Bede Clarke

I think I have always cast a pretty wide net in terms of my exploration of clay.  Pots and the vessel have held the center but there has been a strong overlay of interest in drawing, color and leaving a trace of the hand.

I navigate both the clay and drawing with an emphasis on “touch” and a felt response to the materials and to my own inner rhythms and sensibilities.  I am guided by a dialogue with the work and find myself in agreement when it speaks in a voice that has commitment and conviction, but also the allure of mystery and enigma.  I am always most pleased when the work strikes a balance between wildness and restraint.

Vessels are a significant emphasis for me, pots being my constant companions for the past 50 years.  Forms include large jars, compressed cylinders, bowls, teapots and cups.   Surface activation plays a major role in all these vessels, but the drawing and painting are given the greatest freedom in the large ceramic wall tiles that I have worked with for many years. These pieces are all painted with polychrome engobes.

Through all this work I am most interested in distinguishing the record/moment of the hand touching clay and the actual quality of feeling surrounding the work.