I hand-build solitary or grouped sculptural objects and vessels, from porcelain and stoneware clays, which act as metaphors for emotional and physical states as well as inter-personal relationships.
I am fascinated by antiques and collectibles, discarded and found items with a patina of age and wear. The worn, scarred or damaged surfaces of such objects bear testament to their use and give rise to imagined histories. A personal inclination to acquire and display series of objects is reflected in my work and has encouraged an interest in the concept of ‘collecting' - relationships that exist between individual elements of a collection - and in what we deem ‘valuable'.
Frequently inspired by ‘beach-combings' from the shoreline near my studio, fine art, poetry, fiction, fairy tales, nursery rhymes and song lyrics are also rich veins from which I draw ideas. Ceramic and found materials are often combined to add visual and tactile interest. Individual ceramic elements are carefully positioned to emphasise the implied narrative in each grouping.
The apparent fragility of the objects I make - often in the process of disintegration - reflect a heightened awareness of the cycle of life, the passage of time and human mortality.
Image credits (from left): ‘Grey Cup' (Alison Swan), ‘Something Borrowed' (Alison Swan), ‘The Rivals' (Alison Swan)
Alison Swan Ceramics
Ceramics
Old Reed Bed Studios, The Street, Lower Halstow, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7DY
T: 07808 296439
Contact: Alison Swan
info@alisonswan.com