My practice places strong emphasis on natural form, colour and texture. I create form and surface with use in mind, but without prescribing the nature of that use. The acts of seeing, feeling and use reveal the nature and qualities of my work.
My work is marked by a restrained aesthetic related to that associated with the Japanese concept of wabi sabi and the tea ceremony. Forms are related to those found in nature, both large and small scale: the shape and texture of the land and rock formations, the patterns in dried mud, ploughed fields, and those revealed by aerial photographs of landforms. Pieces emerge from rough clay, both in form and in process. Self similarity and textural detail are vital components of the work, intended to maintain interest in a piece over time and in detail. It is that aspect which has driven recent investigations into virtual surfaces derived from the work.
The changing effects of light on water, foliage and landscape inform the design of glazes and decoration. These influences are seen in the use of textured clay in combination with ‘deep’ glazes that are affected by ambient lighting.
I have a firm belief that useable objects can transcend issues of design, function and technique to have artistic merit in their own right.
It is with these aims that the form, texture and the tactile nature of my work refers to the origins of the material used, and that the making process is reflected in the finished form, which itself refers to the natural origins of the materials used.
Truth to material is intended to run deep in my objects.