI stuff in my feeds that pretend to be taken from surveillance cameras sometimes fools me at first, but the ones that pretend to be shot by phones are still too Valentine pretty to be believable to me. But I guess we’re still in the infancy stage. The closest other ATM at the moment is a fifteen minute walk, so that sucks, but I assume the bank will get that machine back in order quickly, it being a bank and all. Okay, if it’s love K-Hole, maybe. And thanks to him for the invitation no matter what. Love making the Haunted Park attraction I’m going to tonight actually haunted, which I know if very big ask, G. ** Bzzt, Oh, hey there! Uh, the protests have gotten way too ugly and counterproductive to be on board with, but they were cool at first. Congrats on the Evergreen score! Everyone, Bzzt is also a fine writer named Quinn Roberts, and he has a new piece up at Evergreen Review, and you can read it, and you certainly should if you feel like it. It’s called ‘The Fortress of Solitude’ and it’s here. Thanks! Take good care. ** Sarah Palmer, Hi, Sarah, really nice to see you. Wow, you’ve gotten around, lucky you. The only art I’ve seen is the Kerry James Marshall show at MAM, which is excellent. There are a bunch of shows I intend to see right away: Stan Douglas @ Jeu de Paume, Georges Perec @ the National Library, the photo show @ Pinault, a Philippe Grandrieux show @ Trace, and others. And maybe Paris Internationale, although it’s usually disappointing. The demonstrations trashed my neighborbood, but they haven’t immobilised me. Interesting about the Juan Bescós play. I’ll see what it is. Unfortunately if it’s in French I’d probably be too lost to try it out in person. Stupidly, I haven’t checked the Festival d’Automne program yet, but I will today. Thank you for reminding me. I’m glad you like the Casciani. And rising up sounds like just the ticket. Lovely to get to speak with you. Enjoy your surroundings. ** _Black_Acrylic, Reports like yours are why I haven’t broken my no drugs rule to take that trip. The turmoil might have calmed down, I’m not sure yet this morning. But they’re starting curfews this evening, so we’ll see what that does. ** Steve Erickson, Yes, K-Hole travellers do not appear to be very photogenic. I don’t think the protests are still occurring in my hood, but I’ll know better when I go outside today. The buzz on ‘You Can See Everything’ is crazy. It seems to have killed off the ‘Digger’ blather. Okay, thanks for the report. I guess I need to see it. I like that AI can visualise fantasies with reasonable if still unconvincing skill. That’s the only thing that interests me about it so far. ** Carsten, Hi. Tragically, the violence that the protests have evolved into is doing little but feeding into the far right’s agenda. Their important purpose is being successfully backgrounded. Being excited to write something is kind of the whole ball of wax. So, great! I hope the efforts to bring Dickey’s poetry out of hiding works. It’s strong stuff. ** laura w., Hi. Okay, cool, thank you! I ‘pray’ that the value and success of the protests can somehow he rescued from the far right’s thus far successful distortion and exploitation of it. Racism is such a vile and terrifying weapon. I can actually think of quite a few Scandinavian horror directors: Carsten Myllerup, Tomas Alfredson, Patrik Syversen, … lots. My impression is that Scandinavian horror films are kind of active thing? ** Darbz on the school laptop without the cool pfpf :((, Your temporary new name with definitely suffice. I’ll go find your email, thank you!! Wonderful about your English teacher recognising your writing talent! Yay, that’s fantastic! ** Billy, Hi! I don’t know ‘Boy Parts’ but I’ll check it out. True, I can’t think of any Ket-related art that has stuck in my memory. even Happy that you’re good. I’m good. Really cool to get to see you. ** HaRpEr //, I do feel like Ketamine isn’t the thing it was back when I made that post. When I hear about it these days, it’s usually as a sex accompaniment. I don’t know that Angela Carter book. Chaotic sounds nice. ** Dev, Oh, right, the Elon Musk/Ketamine connection. If one needs a reason to stay away from it, there it is. Do come to Paris! It’s pretty glorious. You might fall in love with it unless we’re having a heatwave at the time. Check your weather forecast first. ** Uday, Oh, wow, it made your open tabs category. Sweet. I’ve been done K, as I said. I have to say that where it takes you really doesn’t appeal to me in theory. Pretend it’s an ambient Brian Eno composition? ** Right. More Halloween coming at you today. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Hey Dennis! Cool artworks. Yeah, I get that. I’m quite busy myself. Quality over quantity. I also believe that spacing out the time between seeing people can make things more interesting.
My least favourite porcelain pieces were by Eva Thimgren. I like thinking about why I dislike certain pieces just as much as I like thinking about why I like them, and I think it might have something to do with zombification?
