Artist of the Month - Simon Ward
General background
More recent activities
Most recent Artist Statement
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Simon Ward received a Crafts Creative Development Award from the Scottish Arts Council. In his own words he describes how his career has since developed. |
My interest in ceramics was initiated while at school. My teacher, Mrs Mccluskie, was very passionate about the subject. She always had the radio on in the workshop that was not allowed so slightly rebellious.
I also recollect her showing us teapots that didn't work. While all of the ceramic related processes were demonstrated, we would also dig clay from local rivers and we were forever setting up exhibitions, borrowing bigger kilns to fire the work, quite often going in her Citroen 2CV car (very springy suspension) with boxes full of unfired pots.
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My growing interest in the subject lead me on to Saturday classes and 'O' and 'A' level exams before finally a foundation course where I continued ceramics being fortunate to work with Tony Bennett at Hastings School of Art. By then totally hooked i had my own small workshop and was selling work in my fathers shop, Sussex Guild exhibitions and in local Hotels. |
Finally I applied to study for a degree at South Glamorgan College Cardiff where I received a 1st Class Honours Degree. Following this incredibly rich period of education where I had been tutored by Mick Casson, Geoff Swindell, Pete Starky and Allan Barrett Danes.
I worked part time for two years in a centre for physically disabled, where working with clay was more of a therapy for the students. My return to education studying MA in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art in London was followed by a Wedgwood scholarship and RSA Award that was an opportunity to fund visits to Italy and Japan.
The RSA Award led to work experience at Royal Doultons in Stoke on Trent, finally working as a freelance master model maker for 6 years I had by then moved up to Edinburgh to a new studio in WASPS Stockbridge.
Over the past 10 years I have continued to explore ceramics utilising the full range of processes, wheel thrown, casting using plaster moulds primarily using porcelain. During this time I have also continued to travel, taking up residencies in Japan, Norway and France, most notably at the International Ceramic Centre in Shigaraki, Japan and Dale Handwerk Norway.
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Invited visits to Korea, a result of receiving a Bronze Award in the 3rd World Ceramics Biennale, has also informed the evolution of new work.
In July I will be travelling to Fuping in China for residency, producing new work for the British Pavilion Museum opening in August 2008. |
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A recent major solo exhibition of my work at the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock a result of 7 months work, visualised how my most recent work has evolved. The work having been informed by a collection of objects and materials accumulated over the past 15 years.
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This new body of work explored the domestic everyday and the mundane attempting to elevate the status and meaning of objects such as wheel - barrows, mug trees and garden buckets. Other recent exhibitions include 'The Cutting Edge' that toured Museums of Scotland and Collect at the V&A London through craftsscotland where I was also invited to give public talk about my work. |
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The funding I have received from the Scottish Arts Council, both recently and in the past, offers up so many possibilities and avenues for the future focus of my work.
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It offers a release from existing duties, allowing for further travel and residency in Japan, China and Korea, where I will be able to focus on researching and further developing skills in relation to indigenous craft methods, exploring the narrative and glaze surface. |
These experiences will inform the development of future practice enriching adding further layers to future work. It is support that is high value in terms of expanding my thinking, extending my growing creative journey, while having the potential to further position my work in the International craft arena.
Over the past ten years my work has been primarily concerned with challenging the roles and contexts of porcelain in both the interior and exterior environments. This has occurred through cross-cultural exchange via residency programmes in Japan and Europe resulting in exhibitions in galleries, museums, restaurants and permanent site - specific large-scale sculpture.
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As a result of these exchanges, location and certain aspects of traditional indigenous craft making methods has informed the research investigation through material collaboration.
The forming of connections and relationships between porcelain and wood, metal, concrete and other found materials has resulted in work which challenges the role of these materials.
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One of the main themes involves exploring how ordinary functional objects can be given a new role with their meaning and function elevated. The throw away, the mundane and the common are re-positioned, often acting as the vehicle or metaphor in repositioning and re-contextualising the work.
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