Leon Patchett has developed a diverse practice in both ceramic and sculptural work. Concepts of art and craft are often blurred as, taking a pragmatic approach, Leon uses whatever is necessary, or available, to realise an idea. “The sculptural work and ceramics develop side by side,” says Leon. “It is the norm to work on them simultaneously to satisfy a necessary part of my creative sensibility, each discipline can inform the other, but concepts are always based on an understanding of materials strengths & weaknesses.”
Clay is where he found his creative confidence and discovered an instinctive ability to use the material. In this series of Smoke Fired Ceramics he makes one-off decorative forms in which he exploits the simple medium of white earthenware clay to make uncomplicated shapes that will showcase the dramatic effects of the finishing process.
The clay form is pressed, scrapped, and pulled into life with a painstaking precision, to then be exposed to a lightning process where the forms are packed in paper and set on fire allowing the wind to orchestrate how the combined effect of the flame and smoke infuse into the surface of the vessel.
Foyer Craft Gallery
Until 19 June 2021
