Review: Weather the Weather / Whatever the Weather

When entering the exhibition hall, the Studios Inc 2024 Group Exhibition enthralls viewers with the diverse range of work displayed. This made it difficult to choose just one piece to focus on but in the end I have chosen to discuss Casey Whittier’s piece, Weather the Weather / Whatever the Weather from 2018.

While not the largest piece in the show, this ceramic umbrella has a large presence in the space as an object that makes me question its true function. What is the point of an umbrella with holes in it? From far away, the actual covering of the umbrella looks like crochet work when in fact, on further inspection it is built entirely out of chained together ceramic links. The function of an umbrella is to keep one safe and dry from inclement weather which at a surface level, this piece does not do. However, to weather something is to come through to the other side of something safely. To me, this piece reads as chainmail armor that protects the viewer or user from any challenges or harm that come their way throughout life. Ceramic is a medium that must literally go through the most extreme of conditions to come out stronger than it once was. Combining this idea with the idea of a protective shield is very powerful to me. The way the piece is displayed also has a lot to do with my attraction towards it, if the umbrella were in a closed position or hung from the ceiling in some way I don’t think I would read it as such a protective symbol. Tilted on its side, creating intricate shadows beneath it allows the object to become a space. It is displayed as a space that feels cozy and protective. The juxtaposition of ceramic and lace also creates a dynamic of strength and delicateness which I find both appealing and intriguing. When I think of an umbrella, my first thought is a solid black covering so to see a creamy white covering with pale blue and purple reads as something soft but not to be mistaken as weak. It is an object existing in defiance, not serving its original purpose and instead, performing an even more important function in the process.

Weather the Weather / Whatever the Weather provides a safe space to contemplate hardship. While acting as shelter, the piece does not sell one on the false idea that everything will be okay with absolutely no struggle, things will fall through the cracks, there are still holes in the armor. Because of this, I resonate with the piece more than if it were just a solid covering on top. As a person who never uses an umbrella when it rains, the piece served as a reminder that I don’t have to handle absolutely everything on my own with no help or protection. The chains could also serve as individual experiences linked together. They are all pieces of a puzzle linked together as the protection that comes with experiencing life and hardship.