Statement -

Jane’s ceramic sculptures possess a strong voice, and a bold narrative about contrast, visual drama and playfulness.

Through her work, Jane explores aspects of her sense of self, in particular the contradictory urges she feels to be organised and in control, and at the same time, to accept that life is unpredictable, and to live in a way which is more spontaneous and unconstrained. She sees the same contradiction mirrored widely on social media, where it strikes her that many of us are concerned with presenting a fiction: a curated, controlled and idealised version of our lives, rather than a reflection of the often challenging and capricious nature of reality.

Jane explores these contradictions through her work, in which form, line, texture and colour act as metaphors.

Jane aims for sculptural tension between the structured and ordered and the organic and irregular, the two states co-habiting dynamically in each object to achieve contrasts which are exciting. Jane makes carefully, in a controlled way, but then tries to contradict her need for control by working in a freer, more expressive way, on the same piece. For example, she might throw a regular cylinder on the wheel, and then squeeze it quickly out of shape, or perhaps apply some sticky clay over the surface. Or she might meticulously hand-build a geometric, angular form, and then attach a free-flowing rippled slab, or corrupt it with a more organic, growth-like form or rough texture. Process is an important part of Jane’s work; the journey to the finished piece is, for her, exciting in itself.

Surface treatments include dark glazes offset by vivid acrylic colour. The use of non-ceramic material provides an additional means of achieving contrast, not just in colour, but in surface quality and feel – and an element of the unexpected.

Jane makes small series’ of works, which are related through their overall form and concept. Through drawing and research alongside making, forms evolve into new combinations and visual stories, leading to the development of new series.

Technical information

Jane’s sculptures are hand-built or thrown and altered (sometimes both) from white earthenware clay. Pieces are biscuit-fired to 1100 degrees in an electric kiln. Muted earthenware glazes, coloured with oxides or commercial stains, are applied by pouring or spraying and the pieces are fired again, to 1080 degrees. Vivid acrylic colours are applied at the final stage of making.