Suggestion and Statement, an exhibition of ceramics by Simon Carroll, opens on 17 February in the Collins Gallery in Glasgow with a guided tour by the maker.

A graduate of the University of the West of England, and based in Cornwall, Simon became involved with students at the Royal National College for the Blind.  The experience of working with students who enjoyed making through pure pleasure and touching clay, and not the aesthetic value, led him to re-consider his ideas.

He became interested in the qualities of English slipware, exploring ways of using the material that was more intuitive than planned. It confirmed his desire to work with red earthenware, and the possibilities of a diverse range of surface decoration based on a limited range of materials. Unlike making methods such as reduction-fired stoneware, red earthenware with slip decoration was a technique indigenous to Britain, rather than one imported from the East.

His vessels break all the conventions of the highly finished form and push the boundaries of ceramic practice.  Uniquely expressive, his pots deconstruct the history of ceramics, particularly Staffordshire slipware. He draws inspiration from an eclectic range of sources including Elizabethan ruffles, sombreros, Cornish wind-farms, Henri Matisse and his own experience of working on the land.

His work has been collected by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Crafts Council and the University of Wales in Aberystwyth.

The exhibition is supported by a 32-page illustrated publication with an essay by Emmanuel Cooper, priced £8.95.

Members of the public, artists and craftspeople are invited to join Simon Carroll for an informative tour of his exhibition, with plenty of time for discussion and questions over a buffet lunch on Saturday 17 February 2007 between 12 noon and 2.30pm.  Cost: £10.00/£8.00 concession including buffet lunch and catalogue (rrp £8.95).  Simon will describe the development of his practice, in which drawings, paintings, prints and large-scale, raked beach drawings play an integral role.  To book return the booking form with payment to the Collins Gallery by Monday 12 February 2007.

The exhibition Suggestion and Statement is on at the Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde, 22 Richmond Street, Glasgow Tel: 0141 553 4145 e-mail: collinsgallery@strath.ac.uk from 17 February to 24 March 2007.  Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and Saturday 12 noon to 4pm.

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