David Burnham Smith Background

There may be many influences on David Burnham smith's work such as the creatures of mythology, William De Morgan and the grotesque of the Martin Brothers; however his work stands completely on its own in a completely new and unique way. The ease at which he appears to convert the ideas in his imagination into reality in the finest detail is not hindered by the immense technical obstacles he overcomes. His gentle magical humour and free flowing ideas pay no respect to our tradition of ceramics yet the detail of his work shows an amazing knowledge of the materials he works with. There is no need to talk of rarity or limited editions as each piece is unique. It could take him longer than a week's solid work to paint a small kitten and he paints each one completely differently as he feels at the time. It is rare to find examples of his work as he works on his own from the making the original wax models to the intricate decoration. Typically he may only complete 2 or 3 pieces in a month with each piece representing a part of his ever evolving career. Conventional education had little impact on the young Burnham Smith and initially his talents were largely dormant. After a short spell in the merchant navy, a motorbike accident resulted in a long period in hospital. It was during this time that Brian Slack, a muralist, gave him lessons in academic drawing. Although David had natural drawing skills, Slack taught him to observe his subjects carefully and instilled the discipline of looking at an object before attempting to transfer the visual image to paper. Ultimately, David became an assistant to Brian Slack and later developed his skills in technical illustration by attending evening classes. Initially David Burnham Smith was employed as a technical draughtsman where his ability to work with three-dimensional objects and manipulate perspective became highly developed. The accuracy and meticulous attention to detail, which this work required, are still characteristics of his work. Realising that his skills would eventually become obsolete as the age of computer aided design advanced, he began to learn the art of china restoration. As his skills and reputation developed he became free-lance and received commissions from major auction houses, antique and specialist dealers. This new career not only extended the range of his technical skills, it also introduced him to Oriental and European porcelain and to the studio and art pottery of the 19th Century—the Martin Brothers, Doulton and William De Morgan. In the early 1970’s, David moved to Malvern, and as an adjunct to his restoration work, began modelling bird figures for the newly formed Albany Fine China Company and began to learn about the processes involved in producing ceramic figures. This new knowledge, combined with the experience he had acquired whilst making new ceramic parts for the restoration of Parian Ware ( Victorian statuary porcelain ), encouraged David to begin to produce his own pieces. In 1987 he began to make porcelain masks, applying his knowledge of Oriental porcelain to emulate the Chinese and decorate them in traditional blue and white. The decoration on the finest porcelain is applied as an under-glaze; the design is painted by hand onto the biscuit fired porcelain body using metal oxides. A glaze is applied and the porcelain is then fired to the full temperature. The Chinese perfected the use of the blue under-glaze by using cobalt oxides and David used his knowledge to produce a wider range of tones by adding other metals such as iron and manganese. From this point David moved on to producing other forms and to broaden his palette of colours by using other metal oxides. David creates objects of intense fascination: mythological owls, frogs covered in jewel-like designs, beaky birds with a touch of the grotesque and a twist of humour, oriental cats, exquisite teapots and honeycomb bowls buzzing with bees. They all have an elegance of form and complex surface decorations. In each the delicate translucency of the porcelain is contrasted with the pure vibrant colours of his geometric patterns. The range of his work demonstrates his extensive knowledge of the history of ceramics and a clear technical Understanding of the processes involved in porcelain manufacture, but it also shows a soaring imagination, technical virtuosity and a willingness to experiment. Each piece is unique, created Without any pre-planning or drawing; they are entirely the fruits of eye and brain co-ordination, with a touch of alchemy. Producing porcelain in this traditional manner is not only a long slow process, it requires great patience and fortitude, as in the final firing a piece can fracture, destroying weeks of patient, absorbing labour. There is now a well-established Burnham Smith style, which has evolved due to his willingness to experiment and refine the technical aspects of his work. In this he has been greatly helped by his wife, Debbie Tait, who has played an important role solving many of the technical problems which they have encountered. David is still experimenting with materials and glazes and as a result a new element in his work is emerging. The style of the decoration is becoming more organic and fluid. From the outset the quality and originality of David’s work was clear and his first exhibition at the Richard Dennis Gallery in London in 1987 was a great success. In the intervening years, as an internationally successful ceramicist, David Burnham Smith has worked largely to commission, and only a very small number of pieces have been on public display. A Celebration of Ceramics is the first major exhibition to feature his work for many years and the accompanying display of 19th Century ceramics will clearly show how his extensive knowledge of the history of ceramics is reflected in his work.

Booklet A small booklet on David Burnham Smith is available for £5 covering his background and an exhibition of his work.