Mark Smalley: Ceramic Sculptor
Background
Fifteen years ago I stumbled across the work of the Martin Brothers potters at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and their breathtaking pottery opened my eyes to the creative possibilities of clay, inspiring me to take up ceramics. Although the Martin Brothers are a primary influence on my work, I also draw inspiration from many areas of the visual arts. I am drawn to art works which carry with them a certain mystic darkness, but which at the same time reveal the fearful fragility of the human condition. For me, these qualities are inherent in the work of ceramic artists such as Ian Gregory, Michael Flynn, Sally MacDonnell, Lothar Fischer and Clare Curneen.
I view my own ceramic practice as an adventure into self-expression, an opportunity to explore my own imagination and personality as well as universal truths. I enjoy incorporating into my work the anthropomorphic qualities of many creatures but birds, in particular, provide a wonderful starting point for the expression of human emotion and body language. During the making of a piece I may draw on many different experiences, cultures, visual imagery, memories of people and places, even dreams. For example, when creating the "Crocodileman" I sought to combine the primordial evil we associate with the "sinister grin" of the crocodilian, with the mythological bogeyman of childhood nightmares. With the series of “Birdman” sculptures I am trying to breathe life into characters that seem to originate from some ancient, fairytale land.
Clay allows me the freedom to manipulate form and surface texture in order to achieve certain effects in the fired piece. For example I often purposefully tear holes through the surface of my sculptures to emphasize their vulnerability, as well as lending them an air of gradual decay. This can also create interesting visual effects when rays of sunlight strike the work.
Technical information
For the white sculptures I use porcelain paper clay which I find provides an excellent combination of plasticity, green strength and reliability in firing. I begin with a rough concept of the finished piece and build an armature to represent the underlying shape. Using a combination of modeling and sculpting techniques I gradually build up the form, allowing its character to develop organically as the work progresses. Each piece is dried slowly, then bisque fired to 1000 degrees C at which point the armature burns out completely. Underglazes and oxides are then applied and fired on to add colour and enhance the sculptural qualities of the work. A coating of transparent glaze is brushed on before the final firing to around 1240 degrees C in an electric kiln. Most of my pieces are fired at least three times in order to achieve the desired finish.
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