Hand-Made Ornamentalism.
The realisation of imagined designs through the manual manipulation of pliable materials is the physical manifestation of our perceptual editing of the worlds we inhabit, both actual and fictional. Such a solidification of personality is a satisfying exercise in self expl
oration for the artists, and a rare and privileged insight into the working of the mind of another for the viewer.
Deeper than the desire for self-expression or a more intimate form of visual communication however, the act of hand-making could be perceived as an end in of itself that needs no audience. Working with nothing but the simplest tools seems to trigger a primal, hard-wired impulse to create with whatever material seems most appropriate. With the logic of the design learnt by heart, in an almost trance like state the hand is joined to the subconscious and a form takes shape, as if by sheer force of will. Successfully fulfilling this urge is often very satisfying for the maker, eliciting an unsurpassed sense of achievement. From experience, creative talent would seem to depend upon the ease of access an individual has learnt to acquire to this deeper stratum of consciousness, a skill acquired through time and practice rather than the knowledge so prised by the information age.
But what of the viewer? In addition to the narrative the artist set out to express through their work, seeing and touching a handmade artefact, with all its human quirks and imperfections, provides us with a proxy link to a common human history from which modern urban lifestyles are making us increasingly estranged. Handmade ceramics, with its intimate association with fire and earth, and stone, with its age old associations add an extra dimension to any narrative, and against the backdrop of the digital revolution we are living through are more relevant now than ever.
The hand-made ceramic and stone artefacts that result from this philosophy are inspired by a combined love of nature and history and a fascination for the built environment. This results in a contradictory and often dramatic collision of form and structure that is sometimes disturbingly biological, yet always fundamentally ornamental due to its regular symmetry and complex repeat patterns. Biomorphism springs unforced from this amalgamation of life long interests and taps into the corresponding contemporary trend towards Bio-mimicry in design.
I hope you enjoy my work.
The MA Design course focused on individual design practice and, through making and immersion in material processes, aimed to broaden career and research horizons. The Masters project was a vehicle for the development of creative abilities and analytical skills, alongside engagement in the fields of
emergent design discourse, global markets and the investigation of technologies.
Teacher of Art & Design, specialising in 3D art, craft, design & ceramics.
BTEC course co-ordinator, Levels 2&3, 16-18:
Planning, delivery and assessment of l2 foundation A&D, L3 Certificate A&D Yrs 1&2 and L3 Extended Diploma A&D Yrs 1&2. Taught elements of A level A&D.
Personal tutor, levels 2
&3.
Short term temporary teaching assignments in a variety of disciplines at a number of different secondary schools.
Full time permanent employment within the telephone enquiry unit.
A basic early introduction to popular commercial software packages such as Word, Excell and Access, as well as computer architecture, programming and management structures.
Art (B),
English Literature (C),
History (D).
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