Big Red Moon

Ceramics  • Rob Stephens • Antoinette Slaven

Gallery

About my work

For the past few years I've been making sculptures based on the vitruvian scroll.
They are suggestive of human and animal forms (at least that's the intention), and
the idea is to portray a varied range of expression and movement using this one simple
device. Fair enough, I do cheat a little sometimes by adding a few extra twiddly bits,
but they're my rules, and I bend them as I see fit. What I enjoy most (apart from seeing
a successful piece come out of the kiln) is to produce some pleasing curves from what
are basic slabs of clay.

Now for a bit of technical stuff for those who are interested. Currently, I use a mix of
red and buff clays to which is added quite a large amount of silver sand. This gives me
a material which, once rolled out, can be formed fairly quickly and has a stone like
surface when scraped. Pieces are usually finished with an application of iron oxide
before firing in an electric kiln to 1200°c or, post firing, are coated with an iron powder
paint of my own making, which, once exposed to the damp open air, rusts very nicely.
This can be quite a slow process, but as I often only have a day or two between kiln
emptying and exhibition set up, I've become quite an expert at speed rusting.

Some previous exhibitions

• 'Clay on Our Hands', Guildhall Gallery, Winchester: 6th - 26th April 2001
• 'All Fired Up', Fisherton Mill, Salisbury: 6th October - 10th November 2001
•  Bettles Gallery, Ringwood: 28th April - 18th May 2002
•  Highcliffe Castle, Highcliffe: 12th June - 9th July 2002
• 'Form and Fable', The Old Bakehouse, Fishbourne: 27th April - 25th May 2003
• 'Artspace 2005', Barn Galleries, Henley on Thames: 15th May - 5th June 2005
• 'Art for the Garden and Conservatory', Rivers Gallery, Nailsworth: Summer 2005
• 'Gallery in the Garden', Bevere Gallery,Worcester: June 4th - September 11th 2011