Westcountry Potters Association Exhibition @ 45 Southside

Westcountry Potters Association show their studio ceramics at 45
Southside in Plymouth.

45 Southside Gallery and Westcountry Potters Association have joined
forces to show work by a selection of the association's members in
autumn 2012. The exhibition will feature studio pottery by Adrian Bates,
Nicola Crocker, Taz Pollard and Mariette Rennie alongside association
members already represented at 45 Southside including Alex McCarthy,
Kati Vamos, Iris Milward, Abi Higgins, Anne Cope and Sonje Hibbert.

The work ranges widely in size, technique, purpose and colour. Mariette
Rennie originally studied theatre and graphic design. She uses colour
and abstract shapes to create dimensional illusions. Her work reflects a
long-standing fascination with abstract space, theatrically and
architecturally. She creates striking contemporary wall plaques as well
as sculptures.

Adrian Bates also comes from a design background. He says: “I have long
been fascinated with lines and curves and how they relate to each other
in a given form, and also with vessels and the idea of containment. I
love the many aspects of working as a potter; from the making, mainly
throwing and coiling, through glaze development to the almost alchemical
transformation that takes place in firing. I work in stoneware clays –
white with reactive glazes and crank with oxides. “ Adrian makes
sculptural as well as functional pieces, which very combine clever use
of curves and glazes to give a very fluid appearance.

Taz Pollard is both a teacher and a student. She lectures on Foundation
Degree students at Petroc and is undertaking research for her own MA in
Ceramics from Bath Spa University. She makes a large range of elegant
Japanese inspired functional ceramics like tea bowls and plates or
bowls. For her MA research she has embarked on very technically
challenging large scale work.

Nicola Crocker is a recent graduate from Petroc (2011) and she is
inspired by her coastal environment in North Devon. “Interested in the
nature of the clay; the forms I can produce from it, the colours and how
the two can work together.” [Nicola Crocker] Her visually stunning and
tactile work is the product of a very experimental way or working,
particularly with surfaces.

Alex McCarthy also experiments with surfaces and the tactile qualities
of clays and glazes. “Using the thrown vessel as a canvas I aim to
explore gesture and expression through glaze surface and sourced clays.
The surfaces are inspired by textures that surround us such as; tree
bark, natural rocks, cracking paint and even marine life. The thrown
vessel is used as a canvas to investigate the properties of these
surfaces. Thick reduction glazes add depth whilst the gold lustre a
sense of opulence.” [Alex McCarthy]
Alex sources his own dug clay from beaches around Devon and Cornwall. He
has created a personal and unique palette of glazes. It is the range of
textural qualities that can be obtained from different clays and
materials taken from the ground that really excites him as a ceramicist
and a human being.

The exhibition runs from the 25th of October - 19th November 2012 at 45
Southside Gallery on the Barbican is free and all are welcome.

For more information visit http://www.45southside.co.uk/pdf/45-WPA-ExhibitionFlyer.pdf