Its almost time for our Open Studio event and exhibition…! Its partly set up, still a few things in the last firing. There’s a couple of different strands to this show. Its great having our own space to show whatever we like, without commercial pressure and to include other creative disciplines. Although my background is ceramics; that’s what I’ve specialised in over the last 30 years and know it well, its quite refreshing to experiment with other creative disciplines. In fact I did study printmaking as a student in the 90s and much later during one off workshops, so have always had a interest in print. Its essential as an artist to keep pushing your skills, to create new challenges and to get out of your comfort zone. So I set myself the deadline to create some prints for this event. There were many rejects and trial runs, but I’m fairly happy, I think, with the resulting prints that will be on show. In some ways what we make is always going to be work in progress….
The lino prints are of birds in the RMS based on previous projects (as its hard for me to not revisit these over and over again! – possibly a slight obsession with these long gone birds), and some of our trip to Portugal earlier this year. The ceramic vases are part of a new series: ‘Porto’. In the past I’ve worked on a lot of projects related to tourism, and although I didn’t intend to make work about this holiday (the first proper holiday in nearly 2 years) it was impossible not to be inspired. Porto and other areas we visited was full of rich layered, coloured, patterned surfaces, a mix of historic and contemporary, with a big focus on religious architecture, ornament, and art of many kinds. I took lots of photos, and wrote notes. There was a intriguing vase in a museum, intended for commemorative/religious purposes, and this was the catalyst for making a series of flattened vases. I’ve been drawn to vases many times; an object that can portray many things and can celebrate, commemorate or merely be ornament. Mine however, are a commemoration of the trip, reflecting how we visually consume and experience a new place as a tourist but with our own filter.
More pics to follow once the show is fully installed! Including Chris’s work – ceramics, lino prints and photographs.