Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
+4
skipposal
Potty
DIANE
dantheman
8 posters
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Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
https://www.geoffrey-swindell-ceramics.com/
Via his website:
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, I left school in 1960 aged 15 and went to Art College to gain enough experience to make an application for an an apprenticeship face painter of Doulton figurines. I loved the 1950s Beatnik/Bohemian Art School life style and continued to study painting until a summer job at Alton Towers theme park pottery made me want to carry on where my ancestors left off and become a potter. By 1970 I'd achieved an M.A. at the Royal College of Art and worked in York School of Art as a Lecturer until 1975, when I became a lecturer at Cardiff College of Art (now Cardiff Metropolitan University) In 2003 I left to concentrate 'full-time' on my work in porcelain.
Some people say my ceramics are like washed up sea creatures, some still alive, some remnants turning slowly to dust. Others see unidentifed objects from a far away galaxy, not sure whether they are organic or constructed, friendly or malevolent. My first experience as an artist was as a painter learning to paint classic illustrative images and then moving on to canvases that were purely abstract expressions of emotion through colour and texture. When I became a potter I carried this involvement with surface qualities through to my ceramics. Creating objects that are not just simply coated in glaze, but have an essential and inseparable relationship of form and surface. For over fifty years I have been compelled to make these curious forms. Usually they are vases but sometimes they don't have a name. Their creation has given me joy, despair, friends, money and backache. My work has been included in many international exhibitions and publications with Solo shows in London and New York. Examples are held in over forty-five museums and public collections throughout the world including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
I make all the parts of the pieces on the potters wheel creating a thick section to be trimmed and thinned with sharp steel tools once leather hard. Some pieces are textured by tapping the surface with a multi-pointed wire brush, ball-ended tools and various sticks. The fine characterless texture and whiteness of the porcelain gives a good bright ground to enhance the colour rather like a pure white canvas. I use an air brush to spray the surface of the forms with colour allowing me to build up overlapping layers of slip, glaze and oxides.
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'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
my first piece of Swindell stoneware but definitely not my last,Geoffrey captures nature in a way that most potters could only dream of.
Last edited by dantheman on July 27th 2012, 10:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
and his https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc4o_kG1lv0inspiration
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
spinny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3eAvh4S-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3eAvh4S-Y
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
GEOFFREY SWINDELL
Geoffrey Swindell was born in Stoke on Trent and followed a line of many family members who worked in the pottery industry. He studied at the Royal College of Art in Stoke On Trent where he was taught by Hans Coper. In 1975 Swindell moved to Wales and was a lecturer at the Cardiff College of Art until 2003. His small scale ceramic forms require the fine texture and whiteness of porcelain while using a wide range of glazes to achieve textured, smooth and lustre finishes.
These are three pots in my collection. One has an S, one is unsigned and the other just has his pale green glazed bottom.
DIANE- Number of posts : 161
Registration date : 2011-04-21
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
Yes I agree his pots are so different, I love the small pieces, as requested here is the first of mine as a separate photo
DIANE- Number of posts : 161
Registration date : 2011-04-21
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
The second of my pieces
DIANE- Number of posts : 161
Registration date : 2011-04-21
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
And the last, wish there were more, I love the simplicity of this tea bowl
DIANE- Number of posts : 161
Registration date : 2011-04-21
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
espresso cup & saucer
I understand that only 4 of these were ever made so quite a rarity
I understand that only 4 of these were ever made so quite a rarity
Last edited by dantheman on December 17th 2016, 4:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
Not the best picture ever, but that's how I display them and personally I think they look great in front of the more classic studio pottery of Andrew Crouch (the items at the back).
_________________
lozzy68 wrote:I Had A Feeling It Wasn't A gnome As Studio-Pots Said There Is No Hat On Him
NaomiM wrote:I'm watching other Willies, so maybe I'll get one at some point.
studio-pots wrote:I know my raku
Potty- Number of posts : 3583
Location : Midlands
Registration date : 2010-09-28
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
I have one tiny Swindell piece but as you have all said his work is amazing, so much to look at, mine has the distinction of coming with a hand made alder wood pencil. The seller said it was made for a show so not many around as he didn't do many shows - not sure how true that was but I like a nice story. Porcelain. 7.3cm (height). Not seen the mark before - any comments?
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
skipposal wrote:I have one tiny Swindell piece but as you have all said his work is amazing, so much to look at, mine has the distinction of coming with a hand made alder wood pencil. The seller said it was made for a show so not many around as he didn't do many shows - not sure how true that was but I like a nice story. Porcelain. 7.3cm (height). Not seen the mark before - any comments?
As I understand it, this will have been indeed made for shows, such as "Art in Clay". He makes these as affordable pieces for people who like his work but don't wish to spend as much as his more expensive items cost. He does the same with the little glaze test vases that are also unsigned and have the spiral on the base. I believe they are only available from the fair's, so would not be for sale in a gallery or privately.
I think the 2 stars are his for his own reference, I think relating to the glaze used, but I'm not 100% sure about this.
Hope this helps
P.S. I can highly recommend meeting the potter himself, he is a very nice and down to earth chap.
Last edited by Potty on March 23rd 2013, 11:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
lozzy68 wrote:I Had A Feeling It Wasn't A gnome As Studio-Pots Said There Is No Hat On Him
NaomiM wrote:I'm watching other Willies, so maybe I'll get one at some point.
studio-pots wrote:I know my raku
Potty- Number of posts : 3583
Location : Midlands
Registration date : 2010-09-28
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
This has everything I look for in a pot
Here is a close up picture of the glaze, pictures just can't capture how nice the texture is.
Here is a close up picture of the glaze, pictures just can't capture how nice the texture is.
_________________
lozzy68 wrote:I Had A Feeling It Wasn't A gnome As Studio-Pots Said There Is No Hat On Him
NaomiM wrote:I'm watching other Willies, so maybe I'll get one at some point.
studio-pots wrote:I know my raku
Potty- Number of posts : 3583
Location : Midlands
Registration date : 2010-09-28
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
http://vimeo.com/29201261#
Earthen Video, includes the bit that seems to have been removed from youtube and some extra bits.
Earthen Video, includes the bit that seems to have been removed from youtube and some extra bits.
_________________
lozzy68 wrote:I Had A Feeling It Wasn't A gnome As Studio-Pots Said There Is No Hat On Him
NaomiM wrote:I'm watching other Willies, so maybe I'll get one at some point.
studio-pots wrote:I know my raku
Potty- Number of posts : 3583
Location : Midlands
Registration date : 2010-09-28
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
http://issuu.com/oxfordceramics/docs/geoffswindellcat?mode=window
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
philpot- Number of posts : 6734
Location : cambridge
Registration date : 2010-11-06
philpot- Number of posts : 6734
Location : cambridge
Registration date : 2010-11-06
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
Geoffrey Swindell's mark.
philpot- Number of posts : 6734
Location : cambridge
Registration date : 2010-11-06
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
recent work shown at art in clay
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
Teapot:
(my pictures don't do it much justice!)
(my pictures don't do it much justice!)
_________________
lozzy68 wrote:I Had A Feeling It Wasn't A gnome As Studio-Pots Said There Is No Hat On Him
NaomiM wrote:I'm watching other Willies, so maybe I'll get one at some point.
studio-pots wrote:I know my raku
Potty- Number of posts : 3583
Location : Midlands
Registration date : 2010-09-28
Re: Geoffrey Swindell (Powys, Wales)
_________________
'Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas day.'
dantheman- Consultant
- Number of posts : 15397
Location : Lincolnshire ( the veg patch of England)
Registration date : 2008-02-03
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