
2018
1st Place recipient
Power, status, charachter types and the retelling and misinterpretation of stories is at the centre of my work.
The aesthetic inspiration is drawn largely from European Applied Art and Design styles from the 1600’s onwards. Underpinning this is the long European tradition of appropriation and reinterpretation or misinterpretation of “exotic” styles that can be seen in National Collections across Europe. I like the idea of getting it slightly wrong and the bluffing and “cobbling together” of styles that has resulted in some fantastic historical objects.
I started making sprigged vessels inspired by the salt glazed “bartmann” figurative bottles, but with the look of tin glazed earthenware from the 1600’s. This evolved into the fully figurative vessels I’m making at present, starting with the bottle shaped wide court mantua dresses of the 1700's. The figures have head “stoppers” to reflect the origin from the figurative bottle and sometimes an additional head stopper to illustrate the metamorphosis of a character.
My work has a very familiar feel to it due to the historical and literary references, even though it has it’s own very definite aesthetic. The pieces are all meticulously hand built, using traditional ceramic techniques. They are coil built, then the shape is refined before adding surface decorations of sprigged (press molded) ephemera and modern computer generated enamel decoration over the glaze.
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Boy with his dog • 23.6x10.4x8.6" • 2017
Figure of boy with Doberman
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Daughters of the Monstrous Women • 31.5x18x10" • 2015
Figures based on the myths of Albion
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Forest fruits - wolf • 25.5x15.3x7.87" • 2017
Majolica figure with interchanageble heads
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Exotic Pets • 33.8" x 23.6" x 10.6cm • 2017
Woman with monkey and birds.
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White Hart • 33.8" x 10.5" x 8.7" • 2017
Stag and hart and interchangeable youth head
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Lilith • 31.1" x 9" x 11" • 2017
Figure based on Venus by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
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Tatianas Dream • 26" x 13.4" x 10.6cm • 2017
Woman and bear with interchangeable heads.
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Urban Planner • 35" x 9.4" x 11.8" • 2014
Figure based on the Arnolfini Wedding
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Venus • 28.1" x 15.3" x 7.9" • 2015
Contemporary London Venus.