Tag Archives: ceramics

Sculpture, Jewellery, Drinking Vessels – Something for everyone in the Westcountry Potters exhibition

45 Southside Gallery and Westcountry Potters Association have joined forces to show work by a selection of the association’s members. The exhibition features studio pottery by Adrian Bates, Nicola Crocker, Taz Pollard and Mariette Rennie alongside association members already represented at 45 Southside including Alex McCarthy, Kati Vamos, Iris Milward, Abi Higgins, Anne Cope and Sonje Hibbert.The exhibition is now up and running and very popular already.

Mariette Rennie originally studied theatre and graphic design. She uses colour, textures and abstract shapes to create dimensional illusions. Her work reflects a long-standing fascination with abstract space, theatrically and architecturally. She creates striking contemporary stoneware sculptures.

Adrian Bates also comes from a design background. He says: “I have long been fascinated with lines and curves and how they relate to each other in a given form, and also with vessels and the idea of containment. I love the many aspects of working as a potter; from the making, mainly throwing and coiling, through glaze development to the almost alchemical transformation that takes place in firing. I work in stoneware clays – white with reactive glazes and crank with oxides. “ Adrian makes sculptural as well as functional pieces, which make clever use of curves and glazes to give a very fluid appearance.

Taz Pollard’s work is the result of her MA research at Bath Spa University, where she has created very technically challenging mixed media works combining plastic and ceramics. The pottery forms are very traditional, but given a modern twist through the use of colour or in combination with plastic. She describes her own work as ‘delightfully bonkers’ and ‘playful and curious’.Taz also makes a large range of elegant Japanese inspired functional ceramics like tea bowls and plates or bowls.

Nicola Crocker graduated from Petroc, where Taz Pollard teaches. She is inspired by her coastal environment in North Devon. “Interested in the nature of the clay; the forms I can produce from it, the colours and how the two can work together.” [Nicola Crocker] Her visually stunning and tactile work is the product of a very experimental way or working, particularly with surfaces.

Alex McCarthy also experiments with surfaces and the tactile qualities of clays and glazes. “Using the thrown vessel as a canvas I aim to explore gesture and expression through glaze surface and sourced clays. The surfaces are inspired by textures that surround us such as; tree bark, natural rocks, cracking paint and even marine life. The thrown vessel is used as a canvas to investigate the properties of these surfaces. Thick reduction glazes add depth whilst the gold lustre a sense of opulence.” [Alex McCarthy]

Alex sources his own dug clay from beaches around Devon and Cornwall. He has created a personal and unique palette of glazes. It is the range of textural qualities that can be obtained from different clays and materials taken from the ground that really excites him as a ceramicist and a human being.

The exhibition runs until the 19th November and also includes new work by Westcountry Potters Members already exhibiting at 45 Southside.

 

 

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Raku inspired by Bauhaus

Christina Peters works as a ceramicist at her studio at ‘Flameworks’ – Creative Arts Facility in Plymouth. She specializes in tableware, using white and black stoneware clay and porcelain, as well as more sculptural raku pieces. Her work is influenced by Japanese techniques and traditional forms as well as European modernistic movements such as Bauhaus, aiming for new contemporary interpretations of classic designs.

She is concerned with the fusion of form and surface, with clean sculptural lines, balanced with organically inspired finishes. She uses coloured slips, washes of oxides and glazes in combination with a raw, partly burnished clay surface to allow an undisturbed expression of form and material.

To view Christina’s work in more details, please visit our online shop.

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Tapirs and stroppy clocks

 

Sarah McCormack is well known for her “Stroppy Clocks”. We love having these quirky fellows in the gallery. For her exhibition here at 45 Southside, Sarah has created lots of new work including tapirs on wheels! The centrepieces for this exhibition are two carnival floats inhabited by tapirs.

Sarah combines different firing techniques and glazes to produce visually stunning and imaginative work. Her work ranges from the aesthetically beautiful and elegant, like her houses on a hill, to the whimsical, like tapir islands. All together they form a fascinating body of work, which inspires to dream.

Sarah’s work frequently explores the idea of home – from children’s drawings to her own paintings and illustrations. Recently culminating in a series of actual houses, dwellings and dovecotes. These are made from stoneware, earthenware and most recently raku, working with raku artist Christina Peters at Flameworks in Plymouth, who also exhibits at 45 Southside. Some of Christina’s raku-fired work is visible on the bottom shelf here.

Sarah has been producing ceramics since studying at Sunderland College of Art & Design, where she graduated with a degree in Glass & Ceramics in 1985.

From 1998 – 2006 Sarah made ceramic multi-piece panels and one piece impressed panels , techniques combining multiple glazing with incising and impressing. This experimentation has led to a very good understanding of slab work and a wide range of mostly earthenware glazes.

Since moving to Plymouth, Sarah has returned to three dimensional work. Her current work is influenced by experiments with different clays and decorates with oxides, engobes, glazes and lustres.

Time consuming ceramic techniques combined with lack of available work time led to the development of a series of ‘ stroppy clocks ‘ which combine architectural form with human characteristics.

 

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Don’t miss Sarah McCormack Exhibition and Artist’s Demonstration

Sarah McCormack shows her humorous and very collectable ceramics at 45 Southside in Plymouth

 

45 Southside continues its series of temporary exhibitions with ceramic artist Sarah McCormack. The exhibition runs from 3rd of May until 11th June 2012 at the gallery. Sarah is well known for her high-quality and quirky ceramics, particularly for her series of “stroppy” clocks.

 

Sarah’s work frequently explores the idea of home – from children’s drawings to her own paintings and illustrations. Recently culminating in a series of actual houses, dwellings and dovecots. These are made from stoneware, earthenware and most recently raku working with raku artist Christina Peters at Flameworks in Plymouth, who also exhibits at 45 Southside.

 

Sarah has been producing ceramics since studying at Sunderland College of Art & Design, where she graduated with a degree in Glass & Ceramics in 1985.

From 1998 – 2006 Sarah made ceramic multipiece panels and one piece impressed panels , techniques combining multiple glazing with incising and impressing. This experimentation has led to a very good understanding of slabwork and a wide range of mostly earthenware glazes.

Since moving to Plymouth, Sarah has returned to three dimensional work. Her current work is influenced by experiments with different clays and decorates with oxides, engobes, glazes and lustres.

Time consuming ceramic techniques combined with lack of available work time led to the development of a series of ‘ stroppy clocks ‘ which combine architectural form with human characteristics.

Sarah will be holding a demonstration of her techniques at 45 Southside on Sunday 6th of May 2012 from 3pm followed by a chance to meet the artist at the opening view of her exhibition. Both exhibition and the demonstration are free and all are welcome. Please see web-site for details.

 

 

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Where abstract landscapes and clay meet – Ceramics by Louise Thompson

Louise Thompson’s current work is characterised by what she refers to as ‘windows of colour’. They are carefully placed spots of coloured glazes like a miniature landscape painting on a functional ceramic vessel.

 

 

 

“I am exploring the relationships of colour and line within landscapes. I am particularly interested in the special and recessive qualities that can be achieved when two or more colours are placed next to each other”(says Louise Thompson)

Her influences include both her practical experiences with photography and cabinet making, but also potters such as E. B. Fishley and Michael Cardew.

Louise returned to Cornwall, where she grew up, and turned to ceramics just over a decade ago after living in North Devon, London and Bristol working in commercial photography and cabinet making.

 

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