The first of our previews for the forthcoming Material Matters: Clay symposium is Dr Javier Cuadros from the Natural History Museum, London, with “What on Earth is clay?”. www.researchgate.net/profile/Javier-Cuadros www.instagram.com/natural_history_museum Javier is a researcher in the department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum , specialising in clay mineralogy and geochemistry. Here he gives […]
Category Archives: clay
Francesca Souza on the mysteries of the clay Golem
As part of the MA Art & Material Histories MATERIAL MATTERS collaborative project, Francesca Souza talks to Dr Naftali Lowenthal, and transpersonal psychotherapist Claire Floyd.
A man about clay: Oscar Wilson meets Mark Sowden
Oscar Wilson talked to Dr Mark Sowden as part of the MA Art & Material Histories MATERIAL MATTERS collaborative project Following an instinctive draw to the city and a need to understand and get to grips with my surroundings it seemed natural for my project to be immersed in the bedrock of London. After much thought, and many […]
[C+?=P] When (and how) clay becomes pigment, by Sabine Amoore Pinon
As part of the MA Art & Material Histories MATERIAL MATTERS collaborative project, Sabine Amoore Pinon talks clay and pigment. As I queried how I could link pigment, my chosen material for this year in my MA in Art and Material Histories, with this Collaborative Clay Project, a few immediately came to mind, which, I assumed, were […]
Matilda Sample: An investigation into clay and the body
Matilda Sample discusses clay and the body, as part of the MA Art & Material Histories MATERIAL MATTERS collaborative project We can change it to our liking, to fit into an ideal form. To become something or someone. We can use it to capture someone’s attention or make or take a certain impression. To direct […]
White river, blue lagoon, green mound: Maddie Rose Hills & Robin James Sullivan in conversation about Cornwall’s china clay industry
Part of the MA Art & Material Histories MATERIAL MATTERS collaborative project In January 2021, Robin James Sullivan and Maddie Rose Hills began speaking about china clay resulting in a conversation which has continued over six months. Sullivan has lived in Cornwall, a stone’s throw from the clay districts for most of his life. He […]
Earthly Oms: a conversation through clay with Jyoti Bharwani, Ema Epps, & Jada Quaye
MA Fine Art alumni and Co-Chairs of Students Jyoti Bharwani and Ema Epps, and BA Fine Art student Jada Quaye discuss their post-pandemic collaboration: their “Earthly Oms” series. www.instagram.com/paintspaces_studio www.instagram.com/emamanoepps www.instagram.com/j.a.d.a_art The group came together after being part of the Art School’s Equality & Diversity student group alongside their friend and peer Shelana Hodge, and […]
Daphne Wright artist talk
Postgraduate students from across the Art School enjoyed an artist talk by Daphne Wright this month, as part of the MA Art & Material Histories Material Matters unit. www.frithstreetgallery.com/artists/daphne-wright Daphne spoke about her art education, career, and the importance of materials in her work – particularly the politics of materials. Despite having worked in many […]
Coming soon: Clay symposium 2021
We are pleased to announce that our second Material Matters symposium will take place online on 9 October 2021, with support from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. This year’s programme will feature artists, craftspeople, art historians and other experts concerned with clay. Morning session, chaired by Tom Groves, Head of Art Histories […]
“The clayness of clay”: Michael Paraskos on Lucie Rie and Bernard Leach
Art Histories lecturer Dr Michael Paraskos discusses the material nature of postwar British ceramics, looking at objects made by Bernard Leach and Lucy Rie. Take a look at this little milk jug. I suppose in many ways, it’s quite unremarkable, like something you might find in a country-style kitchen, certainly not in a luxury manor […]