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View Image Gallery Rob Stephens(Full member)

Tel: +44 (0)23 8043 2907   Email:  

Current Work

My current work stems from the thought that the classical architectural decorative pattern, the Vitruvian scroll, looks not unlike a little row of people all heading off somewhere. So away I went and cast a small figure in concrete. Shortly after, I found clay to be a far more suitable medium, and I've been using it ever since.

With the stylized human forms, my aim is to portray character, mood or movement in the individual piece using a simple scroll. I allow myself a little licence with some, and add a bit of a nib to the back of the head, as this small device can cause a dramatic transformation.

Most of the animal forms are given the nib treatment, and some have subsidiary scrolls. This may seem to be getting away from my initial Vitruvian scroll idea, but I make the rules here. It's an evolutionary thing.

The architectural columns came about as a result of my desire to build some taller pieces, as their form is well suited to sectional construction.

My work has been influenced by a gradual assimilation of ideas rather than a series of ‘eureka' moments, for instance, many years working as an architectural model maker have probably had an effect on my style. For some years I shared a workshop within a boatyard, and this was full of old rusty machinery, pieces of aging timber, metal and other useful clutter, all this being a great source of ideas for form and texture.

Overall, my intent is to produce forms that are both visually pleasing and tactile, and so I have both of these qualities in mind during the whole sculpting process.

Work generally available from:
Wavelength Gallery, Falmouth
K'ai Men Gallery, Birdham, West Sussex

Technical Information

All pieces are stoneware and made from a mix of clays and sand which are fired in an electric kiln to 1200°C. The gritty textured surfaces are either finished using metal oxides, or coated with a metal powder, the latter gradually changing with the effects of moisture and temperature when sited outdoors.

History

I have been working as an architectural model maker and miniature figure sculptor since the mid 1980s, and started working in clay in 1996 when I joined a ceramics course at a local college.

Profile Image

Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - home

View Image Gallery Selected Images

Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Arch Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Slow Dancers
Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Group Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Flat Scroll
Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Double Scroll Ceramics by Rob Stephens at Studiopottery.co.uk - Winged Racer

Contact Details

Studio Address: 1 Anson Drive , Southampton, Hampshire, UK, SO19 8RP.
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Telephone: +44 (0)23 8043 2907
Email:

Availability: By Appointment. Please phone or email to arrange.



Last Updated: 2011-09-24

Work styles:

Stoneware
Handbuilt
Sculptural
Garden
Figurative
Architectural
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