For The Table

26th April - 19th May 2012


For The Table features new work from four artist who make work for everyday use.  

Karen Bunting 

 "I am drawn to that particular quality of stillness and sobriety that pots can have and aim to make pieces that are quiet and contemplative, revealing their qualities to the viewer over time and through use and handling.  I make functional ceramics in reduced stoneware. Each piece is initially thrown then individually worked and decorated.  Stripes, spots and cross-hatching help map out the surface and reveal aspects of the form. The reduction firing produces muted colours, which are often marked out with darker lines of patterning.  The resulting pot is unique but shares a family resemblance with its fellows."

John Jelfs  

John Jelfs uses celadon, ochre and shino glazes made from wood ash and clay, all ingredients local to his studio.  His pieces are all hand thrown and his focus has always been on pure form.  He keeps any decoration to a minimum.  He says "I am excited most by the work of Bernard Leach, Hamada Shoji and the Eastern School of pottery.  The strength of their pots lies, I feel, in their quietness."


James and Tilla Waters

James and Tilla trained in production throwing and as a result feel very grounded in functionality. The appeal of making objects that serve well in daily life is enduring and through the repetition of making by hand they are able to continually hone and refine their skills whilst being open to an ongoing modification of form. They approach decoration with enthusiasm and enjoy the important role it plays working with the form and the function of the work. 

Derek Wilson

‘My work is about capturing the fluidity and quality of a line, an angle, a plane and resonates of constructivist theories and processes. I am concerned with the space the form creates, interior and exterior and the light and shadows the form casts and reveals. Within the work social, personal, historical and aesthetic concerns interact to challenge preconceptions of throwing a form from an amorphous material yet not necessarily seeking the look of the handmade’.