Tall White Flowers by Vivienne Foley
4th April 2017
Vivienne Foley produces exquisite, hand thrown, turned and glazed one off pieces of ceramic sculpture. Although in essence they are often functional pieces in form, it is their appearance that makes each item so much more. From dramatic structures to gentle sweeping curves, Foley's inherent understanding of porcelain is more than evident and testament to her patience with this most difficult of materials.
In her own words;
“As a professional potter I have been producing thrown porcelains for over fifty years and so logic would dictate that I have ‘seen it all, done it all’ by now, but on the contrary I still continue to be challenged and interested. The technical frustrations and the uncertainty of results all seem worthwhile when one opens a successful kiln firing. The heart leaps!
I have never been afraid to push my materials to the limit, to accept failures and to follow trails, but I am always excited when basic techniques and familiar methods result in something new. My primary interest is in form and in finding solutions for what I call ‘damp engineering’. The comparatively non-plastic nature of porcelain dictates my having to join sections together, but a form must ‘flow’ and construction methods should not be obvious.
Over the years I have fired every sort of kiln and dallied with glazes, spending untold hours testing and rejecting, but since I now work in a small space I find simple black and white glazes and slips are less distracting and best enhance my forms.
I am not influenced by any particular thing – rather, I am interested in everything; always looking for quality and workmanship. I love all aspects of the design world from architecture to textiles. Museums, galleries and exhibitions are my addiction, with photography and the natural world a constant inspiration”
Further works by the artist
Installation of 15 flowers £11'700
Or you can create your own group £780 per bloom
Each unique
Heights 32cm to 56cm, please see below for dimensions for each piece
Heights
1) 40cm, 2) 35.5cm, 3) 35cm, 4) 45.5cm, 5) 48cm, 6) 54cm, 7) 32.5cm, 8) 56cm, 9) 32cm, 10) 41cm, 11) 41.5cm, 12) 49cm, 13) 40cm, 14) 32.5cm, 15) 48.5cm
In her own words;
“As a professional potter I have been producing thrown porcelains for over fifty years and so logic would dictate that I have ‘seen it all, done it all’ by now, but on the contrary I still continue to be challenged and interested. The technical frustrations and the uncertainty of results all seem worthwhile when one opens a successful kiln firing. The heart leaps!
I have never been afraid to push my materials to the limit, to accept failures and to follow trails, but I am always excited when basic techniques and familiar methods result in something new. My primary interest is in form and in finding solutions for what I call ‘damp engineering’. The comparatively non-plastic nature of porcelain dictates my having to join sections together, but a form must ‘flow’ and construction methods should not be obvious.
Over the years I have fired every sort of kiln and dallied with glazes, spending untold hours testing and rejecting, but since I now work in a small space I find simple black and white glazes and slips are less distracting and best enhance my forms.
I am not influenced by any particular thing – rather, I am interested in everything; always looking for quality and workmanship. I love all aspects of the design world from architecture to textiles. Museums, galleries and exhibitions are my addiction, with photography and the natural world a constant inspiration”
Further works by the artist
Installation of 15 flowers £11'700
Or you can create your own group £780 per bloom
Each unique
Heights 32cm to 56cm, please see below for dimensions for each piece
Heights
1) 40cm, 2) 35.5cm, 3) 35cm, 4) 45.5cm, 5) 48cm, 6) 54cm, 7) 32.5cm, 8) 56cm, 9) 32cm, 10) 41cm, 11) 41.5cm, 12) 49cm, 13) 40cm, 14) 32.5cm, 15) 48.5cm