Before Disney got their hands on them, fairy tales were often dark and cautionary. Mark of the Tale, an exhibit from Netherland mother-daughter artists Lineke and Mieke Zuiderweg, takes a sweeping look at classic folk and fairy tale myths. Using ceramic figurines, the two artists add a new dimension to classic tales everyone will find familiar. Partly inspired by a 100-year-old illustrated book from Hans Christian Andersen – the famous Danish author of stories like “The Little Mermaid” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” – Lineke, who lives here in Ann Arbor, takes art aficionados on a journey back through time.
Her Chicago-based daughter, Mieke, takes a more contemporary view to give these historically cautionary tales an existential twist. Her figures shoulder the burden of centuries of moral expectations and shed light on modern questions that had little weight when fairy tales first originated. There will be an opening reception Friday, November 6 with live classical music, light hors-d’oeuvres, and beverages. Runs through November 29.
10am daily, noon Sundays, November 1-29
Claywork Studios, 2763 Plymouth Rd.
734-604-7596 | clayworkstudio.com
Free
