Clementine Keith-Roach, Oinochoë, 2019
Oinochoë
by Clementine Keith-Roach continues her work with gestural body parts and found ceramics, which she began with her exhibition
Labours in the summer of 2019. The word
Oinochoë comes from a type of jug used to pour wine at symposia in ancient Greece, where these vessels would be used in ritualistic drink offerings to Hygia, goddess of health and cleanliness. Although the ceremonies were in worship of a female goddess, only men would be allowed to partake in symposia, except for hetairen that were present (female courtesans associated with the worship of Aphrodite). The
Oinochoë itself would traditionally be poured by young naked boys at symposia. The warm and earthy terracotta of the sculpture alludes to the heat of human touch, whilst the texture of the vessel refers to the sensitivity of skin. Much like human skin, the surfaces of the found vessels in these works bare the evidence of their antiquity and experience.
