On the 3rd of October we visited the Spode Works site and the Potteries Museum, both part of the 6th British Ceramics Biennial (BCB). The BCB covered six sites in Stoke on Trent, and showcased the work of more than 300 artists.
Before the exhibition, I had researched the work of some of the exhibitors, after reading posts on social media by the BCB. Attending the exhibition I had the opportunity to discover a much wider variety of work, from both new and established artists. This led me to look closely at work that I might have otherwise overlooked .
The work I most enjoyed, was a display of ceramic furniture by Jessica Harrison entitled Counterfeits, Imitations and Copies of Works of Art. Initially I was put off by the dark colours and the rough marks in the clay. However I was intrigued by the technical skills on display. How did the legs support the upper parts of the work, how were the items fired, and were they altered after firing? Some supports were left in place after firing and gave clues to the artist’s process. I was curious as to why these were chosen. Were they all necessary to support the work, and how had this been determined. I am interested in how things are made, especially work like this, that I do not have the technical skills and experience to make.
Some other artists’ work contained elements that I am interested in exploring. I would like to make work on a larger scale, and liked the large black and white unglazed pots made by Rebecca Appleby. Another artist who left items unglazed was Toni de Jesus, he also has interesting coil building textures on display. Adam Buick included items from Stoke in his jars and that provided a strong link to place, I liked that. Whilst very different visually Vicky Lindo and William Brookes made pots with family and autobiographical themes, and I am interested in incorporating family stories in my own work.
Finally, the subject of scale was interesting. Some artists had made large items, or displayed their work in ways that seemed appropriate for the size of the venue. Other artists had made small items in small numbers that were not as noticeable in the vast Spode hall.
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