Bridget Macklin

To Do

There was something missing this week. I kept feeling I should have been at City Lit but I have finished. I am a fully fledged ceramic artist. I am on my own now! Scary thought!

I have been into the studio a couple of times, in a rather listless manner. I did a bit of sorting out, I washed the floor, I threw some stuff away. I generally felt a bit lost. But now I have given myself a bit of a shake and written a To Do list – the first for at least two weeks.

1: A proper tidy up! My studio, my workspace at home, the rest of the house. They are all covered in stuff that needs to either be put somewhere appropriate or binned.

2: My sister gave me some clay a while ago from the foundations of an extension that she is having built onto her house. So far it has sat, neglected in a plastic bag awaiting my attention. Now the germ of an idea is forming – site specific art from peoples homes, in their homes. I need to know what this clay is about. What colour does it fire? What temperature does to prefer? What does it mix well with? Get testing!

3: Even longer ago I discussed a collaboration with a fellow artist from Wimbledon Artists Studios who paints in oils with a lot of texture and some fabulous colours. Now I need to do something about it!

4. Development. If I am honest I did not feel pleased with very much of my final exhibition. It seemed more like work in progress. Actually I don’t think I even liked it by the end. However, there is definite potential in both the fragile work and the more robust pieces. How extraordinarily complacent it was of me to stop making before the end of the course. This work is NOT the finished pieces. It is one small step. Now I need to get the angle grinder and the polisher out and attack this work giving it a more interesting voice. What was I thinking!

And whist I start making whatever I would like to make, without a specific deadline, without the scrutiny of my tutors, without the need to have it marked I know that I have the voices of my wonderful tutors there in the back of my mind: ‘edges!’, ‘just do it’, to name but two. So I am not alone. I just need to focus in a different way.

This week I visited the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham for the first time. Not surprisingly, given Farnham’s reputation for ceramics, they have some stunning clay work. As I walked in, the first thing I spotted was a display of work by Luke Bishop. I know that name! He was on the course before me at City Lit. So two years on he is represented by a fabulous gallery in the heart of a ceramics town – there is hope for us all! Around the corner there were several artists work which were there as a part of the Crafts Council, Hothouse scheme for emerging makers. Exciting, interesting and beautiful pieces. The application form for Hothouse is on my desk. Perhaps I can put off the tidying up for another day whilst I complete the application!

This is the End of the Beginning

Celia David's delicate slip castings — Celia David’s delicate slip castings

The ceramics diploma at City Lit has been a most wonderful experience. I have learned so much from wonderful tutors and I feel much more certain of my way in ceramics.

Claudia Wassiczek's intriguing and thought provoking wall pieces — Claudia Wassiczek’s intriguing and thought provoking wall pieces

Mind you, I think the thing I know most certainly now is that I know almost nothing about ceramics! What a subject. The discovery of what it can do is going to take me the rest of my life!

The last two weeks will be with me for ever. It has been incredibly hard work getting everything ready, first for New Designers and then, almost without drawing breath, for our graduation show at Candid Arts but, my word, it has been worth every drop of blood and sweat and tears.

Young Ran Lee's massive, architectural groups — Young Ran Lee’s massive, architectural groups

It has been a real privilege to work along side some truly lovely people and I have enjoyed sharing so much with a group of fellow students whom I believe will be friends for ever – I certainly hope so! I have learned a lot about myself and been presented with some exciting opportunities for the future. Lucky me!

Enrica Casentini's beautiful oval vessel — Enrica Casentini’s beautiful oval vessel

Sassirika's delicate flowing forms. — Sassirika’s delicate flowing forms.

2015-07-05 11.46.46 — Ranti Bamgbala’s colourful collaged pieces

2015-07-05 11.47.09 — Jess Prout’s remarkable selection of vintage cameras

I woke this morning thinking about the work which has been in the gallery this week – not mine, that of my colleagues. The range of pieces has been so extra-ordinary.

Tania McCallin's massive yet beautiful vessels. — Tania McCallin’s massive yet beautiful vessels.

We have had the same tutors and been on the same course yet in the last few months our explorations have shot off in every single direction resulting in an exhibition which was incredibly diverse and of a truly fabulous level of skill – and all achieved over two years studying for two days per week. Not bad!

Steven Will's delightful porcelain vessels. — Steven Will’s delightful porcelain vessels.

So I wanted to share a few of what I think are the highlights of this week’s exhibition. Watch out – these artists are going to hit the big time, or I shall drink my glazes!

I cannot help it though, in all this work I still feel there is one person’s work that calls to me more than any other and, in the end I was compelled to bring one of her pieces home with me at the end of it all today. Joanne Bain throws the most delightful shapes. Her bottles gather in groups and create a dialogue with each other. They take on the semblance of figures and as she describes it, ‘hint at a deeper kinship between them’. What better way to finish the diploma than with a group of ceramic pieces which reflects the way I feel about the characters on the course? Thank you, Jo.

Position leads to relationships. Joanne Bain