Brooke Kirsch-Pinfold

CERAMICS

'A house that has been experienced is not an inert box. Inhabited space transcends geometrical space.'

Gaston Bachelard

As a ceramic artist, my attention is drawn to the balance within elements of human existence and the natural world, and how they can come together in a harmonious whole. I observe the natural cycles of the world and find influence in the interaction between organic land such as the Yorkshire hills I grew up around, and the man-made design of architectural spaces that exists within them.

Pulling inspiration from the Modernist, Bauhaus, and Arts and Craft movements and artists such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Barbara Hepworth, and William Morris, I use the ideas behind architectural forms and ethos to create my own miniature versions of homescapes through my vessels, creating a sense and feeling of the 'home' through geometric design based on the ergonomics of the hand and body.

The home is a space that I feel has great importance to the human psyche, through being a place of shelter and sanctuary to protect our most basic needs as human beings, as well as being a place that holds our memories, however intimate or small, of gatherings with friends and family, of times of teaching and learning, and of relaxation. My ceramic work aims to aid the home space by adding ease and enjoyment to the everyday objects that we use.

Using a combination of throwing and slabbuilding techniques, I make functional homeware crafted to ensure a balance of form and function. Functional objects captivate me, I love the idea of an object made by the hands of another that can be used in my own life. And so this is a value that I find important to bring to my own work.

I typically fire my work in a reduction atmosphere using a gas kiln and use Wood Ash and Shino glazes. The combination of this atmosphere and these types of glazes is what allows me to achieve a complex and varied surface texture along with deep and rich colours. I find that I gravitate towards this as the natural appearance contrasts with my geometric forms to create a mirror of the natural and man-made world.

My aim in the work that I make is to mirror the intimacy and belonging that a home brings to us as humans. The small corners of rooms containing our favorite things, the food we keep in our cupboards, the secrets kept behind doors. The handles of my cups have a sense of belonging to the hand, and my lidded containers hiding the unknown inside.

I continue to find inspiration in the world day after day, from other artists, as well as through life experiences. However, I believe that I will always be captivated by the complexities of geometry and the way it interacts with the world around us. Through my ceramics, I will always seek to explore this relationship, and I invite you along to contemplate the beauty and balance of the world around us.

CONTACT ME E-mail

Brooke.kp@hotmail.co.uk

Instagram

instagram.com/bkpceramics/