kickin' it
charmian nimmo
july 15 – august 19, 2021
ccbc shop & gallery
Our shoes are representative of many things, our societal status, lifestyle, gender, occupation and more. They are the one item of personal adornment that come in direct contact with the earth and as well, offer a great deal of protection to the wearer. Shoes are something that everyone in our society has in their possession and use daily, some even a have shoe addiction.
In reality, these ceramic shoes would break with the first step. Though the works in Kickin’ It are crafted from clay, they convey the qualities of the soft leather, rubber and canvas that shoes are typically made of. The shoes, hanging in the window of the Craft Council of BC shop and gallery, suggest a series of movements: dancing, skating, two stepping and other movements that are dependent on having the correct footwear. The shoes remind the artist and viewer of Cinderella, as though they are looking for someone to fill them.
Approaching these pieces as a functional potter, Charmian Nimmo wanted to give her pieces purpose. All of the pieces in the installation can be used as vases, planters, or even drinking vessels if one so desired. Once transitioning from the CCBC window to the home, the ceramic footwear will continue to convey a sense of movement in the home and remind the owner or collector of our connection to the earth.
Charmian Nimmo is a self-taught potter and has been working with clay for 4 decades. In the 90’s, she owned a small pottery shop in Vancouver and has been teaching classes at Community Centers around the city since then. For 15 years, she managed the West End Pottery Studio at the West End Community Centre. She is currently teaching at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. She has been a member of the Kingsmill Studio on Granville Island since 2015, and through there, has sold to collectors from all over the world. Over the years, she has done many commissions for restaurants, law firms, and private clients. Her current practice focuses on my functional lines and a series of animal sculptures that have become quite popular.