Casey Hanrahan: Lush (by appointment)

Everyone has their favorite cup. It’s a complex form for one simple use — the vessel and the messenger. "Lush," a MFA Thesis Exhibition by Casey Hanrahan, celebrates the ceramic cup while meshing traditional and contemporary concepts. With the functional vessel the artist explores a direct sense of intimacy. The cup is one of the few forms that is embraced and caressed while it's being used — it is touched by lips, perhaps analyzed like reading a cereal box in the morning. These vessels create an interaction with human touch; they are meant to be lived with and used in the home. Each cup featured in “Lush” is housed on a shelf and speaks to a different type of relationship. Single cups are meant for solo use during times of contemplation. Groupings of three or more are meant for social gatherings. Doubles represent one on one conversations. The sets come together to define different relationships and experiences, while also creating new ones.

This exhibition can be viewed by appointment during gallery hours, Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please contact galleries@asu.edu.

Image: “Siblings,” 2019, porcelain, pigments, and glaze