Figurative Women

The female form has been depicted in art for centuries, in fact one of the earliest known sculptures is a small clay figure found at a palaeolithic site in Austria in 1908, dated about 30,000-50,000BCE. The voluptuous clay figure is thought to represent a goddess perhaps of fertility or of Earth itself. Building on this tradition, in this talk four female ceramic artists who create distinctive female forms – Jemma Gowland, Sharon Griffin, Sally MacDonell and Alison Coaten – share the inspiration and making processes behind their practice. All four express the figure through the medium of clay, yet their making methods, techniques, aims and narratives lead to very individual and disparate outcomes.

Building on the long tradition of the porcelain figurine, Jemma Gowland creates expressive and detailed porcelain figures exploring upbringing and attitude, often masked using cast doll faces representing the expectations of childhood. The figures show the girls dressed for display, as a plaything, entertainment or ornament. But the work also describes strength, attitude, sisterhood and resistance, the mask as disguise to fit us into the world.

Sharon Griffin sculpts the figure and the face, capturing the essence of the universal human condition in its rawest sense. Oxides, slips and glazes are drawn into the surface of the clay creating textured, multi-layered works of art, which are highly emotive and full of energy. Her knowledge of the material merges traditional making techniques with contemporary figurative ceramics, blurring the boundaries between studio ceramics and fine art sculpture.

Sally MacDonell explores the human condition by modelling the female form. Drawing from visual anecdotes that later emerge as figures, the everyday moments of human interaction are elevated from the ordinary into something special. She hand builds, modelling spontaneously from the inside, squeezing and pinching the clay together, before pushing out. Oxides, coloured slips and engobes are built up in multiple layers to create surfaces with depth and experience.

Alison Coaten’s figures bring together bodies of clay, from coarse cranks used for their strength and texture, through to smooth earthenware and slips for detail and soft flesh. Some areas are clothed with glaze whilst others remain in their naked visceral state, exposing earthy tones and the marks of their making. The imagery Alison uses is largely drawn from religious iconography and along with an innate love of nature, it honours the natural world, our commonality and interconnection.