Shaping it up

At the studio to be set up at the upcoming Ceramics Triennale in Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, well-known British artist Kate Malone plans to allow the viewer enter her world of glazes and surprises

August 23, 2018 06:25 pm | Updated August 25, 2018 02:53 pm IST

The story of pottery in India goes back as early as the Indus Valley civilisation. It has a place in the museums, and it was recognised as functional and utilitarian, but elsewhere it had made great strides and was considered to be an art form. Back home, a slew of developments seems to be changing its course - seminal experiments by artists, galleries exhibiting ceramics as a work of art,finding space in art fairs, has lent it renewed vigour. As the country gets ready to host the first-ever Ceramics Triennale - Breaking Ground, the discipline stands to gain more traction.

The celebrated ceramic artist Kate Malone, who is travelling to participate in the Triennale, responds to a few questions on email. Edited excerpts.

Though India boasts a rich and long association with ceramics, in the present times, the discipline is not celebrated as much. In fact, its entry into the world of "art" is recent as it has always been acknowledged as 'craft'. In such a scenario, what are your thoughts on India's first Ceramics Triennale?

I am really excited that the Ceramic Triennale will show work of all areas with clay. This versatile material is used in domestic settings more than we realise, in the medical profession, inside computers, our teeth and joints, in space, and very importantly, it can be used in art. As I have mentioned before it’s all about audience perspectives. I make ceramics mostly in the form of a pot, and a pot can be seen as a kitchen item or as an art object. Many of the artists at the event are indeed fine artists making sculpture and installation, and I expect they categorise themselves as one. I amhappy to make what I make and let the viewer decide.

Tell us about the studio you are setting up at the venue?

I am bringing three of my assistants and we are aiming to replicate the ethos and atmosphere of my London and Kent studios. We all work together under my instruction. I understand the schools and they understand my demands. The design is always mine, the creativity is always mine.

Whilst we will set up the same ethos, I am hoping that for a change, my assistants might also make some decisions, and I am interested to see if I can be there for help. Essentially we are going to share our skills, to show people the techniques developed in as open way as possible. My speciality is glazing at high temperatures, and we are ready to share this with anybody who is interested so that the field of ceramics can move forward and I can be a part of that.

What kind of work will emerge from there?

The work, although we only have eight days to do something, should be a little more experimental than usual. It is the sharing experience which ismore important. Normally, my pieces take up to two months to make, it’s a big task tocreate something spectacular in eight days but we will do our best to show what we can.

Could there be influences from the location you will be working at?

We are all arriving a week early, and we will be visiting some key sites in Udaipur and Jodhpur. As a team, we will keep our eyes open to see if we can interpret the things that we see in the temporary workshop in Jaipur. We will also be on a lookout for interesting natural seeds,plants and fruit. We will plan to use them if it works out. Having worked together for many years, we have lots of little tricks up our sleeves already, and we are hoping to break new grounds while we are in this new and exciting atmosphere of Breaking Ground.

Nature inspires your work. When and how did it enter your art?

My father said that I studied flowers before I could walk. The magic and miracle that is nature never ceases to amaze me. I also look at many other things for inspiration, but it is nature that is at the heart, combined with the magic of the ceramic process which is nature itself - earth, air fire and water.

Has Indian flora and fauna too influenced your work?

Visiting India more than 20 times has affected my work in many ways - from looking carefully at nature, at temples carving, architecture - proportion especially of the Chola architecture. The quality of the art - the brilliance of the craftsmanship, the dexterity, and the truth to material, has inspired me. It is not just one thing that inspires me but it is the whole essence of India.

You make a clear distinction between your decorative work and public art. Do you approach them differently?

Yes, I do approach them differently. My decorative work comes truly from my own observations, from where I want. Public art, however, I feel has a responsibility to be site-specific and to be appropriate to the viewer. In the same way, as the teapot serves a function, public art serves a function...to inform, to make people aware, and to enhance the place. They are very different things - one of the biggest things being the scale, one of my decorative pieces can take one to two months, whereas a public art project can take years.

You also place a lot of emphasis on the faith of the process. Can you talk about it and how it has helped you all this while?

I very much believe in and letting the process lead the way, combining the skills that I have developed along with the knowledge. I believe that the process can offer opportunities and one does not have to be fixed on ideas before one starts. Making something is a series of decisions that are made during the process of making. Therefore, I am often surprised by things that I have made, for, they started with one intention and by the end of it, had changed completely.

What is the current status of ceramic art?

We do not realise how many times we encounter clay in a day. It is in our medicines, our kitchen utensils, our homes. It is used in engineering, space technology, medical technology and in arts and crafts. Recently, due to the work of some key figures in the ceramic art world, it is getting lot of attention.

At the moment, ceramics is really witnessing a renaissance in the English art scene. I feel quite strongly that India is at the start of this process and I hope that many people will enjoy looking at, using and making things from clay.

The first Indian Ceramics Triennale: Breaking Ground will be held at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, in collaboration with the Contemporary Clay Foundation from August 31-November 18. The event features 35 Indian and 12 international artist projects, 10 collaborations, 12 speakers, a symposium, film screenings and workshops for adults and children. For more details, visit www.indianceramics triennale.com

More about Kate Malone

Kate is a studio potter regarded for her decorative works and public art works equally. She was a judge on BBC2’s The Great Pottery Throw Down. She is also deeply engaged in glazing and is known for glazing and stoneware crystalline glazes. Kate creates works inspired by nature - fruits, nuts and seeds. Her work is on display at several public spaces and museums in the UK and across the world - a giant ceramic fish in the water at Hackney Marshes; a large pot at Manchester Art Gallery, a fountain at Homerton hospital and two pots at 10, Downing Street.

The leading ceramic artist who studied at Royal College of Art, London has her works in significant museums across the world. Apparently, she has the biggest kiln in London.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.