Earlier this year Vancouver sculptor Debra Sloan was an artist-in-residence at the Leach Pottery in St. Ives. Debra has taught pottery and sculpture for many years and can certainly make pots on the wheel, but she did not make Leach-inspired pots while she was in Cornwall. It turns out that Bernard Leach did in fact make clay sculpture as well as his writings, wheel-throwing and drawing. He made whimsical roof tiles for several buildings in St. Ives which feature horses! So Debra chose to take his horses as inspiration for her work during her residency and she made some marvellous horses of her own during that time. I know that the Leach Pottery will cherish her depiction of Leach, Hamada and others astride horses!

Since then she has allowed herself to pursue her childhood passion for horses and it is the theme for her current show at the Gallery of BC Ceramics. She writes that she drew horses constantly when she was a girl, but wasn’t interested in riding! The horses she is showing are recognizably Sloan, with babies with spiky wire hair riding some horses, but there are no dogs, her other favourite animal to sculpt. One or two pieces could function as vases but generally the work is meant only to be looked at, with an understanding smile.

My photos are of just some of the pieces that grabbed me when I was at the Opening last Thursday evening, but I recommend that whether or not you make clay sculpture you see this show. You’ll be inspired to see how she deals with the problem of stability of forms with four legs, and how to consider the surface of the completed horse. She uses a variety of clays and firings, showing her experience in teaching and making sculpture. Plus the work is fun!

The show  DEBRA SLOAN   HORSING AROUND – IN THE YEAR OF THE HORSE  will be up until November 2nd at the Gallery of BC Ceramics.

DS  “The horse is redolent of things past, facilitating human life for millennia. With the advent of the motor that intimate relationship has been lost.”