Imperfect Players
Slemmons Gallery
September 19, 2025 - November 22, 2025
Imperfect Players is a collection of ceramic vessels that can be performed as musical instruments and accompanied by drawings.
I worked at an auction house creating condition reports for fine and decorative art. These objects were valuable for their aesthetic, craft, and cultural histories. I often studied ceramic vases closely and under a black light to find the imperfections: cracks, chips, and many networks of hidden repair. They had their own material stories in the flaws of their production and accumulation of wear. These imperfections degraded their value, but also served as evidence of their authenticity.
I am a similar vessel. My human body has sustained physical and psychological changes and damage, and I hold that with me as I function day to day. Especially after giving birth to my child, I was very aware of dramatic shifts to my mind and body, and I struggled to perform as I once did. Imperfect Players is a response to that corporal rift. These forms are adorned with their own broken and fused pieces, just as I hold onto memories and my material body holds scars and strain of the past. Although broken, these vessels are also instruments that can be played to make musical sounds.
Imperfect Players celebrates imperfect and broken vessels that disrupt the idealized form, and still function as instruments in the world.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, September 19th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
RSVP for the closing performance on Saturday, November 22nd 5:30-6pm at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
Imperfect Players
Slemmons Gallery
September 19, 2025 - November 22, 2025
Imperfect Players is a collection of ceramic vessels that can be performed as musical instruments and accompanied by drawings.
I worked at an auction house creating condition reports for fine and decorative art. These objects were valuable for their aesthetic, craft, and cultural histories. I often studied ceramic vases closely and under a black light to find the imperfections: cracks, chips, and many networks of hidden repair. They had their own material stories in the flaws of their production and accumulation of wear. These imperfections degraded their value, but also served as evidence of their authenticity.
I am a similar vessel. My human body has sustained physical and psychological changes and damage, and I hold that with me as I function day to day. Especially after giving birth to my child, I was very aware of dramatic shifts to my mind and body, and I struggled to perform as I once did. Imperfect Players is a response to that corporal rift. These forms are adorned with their own broken and fused pieces, just as I hold onto memories and my material body holds scars and strain of the past. Although broken, these vessels are also instruments that can be played to make musical sounds.
Imperfect Players celebrates imperfect and broken vessels that disrupt the idealized form, and still function as instruments in the world.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, September 19th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
RSVP for the closing performance on Saturday, November 22nd 5:30-6pm at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
Liz McCarthy (She/they) is a Chicago-based artist that combines ceramics with other mediums. Her work explores ways in which her body is an ever-changing material intertwined with human and nonhuman environments. Her sculptures often take the form of whistles that have the potential for instrumental performances. These objects harken potential modes for human collectivity, vulnerability, and play. She received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She most recently participated in group exhibitions with Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Chicago and Bemis Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She has also had solo exhibitions with Goldfinch Gallery, Belong Gallery, and most recently Roman Susan in Chicago. She has also been exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, and Goldfinch in Chicago; Ghebaly Gallery in Los Angeles; ExGirlfriend in Berlin, and numerous other galleries and institutions. She has participated in residencies at Atlantic Center for the Arts, ACRE, High Concept Laboratories, Banff Centre, Ox-Bow, and Lighthouse Works. Her projects have been supported by Chicago’s Department of Tourism, and Chicago Artist Run Spaces Award. She is the Founding Director of the GnarWare Workshop Ceramics School and Community Studio.
Liz McCarthy (She/they) is a Chicago-based artist that combines ceramics with other mediums. Her work explores ways in which her body is an ever-changing material intertwined with human and nonhuman environments. Her sculptures often take the form of whistles that have the potential for instrumental performances. These objects harken potential modes for human collectivity, vulnerability, and play. She received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She most recently participated in group exhibitions with Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Chicago and Bemis Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She has also had solo exhibitions with Goldfinch Gallery, Belong Gallery, and most recently Roman Susan in Chicago. She has also been exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, and Goldfinch in Chicago; Ghebaly Gallery in Los Angeles; ExGirlfriend in Berlin, and numerous other galleries and institutions. She has participated in residencies at Atlantic Center for the Arts, ACRE, High Concept Laboratories, Banff Centre, Ox-Bow, and Lighthouse Works. Her projects have been supported by Chicago’s Department of Tourism, and Chicago Artist Run Spaces Award. She is the Founding Director of the GnarWare Workshop Ceramics School and Community Studio.
