Idioms

WHILE I CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE INHERENT QUALITIES IN CERAMIC MATERIALS THEMSELVES, MY MOST RECENT WORK HAS BEEN INSPIRED BY BOOK FORMS AND THE USE OF TEXT AND TEXTURE.  EXPERIMENTING WITH A VARIETY OF CLAYS, PIGMENTS AND FORMING AND FIRING METHODS, WHILE EXPLORING WAYS OF COMBINING THESE THREE ELEMENTS, CONTINUES TO BE AN EXCITING AND EVOLVING PROCESS.

PREVIOUS WORK INCLUDES:-

THE 'RAZORSHELL' SERIES, MADE OUT OF WHITE STONEWARE WITH THE SHAPES ASSEMBLED FROM PRE-FORMED SLABS.  THE SURFACES HAVE BEEN CARVED, BEFORE BEING COLOURED WITH OXIDES AND STAINS.  IN THESE PIECES, I HAVE CONTINUED, TO BE INTERESTED IN FLATTENED FORMS AND STRONG PROFILES, AS WELL AS CREATION OF THE ALLUSION OF MULTI-LAYERING ON THEIR SURFACES.

A SERIES SLIP-CASTINGS IN BONE CHINA .  WHILE THE FIRED QUALITY OF THIS CLAY IS VERY SOFT, LUSTROUS AND BEAUTIFUL IN ITS OWN RIGHT, INVITING LITTLE INTERFERENCE, I HAVE INTRODUCED SOME CARVED AND PIERCED DETAILS TO INTRODUCE A SUBTLE CONTRAST BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK.  THE GLAZED INTERIORS PROVIDE A SECOND CONTRAST BETWEEN SHINEY AND MATT SURFACES.

A PREVIOUS BODY OF WORK SHOWN HERE WAS HANDBUILT IN TERRACOTTA CLAY, DECORATED IN RESISTED COLOURED SLIPS, BURNISHED AND SMOKE-FIRED.  SOME OF THESE PIECES ARE FLATTENED AND ASYMMETRICAL WHILE OTHERS ARE SPHERIOD OR GOURD-LIKE IN FORM.  OTHERS HAVE NO APPLIED DECORATION AND RELY ENTIRELY ON THE SMOKE-FIRING FOR THEIR SUBTLE SURFACE EFFECTS.