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Peter Hayes Ceramics
I have always been interested in - why and how 'things' are made of clay. One of the major introductions I had to ceramics was digging Neolithic iron age and roman samien shards on archaeological digs somewhere in Wales while trying to survive as an art student in Birmingham. I am naturally drawn to shapes of artefacts and objects from other cultures and other times, but that remain timeless.
Erosion and change through time and nature are recorded in a piece. My main aim in my work is not to compete with nature; but for the work to evolve within the environment. The minerals, like iron and copper, that I introduce into the 'Raku' ceramic surface have their own affect on the clay during the time they are submerged in the river or the sea. This erosion process continues with sanding so that the texture and cracks do not interrupt the surface but become an organic, integral part of the patina. Each individual piece takes on its own developing surface; its own history and its own aesthetic. I am merely the maker.
Landscapes, textures and beachcombing all play their part in the evolution of my work. I try to achieve opposites of rough and smooth by building up layers of textured clay combined with burnishing and polishing of surfaces.
In practice I go by the seat of my pants. I have always worked this way, not going by any particular rules or methods. For instance, I like doing raku firing with completely the 'wrong' clay, which I know will crack or explode in the kiln (especially when wet). But when all the pieces are stuck together and the surfaces are ground down it gives me a piece, a found object, with a pleasingly bruised and battered surface which has been carefully and lovingly honed down.
I find it joyful to work with many different clays, from bone china to crank. Each has its own character, its own limits, its own tolerance. Some clays fight back, some play the game. I think it is the clay that is in charge and it will only let you make what it wants. It is my job to push it to its limits and somehow an equilibrium is made between maker and material.
Peter Hayes Ceramics is based in Bath. Visitors to the studio are welcome. It is recommended that an appointment is made before making a special journey.
Studio: 2 Cleveland Bridge, Bath, BA1 5DH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1225 466215
Fax: +44 (0)1225 466215
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