Statement and Current Work

My work is about the clay; it’s pliable, immediate qualities. Like a photograph capturing a ‘frozen moment’ this material, when fired, fixes forever a gesture, an impression, a moment in time.

Parian porcelain is extremely receptive to the slightest indentation and pressure of the hand. I enjoy subverting its historic connotations of delicacy and fragility by working with solid forms. Indeed all my work is solid and the marks are created by impressing found objects, their origins occasionally hinted at. How the light interacts with a piece is an important factor in the presentation of the work.

The heavily grogged stoneware enables me to work larger and in a more architectural manner. These forms allude to the built environment but deliberately avoid explicit references. In pushing the material to its limits my wish is to explore three dimensional shapes while retaining a real sense of the qualities of clay.


Work can be seen on:
Uclan website: www.uclanceramics.wordpress.com
Galerie Besson's website: www.galeriebesson.co.uk/summer2002.html

In case of difficulty contact me direct, as above contact details.

Technical Information

See above.

History

1967 - Born.
1986 - 87 St Helens College of Art and Design. Honours for Art Foundation work. Student of the Year Award, Foundation course.
1987 - 90 Manchester Polytechnic, Department of 3-Dimensional Design. - BA (Hons), First Class (specialising in Interior Design).Commendation for thesis.
1990 - Exhibited at "New Designers 1990" Business Design Centre, Islington, London.
2006-2009 - University of Central Lancashire, Preston: Ceramics MA. Distinction

Publications

September 1990 - Mention in 'Blueprint', September 1990 as an "exceptional student" by Dinah Casson.
May 1996, November 1996 and September 1997 - Architects' Journal.
May-June 2002 - 'Gallery' page of Ceramic Review - Issue 195.
Sept 2011 - ‘Urban Traces: Ceramics and the City’ catalogue, Gallery Oldham,
Sept/Oct 2011 - Review of Urban Traces: Ceramics and the City, by Alex McErlain, Ceramic Review issue 251
British Studio Pottery Marks Book; 3rd Edition (when published - currently Jan 2013, being assembled)

Awards & Membership

 2004 - Winner of the "Ivan Massow Ceramic Award" at the Open Exhibition at Black Swan Arts Gallery in Frome.
The judges were Mary la Trobe Bateman, Director at Contemporary Applied Arts, Nicholas Usherwood, Feature Editor at Galleries magazine and Matthew Burt, furniture maker and designer.
2004 (Autumn) - Applied for membership of Contemporary Applied Arts; selected for 2nd round,
2009 Zelli Porcelain Award, Special mention
2011. Two pieces of work short listed for Mino International Ceramics Festival, Japan, (Stage One - 2011).
2011 (September ) Work selected for VI Biennal de Ceramica of El Vendrell, Spain.
2011 (August) Work selected for 3rd International Triennial of Silicate Arts, Kecskemét, Hungary.

2012 - Professional Member of the Craft Potters Association

Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions
1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 - Open Summer Exhibition at Drumcroon Art Centre, Wigan. Awarded ceramics prize, June 1998 and June 2000
1994 - 1997 - The Royal Exchange Craft Centre, Manchester.
November 1996 - January 1997 - "Glass and Jewellery" exhibition, Rufford Craft Centre, Newark.
December 1996 and 1997 - Kaleidoscope Christmas Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery.
November 1998 - January 1999 - "Designed to sell" exhibition, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester.
November 1999-January 2000 - Work selected for inclusion in "A Retrospective Future", Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds City Art Gallery. (Work retained Febuary 2000 onwards in gallery shop following this exhibition.)
August 1999 onwards - Bothy Shop and Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
July-December 2000 - Artizana Gallery, Prestbury.
Christmas 2000 - Sanderson, George & Peach, Holmfirth.
July-February 2001 and Feb. 2005 - Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool.
2001 - Work sold to U.S.A. through internet company www.bozaar.com .
August 2001 onwards - Cecilia Colman Gallery, London.
October 2001 - Creative Consultants, Manchester.
November 2001-January 2002 - Christmas exhibition, Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead.
Summer 2002 (August - September) - Galerie Besson, London.
April - June 2003 - "Lancashire Craft Fair" exhibition, Platform Gallery, Clitheroe.
February - March 2004 - Open Exhibition, Black Swan Arts, Frome.
May - June 2004 - "Our Environment" exhibition, Platform Gallery, Clitheroe.
Spring and Autumn June 2004 - Artist's House, New Art Centre Sculpture Park, Wiltshire
February - March 2006 - Open Exhibition, Black Swan Arts, Frome.
2005, Summer - Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, Work in Open Exhibition,
2006, May-June - Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk in Showcase
2009 January - MA Final Show Exhibition, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 Gallery
2009 March - Joint self generated exhibition ‘Contrast + Consensus’ with Suzanne Jones held at PR1 Gallery, Uclan, Preston
2009, July - August - ‘Showcase’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
2011 (July-November ) - ‘Urban Traces: Ceramics and the City’ at Gallery Oldham, Oldham, Work exhibited alongside Gordon Baldwin, Ken Eastman, Stephen Dixon, David Binns & Martin Smith.

Solo Exhibitions
May 1995 - Solo exhibition, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, London.
January - April 1998 - "Showcase" solo exhibition, Harris Gallery, Preston.
May - August 1998 - "New Works" solo exhibition, Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds City Art Gallery. (Work retained August 1998 onwards in gallery shop following Showcase exhibition.)
April - June 2002 - Solo show at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.

Public Collections

- Two pieces in permanent collection of 20th Century Ceramics at Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston.
- Permanent collection at International Ceramic Centre, Kecskemét, Hungary.