Matthew Blakely
19 May to 21 June 2008
Born in the UK, Blakely emigrated to Australia in 1988, where he studied at the National Art School in Sydney, winning the State Medal in 1993. He set up a workshop making tableware and handmade tiles in Sydney and in 1997 built a workshop and gallery on the north coast of New South Wales. He returned to the UK in 2002 and set up a new workshop in Cambridgeshire.
The energy and movement of the throwing process along with the softness and plasticity of the clay is captured in the final pieces. He creates undulating rims and puts throwing rings into the forms, bringing a finely-balanced tension to the work.
Matthew uses porcelain for its smoothness, whiteness and translucency, its fired strength, and for the quality that it gives to the glazes. His work explores the interaction between precisely thrown forms and the unpredictable nature of the glazes during the firing process. Having developed a range of clean, fresh glazes that complement the porcelain, their thick application gives richness and depth, often resulting in the glazes dripping, pooling on ridges, creating glassy rivulets, emphasizing the fluidity and softness of the forms. The pots appear as if extracted from a moment in time - captured and frozen.