THE CURATOR’S VIEW (SEPTEMBER 2012)

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After the Cornwall Show, which so many people have enjoyed during the Summer, expectations will be raised for the coming months and I am sure that no one will be disappointed. For the rest of this year we have quality and diversity in abundance including makers who have never appeared at Bevere before.

In September, the list of featured makers is headed by Eddie Curtis. It is too long since we last showed the work of this master potter. His work is elegant and exquisitely crafted and whilst he has been amongst the established studio ceramicists for many years, he is never satisfied with the status quo.

Eddie Curtis's pots - just unpacked ready to display

A display  of Kate's ceramics in the Gallery

I saw Kate Schuricht’s ceramics at Ceramic Art London earlier in the year. Kate makes raku and stoneware sculptural ceramics in a range of subtle crackles and smoky finishes. I was impressed and decided then that we should invite her to Bevere. I am sure you will agree with me that she is a worthy addition to the many potters that we now represent.

Carol's Spoon

Carol Ray Niño lives in Madrid. Interestingly her bold sculptures have a Spanish feel to them despite her English origins. She works in porcelain and refractory clay and each medium gives a different quality to the work.


 


JohnMahoney-Philips shares a workshop with Chris Keenan, Carina Ciscato and Annie Turner in London. However, his work is influenced by the Pembrokeshire coast from where he finds many of his materials and inspiration. His use of found objects ensures that a surprising twist is given to his high fired vessels.






Sally Shrimpton is a well- known slipware potter who now lives and works in France. I am looking forward to her functional ceramics which are decorated in strong colours that we associate with the south of France.

Three mugs by Sally

If this isn’t enough to whet your appetite, then we can add new work from  Gary Wood  and Richard Dewar

Richard's Teapot Sculpture

A Porcelain Vase - Gary Wood

  and a completely new name to us, the sculptor Frank A Smith.

This is the array of studio ceramics that we enjoy showing. It demonstrates that notwithstanding the economic vagaries of the last few years, studio ceramics remains a vibrant and exciting arena.
Stuart Dickens
26 August 2012

Mark Smith in Residence

A breath of the sea came to the  Gallery
 Stable  during the last week in August-


 Mark Smith's special ceramic and wood sculptures wowed our visitors.

 To see him creating these pieces while talking to folk who popped in for a chat was so interesting. Each piece tells a story.

 Some of Mark's ceramic sculptures on show and for sale in the Gallery

Quote from Mark

"I had a great time, so inspiring!"

Nic Harrison - In Residence

It was a pleasure  to host Nic Harrison(One of our Cornish Potters) in Bevere Stable Show Room all last week.
Nic and his wife travelled all the way up from Cornwall and during his time here he produced many pots on the Wheel.


 The weather was good on the whole and Nic placed his Potter's wheel outside the Stable so that our  Gallery Cafe visitors had a very good view of him at work and had many a conversation with him and his wife

A selection of Nic's finished pots

Busy outside  Bevere Stable

Talking !

  Towards the end of the week they were joined by their  daughters and family who enjoyed their visit to Worcester

A visit from Nic's family

Pete Higgs & Friends in the Stable Workshop

Bevere Stable - Exhibition of the Group's Ceramics

We were very pleased to welcome 'Pete and his Friends' back this year to do a week's residence

 Pete is one of our regular exhibitors and his stoneware fruit and leaves have been part of our sculpture trail for many years.  His ceramics are always available in the Gallery and 'online'

Pete Higgs working on his porcelain sculptures

Ronald Styles arranging display of his ceramics

Gill Tennant-Eyles with her handbuilt pots

Eunice Powell starting her screen printing

 There was a different potter demonstrating each day and our visitors enjoyed seeing their varied work and talking about their experiences.


Pete Higgs, Gill Tennant-Eyles, Eunice Powell and Roland Styles formed a small artist group after studying for their Degrees and Masters at University.


