GALLERY

JOANNA LUCKSTED

‘The pieces I have been producing lately have their origins in a figurative chess set that I designed and made in porcelain a few years ago. This in turn was inspired by studies of memorial tomb sculptures in Wells Cathedral; these carved marble figures fascinated me, their features worn away by years of handling, wear and tear removing all but traces of the colour and decoration which had adorned them.

Pawns have become guardians or angels, and the curved and elegant Bishop has lent itself to becoming an archangel. I have continued to develop these figures, either by exploring different ways of presenting them on plinths, or by adjusting the use of oxides and lustres to highlight form and texture.

More recently I have become interested in classical mythology and depicting gods and goddesses, heroes and victims. I have also moved into using different clays and decorative finishes with this work.’

Angels and large heads are press-moulded in white earthenware clay to create the basic form. On removal from the moulds they are cleaned up and further sculpted to give them their individual features and 'personality'. They are stained using manganese oxide following bisque firing. Coloured slips, velvet underglazes and transparent glazes also provide decorative finishes. Once fired to 1120 degrees they are worked over with abrasive paper to smooth down and create a tactile surface. A third firing takes place to apply gold lustres or on-glaze enamel colour. Other pieces are handbuilt in stoneware, earthenware and porcelain, and I use paper stencils to decorate with coloured slips and engobes.