The Heart Of The Matter

"Pottery is only pottery, the craftsman stuff of the kitchen and the cabinet of curiosities, and never to be mistaken for a work of art, never to be put on a level with Raphael and Titian. One might well preserve pickled herrings in a Perry pot, drown a Duke of Clarence or even pee in it - none of which things can be done with Michelangelo's David or Rembrandt's Samson and Delilah. Indeed, the very uselessness of a narrative painted on canvas in a frame, or a block of marble carved into the image of a naked hobbledehoy, is the simplest of all distinctions between art and craft." Brian Sewell, London Evening Standard, 6th October 2011

Recently I read an interesting article (which I now cannot find) that highlighted the difference between Art and Craft. The writer hit the nail on the head very succinctly and candidly. They said the thing that distinguishes Art from Craft is that Art provokes an emotional response. That is not to say Craft cannot engineer an emotional response, and I am as guilty as the next craftsperson to make something that wrenches no more than an "Awwww" (internet speak for "Aint that cute!"). Cute sells, I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. Amongst the non-academics, the estate housed, the mumsy or teen (or gay, yes, this is the main market for my little ceramic cats apart from pre-pubescent girls!), if its little and brightly coloured and anthropomorphic its straight onto the mantelpiece or bedside table without a minutes thought. And why not? Are we not biologically disposed to liking tiny fragile baby like things? Things we want to take care of or carry around with us? The advantage of owning one of my ceramic pets is that you can carry it around in your bag or show it off to your friends and not have to feed it or clear up after it. Its like a Tamagotchi without the responsibility!
But as a "serious" artist do I want to be known as a breeder ot cute inanimate pets, or something more visceral or intellectual? Do I want to re-animate pottery with crude drawings, for example, to try and bring it into the realm of Fine Art?

To this end, I have tapped into the most physical and tactile represntation of the ideas that have been lurking in my mind. I have explored what it is to be vulnerable and translated it into a material that is invulnerable (well... clay... its breakable I suppose), I have gotten my hands dirty like a surgeon would, covered in wet and stain. I have created a Heart Of Stone. I call this work "Vena Cava i". It's the first of a series. It started off looking like a strange organism, a fungus or a deep sea creature, but as I added more material to it it became as I saw it in my minds eye: a thing of ventricles and vessels. Maybe its because I am getting older and I see people who were fit and vibrant adults who I look up to weaken and become more fragile, but I really want to explore the fragility of the human body. When the work is fired it will be like the Greek Urn "a thing of beauty is a joy forever".. when THESE arteries harden it will not mean death but everlasting life. And a useless one, at that!