Susan West
Email: susan.west99@gmail.com
Web Site: http://susanwest.me.uk
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I have a continuous need to investigate and
experiment which drives my passion for ceramics. I see my work as an
exploration beyond traditional shapes in the direction of contemporary art and
the interplay of controlling a process or letting serendipity determine the
results. My degree in chemistry informs the controlling part of glazing and
surface treatment while the kiln and firing atmosphere provides chaotic more
natural surfaces. The later reflects my interested in surface texture and
colour of natural aged, decayed and weathered surfaces. Along a similar line, I find natural shapes
that are not entirely regular more interesting.
Ceramic Inspirations: Barry Stedman, Craig
Underhill, Robin Welch and Nicholas Marsh
My paintings and digital prints explore the
space between, perhaps overly reproduced, public sculptures and monuments and
their surroundings. I am concerned with the shapes objects make in relation to
one another so familiar objects might end up in the peripheral rather than
central as per the conventional norm. Semi-abstract in nature, my work again
demonstrates my passion for textural exploration. The lines in my digitally
abstracted photographs are recreating the single continuous lines my drawing
teacher exhorted us to use, and I often include textures or images from the
surrounding area to give more of an atmosphere.
Painting Inspirations: John Piper, Frank Auerbach,
Ivon Hitchens, David Tress and Jackson Pollock.
EXHIBITIONS (for those underlined the work
was selected by an independent panel of judges)
May2018:
rope
sculpture in Artspace’s exhibition ‘Into the Outwoods’, Outwoods
April-June:
ceramics
in Artspace’s ‘Layers and Edges’, Charnwood Museum, Loughborough
June
2017: Odyssey to Stamford, Stamford
November
2017: LSA annual exhibition, New Walk Gallery, Leicester
May-August
2016: Artspace’s
‘Reflection, Charnwood Museum, Loughborough
November
2016: LSA annual exhibition, New Walk Gallery, Leicester
May
2015: Artspace’s Beyond Words, Sock Gallery, Loughborough
May
2015: Rutland Open, Oakham
May
2015: Artspace at The Curve, Leicester
July-Sept
2013:
Artspace’s ‘Down to Earth’, Charnwood Museum, Loughborough
May-June
2012: Artspace’s ‘Gold’, Sock Gallery, Loughborough Town Hall
April
2012: Artspace’s ‘Metamorphosis’, The Wall, New Walk Gallery,
Leicester
December 2011: Open 23 at the New Walk
Gallery,
December 2011: Derby Open
April-June 2011: Artspace’s ‘Birdsong’,
November 2010: Open 22 at the New Walk
Gallery, Leicester
October 2010: Artspace’s ‘On the Edge’,
the Mark Parker Gallery, Shepshed
September 2010: London Lives finalist, Bankside Gallery, London http://www.guardian.co.uk/london-lives/shortlist
Several dates 2010: Nottingham Society of
Artists exhibitions.
May 2010: Artspace’s ‘Passions
and Influences’, Nottingham Society of Artists
September 2009: Artspace’s ‘Passions
and Influences’,
March 2009: ‘Make Space for
Artspace’ at Nottingham Society of Artists
December 2008: Derby Open
December 2008: Catmose Open
June 2008: ‘Artspace the Bigger
Picture’, Charnwood Museum, Loughborough.
Easter 2008: ‘Artspace in
Miniature’,
October 2007: Nottingham Open, Angel Row Gallery
October 2007: Artspace’s ‘New
Horizons’, James France building,
Easter 2007: Artspace’s ‘2 by 2’,
December 2006: Artspace’s exhibition
at the City Gallery Leicester
November 2006: Postcard exhibition at
the Surface Gallery, Nottingham
November 2006: Leicester City
Gallery Open
October 2006: Nottingham Castle Open in which I won the Berryman prize.
July 2006: Artspace’s ‘On
Reflection’, Generator gallery,
December 2005: Artspace’s exhibition
at the City Gallery Leicester.
December 2005: Nottingham Castle
Open
October 2005: Artspace’s exhibition in
Autumn 2005: ‘Hidden
Treasures’, the Depot Leicester, & Hinkley Library.
September 2005: ‘Artspace at the Mill’ in Ashby
Spring 2005: Artspace’s ‘Open Space’, the
February 2005: ‘Feral’ at the Picture House, Leicester
Christmas 2004: Leicester City
Gallery’s sixteenth open
August 2004: Ticknall (Derbyshire)
annual exhibition.
July 2004: Artspace’s ‘I Spy’,
Generator Gallery,
Christmas 2003: Leicester City
Gallery’s fifteenth open
August 2003: Ticknall (Derbyshire)
annual exhibition
August 2001: Ticknall (Derbyshire)
annual exhibition
(Artspace is a group of
mainly graduate artists who live in the Loughborough area.)
EDUCATION
1985 PhD Photographic Science, Polytechnic
of Central London
1979 BA(hons) Chemistry,
Somerville College, Oxford University