The Beauty of Imperfection My best works are made when I am in a particular state of mind; relaxed and calm, thoughtful but not too forcefully engaged. When I achieve this state, the work flows almost automatically, like I’m not really in control but an observer of what is being born from my efforts. I am overseeing the process but not forcing the result. I like to identify the incidental and pursue the results that have a simple aesthetic, not too refined but not overtly austere, carefully avoiding the process of the unnecessary, leaving only the essential. My work is the antithesis of the mass produced and immaculately mastered, and as such seeks to avoid perfection. As humans we need to readily accept and embrace the imperfections of our own existence, imperfections that define us as individuals and give us the very character of ‘human-ness’. This is where my interest lies, with the beauty of imperfection, a beauty that can be born from ageing, from natural decay, from surfaces that have become patinated with wear, weathered or uniquely deformed. I like objects that possess a modest but profoundly confident presence, objects that require a calmness and degree of thoughtfulness from their observer so that the nuances and subtleties of their existence can truly be absorbed and appreciated. When my work elicits such responses from that observer then I have succeeded in my ambition of producing work that emanates a state of wabi-sabi.
Margaret Curtis
Front cover: Detail of Shino Vase Page 2: Shino Vase, Height 25cm Diameter 13.5cm Page 4: Shino Cylinder, Height 11cm Diameter 11cm Page 5: Shino Bowl, Height 12cm Length 24cm Width 22cm All photography Eddie Curtis except back cover Ben Boswell
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