You are invited to view our February Exhibition
Difference and Diversity in Clay
Featuring the ceramics of Bethan Lloyd Worthington, Clare Crouchman, Ninna Gøtzsche,
Annabel Faraday and James and Tilla Waters
and a selection of new works by our professional house artists especially featuring modern
and abstract acrylics by artist Mike Healey
Join us for light refreshments and meet some of the makers
on
Saturday 3rd February 2007 from 11am - 2pm
Gallery open 10.30am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday 4th February
The Gallery at Bevere near Worcester continues to bring the best in studio pottery to
new audiences with works by six leading ceramicists.
Bethan Lloyd WorthingtonBethan lives in Old Trafford, Manchester. A winner of the New Designers Contemporary Applied
Arts Award at Manchester Metropolitan University, she was selected from around 3000 graduates.
Bethan combines precious, playful and intensely worked surfaces with clean, domestic forms.
Working spontaneously, she layers her illustrative drawing style to darkly charming effect.
Bethan takes inspiration from whatever is bothering her, be that cynical corporate image,
rabbits in neckercheifs or the trials of self-employment; The "Wish You Were Here" set
was made prior to 5 months of solo travel. Projected onto its surfaces are a jumble of national
stereotypes, train journeys, anxiety and an Agatha Christie novel.
Clare CrouchmanClare works out of her studio in Bourn, Cambridgeshire. In 1993-5, she lived in Japan and
studied ceramics with a Japanese potter, Masanobu Izumihara. On her return, she achieved an MA
in Ceramics at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. In 2003, Clare was elected to the
membership of 'The Society of Designer Craftsmen'. She has exhibited in the UK, South Korea
and Japan.
Clare uses many different types of clay including T-material, crank and Limoges porcelain.
The clays are layered and inlayed into each other to build up a richly textured image. Fine
lines are etched directly into the clay and a subtle use of oxides and glaze further enhances
the surface quality.
Clare says, "I am fascinated by the intricate shapes and asymmetrical forms found in the
landscape, both occurring naturally and as a result of human intervention. I am particularly
attracted to rhythmical and repetitive patterns that repeat themselves naturally on both a large
and small scale. Recently, a trip to New York has drawn my attention to configurations within
the urban landscape created by modern cities. With the utilisation of purposefully composed
rhythms and textures in my work, I aim to harness a balance between order and disorder and
therefore create a dynamic between the carefully selected elements."
Annabel FaradayAnnabel's work epitomises the debate about pottery - is it craft or art?
This exhibition of her work places her work squarely in the fine art category, although for most of
us such questions are far less important than the sheer ingenuity and creative flair that is the
hallmark of her work. Cliché it may be but this work is excitingly different and uses techniques
which she has taken years to perfect. She attended Winchester School of Art and Croydon College of
Art in the late 1960's followed by a B.A. (Hons) in Sociology and a PhD at Essex University.
Annabel completed a Fine and Applied Arts (Ceramics) course at the City Lit, London in 1991. She
exhibits extensively in the UK.
"I make illustrated stoneware vessels which explore a sense of place. I am fascinated
with maps and their relationship with landscape, earth and clay. My work brings together vintage
maps on the inner surfaces and collaged images from my own photographs of contemporary street
art/graffiti on the outside, exploring the interplay of constraint and spontaneity, history and
modernity. The forms of the vessels retain a simplicity which provides a 'canvas' for the rich
surface imagery."
"Instead of applying transfers to a constructed pot, I print before I build the vessel,
using a printing method developed over several years and utilising both sides of the unfired
flat sheet of clay, which I've painted with coloured slips. I then hand-build and fire to
1180 degrees, producing a slightly raised metalicised image which forms an integral part of the
ceramic body. I have copyright permission from the publishers whose maps I reproduce. I welcome
commissions."
James and Tilla WatersJames and Tilla Waters set up their pottery in Carmarthenshire in 2002, where they produce
finely thrown stoneware vessels with fine line surface detail. Tilla says, "Our work is a
collaboration of our individual skills. Having trained together, there are many cross-overs. The
refining and development of our personal style is an organic and continual process. In general
terms, James throws the pots and I am concerned with their surface quality."
"For us, ceramics offers the possibility of making objects to be used and enjoyed every
day as well as more individually conceived vessels: it's the perfect blend of function and
aesthetic."
The final ceramicist is
Ninna Gøtzsche.
Ninna, who lives in Denmark, produces thrown functional porcelain with inlaid lines.
Ninna says of her work, "I like my pots to be harmonious and simplistic - because I then
have the freedom to play with them. Make one lean one way, have an unusual detail one another. I
try to work with simplicity in order to give those details more room. My work is white porcelain
with inlaid lines of colored clay. The lines play with the simple, yet often surprising forms."
The featured local house artist for February is
Mike Healey.
He is a painter and Mixed Media Artist based in Worcestershire.
Mike says, "For many years I painted landscapes in the traditional manner, mainly using
oils. Since I retired from my work as a Social Worker I have enjoyed more time to explore other forms
of expression. Working at abstract design in mixed media I have explored the possibilities of
combining stones with metal objects, rags, paper, canvas pieces and other paraphernalia using
acrylic paints, U.V.A. as a binding agent. I use watercolours and inks where these seemed
appropriate."
"There was a period when I made pictures using mosaics and coloured glass. I have also
created large murals (15ft x 20ft) in ceramics and other items in a contemporary theme. My
recent paintings are abstract impressionist works in acrylics."
3rd April - 25th April 2010 |
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6th March - 28th March 2010 |
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6th February - 28th February 2010 |
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9th January - 31st January 2010 |
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3rd October - 1st November 2009 |
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