Wild Things – Gillian McMillan — Rara Avis https://www.gillianmcmillan.com Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:48:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Wild Things https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/blog/2023/10/30/wild-things/ https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/blog/2023/10/30/wild-things/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:43:58 +0000 https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/?p=15100

Saturday October 14th was spent in Central London. I’d had an idea of contacting Lisa Hammond and trundling out to Greenwich to meet her, but decided instead to go to the Gallery of Contemporary Ceramics on Great Russel Street (as I always do when in London). I was sure to see the very best of many different kinds of ceramic work, including some of Lisa’s.

My hosts Mel and Molly chose to come along with me and were such enthusiastic company. The featured artists just now are Jill Fanshawe Kato and Susan O’Byrne in a two-person exhibition titled ‘Wild Things’.

Jill Fanshawe Kato vases

https://www.contemporaryceramics.uk/exhibitions/wild-things/  

With my fascination with all things birdlike I enjoyed the work of both these artists. Jill’s pots and plates are all nature-inspired, probably because she lives amongst forests and ‘wild’erness in Devon. Susan’s creatures reflect her initial training in textiles. The surfaces are achieved with printed porcelain paper clay. Amazing! They resemble mosaics. 

Here are photos of the pieces that we liked most. For information on the artists’ training, experience and influences I think it better to click on the gallery’s link above than for me to try to condense their stories here.

Goat Susan O'Byrne
Jugs Jill Fanshawe Kato
Goat skin Susan OB
Shrimp Plate & Shrimp Kozara Jill FK
Boar Susan OB
Boar close-up Susan OB
Peacock vase Jill FK
Jill FK vases & Susan's goat
Jill FK Bird

Jill’s pieces are made with a coarse, groggy clay and may all have been hand-built. Her whimsical designs have been applied with slips, using stencils and sgraffito. Unglazed areas give the work a comfortable, natural feeling. 

There are fewer of Susan’s animals and that is clearly because each one must have taken many hours to complete. One could study those surfaces, appreciating the many historical references, for ages. 

I am pleased to have visited Contemporary Ceramics while the work of these two artists is featured. The show will be in the gallery space until November 4th.

We then studied all the other shelves throughout the gallery, and I was unable to resist taking photos of the work that appeals to me. I think those warrant another blog.

My great-niece Molly admiring Susan O'Byrne's Hare
Hoopoe Birds Susan OB
]]> https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/blog/2023/10/30/wild-things/feed/ 3