Jan and Helga Grove: Life With Clay
Jan and Helga Grove in the garden of their Victoria-area studio about 1970
photo by Karl Spreitz
Stepping into Life With Clay, a retrospective exhibition by Jan and Helga Grove on view at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria until May 28, is like turning back the clock. Two sculptures at the entry, Jan’s whimsical Explorer #1, and Helga’s Vanity, both dating from the time of Canada’s centennial, cause my brain to shuffle through old files: Where have I seen something like this before? Perhaps in an old publication about Expo 67? I never quite retrieve the memory, but it’s always fascinating to be plunged into a time machine.
The two pieces are an apt introduction to the work of the German-trained couple, who have lived in the environs of Victoria since 1966. Vanity, a birdlike creature with spread wings, is accented with incised black lines. Explorer #1 looks like what you might get if you crossed a sea urchin with a pipefish – a round bulb with radiating snouty apertures that’s meant to evoke the Russian satellite Sputnik. Grove was fascinated by sci-fi, an interest also evident in his 1971 piece, Visitors from Pluto.
Jan Grove, "Visitors from Pluto," 1971
brown engobe on fired earthenware, 31" x 14" photo by Bob Matheson, collection of the artist
The two artists have distinct styles. Jan favours elegantly proportioned minimalism that refers to a human gesture or predicament. Helga, meanwhile, is more decorative and typically creates animal forms. His sculptures are made from wheel-thrown components, while hers are built from slabs of clay. The show includes about 40 sculptures displayed on a low L-shaped runway that juts into the gallery. More of Helga’s animal forms are featured along with pieces by Jan, such as Ballerinas, three top-like structures that suggest spinning. Unfortunately, the overall display is somewhat dense giving individual works too little breathing room.
1 of 6
Jan Grove, "Jug with Offset Neck," 1986
moss green glaze fired earthenware, 10" x 7" photo by Bob Matheson, collection of the artist
2 of 6
Jan Grove, "Jug with Hole," 1989
cobalt blue glaze, Photo by Bob Matheson, Private collection
3 of 6
Jan and Helga Grove, "Vase with Double Neck," 1967
fired earthenware with black decor, 17" x 15" photo by Bob Matheson, private collection
4 of 6
Helga Grove, "Mitz and Mautz," 2005
clay incised with black decor, fired earthenware, 13" x 7" photo by Bob Matheson, collection of the artist
5 of 6
Helga Grove, "Teapot," 1970
fired earthenware, brown glaze with black decor, 4" x 7" photo by Bob Matheson, collection of the artist
6 of 6
Helga Grove, "Jar with Lid," 1970
fired earthenware with painted decor, photo by Bob Matheson, collection of the artist
The show, organized by Allan Collier, a Victoria freelance curator and furniture designer, also includes some 60 pieces of functional ware. The pottery is finely crafted with lovely patinas in brown, copper green and several shades of blue, but it’s hard to appreciate fully as it’s displayed behind glass in boxy museum-style cases. Interestingly, the continental aesthetic of the Groves is unusual amongst West Coast potters, who typically produced rustic earthenware informed by Asian aesthetics under the influence of Britain’s Bernard Leach.
Jan Grove "Jug," 1967
hard burned earthenware with matte glaze, 23" x 16" collection of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, CM 67.1.22 a,b
There’s a satisfying circularity here. The Groves first showed at the gallery in 1966 as centennial celebrations were gearing up. One of Jan’s pieces, Jug, was shown at Expo 67, and he was also part of a group show around the same time at the National Gallery of Canada. The Groves closed their studio in 2009, but now, as Canada marks its 150th anniversary, their work is once again on public display.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
1040 Moss Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8V 4P1
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Open Tues to Sat 10 am - 5 pm, Thurs till 9 pm; Sun noon - 5 pm.
