More moments from Table Manners...

Sandra Bowkett Tea for Two 

Cups and saucers have held a memorable place in my personal culture. As a child I was given a small cup and saucer, bright tulips with a mass of green leaves. My sister also received a set, Shelley, I preferred the subtlety and fineness of hers.

The collections of cups, saucers and plates in the crystal cabinet also fascinated me.  I have made hundreds, and now I arrive at these minimal forms. Delicate, with a two finger handle for appropriate holding but as a concession to contemporary practice, a multi-purpose saucer.

Keiko Matsui Use Me or Hang Me

My work is made from Australian porcelain on a wheel. I make the handles separately and curve them into a wood like texture. I like to add a little sense of humour into my pieces and feel it's especially important for the enjoyment of everyday things.

These unique cups and saucers are functional as well as being tactile objects that radiate warmth. When not in use the cups & saucers hang on the hand crafted wooden board to make them into a still life. The cups are stackable making them a great space saver while being visually engaging and functional.

Debra Parkins Giving The Pinkie To Old Ways

In today’s modern society I think the decline in table manners may reflect less of a need to impress others. The raised pinkie, knowing which way to drink your tea or how to place your cup to me reflects a class system and pretence that I hope has been banished forever.

In my work I have used a coarse clay mix and Kuan glaze. The sculptural pinkies reflect a bygone falseness while the running glaze and rough exposed clay texture reflect modern informality.

Jo Quirk In Which Special Interest Group Meet with Mr Doyle to Discuss Value of Ephemeral Art 

Nothing makes street art as ephemeral as removing it. But what do you do when you find that suddenly it is of monetary value to someone and exorbitantly so? And aaah...you have accidentally deleted it...

With my work I hope to open up a Pandora ’s Box of questions about public art and vandalism, choice ideas for an outrageous afternoon tea chat.

 Tracy Muirhead Serenity

Attitudes toward decorum and the rules of social etiquette in contemporary society have certainly relaxed and table manners have been adjusted accordingly.  But perhaps as a result we need to push a few more boundaries and break a few more rules in order to bring us back to the ritual of afternoon tea, which allowed us to pause and find serenity.  Perhaps by challenging the norms and replacing them with the unusual, it will cause us to STOP and just BE in the present moment, allowing us to regenerate while we ponder what we are drinking from and where it should be placed.