CERAMICS
During lockdown 2020/21, I started to work with clay. I had some limited experience working with clay in the 1970's but until now, hadn't the workspace or inclination to look at this as an additional creative expression. There are a number of reasons for my re-discovery of working with clay including visiting Souadou Coly, a Senegalese potter local to my place in Kafountine. I made a short film of Souadou working which can be found on YouTube and here.
I've included a selection from my earlier work with clay below. Initially I just enjoyed working with clay with no particular direction beyond just learning how it could be manipulated and modelled. However, I did find myself engaging in a number of themes including ships, shrines and 'chimney' pots. The most significant development however was the acquisition of a new large kiln as this enabled me to work at a larger scale.
During 2022 I started to make vessels with the intention of integrating them with my 'shorelines' project with a view to exhibiting these along with relief prints and photographs in 2023. However, plans changed in early 2023 when Paul Dearden invited me to take part in his upcoming exhibition 'The Age of Anxiety' planned for October at the Yorkshire Artspace Gallery in Sheffield. The venue had a lot of empty floorspace which he thought I might like to populate with my ceramics.
I have included a page 'The Age of Anxiety' under this tab which I will update over the next couple of months as I go through the process of making the work for the exhibition.
I've included a selection from my earlier work with clay below. Initially I just enjoyed working with clay with no particular direction beyond just learning how it could be manipulated and modelled. However, I did find myself engaging in a number of themes including ships, shrines and 'chimney' pots. The most significant development however was the acquisition of a new large kiln as this enabled me to work at a larger scale.
During 2022 I started to make vessels with the intention of integrating them with my 'shorelines' project with a view to exhibiting these along with relief prints and photographs in 2023. However, plans changed in early 2023 when Paul Dearden invited me to take part in his upcoming exhibition 'The Age of Anxiety' planned for October at the Yorkshire Artspace Gallery in Sheffield. The venue had a lot of empty floorspace which he thought I might like to populate with my ceramics.
I have included a page 'The Age of Anxiety' under this tab which I will update over the next couple of months as I go through the process of making the work for the exhibition.
ROBOAT
unglazed terracotta with jute, fishing line and bamboo skewers.
height 700mm - top of boat to lowest fish
2022
This is the second boat I made based on the 'ship of fools' theme and thought that it might make a good boat for Popeye.
Hand built with slab construction.
ALBATROSS
terracotta with spray paint. wood, jute and fishing lines
height 900mm - top of mast to lowest coffin.
2022
This is the first of three 'Conquistadors Ships' I have made.
The 'abandoned' hulk of the boat incorporates five coffins attached
to the stern with seagulls hung from the mast. There is also a
portrait of an unknown Conquistador currently at the Prado Museum.
Some of the ship decoration is made from pressed robot faces.
Robot Shrine
Painted terracotta with shells, lapiz, jute and wooden beads
2021
This is one of a series of 'shrines' I made to house some of my tin robot collection.
The robot faces are press moulded and can be found on a number of my ceramic pieces.
Wimpey's Hamburger Stand
glazed stoneware with plastic figures
I have a number of 'Popeye' themed figures and decided to make Wimpey his own
hamburger stand although I imagine he eats them all before he can sell them.
Three Towers
Terracotta with stoneware robots. lapis and beads
Another from the series of robot shrines
but this time I made my own clay robots.
Pair of Anubis towers
Terracotta and black clay with gold leaf, lapis, flint, jute and scarab
2021
This was one of the first pieces I made and one of a few incorporating the
figure of Anubis inspired by a small wooden automata I have designed by
Paul Spooner. I also have made a few other pieces with an Egyptian theme.
I made a matching pair but reversed the use of terracotta and black clay.
Magic Potion Bottle
glazed stoneware with shells, beads, wire and jute
I have spells in small jars from the Witches Market in La Paz.
I also have a few pieces of ju-ju from Senegal.
This bottle will hold my own spells once I find out how
to make them .....
Ship of Fools
Terracotta with underglaze colours
2020
This is the first 'ship of fools' I made and shows figures dressed
as clowns looking out from the boat with a blind folded Anubis
looking out to the front.
Your guess is as good as mine!
Reliquary for the American War
Clay, wood, plastic figures
2021
I often bring back earth or pebbles from my travels. many years ago I visited the
Tunnels of Cu Chi in Vietnam and brought back a handful of dirt. These tunnels
housed headquarters, hospitals and schools for the advancing North Vietnamese Army
as they approached Saigon and had a significant impact on the eventual victory
against the American Army.
I made this to house the dirt.
Anubis returning after delivering the souls of the dead
Painted Ceramic, wood, stone, ribbon, charms and recycled cake stand
2021
This piece came together over a number of weeks as the purpose
and idea came to me. It started off as Anubis rowing the boat and the
addition of the cake stand, stones and charms along with the polished
black pebbles came later.
Shoreline vessel number one.
May 2022
The first of the shorelines pots. I am making a series of vessels to accompany the shorelines prints and photographs with a view to exhibiting them together.
Crank clay with inlaid textured red and black. Unglazed.
This one measures 280mm wide x 330mm high and 60mm deep.
|
MONTEZUMA This is the second of the Conquistadors ships and is called the Montezuma. The photograph doesn't show the extent of the mast. Terracotta with sprayed colour and rosary beads and various religious charms. Height (with integrated stand) 114cm x width 42cm |
Imagined Elephant Bird
Height 65cm
Terracotta with paint spray
Made in two pieces
Amongst my collection of objects picked up from the ground are a number of Elephant Bird egg fragments from the sand dunes near Andavadoaka in Madagascar. I was out there working on a coral reef project.
This was made as a reliquary for the collection of egg fragments and bears no resemblance to any artists impressions of the original bird which might have been made extinct around the year 1000.
Imagined Elephant Bird
Height 65cm
Terracotta with paint spray
Made in two pieces
Amongst my collection of objects picked up from the ground are a number of Elephant Bird egg fragments from the sand dunes near Andavadoaka in Madagascar. I was out there working on a coral reef project.
This was made as a reliquary for the collection of egg fragments and bears no resemblance to any artists impressions of the original bird which might have been made extinct around the year 1000.
|
Shrine to Jimi
Height 30cm Stoneware I had a collection of McFarlane figures including this one of Jimi Hendrix who I considered worthy of a shrine. Includes pressed casts of his face from the model. The box includes a small light which shines up into the interior of the grotto. The Middle Passage Height 65cm Stoneware Spending a lot of time in West Africa, one cannot avoid thinking about the British colonial past and the implications for the people populating this part of the world. This piece is a response to this thinking and highlights a particular event in 1783 involving the ship - 'Zong' - look it up! |
Shorelines Vessel number two
Height 30cm
Crank clay with inlaid textured red and black - glazed.
more shorelines vessels ......         |
Shorelines Vessel number three h.30cm x w.30cm Crank clay with inlaid textured red and black - glazed. Shorelines Vessel number four h.30cm x w.30cm Terracotta clay with stains - glazed. Shorelines Vessel number five Terracotta clay with stain - glazed. |