Recently selected for the Young Master's Art Prize, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, the ceramic works of Stephannie Cartwright occupy a space somewhere between the external world of form and object with the psychological realm of imagined worlds.
Cartwright's work draws reference from the rich traditions of ceramics. At times, she quotes directly, by casting ornamental objects, that are then incorporated into her fantasy landscapes. 'Found' objects and 'lo fi' materials are used to punctuate the painterly surfaces of her porcelain forms.
"Her works are playful yet sensuous, robust yet precious, decorative yet conceptually driven."
Biography
Stephannie Cartwright is a Scottish born, South London based artist. Her magical ceramic worlds and vessel forms are best known for their intricate and painterly surfaces.
A graduate of the RCA in the late 90's she cites the influence and hedonism of rave culture, alongside extensive travel throughout South East Asia and more recently in depth holotrpic 'dream work' as ongoing stimuli in her making process.
Stephannie began her ceramic career assisting Kate Malone and she sites this experience as 'opening a portal of possibilities through the study of ceramics'. After graduating from the RCA Stephannie worked as part of the original team at 'Vessel', Notting Hill, alongside continuing her practice sharing a studio with Rachel Kneebone.
Stephannie was visiting ceramics lecturer at St. Martins in the early 2000's.
Stephannie moved to Sydney where she shared a studio with both Merran Esson and and fellow Dundonian Stephen Bird.
After returning to the UK in 2010 Stephannie has been an educator and trainer of ceramics in the independent sector.
Process
We can categorise Cartwright's work into three distinct strands, although interchangeable the techniques used tend to cross fertilise within these categories.
Hand coiled terracotta vessels take weeks to build allowing Stephannie time to contemplate the surfaces. Her use of layering, dripping, incising and peeling, reveal a painterly visual vocabulary of coloured porcelain slips and stains.
'Evocative surfaces hint at previously experienced, yet nearly forgotten, trips into subconscious imaginations.'
Porcelain sculptures straddle the nowherelands between the duality of growth and decay by trapping discarded ceramic shards and pigments; enveloping thickened daubs of porcelain layers to create plinth like structures where mushroom styled fauna pierce the surface.
‘I make ceramic work that enables the viewer to feel a sense of escapism, I shape my internalised imagination into clay.’
