the kitsch pottery museum
I'm doing (a very lax) Blaugust. This is 3/hopefully 31 posts in August. This is a post I started writing on the 19th of July.
I was on holiday in July and I stayed in a little town in France called Vallauris, which is famous for its pottery. It was historically famous for pottery but the artistic side of things really kicked off in the 1950's, when Picasso moved there and started creating ceramic art.
This is a Picasso plate, I quite like the layout on this one
The cute exterior of a pottery shop in Vallauris
He also painted a mural in an old chapel, War and Peace, which was very immersive to see in person.
However, there's another museum in Vallauris - the Kitsch Pottery museum! One room full of whimsical pottery, with, disappointingly, zero information on the artists or provenance of any of the pieces. So I'll just shown you pictures of some of my favourites.
A set of vases, with 3d bugs moulded on.
A donkey, with wings.
There were a lot of these big fish, which were hollow with cut-outs to reveal dioramas of more sea life inside them.
A lighthouse, with a cut-away section underneath the sea revealing a deep sea diver and treasure chest.
My favourite - a girl serving food (?) at a kiosk, with an elaborate dog (?) stood outside.
Of course there were a few topless ladies.
Obsessed with this cigarette box with smoked cigarette decor on the top.
Many little fruit, vegetable, shell, and pipe shaped (?) ceramic objects.
A lot going on here - note a toilet shaped little bowls (?) than seem to be holders for something, and the monks in the back.
And finally a whole set of pans filled with seafood.