Turning Point Showcase: Ceramicist Joanna Simmonds

This week concludes with the landscape ceramics work of Joanna Simmonds. Joanna using the relationship and investigation of the transformation of 2D to 3D.

Joanna explains that “the development of my work has become increasingly dependent on drawing, it explores the relationship of 2D into 3D and the expressions and surfaces that can be discovered through this process. The focus of my work is central to landscape, specifically Mountains. The attention on mountains was drawn from the memories and observational drawings that I have collected from family holidays in the French Alps. However although the idea may have been born from the views, hikes and images that are primary resources for me, the context around the mountains has developed along side my progression of making objects and drawings.

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A mountain is a universal symbol; the image is understood in every language. It is this simplicity I wish to capture, everyone can imagine a mountain and process the image, and this universality has the ability to connect us all. Therefore the object becomes the context. Fundamentally a mountain is a mountain, but what does a mountain mean to the individual. Through the process of drawing and sculpture it is my intent to form a conversation between the 2D and 3D in which a central object –the mountain- connects each thought process.”

To find out more about Joanna’s ceramic practice, click on the link below:

Blog – https://jsmonds1.wordpress.com/

Additionally as part of our degree show we have set up an online donation where you can help to continue to support the Turning Point ceramicists, be part of the exhibition and also get your hands on some amazing ceramics work!!! If you would like to donate or to have a browse follow the link below:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/turning-point–6

Turning Point Showcase: Ceramicist Donna Leach

This week’s artwork begins with the visual representation of objects shown through ceramicist Donna Leach. In conversation with Donna, she describes her work as “the aesthetic sensibilities experienced from the visual representation created within an object displaying contradictions of the real and unreal.”

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“This visual language of past and present forms a ‘tipping point’ creating an intimacy with the viewer where they are invited to question their perception.The aim of this visual representation is to create sign’s enabling memories to be triggered and narrative’s to be formed through evoking sensory, subjective, psychological and emotional properties which are experienced through memories and storytelling.These binary opposites relating to past and present create the dialogue of visual language.  The ambiguous and familiar objects create symbolic forms of land, location, storytelling and history which are displayed to the audience where they can be the director of their story.”

To see more of Donna Leach’s work, you can find her through:

Blog – https://donnaleachceramics.wordpress.com/

Also as part of our funding for our degree show, we have set up an account to donate to through Indiegogo, where you can support us and also get something back in return. Just follow the link below for more details of how you can get involved:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/turning-point–6/x/10221193

Turning Point Showcase: Conceptual Ceramicist Chrisoula Konstantakos

Here is our last showcase for this week, investigating the conceptual matters of process through the work of Chrisoula Konstantakos.

As Chrisoula suggests her work has “much to do about what I do and what inspires me is what I do. Process is my central focus and the centre of my practise. Getting to the gist of the processes opens new avenues in which I investigate my material.  It’s the art of making that allows me to express ideas in a tangible, haptic form. I can give nothingness a palpable form. From making, come my ideas/my creative expression because it doesn’t set limits or conforms me to pre-conceived ideals.”

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“I look to traditional processes but combine them with industrial and contemporary tools to update my work. This group of work is based on the deconstruction of a vessel. I took away all its utilitarian qualities and worked with the bare essence of form and turned attention to the inner form. Traditionally, the vessel is observed and admired from its exterior and hidden is the inner space. I made that void, that nothingness tangible and started manipulating that space with my process.

A simple form can hide such complexities that I as maker, can investigate and in turn apply to other forms and concepts.”

To support our Turning Point artists further and also get something too, please donate to our degree show through our Turning Point Indiegogo page:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/turning-point–6#pledges

Turning Point is now on Indiegogo!!!!!

For everyone that has supported us so far we thank you!!! Now there is a chance to help us further and get something back!!! We have started an online campaign for our show, we have many different options of donation starting with £10 to £1000 with chances of getting your hands on signed catalogues, ceramics work and possibly our tutors too!!! Every little helps guys!!! So click on the link and you can see our promotion videos from some of the Turning Point ceramicists!!!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/turning-point–6

Turning Point Showcase: Land Art Ceramicist Imogen Higgins

For our second showcase, we focus on the land art of Imogen Higgins. Imogen quotes that “through my work I am trying to explore the human/ nature divide. Historically people were not so separated from the natural world around them, humans had to make environmentally sound decisions because if they didn’t, this would have a direct influence on their immediate future. Although decisions made about the environment matter now more than ever, the time frame in which these decisions will start to impact the individual in a very real way is much wider. Even when damaging decisions begin to influence the livelihoods of humans, most typically it is not those that are making the decisions that will be impacted first or most dramatically.”

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“In my work I hope to explore the role that art might play in reconnecting people with their natural environment. For this reason using natural materials is vitally important. The size of the piece is also important as I aim to create experiences for my audience so that they are not simply observers but participants.  My work is strongly linked to the movement of land art, however my background as a ceramicist is evident through the development of my ideas which is done predominantly on the wheel.”

