MAKERS LUNCH
7 OCTOBER 2017
BARRY STEDMAN
One might be
forgiven for thinking that regular meetings with ceramicists would eventually
lead to predictable responses and recurring themes. Not so. An enjoyable two
hours with Barry Stedman demonstrated once again the different ways in which
makers become engaged with ceramics and that the what of their work is an infinitely variable aspect compared with the more prosaic
issues about how work is produced.
Barry was in his
thirties when he began to engage with ceramics after ten years in retail. He
had always been into drawing and painting but for him the combination of clay
and painting was an irresistible combination. He was a successful student at
Harrow – Kyra Cane, our guest last month was one of his tutors. He has been
making ever since and his genuinely abstract decoration has become a
recognisable voice in ceramics. He also works two days a week with Edmund de
Waal supporting the glazing and firing of Edmund's output. Barry's work
couldn't be more different and he has tried - successfully I believe – to maintain his own voice despite
working with Edmund since leaving Harrow.
Barry sees his work
changing over time. Colour range is more restricted and we are seeing in his
latest pieces what looks like a combination of charcoal and marking that is
redolent of abstracted landscape.
He was very open
about the pressures of professional life as a ceramicist and the need to
balance workload with creative energy and avoid over production with perhaps
inevitable consequences. What was evident however, was that he had no regrets
about his courageous decision to change career for a much more volatile
environment. The lunch with Barry was a very good example of how intimate, open
conversation can be revealing, insightful and importantly a really enjoyable
experience.
Next month we are
having David and Margaret Frith joining us for what should be yet another
stimulating experience.
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