September 11th 2016.
Most people who know me understand I'm a bit of a geek and I’ve been fascinated with computing, history, the digital world, art - and how they coalesce - for a long time.
Being a kinesthetic person by nature, I'm also into how things feel in the hand, whether it's a bit of earth or a 3D pencil.
All these considerations have come together as part of my first ceramics collection, called [This Earthly Code] which will be on show at The Gaolyard Studios in St Ives as part of this year's September Festival.
We’re having Open Days at the Gaolyard Studios on Wednesday 14th, Saturday 17th, Sunday 18th and Wednesday 21st September, when anyone can visit. So, if you happen to be in St Ives, you are very welcome to come and visit.
[This Earthly Code] fuses earthy, elemental forces, our human ‘maker’ ability and digital behaviour together.
‘Start Vase’ in red.
With this collection of pieces, I'm exploring a theme I intend to develop in several ways in my ceramics, running in parallel alongside working in digital business.
The intention is to reconnect with the sense of our human selves and where we have come from. These pieces are designed to encourage personal reflection, a sense of feeling centered and some solidity in a fast-paced 'always on' world.
‘At’ Amphora Pot in red.
As I've said elsewhere, I believe a renaissance exists for us somewhere, in the interface between human and digital design. So it made sense to me to create something with clay, direct from the ground, and combine its tangibility with the intangible nature of the virtual commands we interact with every day.
Whilst these symbols may be quite new to us, the iconography of our digital environment is embedding itself in our lives all the time. I am approaching these symbols as a new form of hieroglyphic and we take many of their meanings almost for granted. So there are 'Start’ vases, 'Home’ bowls' and 'At’ pots.
They tell a story of how we live today, and the pieces are totems, recognising how far we have all come and, at the same time, taking us back to our roots.
‘Wifi’ pot in red.
I hope you enjoy this collection. The elements are mix and match, as is the cut and paste nature of code.
‘Home’ tapered bowl in grey.
