Musical scores Media: Porcelain
Wedding March from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Felix Mendelssohn, freehand sgraffito porcelain score with dry copper glaze, 2014
Papageno, Papagena duet from 'The Magic Flute', W. A Mozart, narrative porcelain score, 2015, Commission, Private Collection
'Canon in D', Johann Pachelbel, porcelain with cobalt porcelain inlay, 2015, Commission, Private Collection
'Run for Cover', Marcus Miller, porcelain with black porcelain inlay, 2015, Commission, Private Collection
'Vexilla Regis Prodeunt', Salisbury Vespers, Bob Chilcott. Freehand sgraffito porcelain score with dry copper glaze, 2016. Commission, Private Collection
Imagine a musical score with its complexities of rhythm, pattern and code. Manuscripts laid on handmade paper, finely printed Baroque composition, the beauty of contemporary musical notations which challenge the traditional notion of the score. These are source material for my finely worked porcelain panels and bowls.
Ceramic materials lend themselves to a multitude of textures and marks in and on the clay. By using processes of layering and techniques of printing and drawing I use clay slips, pigments and glazes to build up layers from images on notation, musicians and musical instruments suggesting particular pieces of music.
The use of porcelain for the making of functional and artware is well known for its qualities of strength, whiteness and translucency, and it has also long been associated with sound, especially in the Orient.
The following piece "Jesu Meine Freude, J S Bach Porcelain Panel with slips and glaze" is a recent commission. The piece is held in a private collection.
Jesu Meine Freude, Porcelain Panel, Private Collection
I am happy to take on commissions for specific pieces of music. After discussion relating to colour, size and individual preferences I gain inspiration by researching the score and listening to recordings. I then develop test pieces, from which to discuss and plan the final piece.
If you would like to commission a particular piece of music to be interpreted in clay please get in touch through the contact page on my website.