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Ashley
Howard
Porcelain & Stoneware
Ashley
Howard now produces thrown porcelain that follows two distinct directions:
his one-off pieces, plus a range of tableware that includes teapots,
caddies and beakers, with other items planned.
The theme demonstrated by his tableware acknowledges debts to the
Far Eastern elements of his earlier education. Where it surprises
those familiar with his pre-RCA work is in its geometry. In a deliberate
attempt to find a firmer cultural location in the West he looked
at the work of the Bauhaus as well as at examples of Scandinavian
and English industrial wares
Howard’s larger, more weighty vessels derive from his longstanding
interest in reverence and ceremony.
Those familiar with his earlier work will recognise the direct and
vigorous treatment of the wet clay, to which have been added subtle
rhythms and a fresh fluidity. This body of work is chiefly informed
by fonts and the spaces they occupy. Specifically, fonts are the
focus for a group of people during ceremonial occasions. Music plays
a part in such occasions, as does the architecture of the environment
in which these pieces are set. Further themes explored in this work
are personal reflection and transience.
Common to both strands of Howard’s recent work is his use of
enamels. He feels that applied enamels are not always appropriate
for certain forms, but for others he devises designs using a range
of techniques from brushing to collage. Ideas for colour and placement
have been inspired by artists including Rothko and Matisse, and
composers including Glass, Martynov and Adams.
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