In the collection "A Gentle Blow to the Rock", Marie T. Hermann has melded these two artistic identities, simultaneously reinventing tradition and elevating the contemporary with a matchless aesthetic sophistication and inventiveness. At first glance, each piece appears indistinct, part of a single series of familiar, replicated household objects. The monochrome patina and simple utilitarian forms give the impression of a collection created on a production line rather than an artist’s studio. Yet beneath the recognizable, everyday forms lies a deeper significance. Like the pieces of the Sung Dynasty, each of Hermann’s works is a unique construct, complete with their own subtle distinctions and idiosyncrasies. "A Gentle Blow to the Rock" is the result of the coalescence of these two disparate artistic identities and a re-interpretation of the lines that separate common, utilitarian objects, mass produced items and works of art.