CENTRE FOR MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
STUDIO CERAMICS AND ORIGINAL ARTWORK

I make heads and faces.
Although relatively shallow in physical depth my sculptures are intended to have a psychological complexity, they rarely look directly at the viewer, are often lost in thought or otherwise occupied. I am also driven by narrative; spoken and written language informs much of my work. As I don’t deal with anything below the neck I’m interested in the head as a metaphor for the complete body.

The psychological aspect of my work allows room for ambiguity in the interpretation. The title of the pieces makes my intention more explicit, but I enjoy the other meanings that are given to my heads by those who encounter them.

The main theme of my sculptures is the communication of the interior world; a world of memories, thoughts, fears and responses, which can be revealed by the fleeting subtleties of expression or betrayed by a glance. The focus of each piece is the eyes, typically the gaze is averted inviting the viewer to contemplate the interior world of the subject or what may have just happened 'out of shot

Clay has a skin like quality and I feel that it helps me make my pieces. As a painter I found the inert quality of the board I used discouraging. But as soon as I sit down with a slab of clay and begin a piece it helps me. The clay starts to mimic skin – it develops textures and collects indentations, scratches and stretch marks.

I work with a wall of many images - photos, drawings, clippings, and photos of previous pieces in front of me as peripheral inspiration. A new piece is formed where these ideas and images collide with the shape, texture and idiosyncrasies of the slab of clay in front of me. Some days the clay does all the work and an unknown and unplanned face will emerge.

I draw into the clay and draw with the clay to develop my subject; I’m looking for any oddity or asymmetry as the piece takes shape. I paint on wet clay; the clay becomes part of my pallet. My pieces are single fired.