Anyway, looking forward to seeing you at the screening. I’ll leave my thoughts on the movie on a note in the outer plastic wrapping of the cigarette pack.
I hope you manage to get around to the two books 📕. I honestly don’t remember how good they were, tbh.
Anyway, we’ll be in touch. xx
Hi!!
Same—about ketamine.
I mostly get animal and boy content in my feeds. And since I love both extremes when it comes to the latter—completely wasted and trashy as well as unrealistically beautiful—sometimes AI can fool me. It’s pretty good at creating angelic-looking people. At least ‘til you really start digging into the details of the image.
Are you going to the attraction you once shared a link to? Le Parc de L’étrange? How was it?
Love gifting you any of the above pieces if you just tell him which one you desire, Od. (I’d pick something by Qixuan Lim—I adore her work—though the first piece by Geng Xue is a serious contender.)
Agreement to disagree agreeably agreed.
I think my thinking on this comes in part from my Lacan deep-dive this year. He has this semi-nihilistic conception of the subject, where he asserts that so much of what’s conventionally understood as being ‘inside’ it – language, thought, self-image – is actually ‘outside’ or other to it. I’d gloss his take on the subject as (migraine incoming): it’s just alienation in language, i.e., the sense at the instant of articulation that the articulation is incommensurate to what’s being articulated, the ‘fullness’ of the latter having only been created retroactively. If you squinted, you could boil that down to the subject strictly being the capacity for metaphor and the creation of new links and possibilities within signification, which links by analogy to the ‘imaginative leaps’ Steve mentioned yesterday.
I know that clinging to any one such framework or formula like that ends up being deadening and dogmatic, but it’s been interesting for me to sit with that in relation to what happens when I write. Like, dry and obnoxious and over-technical as he is, I do think that Lacan is better felt than thought, if that makes sense. As for the Lacanian, I won’t say much, but things are going well.
Returning to ketamine, I think there’s an interesting cultural schism between the UK (if not elsewhere in Europe?) and the US. Specifically in the UK, most of its users do it to get expediently fucked up. Like, it doesn’t have that much reputation as being psychedelic or ‘psychedelic-adjacent’ here. It’s pub grub that comes on faster than alcohol and costs less than coke. And I’m not saying that from a place of judgement, as if there’s a right and wrong way to do it, I just think it’s an interesting cultural quirk. Mephedrone/m-cat has definitely eaten K’s lunch in the queer party/clubbing scene here.
Today’s is the kind of post where at least half of them are my favourite — I have a thing for organic matter represented with inorganic materials. I guess porcelain must bring out the best in artists. You’re here soon. Or soon-ish. That’s wild.
Hi Dennis!
Oh, I’m so sorry about the unrest and the damage it caused in your neighborhood…
I love your latest post about “gore” ceramics. I knew about Nick Cave’s work, but his pieces are so much softer compared to the ones you’re showing!
Oh, great! Thanks for these recommendations. We have quite a few in common, especially Perec! I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of them. I’d also love to check out the exhibition dedicated to Kurt Schwitters at the Musée Picasso. They’ve tried to recreate the Merzbau — I can’t wait to see how it turned out! Ah, too bad about Paris Internationale. I’ve never had the chance to go, but the photos featured on their website looked pretty good…
Yes, I believe “Anti-magie” is currently being performed only in French. Theatre really is the only art form that so rarely gets translated… It’s a shame, because it limits its reach abroad and, consequently, our understanding of what’s happening outside France. I’ve rarely seen translated plays in regional theatres — two or three at most over the past ten years — though I imagine Paris offers many more.
I hope you’ll discover some real gems during the Festival d’Automne. There’s so much on offer that it can feel overwhelming. I’m a little apprehensive about Hiroshi Sugimoto’s project.
Thank you — the feeling is mutual! It’s always lovely to read your posts and exchange thoughts with you.
Take care, and I hope you come across one surprising discovery after another!
Thank you for the plaudits! And yes, please do read the story if you feel inclined.
Truthfully I need to catch up on the coverage, I’ve been too wrapped up in getting my story out.
Everything in the outside world has kind of faded into the background…I fear I will never be able to turn that part of my brain off and just “play the game.” But I’m happy with how the story turned out. And I’m very privileged and blessed.
Porcelain just seems so ripe to be befouled and made dirty. Also something very English about the medium, quite at home on granny’s sideboard waiting for demonic possession.
Hi, Dennis. What you think about Friedkin Cruising?
