The kiln is-a-stoking

Just a quick note. I loaded the kiln tonight, Julia's pot mark two is in there along with John's creation my new pot http://annbolinaceramics.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-work.html and a load of test tiles (pictured above) so that I can test run my new glazes. I set the kiln to raise 60C an hour till 600 then 133 an hour to 1000. I am keeping it nice and slow since Julia's pot blew up. My first casualty in years. I put it down to the studio being so damp and cold at the moment, there is no heating in there except when the kilns are on....anyway a little puja for the kiln gods, I hope they are listening!!

Kate Malone

I had a great weekend, I went to the London Art Fair at the Business Design Centre in Angel http://www.londonartfair.co.uk/. I didn't expect to see much ceramics there seeing as many people struggle to see clay as an art medium, what with the old arts craft debate. This is not a problem that I have!  Well, what a surprise it was to see the Barrett and Marsden gallery just inside the door in a prime location, right near the Hirst's and all the other heavy weight art galleries. Check out the web site http://www.bmgallery.co.uk/ it is clearly a 'crafts' based gallery. Could it be that times are changing?

If that wasn't good enough there was MORE. While looking around the Barrett and Marsden stand I noticed a flash of bright red out of the corner of my eye, I turned around and lo and behold, it was the unmistakable giant red hair of Kate Malone, the single most famous a influential female ceramicist in England. In the world of ceramics it's like bumping into Nicole Kidman whilst browsing in your local film shop....(I chose her as a comparison because they have similar coloured hair). At this point I turned to my partner John and in a stage whisper I said 'Its Kate Malone'. I didn't do this intentionally to be heard, I promise, but heard I was, and Ms Malone turned around and as friendly and polite as you like she ...'Yep I am Kate Malone, are you two potters?' After this ensued a conversation where I explained I have been teaching her work at school and I said I would send her examples of the student's work, she offered the kids I teach the chance to visit her studio and one lucky student who was really keen would be able to work in her studio over the summer. (I would do it, and one of my teacher colleagues Jane also said that she would be Kate's 'bitch' given half a chance which I thought was very amusing) So all in all, a very interestingand worthwhile visit.

After the show we went for dinner in a lovely restaurant called the Afghan Kitchen across the road and had a really wholesome and healthy dinner. While John dashed off to the cash machine, because the little restaurant did not accept cards, I hefted out the book I had just bought called 'British Studio Pottery' and began to browse. A gentleman next to me asked 'are you a potter?'. It turned out he was a gallery owner who shows work by Mo Jupp who I share a studio with. He gave me some good advice on making applications to galleries. So when I eventually have decent body of work together I will make an application to the gallery. http://www.beauxartsbath.co.uk/

Over all I feel like this weekend's events were worth recording simply because they made the world of ceramics seem more attainable. I have a long way to go, ceramics is not a one hit wonder, flash in the pan kinda thing, and I know I have to work long and hard to build up my skills and a body of strong work. But I feel a bit more comfortable approaching people who are real players in the business.

Looking for Inspiration

I am going to make a tall sculptural vessel for my bedroom as there is a big bald patch in our room. I have been looking for inspiration, so I returned to Karl Blossfeldt, I seem to come back to his stuff quite a lot. I am always drawn to natural forms; however I would like to add a bit more of a contemporary twist to my work. I am aware that nature as a source of inspiration is the oldest card in the pack. I mean what else was there before old Mother Nature herself? I look around at all the amazing ceramics being done, which looks so fresh, and I wonder if my work looks a little stiff. I would like to inject my work with some life, give it something different. I have spent a long time building my technical skills, now I would like to work on the themes that I explore through my work.

I love sinuous curvaceous shapes, and nature does these so well. I am going to start where I know how, making observational drawings and looking at my favourite and most inspiring artists and designers and going through my sketch books and research. Then I will try to develop my designs leading them away from the original drawings and research into something new and original. I am interested in the big bold designs seen on some contemporary paper and wallpaper designs. I would like to develop a chintzy design into the surface of my piece. With this I think about how ceramics and wallpaper are both considered quite domesticated. I think it would be interesting to explore these themes further and look closely at the role of ceramics. There is an assumption that because it is clay it should have a function. A few weeks back I was teaching some year eights clay and when I introduced the topic the students wanted to know what we would be making, they assumed immediately that it would be a bowl or a plate or a vase. I would like to challenge the assumption that all clay work should be functional through my work. The first thing I need to do is stop making vessels!!

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Julia's pot mark II

I have re-made Julia's pot! A couple of weeks ago the pot I made for my friend Julia died a horrible death in the kiln....I have made it bigger and better. The only problem with this is that Julia wanted it for her husband's desk...it may be too big for that now.

Please excuse the quality of some of my photos I take them on my mobile when I don't have my camera.



The one on the right is the new improved model. You can't see in this photo what happened to mark I of Julia's pot. If you go to the blog called 'disaster' you will see the damage in all its inglorious glory! http://annbolinaceramics.blogspot.com/2009/12/disaster.html

Archway ceramics

My studio is in Mile End, East London and is called 'Archway Ceramics' I have been there for nearly five years. It has been a Ceramics studio for many years, before that I have been told that it was a stable for taxi cab horses. It is not what you would call state of the art, this time of the year (jan) it is pretty damned cold. To the point of not being able to feel your hands and feet after several hours work...









The studio is shared with several ceramisists some full time, some part time. Daniel Smith who more or less runs the show and has been there for around 13 years. He is an international ceramicist and has featured in Ceramic Review and exhibited all over the world.

Mo Jupp who is a granddaddy of British pottery and considered by many as 'a legend in his life time'. This figure is an example of Mo's current work. His career spans decades, he taught Daniel and lots of students who went on to be successful ceramacists.

Alice Mara has a contemporary approach to ceramics making hand thrown and slip cast pieces which are a take on the traditional kitsch souvenir, but much cooler. She also has a website you can check out, and buy online.
http://www.alicemara.com/index.php

Victoria Jardine creates large coiled sculptural vessels; she has been a rare site in the studio of late because of a young and growing family. These pieces are carefully crafted and take many weeks to create. http://www.victoriajardine.com/

May Ayres is another full timer at Archway, her work is much more art based. Much of the work produced at the studio is based around design and urban studio pottery. May on the other hand produces very political work with a strong and powerful message. I will not try to explain what I do not fully understand. Looking at the images would be a good starting point. 

That is a brief outline of what goes on between open studios at Archway Ceramics. You may have gathered from my report that I am the newbie at the studio, the least experienced amongst some pretty weighty hardworking and influential ceramicists. Working amongst these people keeps me on my toes, its hard to be complacent when you work next to people who are in a studio with no heating in sub zero temperatures, during a recession some living almost on the breadline in order to get their work out there.