Curator's View November/ December 2019

THE CURATOR'S VIEW

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

It is remarkable how quickly our exhibition year goes by.  However, we always try to ensure that our end of year programme is a stimulating and enjoyable event,  fitting for the Season and a pleasure for all our many visitors. All of our five makers have shown at Bevere a number of times before and it is a delight to have them with us again.

Sasha Wardell

Sasha's hallmark style, a distinctive combination of pure white slip cast bone china, treated with unique decorating techniques and finished in a carefully chosen palette of muted, subtle colours, has made her work highly sought after by private collectors, museums and contemporary art galleries worldwide.

Cristy Keeney  
 

In the early 1980s, when he was at College, Christy visited a retrospective exhibition of Picasso at the Tate gallery and many of his influences derived from seeing that work – especially a collection of small card-board cut-out and folded, figurative sculptures. These simple two dimensional pieces opened a world of possibilities on how he would approach his own work. We always have examples of his fine work in the Gallery, nevertheless we always look forward to a new group of his pieces with anticipation.

Lara Scobie

Lara emphasises that it is the balance between composition and form, absence and presence, that offers some of the most exciting opportunities for expressing her creative voice. She describes the space between pragmatic considerations and artistic intent – where technique, material, and creative insight meet – as the driving force behind her work. Her work always adds something special to the Gallery which immediately attracts our attention

Ross Emerson

Ross's quite unique work has not been at Bevere for some time. His work now consists of a range of ‘ hand-built ‘ clocks, vases, dishes, candelabra, candlesticks and anything ‘funky’ enough to grab his imagination. He uses a great variety of colours and decorative techniques to get the effects he is looking for. We can predict that this work will make you smile.

Francoise Dufayard

It is particularly pleasing to have one of our favourite French makers here again after too long a time. She has developed a very personal interpretation of terre vernissée or slipware, which creates a translucence in her work and gives her decoration a quality one sees only in painting; something of a rarity in this medium. The elegance of her decoration and her choice of colour always appeals.

Finally we have two Maker's Lunches during this longer feature programme. We have had a particularly enjoyable programme of Lunches this year and I am no doubt that these two Lunches in November and December will sustain that reputation.

Sasha Wardell – Saturday, November 9  (1200 -1400)

                                         Ross Emerson – Saturday, December 7 (1200 - 1400)

BEvere Gallery's October's Maker's Lunch

BEVERE GALLEY

MAKER'S LUNCH OCTOBER 2019

SANDY BROWN

Each month, we have the privilege of showing studio ceramicists with well established reputations for their skills and creative endeavour. Sandy Brown, by any criteria, is a maker of international standing. The very fact that her work is in 45 museums worldwide is testament to her status. It was immensely enjoyable having her join us for the Makers Lunch celebrating her feature here at Bevere.

Sandy's abstract decoration is instantly recognisable and her work has a timeless quality. She has undertaken huge projects, which are well known but, by contrast, she continues to make tea bowls, plates and strong sculptural pieces. This is an important show of her work for Bevere Gallery as it is a number of years since she last had work here.

Personally, I feel she epitomises ceramic art; she has produced original and striking work -  year on year - for several decades. I know it is another cliché but it is so true; her creativity is boundless. 

Someone once described Sandy's studio and gallery in Appledore as an inspiring and wonderful place. Indeed, I still have vivid memories of my visit  although it was a good few years back and I can only agree – it is the essence of creativity and the spirit which pervades Sandy's work.

We were surprised to hear that she only became engaged with ceramics during a five year stay in Japan where she worked with a number of eminent makers. What she welcomed about the Japanese approach was the freedom of expression which now defines her pots and their decoration. She talked very clearly about her approach to colour and her free flowing brush lines as well as her innovative combination of different clays for contrast and texture.

She is a great believer in pots being used and clearly her plates and pots will do much to enhance the eating and drinking experience. There is no sense in which she is precious about her work – functionality means what it says.

She returned to the UK from Japan to a very different environment and her vivid decoration and experimental use of clays stood out in a rather more constrained ceramic culture. It would need an essay of some length to cover the issues and life events raised by Sandy. What emerged more than any other factor was the concern to remain true to herself. This was a most absorbing two hours spent together and I am grateful for the spirit of enquiry that our lunch colleagues brought to the discussion. Long may Sandy continue to make such scintillating work.