Since then they have organised an exhibition tour and after the Bevere Stables workshop will be at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery for a 12 month exhibition in the contemporary galleries, under the name of "Ceramics Collective".







All four have said how much they have enjoyed their week at Bevere Gallery, as it has given them the opportunity to interact with buyers and explain their work in more detail.

Pete says "Hopefully visitors to the gallery have enjoyed talking to the artists, we've certainly enjoyed talking to them and would love to return next year".

Ostinelli and Priest In Residence

Once again throughout this Summer we have a planned series of Artists and Makers in Residence in the Stable Workshop. A chance for our visitors to meet them in person and see them creating their artwork

Last week we were delighted to welcome two of our popular ceramicists 

Ostinelli and Priest

 

We have  shown and sold their unique ceramic animal sculptures in Bevere Gallery for a good few years  and were very pleased to have the opportunity to get to know them better

I am sure we will always be good friends

To see these being made from start to kiln ready was so interesting and a great privilege

  











Visitors to the gallery spent time with them watching them at work and enjoyed many a conversation

The Stable Workshop - Artist in Residence

Once again throughout this Summer we have a planned series of Artists and Makers in Residence in the Stable Workshop.  A chance for our visitors to meet them in person and see them creating their art work




Antony Bridge returned this year and spent a very productive week  in the area including Bevere Knoll garden.

The rain did not deter him.  Being a  'Plein Aire" artist he was out and about in the area surrounding the Gallery.

 

Artist in Residence June 2012- comment form Antony
"My 2nd year being artist in residence at the Gallery at Bevere. I left after my week last year feeling a great connection with the area, painting plein air in the fields and on the Bevere Green, that connection had not faded and enjoyed finding new views to paint with my pochade box. I was mainly drawn to the blooming pink potato fields which I stood in painting in the rain and cold wind. I enjoy so much visiting the gallery, seeing the staff who all look after you so well and excited about what I am producing. It was also nice to chat to some of the customers who have an interest in my work and shared view spots in the local area which I must go and paint soon, thank you".

St John the Baptist Church- Claines

The Cabbage Field Opposite the Gallery

  A   SELECTION   OF   OIL   PAINTINGS   ANTONY PRODUCED   DURING   THE   WEEK








It was great having your company Antony and sharing your excitement over the inspiring area around us. We are looking  forward to having some of these paintings in the Gallery for our visitors to see and enjoy.

CURATOR'S VIEW - Pre-July

CORNWALL: A Celebration -Part 1
CORNWALL: A Celebration -Part 2

When we made the decision to devote the gallery space and grounds to the Cornwall Crafts Association (CCA) during July and August, the exhibition seemed a long way off, now it is almost here and the work of fifty makers has been delivered. As usual on these occasions, it is like Christmas every day as we unpack boxes and unwind the bubble wrap.

The event, as our flyer indicates, is in two month long shows and everyone who visits will be able to come again and see a new set of exhibitors in the main gallery. We know that there is a deal of excitement on the Peninsular about this exhibition. For many of these makers, it is an opportunity to reach a new audience and for others to renew their relationship with Bevere. What we like is that the majority of makers have never shown here before. We have discovered a wealth of talent and craft skills, which we are delighted to share with our visitors.

The exhibitors involved are too numerous to mention individually and it would be invidious to name only one or two amongst so many exceptional makers. The main body of work is from ceramicists, as you would expect at Bevere, however, the CCA represents a wide range of arts and crafts and we have furniture makers, sculptors, printmakers, textile artists, jewellers and glass makers, who have been equally delighted to be part of this celebration of Cornwall’s art and craft.  

It is good to have potters who have trained and worked at the old Leach pottery and other makers whose work is redolent of the Cornish land and seascape. The French call this ‘terroir’, which in essence is about the influence of location or the spirit of place, if you will. We cannot be certain that the weather will be kind to us – although we can but hope – needless to say it will take more than rain to dampen the spirit and the heart that clearly pervades this exceptional event.

Stuart Dickens