SARA MOORHOUSE

ABOUT

The development of my work into ceramics, colour and spatial perception began with a Masters degree at Cardiff in 2003. The work explores the ways in which spaces within landscape appear altered depending on the ever-changing colours of season, weather, time and farming. The bowls act as a canvas for paintings that distil specific landscape scenes, perceptibly altering the size, depth and shape of the form by the applied colour. The forms can be made to seem wider or narrower, deeper or shallower, heavier or lighter, or they may appear to undulate, bend, move or hover by the juxtaposition of finer lines. I tested out ideas on the three-dimensional conical form.

I found that colours behave differently when viewed across three-dimensional space than on a two-dimensional surface, particularly on the inner bowl form where illusions can appear much stronger. The illusory spatial colour phenomena were then used on forms to suggest specific landscape scenes. The research has enabled me to develop a vocabulary of spatial colour knowledge specific to the three-dimensional bowl form, in which I have learnt to manipulate and articulate three-dimensional space to a much greater effect. I am now integrating the findings from my PhD with colourways and arrangements from my previous practice.

Sara Moorhouse’s work explores the ways in which spaces within landscape appear altered depending on the ever-changing colours of season, weather, time and farming. The bowls act as a canvas for paintings that distil specific landscape scenes, perceptibly altering the size, depth and shape of the form by the applied colour.

The pieces are handthrown and turned, the movement of the wheel often reflected in the slight asymmetry of the form. The lines are applied by returning the bisque fired bowl to the wheel and painted with ceramic colour by hand. A matt glaze is then applied to stabilise and enhance the coloured surface.

The forms can be made to seem wider or narrower, deeper or shallower, heavier or lighter, or they may appear to undulate, bend, move or hover by the juxtaposition of finer lines. The viewing of both inner and outer surfaces together enables her to exploit colour connections and visual play from one side to another, emphasising or flattening the dimensionality of the form.

Sara Moorhouse was born in Sheffield in 1974. Growing up in Nottinghamshire, her work is influenced by the bright yellow of the Rape Seed fields. After training at West Nottinghamshire College of Further Education, she studied illustration at the University of Wolverhampton. Following a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in Art and Design Education at Exeter University, Sara taught and lectured. She then studied for a Masters in Ceramics at the University of Wales in Cardiff before being asked to study further for a PhD.

Sara’s work has been exhibited worldwide and is in public and private collections. She is widely published and has received numerous national and international prizes and awards. She is a member of the Fireworks Clay Studios Collective in Cardiff where she currently lives.