Alex McCarthy

2006-7, Foundation Degree in Art and Design, Plymouth 

2007-10, BA (Hons) Ceramics – 

Cardiff School of Art and Design, First Class Honours.

Intro

My work is formally inspired by simple ceramic profiles that lend themselves to having a harmonious connection with the textured surface, which is a response to my fascination for touch. My investigation into the relationship of surface to form aims to create a cohesive artifact where intense activity is contained between a thrown foot and rim. I experiment with the proportional relationship and scale of body and surface to the focusing elements of foot and rim.

Biography

The tactile qualities of my artefacts are inspired by textures that surround us such as; tree bark, natural rocks, cracking paint and even marine life. The thrown vessel is used as a canvas to investigate the properties of these surfaces. Metal oxides add depth whilst the gold, platinum, and copper lustre adds a sense of opulence.

No two pieces are ever the same; this is intentional, as I feel each piece has its own story to tell. I want the viewer to interact with the work through touch and perhaps see if they can feel the pot's journey. Each item is fired several times due to the different temperatures in which I fire; this gives me the opportunity to re-fire vessels to add more oxide or lustre.

It is the range of textural qualities that can be obtained from different clays and materials taken from the ground that really excites me as a ceramicist. The various approaches to creating these unique surfaces, through a range of techniques is of constant interest.

Selected Exhibitions

Delamore Arts, Delamore House, Cornwood, Devon, Everyday in May

The Contemporary Craft Fair, Bovey Tracey, Devon, 6/7/8 June

Art in Clay, Hatfield House, Hatfield, 4/5/6 July

Exeter Craft Fair, Cathedral Green, Exeter, 18/19 July

Cornwall Design Fair, Trereife House, Penzance, 15/16/17 August

Salisbury Craft Fair, Cathedral Green, Salisbury, 5/6/7 September

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Manchester, 10/11/12 October 

MADE London, One Marylebone, London, 24/25/26 October

Art in Clay, Farnham, 15/16 November

Get Fresh, Devon Guild of Craftsman, Bovey Tracey, 17 January - 8 March 2015