Artist Research
- Maxine Callow
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
I've been completing much research recently to inform my designs and decisions for my current approach to my MA theme, Narratives in Clay. It's been interesting and inspiring.
My current line of practical research revolves around teapots, so it was here that I started. I had discovered Richard Notkin in a book that Rob loaned to me. Researching him further online led me to Patrick Horsley. I adored both. Notkin's Cooling Towers teapot particularly interested me. I love the tiny little figures he includes on the piece. Further research highlighted pieces with peanut shells or dice as feet. I loved the concept and the quirky outcomes of his designs. Horsley's teapots are very different, but equally inspirational. His bendy and curly spouts and handles are a joy to behold to me, the queen of curls and spirals and stripes. Both artists opt for very simple finishes with the form being the dominant design feature. Horsley does use some very interesting glaze techniques giving striking colours or metallic finishes.
Further research was based on differing surface techniques, namely ceramic printing, mark making (not sgraffito) and glazing. Bryan Hively uses form in an unusual and abstract kind of way, incorporating layering or cutting into the body of clay. Virgil Ortiz I found to be very descriptive and abstract, depending on the pieces in question. His surface finishes are strongly patterned in a manner I find appealing, stripes and swirls. Richard Godfrey previously made teapots but has since moved on to a slightly different style. Both are very colourful and have paint effects within the glazing process, but his later work is more illustrative. Joanne Robey I have followed on social media for a few years and I love her build work and forms. Her inspirations of jesters and circus style animals really resonate with my own muse. Above all others, which must be high, because I genuinely love all of the artists I've listed for one reason or another, stands Fleur Schell. Schell's form and glazing and detailing are second to none. I love the matte finish and am planning on testing this style further on my latest piece, using only underglaze with transparent matter glaze over the top. Her simple colours on white clay are striking and her figures are very stylised. Schell has found her style and I would love to be able to achieve this myself. It's currently elusive, but with all of this inspiration from the research, I must be able to make progress into finding who I am in the near future.
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