'Form and Space' ignites smoke and fire
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
It was a sight out of this world. White and brownish tinted human
clay figures trapped in a limited space, caged or huddled together or
crouching in a number of diverse angles, greeted our sight as we made
our way round the Barefoot Gallery to witness Yvette Spowners' hand
built ceramics.
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A clay figure. Pictures by Ruwan de Silva |
Around 25 pieces of pots, conte crayon and charcoal paintings and
figures, each with its own diverse shape or postures, will be showcased
at 'Form and Space', an exhibition of Spowners' creations which will be
on display at the Barefoot Gallery till November 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
"Our life is limited to a specific content. We move around in little
boxes or cages and interact within this restricted space. This applies
to both mind and body. This is an ideology that most fail to realize,"
Spowners explained the philosophy behind her work.
The artist who is of West Indian origin had put her hands into motion
by creating pottery 15 years ago. She had apprenticed under William
Attaway in California before developing her own styles in the art.
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Yvette Spowners |
"I started working on the potter's wheel and then moved onto figures.
I possessed the passion to work with clay ever since my teens and
finally got the chance to do so when I reached my 30s," she unraveled
her beginnings while revealing a dream that most of us would have
cherished since childhood.
Working with the ancient art of coiling pots, she added that she does
not necessarily have a specific shape in mind when she picks up a lump
of clay and starts working on it. "I know that the outcome will be a pot
or figure but I cannot interpret how the figure will turn out in the
end. I know what I have created but everything is open for
interpretation because others might catch onto something which I have
not noticed in the creation," she smiled adding that she allows her
pieces to speak for themselves.
The pots are shaped, joined and smoothed several times with basic
modelling tools and burnished when the clay is leather hard. The first
firing takes place in a gas kiln and the final touches are added smoking
the pots in a brick pit with other combustible materials to give varying
effects.
Having lived in Sri Lanka for the past five years, Spowners had
already showcased some of her creations on two occasions at Galle.
The banana leaves and jak wood which she had substituted for oak in
her work while she was in the country add a local touch to the
creations. Wood shavings and sawdust too enhances the smoky browns,
greys and cream shades found in her ceramics.
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Handmade ceramic pots |
"I can get a bit of colour in this process by adding copper dust and
salts to make pinks, reds and blues. However I do not use glaze which
normally brings out colours. I prefer to keep it natural," she said.
Queried on her plans for the future the artist who is also a skilled
landscape designer and cook added, "We'll see how things develop. I
crave to pursue many more things in life." |
