OBJECT ATTACHMENT

Chinatown Soup is delighted to present Object Attachment, an exhibition of clay objects, photography, and mixed media works by artist-in-residence Lilian Wu Finckel that is on view from June 9 through June 19, 2021.

Notes on Object Attachment: 

Objects are important when they are: 

gifted / given 

found in a moment of importance 

inherited 

are beautiful / spark joy / etc. 

inherently archival 

Object attachment:  (within psychology) linked to transitional periods of life or growth (a.k.a. growing up). Can aid independence. Extremes include hoarding, but the spectrum also applies to normative aging transitions, life experiences, familiarity, or habit, all which impact the views of objects. 

The Venus of Dolní Věstonice is the oldest known ceramic object, dated 29,000-25,000 BCE (Paleolithic), discovered on July 13, 1925, in ash, broken in two pieces. It is made of yellow clay mixed with powdered mammoth bone and fired at around 1300º Fahrenheit. The fingerprint of a child, between 7-15 years old, remains in the clay. 

February 16, 2019

I ask my mother what my grandparents’ names are, and write a note so I won’t forget: 

陳瑜玉

Chén Yúyù

吳廣澤

Wú Guangzé

I also write down my name, just in case: 

吳立蓮

and 蓮花 to better understand

Lineage I can’t read. Will I remember how to spell my own name in her tongue? Giving myself her name too, but when I say it and stumble and he asks me to repeat 

is that more difficult?

Both my grandmothers were painters: Helen Klee Finckel and 陳瑜玉 [Chén Yúyù]

Notes App, phone (2018ish)

objects i will —

lost non-things

things for tearing 

pins and pinning and soft receptacles 

box of goods 

goods in box 

goods for sailing 

goods for sale things 

goods for selling 

good for nothing 

good for 

good form

forms of good 

forms of bad 

bad form

bad foam

bad things

things that go bad 

boxes of

stuff. 

About the artist:  Lilian Wu Finckel is a ceramic artist and teacher based in Brooklyn. She has exhibited with Chinatown Soup and Slowburn NYC. Lilian is a co-curator of the Chinatown Soup Zine Wall and co-organizer for the NYC Feminist Zinefest. She teaches people of all ages how to make pottery at Clayhouse Brooklyn (where she also fires kilns and mixes glazes). 

A message from the artist: I have endless gratitude to the many friends who helped me put this show together:  Michelle and Tim for their constant soupport; Amelie for the most stunning florals; Lizzie and Jillian for helping all my clay works emerge on time and in one piece; Ama for her photo/printing/Epson skills; Jongil for taking such good care of my wàipó’s paintings; Tony and the Accurate Photoshop family for the fastest and best photo development; Miguel and Tony for lending us pedestals; Suze for the most delicious opening cake; and Zoe, Pooja, Anna, and Lizzy for their encouragement, installation help, and wisdom.