Hi, Dennis, what you think about Friedkin Cruising?
oh i love the jessica harrison pieces!!
i’m excited for that elizabeth holmes documentary but not enough to go to the theatre for 3 hours. hopefully it will be somewhere soon or maybe it is already. i don’t often look at a new release and think “ooh i want to see that” so that’s pretty big for me already. especially because the advertising for the rehearsal turned me off completely- sort of like how the advertising for season 2 of severance made me never want anything to do with that show ever. i had less than zero interest in digger! so it’s nice to see something else causing a lot of online discourse (discourse in italics).
ai is something i don’t find compelling because i don’t find the things it creates compelling. whenever i read its writing specifically i feel like a cat being pet backwards. maybe i’m just pissed off because i read this book called no ghosts by max lury which had been getting a lot of buzz and fucking hated it because it felt like it had been written by ai which maybe is intentional given that the book is about disappearing into ai/llms but it still raised my hackles. i’m now reading a collection of edith wharton ghost stories to decontaminate my brain. there’s something very appealing about late 19th and early 20th century ghost stories, how they rely on framing devices, how things never happen to the narrator but always to their cousins or family friends or elderly uncles, or else are told through journal articles or as if by serious investigators of the paranormal. it’s quite interesting from an artistic perspective.
it also reminded me that my biggest beef with stephen king is that he normalized the 800 page horror tome. horror works best in short form. i believe this very strongly. i don’t think i’ve ever read a horror novel that exceeded 300 pages that i thought was well done.
any thoughts on the new william vollmann? seems like everyone or at least everyone on my algorithm is very excited.
I’ve done pretty well at avoiding the news these last few days, mostly to dodge to inevitable right-wing spin show on the protests. I just can’t listen to the bullshit anymore, not even in passing. And man does it feel good to go through one’s day with minimal media exposure. Sadly that’ll be damn near impossible once the midterms come up. Any magic tricks on how not to stay glued to the news when democracy’s on the line?
How are the curfews handled? Is everyone barred from leaving the house after a certain hour? Sounds like the dumbest idea imaginable, naturally.
My new laptop arrived last night. Although it took 3 hours to figure out how to connect to Wi-Fi on it, the transfer went extremely smoothly. It’s obvious how decrepit my previous one had become.
I watched part 1 of THE BATTLE OF CHILE this morning and thought about the French protests. How strange to see the police helping left-wing workers defend Chile’s socialist government against strikes from the right.
Were you able to get outside today? What’s your neighborhood like?
I’ve begun remixing a friend’s song. The original is power pop, but I’m taking out almost all the rock elements and going in a spacey but gritty direction.
When I saw ‘Glazed’ in the title I was worried it’d be baked goods, whose exhibition is a little too frequent for my taste, except of course for the annual pageant of bûches de Noël, which is always welcome. Excellent work on The Fortress of Solitude, Bzzt. I really enjoyed it and it added to my general Aubrey Beardsley fascination. I don’t think I’d seen the first drawing before. I am delighted today by my collection (if you can call two a collection) of miniature cameras. They are perhaps the only touch of joy in my otherwise monk-like room, aside perhaps from my CD collection (the best of my books are in the living room so that my flatmates may also peruse them), the latest addition to which is Spurts: The Richard Hell Story. I’m sure I’m misdiagnosing, but there always seemed to be a tension between him and Tom Verlaine. But perhaps I am imputing that from their names. How wonderful the enduring mythos of Rimbaud!
Hey Dennis, are your earliest novels (Safe, Idols) ever going to be republished or reprinted? I would love to read them, but they seem to be fairly hard to find.
To answer one question: Safe is already included in its entirety in the collection “Wrong” by Grove Press.
Hi Dennis.
I just wanted to tell you that I showed “PGL” to a boy I was babysitting the other week. He loved the film and told me that you and Zac have good taste in finding guys. He’s gonna read “My Loose Thread” soon. Are you planning on doing anything more when you’re in London? Cheers from over here.
Hey Dennis! Very beautiful stuff today, I think the Ronit Baranga is speaking to me the most… love the unknown artist stuff too. Always fascinating, the mystery… see lots of that working at a thrift store. Lots of fake food too, hehe…
Funny thing, I saw someone over on twitter talking about how indie music fans back in the day thought of GBV as a “joke band”, but somehow I dont think that was the case haha
Anyway, as I’m finishing up my Dark Rides EP and a post about it, how do you usually want people to get stuff to ya? Just text and links and whatnot, make sure im hosting whatever images need to be in the post? Lemme know deets!
I missed the one screening of the restored Begotten on 35mm and was pretty bummed, but it turns out they have more showings in a few weeks, so thats my big win this week… any big wins on your end? Small ones? K, bye!!