To find out more about Imogen Higgins’ practice, follow the link below:

Blog – https://imogenhiggins.wordpress.com/

Turning Point Showcase: Ceramicist Thomas Hedley

This week we are fortunate to showcase three more ceramics students that we be in tour Turning Point degree show. Starting off this week is Thomas Hedley who looks into Geometry as a main research basis in his work.

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Geometry is the visual study of spatial forms,
shapes, sizes, positions and patterns. It is the mathematics of properties,
measurements and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces and solids.
Geometry is what defines my practice, the world around us, and everything in
between. I seek to explore the importance of geometry and geometric forms
within art, primarily within a ceramic medium. Through structure and
complexity, my sculptural forms are an ongoing exploration of geometry in
ceramics, ultimately trying to create an equilibrium within each piece that
represents both shape and number seeking a geometrically perfect harmony.

Turning Point Showcase: Ceramicist Hannah Grahame

This week’s showcase starts off with the work of Hannah Grahame.

For Hannah her practice is ephemeral. It can be preserved, but inevitably becomes a memory. She states “our memories are often replaced by means of preservation, and we find that fragments of our lives are confined to literal and digital materials. They change as time progresses, and are even erased altogether.

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My practice embraces it’s mortality and as a result, creates life. As the materials deteriorate, they are consumed and act as a means of nutrition, birthing new worlds as another disintegrates. I encourage my materials to exist as they mean to through denying myself the control over their development. My aim is to celebrate time. Due to the nature of my materials, my work requires a lot of patience. I am currently in the trial and error stage of my process, exploring ambiguity and our need to define what we see.”

If you would like to get in contact with Hannah, follow the links below:

Instagram: hsjgrahame

Blog: www.hsjgrahame.tumblr.com

Email: hsjgrahame@gmail.com

To get further updates and connections to the artists in Turning Point, please visit, like and share at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/17turningpoint?fref=ts

Twitter: @17turningpoint

Tumblr: http://17turningpoint.tumblr.com/

Turning Point Showcase: Ceramicist Charlotte Burke

Here’s our 2nd showcase this week, focusing on the work of ceramicist Charlotte Burke.

For Charlotte, her practice crosses over into both fine art and craft, creating questioning towards our ideas towards process and outcome.

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As Charlotte states “my work aims to take the originality of making to evoke emotion through material qualities with a twist of unique style, to create a thought provoking response in relation to our own relationships with objects. In a world where buying an object or art is more acceptable then making it, I seek to en-devour to show how important the process of creation is. With Ceramics being an area of questioning in terms of whether it is art or craft? I take on the values within still life to demonstrates the story my objects represent. I use art to create a strong perform, craft to produce the skills needed to make and together create parallels to politically question how important making is in the wider world. I use both 2D and 3D approaches in sync to aid my making through reflection and ideas.”

If you would like to see more of Charlotte’s work, she can be contacted via:

Blog – https://cburkeceramics.wordpress.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlotte-Burke-Ceramics/1398963100417328?fref=nf

Twitter – https://twitter.com/cburkeceramics

Tumblr – https://www.tumblr.com/blog/cburkeceramics

Email – cburkeceramics@outlook.com

Turning Point Update

Hope you guys are having a good week and looking forward to the weekend!!! Turning Point is in full flow and producing some great work, we have some exciting news coming your way where you can do your bit in support to our degree show and hopefully grab yourself some of the ceramicists work!!! Will let you all know in due course, in the meantime keep your eyes out as tomorrow will introduce another showcase of ceramics work featuring in Turning Point!!!

Turning Point Showcase: Ceramic Jeweller – Rachel Codd

“While some artists stumble into a niche by chance, Rachel Codd discovered her’s early on and nurtured it over time. Yet something about her says, quite clearly, she won’t be resting on her laurels.”  –  Cardiff School of art and design.

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 As Rachel explains “I make narrative jewellery in stained porcelain, often working with existing classical narratives; such as in the case of my current work; a collection of necklaces, based on Oscar Wilde’s poem ‘la belle della mia mente. I’ve loved working in ceramics since I was a child and was also constantly taking pieces of jewellery apart and reconstructuring them in to new designs; it seemed only right combine my  two passions to create my practice.My current work based on Oscar Wilde’s poem explored the natural beauty of the human form as I see my media; jewellery, in function as a means to  highlight ones beauty. I value the ornate in my practice  and strive to create work which contains layers of meaning and  detail.”

If you would like to see more of Rachel’s work, she can be contacted via:

Blog –         chinalace.wordpress.com/

Facebook page –  facebook.com/CeramicRachelCodd

Tumblr –                rachelcoddceramics.tumblr.com

 Email –                   yukitenshe@hotmail.com