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[February 2004]
Contemporary Ceramics Show in London
The Morley Gallery (London SE1, England) has announced the staging of 'Touch', an exhibition of contemporary ceramics being held from 26 February to 25 March 2004. 'Touch' is a group show featuring four artists who work with clay. Hand built, thrown and cast pieces will all be included in this exhibition.
The work articulates a range of ideas and themes from both the natural and industrial world. This is explored and realised through the intimate engagement with, and observation of, texture and surface and through the scrutiny of matter and energy - the physics of clay.
The exhibitors are all committed educators and take time from their own work to teach in the famous college for adult education - Morley College - now well into its third century of teaching and recognised for its staff of celebrated artists.
Jill Crowle's work explores extremely personalised forms of expression. Jill studied ceramics under Hans Coper at the RCA in the 1970s. The works in this exhibition will continue her interest in portraiture where she creates startlingly original and influential pieces.
Duncan Hooson's piece 'BOTTLED' uses bottle forms to evoke past industrial associations of the Stoke-on-Trent area - the kilns and the numerous coal mine pitheads with their large, high, circular winding gear forms. The work deals with the notion of containment - internal spaces that conceal experiences and memories stored and safely hidden or 'bottled up'.
Derek James will show a group of prototype structures that feature a vitrified clay body, polished after firing. The soft forms are concerned with the problems of balance, proportion and weight, both real and visual. Double cast forms use unfired cement aggregate mixes to achieve larger vessels, which through the double wall separate the inside from the outside.
Annette Welch's passion for plants is reflected in both the hand-crafted tiles - which bear reference to late 19th century English tiles - and her dishes and bowls. She explores her themes through various ceramic processes; deeper bowls have been cut and squeezed from wheel thrown shapes and flat plate-like shapes have been rolled, press moulded and altered. Surfaces have been treated as a canvas using slips and glazes to pattern, decorate and celebrate the natural world.
ENDS