Helmut Menzel has developed new ceramic vessels for Weiden: they are functional, yet possess a distinct physical presence. They can be interpreted as vases or vessels, serving platters or cups. At the same time, they appear as sculptural objects that seem to be constructed rather than moulded. Their proportions are compressed, stacked and upright. Edges, steps and seams remain visible. The vessels reveal their process of creation without turning this into a narrative gesture. The starting point for most of the works is wooden moulds. The clay is pressed into these moulds and thus initially takes on a structure that already exists. The slip-casting technique works in a similar way.

Other pieces are machined with a drill-milling machine before glazing. The forms are therefore created according to a specific template; they are produced through moulding, pressing and subsequent machining. Before the glaze unifies the form and the firing sets it in place permanently, a hard, rough underlying structure is sought and taken for granted. This working method is essential to Menzel. The artist’s own signature style is not intended to appear in the object as a direct expression. It is constrained, shifted and bound to the various ceramic and sculptural processes: the model dictates a form. The tool leaves marks that elude free modelling. The glaze reacts to the edges, recesses and density of the material. Firing alters once again what had previously been decided. Menzel works with these external constraints rather than concealing them. The use of colour also follows this principle. In Menzel’s earlier works, wax and paper masks played a greater role.

The new vessels are glazed in a comparatively straightforward manner. Even when several layers are applied, the yellow, red or white sit in distinct blocks on the bodies. The colour appears less like paint on a surface; it forms part of the vessel’s construction, defining areas and revealing transitions. It is precisely the simplicity of the glaze that allows the three-dimensional structure to stand out more clearly. The objects retain a connection to their practical use. The opening, base, interior and volume all refer to the vessel. At the same time, this familiarity is constantly being shifted. A mug becomes an upright form, perhaps a flower calyx. A vase resembles a small tower. A tray appears as a relief-like abstract form. The works draw on familiar ceramic forms without being subsumed by them. *Rougher than rough* presents ceramics as a medium in which form-giving and loss of control lie in close proximity. Menzel employs techniques that allow for repetition, whilst at the same time accepting that each piece will turn out differently.