Vicki Bailey - Ceramic Sculptures

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My work consists of              wall-hanging pieces or small free-standing sculptures.  Some are stylised birds, but otherwise they are not usually directly representational, although they contain references to landscapes and also to geometric shapes, including pyramids and cubes.

Some recent wall pieces explore ideas about the framing of images, combined with a hint of Indian step wells.

A common aspect of all pieces is an interest in surface texture, and exploring contrasts between inside and outside, and strength and fragility.  Many of my pieces involve rolling clay very thin and then pleating it, which adds structural strength, and partially unfolding and stretching it.

Many pieces are low-fired earthenware, partly burnished and smoke-fired – either in a quick low temperature smoke-only process, or in a hotter wood-fired pit with random flashing from added copper, iron, salt etc.  Others are fired to stoneware temperatures so that they can be used out of doors.  Glazes are used sparingly if at all – many of the pieces rely only on burnished slips and the effects of the pit firing.  In some recent pieces I have coloured the clay body from the start rather than adding colour on the surface afterwards.