Özet:

Terracotta works, which are perhaps the most affected by the art and craft discussions, have recently been included in the field of modern and contemporary art. Contemporary artists other than ceramic artists also contributed to the modern ceramic art in the change and development of artistic conceptualism regarding ceramic art. This acceptance of contemporary art was so enthusiastic that ceramic forms became an important member of installations and performance art beyond the aesthetic design approach. Theaster Gates, one of the new generation artists who brought a different perspective to this phenomenon in today's understanding of art in the context of art and social responsibility, together with many artists who played a role in the evolution of primitive and culturally based pottery into modern art, represents an important artist figure with an international reputation and raises awareness. Gates, who is also an art professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago, takes pottery as his starting point and expresses his art and artistic understanding as integrated with social responsibility, academia and art, to which he adds his own interesting life story. Theaster Gates, who also performed at the 14th Istanbul Biennial (2015), is not well-known in our country as an artist who creates interior and exterior installation spaces that make concrete contributions to the society and makes the world watch performance art with interest. This study was carried out in order to introduce his interesting narrative personality emphasizing relational art, together with the prominent activities of his understanding of art based on pottery and ceramics.