A Tisket a Tasket

 One of the most exciting aspects to the residency is curating the cases that are essentially the window into the studio. Here Catrin Jones assistant curator of ceramics and glass and her intern Kate Quinlan have arrived to open the cases and help me install my own work first and then they will begin to bring the basket of goodies I selected from the collection!

  
My focus for the first round of objects from the collection primarily revolve around the 3 videos I will be doing on period ceramic processes. The 1st will be making a puzzle jug the 2nd on the beautiful little pectin shell agate teapot below and the third will be a hybrid of life casting from Palissy to 18th century shell pickle stands to my own use of those methods when creating contemporary art.

Here I am measuring the teapot before it goes in the case so I can get started on make a model and mold

A proud moment and the pieces are already telling a compelling story - I think my favorite is the pairing of the 18th century Liverpool delft puzzle jug (Olympic Rings included) with this fantastic Meissen covered punch bowl depicting beautifully painted scenes of William Hogarth's Midnight Modern Conversation, although the Staffordshire agate teapots - although the pectin shell example a thrown agate piece and two bisque examples all accompanied by an 8th century chinese agate cup is pretty amazing as well, also not to shabby having a lovely little piece of 16th century Palissy- or is it 19th century? And last but not least is a gorgeous little Bow pickle stand which just cheers me up! I guess I love them all the same.

Visitors of Note

Louisa Taylor the previous ceramic resident showing me the ropes-and the wheels! 

Rod Jellicoe giving my pickle stand the once over

Errol Manners and Catrin Jones assistant curator of ceramics and glass V&A

 Reino Liefkes Senior Curator ceramic and glass collection with Intern Claire Blakey assistant ceramics officer at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Our dear friend Joe Gromacki 

Rob Hunter Editor of Ceramics in America

finds a good spot to take in the galleries and look for photo ops. 

No Hard Feelings

Ruth and her invaluable assistant Asa

Ruth Lloyd my residency coordinator 'in chief' organized a get acquainted tea party with the curators and museum staff.  Of course, it was a different kind of tea party that makes the 4th of July an American holiday with a bit of a sting.
Just to show there were no hard feelings Ruth put on a patriotic spread!

Talking with Alun Graves curator of the V&A ceramics and galss collection 

Begin the Beguine

On arrival our dear friends Gary Atkins and Rod Jellicoe met us at Heathrow and DROVE us to the front door of the hotel! But not before we had a coffee.

Now off to the V&A! The moment I had been anticipating had arrived and it was time to get started. I was greeted graciously, oriented, briefed, photographed, taken to my new home for the next 3 months and given the keys to the kingdom.

Some reading material

The Studio within the galleries Making Ceramics Room 143 is beautiful and sleek in it's design the view across the rooftops changing constantly with the rolls of storms coming through then sun then storms again. When looking into the gallery from the studio your faced with the worlds most incredible ceramic art so how amazing is this right?

I started to unpack and seeing my things in this extraordinary context was both exciting and daunting. 

Getting Centeret

Time to get to work and take the edge off so I began making some familiar old forms with the materials that were already in the studio leftover from other residents and workshops.

It's official the Secretariat Gate at the V&A

Pack &Go

All the arrangements were made my superstar residency coordinator Ruth Lloyd helped arrange flat, shipping, visa, etc etc etc…. so I packed my precious cargo  in 4 18" square boxes and sent them off.

I finished what work i could and left some behind

 Packed up the car and we drove to DC…politics, traffic jams, 100 degrees... fahrenheit that is...

Backstory continued

So after a long process and a lot of work on the part of Reino Liefkes,  Jon Prown (V&A and Chipstone) and the generous support of:

Mr. F.G. and Mrs. K. Summitt
James D. and Pamela Penny
Dudley and Constance Godfrey Foundation in Memory of Pieter Yates Godfrey
The Honorable Henry D. and Kecha C. Kashouty

The possibility became reality and in Dec 2011 we took a trip to London to visit the V&A,

 check things out...

visit some old friends...

Octopus Junk

And make some new ones...

Meissen Goat

 Figure

• Place of origin:Meissen, Germany )
• Date:ca. 1732 
• Artist/Maker:Kändler,JohannJoachim

The big boys had a chat…

Reino Liefkes Senior Curator of Ceramics and Glass V&A and Jon Prown Executive Director and Chief Curator the Chipstone Foundation

…while took a look at the kiln and the view from my new would be studio 

Thank you Rob for your amazing photography and your incredible support!
next stop
Time To Go