For our next project we have been allocated a well-known British contemporary ceramic maker. The brief is to research our given maker in order to understand their work, processes, techniques etc. We are then required to make a piece of work to resemble as close as possible one they might make. My ceramic maker is Kate Malone.
I have enjoyed learning about Kate Malone who I first heard about through The Great Pottery Throwdown. Although her work is not to my taste, I admire her as a person, she is very education focused and is not shy to share her knowledge, as many potters do. She also champions female potters and I found her very inspirational. I was not previously aware of her public art portfolio or the full extent of her range of studio pottery work.
The pieces I have made are functional as well as decorative. I am happy with the way the pieces look. My only criticism would be that the handles on the platter are not symmetrical.
I do feel the glazing of the pieces has been a bit of a disappointment as the crystals didn't develop as much as I would have liked. Secondly the glaze on the bowl did run onto the kiln shelf and therefore has damaged the piece so I will see if I can rescue it using the grinder. But I do love the platter and I cant wait to use it. I was aware that her crystal glazes run a lot due to her firing schedule and therefore her need for drip trays. When I have used crystalline glazes in the past I have not needed them however the glaze I used here was not tested beforehand so was unfamiliar to me.
What have I learnt from copying her style? I have learnt how to interpret a flat decorative technique into a 3D textural form, it has cemented my view that her work is not my aesthetic and that you need to choose the glaze carefully so that it doesn't coverup texture. I have also learnt a lot about her as a person and her work in the field of public art.
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