Author Archives: Bridget Macklin

I am an artist working in the field of ceramics creating fragile porcelain pieces which are inspired by the environment or by peoples relationships with the environment and with each other and which often incorporate finds to support their narrative.

Surface Tension: The build-up

I am just coming to the finale of my Masters degree with Falmouth University. My exhibition begins on the 28th of June and almost all the work is now finished. By my calculations, I have 3 more firings to do.

This week is all about how the work should be shown – what backgrounds, plinths, settings does the work want and which pieces are going to make it to London for the exhibition. I have been putting this part of the planning off for as long as I dare because it scares me but I really can’t leave it any longer.

My tutor is anti-plinth but I am going to show a single piece in an enclosed plinth. This is possibly the most valuable piece of all the work: It is made of nothing but found clay. It is so thin and light and fragile. The clay is from Blacknest Fields in Hampshire, the focus of much of this work and, as such, it represents one of our most fragile, valuable resources: the earth beneath our feet!

As for how the rest of the work will look – you might just have to come and have a look for yourself!

Experimenting with Plaster of Paris

Before Christmas I went to see the exhibition at Tate Modern on the work of Maria Bartuszova. It is on until mid April and very well worth seeing. My visit followed directly on from a visit to the Hayward Gallery to see the exhibition Strange Clay, which, by the way, you are too late for as it finished in January.

What struck me most about it was the clunkiness of much of the ceramics featured at the Hayward in contrast to the fragility of the plaster of Paris at the Tate. Returning home I vowed to see if I could reverse this contrast – use plaster of Paris moulds to make exceptionally fragile ceramic structures. It is a crazy quest – this level of fragility comes with a huge number of fails – but when I get it right it is showing exciting promise. So here is a little taster of what is to come . . . . .

It will form the bulk of the work for my Masters degree final major project in Summer 2023 and I am very hopeful that the work which comes out of the kiln will be unique and amazing. Fingers crossed.