July 2025
w/c 30 June
Surface, Memory and the Spaces In Between
Another week away from making in the studio - I’m starting to feel withdrawal symptoms! Instead, this week has been all about time spent in the glaze room (a space I’ve largely avoided until now) and diving deeper into research, seeking inspiration from artists whose work resonates with my current explorations.
As I continue to reflect on Memories of Place - and how colour, texture and form can help evoke memory, connection and a moment in time - I came across the work of two generative artists: Tyler Hobbs and Thomas Lin Pedersen. Their digital compositions reflect some of my own exploratory sketches, particularly those where I’ve been experimenting with clay ribbons to build surface patterns and texture. Generative art, created through computer programs using defined parameters, results in beautifully unpredictable outcomes - a concept that feels surprisingly aligned with the tactile, layered processes I’m developing in clay.
In my sketchbook this week, I’ve also been experimenting again with techniques reminiscent of pastels - layering colour and texture to build depth. This brought to mind the work of Clare Conrad, whose ceramics I greatly admire. She uses a vitreous slip, mono-printed onto her vessels to create rich, multi-layered surfaces that suggest erosion, time and transformation.
Equally inspiring is the awe-inspiring sculptural work of Vasso Fragkou, a Greek ceramicist whose powerful forms evoke strength, presence and memory. Her work, alongside Conrad’s and the digital aesthetics of generative art, has given me a lot to reflect on - especially in how these ideas might inform and evolve within the contours of my Memories of Place series.
There’s much to process - and I’m looking forward to translating these threads into my own practice soon.
