Artist Statement
One of my main aims, as an artist, is to challenge and broaden the view of pottery. For me, the pot provides a wonderful structure and vessel for artistic expression. The pot has an important, historically accepted, place in our society. To re-invent this is to challenge our accepted idea of the pot and this helps challenge the very idea of acceptance. I believe the pot has an infinite potential for originality and would not agree that all its possibilities have been explored due to its age-old place in our society.
My work explores, through the craft of pottery, a very personal approach to the fine arts of painting and sculpture. I am searching for a middle ground which will yield a deep originality. I feel that when I am creating a piece, which is not clearly classifiable as I am making it, that this inspires a more original and personal creation not as influenced by popular contemporary ideals.
The conceptual approach of each piece, or group of pieces, is to contrive each decision in its making as little as possible. I use every previous decision to inform the next and I never have a clear idea of how each piece will look or exactly what each piece expresses until it is finished. This is an approach inspired by the painters Kahn and Selesnich. I feel that it expresses my thoughts in a very honest way and I often find that I learn a lot about myself when looking at the finished pieces. This, for me, is an incentive to keep making.
Concepts and Inspirations...
At this stage of my conceptual development, my work seems to express a frictional relationship between me and the external materialistic world.
Skills Profile
My work, when ceramic, uses a variety of processes. Throwing is often a foundation element. Slab building, coil building and clay sculpting are often combined with this. Sometimes moulds are used for sharp fragile forms. If i am using a glaze, i will choose from a variety of recipes and add or take ingredients to suit. I rarely use the same glaze twice. If i am not using a glaze, I often use underglaze colour mixed with porcelain for a more controllable surface finish. The body is usually stone-wear. Some of the pieces use printing techniques including transfers.
I take and adapt photographs in photoshop. With these I sometimes create photo montages mixed with charcoal, pastels or paint. These are sometimes developed into ceramic pieces and/or left as finished works. Recently I have began to learn the skill of air-brushing with paints which i hope to be able to transfer to ceramics in the future.
Awards
2006- Winner of Instore's 'Emerging Student Design Award'.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts in Ceramics. First Class Honours.
Limerick School of Art and Design. Graduated in 2008.Employment Record
I have not yet had the opportunity to be fully employed in an art or design related area. I worked for two months at Louis Mulcahy's pottery workshop during the summer of last year.
Shows/Exhibitions
Outside my Degree show and previous college exhibitions I have not yet had the opportunity to enter any exhibitions.
Memberships
Member of 'Ceramics Ireland' and the 'Crafts Council of Ireland'.
Press
Featured in the news papers 'The Clare People' on the 19th of the 12th 2006, 'The Clare Champion' on the 21st of the 12th 2006, and 'The Limerick Leader' on the 5th of the 1st 2007. This was in relation to being the winner of a design award in which i won 500 euros and a trip to 'maison de l'objet' in Paris.
Contact Details
My ceramic art or paintings can be custom made to order or bought as is, from this site. For further information please contact me at:
4 The Park,
Quin,
Co. Clare.
Ireland
087 7850145