Making new ceramics in London

A few things I've learned from my time at Turning Earth ceramics studio...

Experimental ceramic works with white gloss glaze, spray paint and acrylic medium.

I've always been fascinated by the process of making works in clay and the way the medium has been explored by ceramic artists. It was such an exciting time to be able to finally spend time learning about the medium, testing it out and relating it to my painting practice, and creating a new series which pushed the two together testing where one begins and the other ends.

One of the confetti vessels made at Turning Earth Ceramics Studio in London.

I wanted to spend my third summer in London focusing on my ceramics. I had determined that I wanted to put aside a solid block of time, to making a series of new works – all slab pieces, hand built and incorporating elements of the paintings I was simultaneously working on.

I wanted to consolidate skills and I wanted to produce a cohesive series of works and I also wanted to generate a whole new installation piece which I had been thinking of for a while.

Three distinct vessel series were created: The confetti series, the paint cylinder series and the tactile series. These pieces articulated a reflection and interpretation of the urban city scape I was currently surrounded by.

One of the pieces from the confetti series, leather hard and mid-way through completion.

Characterised by a simplicity and strong focus on their materiality via surface and texture they also pulled an aesthetic which loosely referenced the Brutalist architecture seen around the city.

Block planes and silhouettes as well as the basic materials each piece was constructed from were key elements.

All three series were glazed entirely in a simple gloss white – silhouette and mass remaining key to the aesthetic of each piece. They are all robust and tactile – also intended for handling and invite the audience to reach out and experience their surface on a visceral physical level.