Top row 1 L to R Minkyu Lee, William Mitchell, Gunhild Aaberg
Row 2 L to R Lubna Chowdhary, Sarah Fraser, Bryan Hopkins
Row 3 Lto R Kazimir Malevich, Tony Marsh, Gustavo Perez.
Bottom row 4 L to R Zoe Lanceley, Lauren Mabry, Nadir Alonso
I have like the work of the artists on the top row and have mentioned two of them before on this blog. William Mitchell was a particular influence in my first piece of work on this module, when I was getting to grips with all the architectural details. My layered bowl has something of a look of Minkyu Lee in terms of a plain outside and a detailed inside, also the use of geometric shapes, although much less complex. My layered geometric pieces reminded me of Lubna Chowdhary, when they were arranged separately, and my current work in progress on the 'Lancashire flatbacks' has a similar look. The pieces by Sarah Fraser, which are actually coping stones for the top of a wall, and the vessel by Bryan Hopkins, are currently inspiring me to make vessels with complex architectural features, possibly in a group.
The artists on the bottom two rows represent possible directions I am thinking about. At this moment I do not know whether I will pursue these directions. I am thinking about how/whether to introduce information in relation to the professions recorded at my site in 1911. I am thinking about three options. Firstly, I could use proportions by taking a geometric shape and using different volumes representing the population data. Secondly, Tony Marsh represents another option, I could make symbols or artefacts to represent the professions, and could put these in the architectural forms. I have made maquettes of a simple cotton reel and a pocket watch to try inside my larger layered pots. Thirdly, I could add text or symbols using decals to the inside or outside of pieces, or to the contents of vessels.
The bottom row also represents options for surface decoration. I like the look achieved by leaving areas of unglazed clay, especially where the edges of a glaze leaves an orange mark, like on the pot by Zoe Lanceley. I also admire Lauren Mabry, her work is very colourful and expressive, often with colour runs, that introduce a less controlled element. I have often poured and dripped glazes on top of each other in the past, but have been very minimalistic recently. Perhaps it is time to try a bit of colour, or be a bit more expressive again. On the bottom right is a painting by Nadir Afonso that combines architecture and movement of people. I tried to represent movement on paper using three coloured slips, the patterns did indeed reflect movement, but I am not sure that they are the right way to express my theme. My project has two elements, the stillness and solidity of the architecture and the vitality and transitory nature of the people and the urban environment. I plan to test a wider range of colours to contrast with the civic buildings, to represent the broader urban environment and its citizens..
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