NEWS - Sarah Horlock Ceramics

SARAH HORLOCK CERAMICS
SARAH HORLOCK CERAMICS
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SPRING 2024
I took a few days away at the coast recently to take some time to read, walk, think and welcome in the new year creatively, including a lovely afternoon by the fire reading about fossils and their intentional deposition in Neolithic monuments and flint mines. I'm an avid collector of fossils, mostly found on coastal walks, but occasionally bought, like these Tisbury Star Stone fragments. I'm particularly drawn to the similarity of these coral fossils and the landscape survey drawings that record the lunar-like surface of infilled mine shafts at Grimes Graves. Hachure drawings are created by surveyors and archaeologists to record relief and earthworks, using linear marks and strokes to depict shape and slope; quite beautiful to look at and the Grimes Graves one is quite something. I love how the fronds of the coral preserved in the stone are like the vertical mines shafts reaching down into the chalk. I'm still pondering how these ideas will permeate into my ceramics over the coming months. My time at Lost Yard Studio has been limited so far this spring but I have started working on a large ceramic axe-like form to explore some of my Grimes Graves research on a ceramic surface.
WINTER 2023
Last spring I wrote an artist residency application for a project about Extraction and its environmental impacts. This proposed exploring the juxtaposition of the vastness of 'deep' and geological time and the sheer scale of the industrial extractive pits and quarry faces, with the tangible moments of human experience that archaeological excavation within such settings can allow. I was entranced by the preservation of fingerprints in the chalk slurry on antlers picks from the vast Neolithic flint mines at nearby Grimes Graves.  Excavations at the site also allow us to appreciate the reverence and ritual associated with early extraction, when compared to the vast, mechanised and commercial activity we see today. I proposed making a series of objects touched by the hand, redolent of stories and biographies, that represent some of these human moments preserved, then often destroyed at extractive sites. I didn't get the residency, but this was the start of slow, meandering creative research project. I've enjoyed reading, writing and thinking about Neolithic flint mining and the excavation of Grimes Graves over the last 6 months. I've also had the wonderful experience of handling much of the Grimes Graves artefacts archive at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge (more on that to come). At the start of Autumn I took up a space at Lost Yard Studio to explore my artistic archaeology projects, so it is no surprise that the first thing I made there was influenced by my residency application and Grimes Graves research. A ceramic axe inspired by the flint mines, imprinted with my fingers and marks of the hand, seemed like the perfect artefact to create. Rough on one side, polished on the other. Inspired by the wonderful layers of text and labels on the Grimes Graves flintwork, the surface has been inscribed with plan of the Neolithic mine galleries and overlain with my personal journey from home to the studio - a reminiscent route when the two are compared. This feels like a meaningful start to my time at Lost Yard.

AUTUMN 23
Early this Autumn I was invited to join 'Lost Yard Studio'; an art led shared ceramics space in Norwich. I've been happily moving in pots, sculptures, sketchbooks, tools and boxes of papers and pictures collated over the years. Gradually artefacts and archaeology books are finding a place too. So far I've mainly used it as a space to read, think and write, as much as play with clay, but that's coming! After 5 years of being a carer and making mostly functional work from my home studio, I'm loving the promise of time and space to explore new ideas and revisit old ones. Over the last year I've been feeling increasingly disconnected from my archaeological past, despite all my ceramics being inspired by it. The years of working in aerial photography in a largely plough-levelled county, where time and space are compressed into an all encompassing palimpsest view - remote and removed -  I've been missing the intimate connection of objects held in the hand and the physical experience of architecture and place.  So I've been revisiting some of the sculptural objects I made for the Broads Authority 'Between River and Reed' exhibition last year and continuing to follow some creative ideas about Grimes Grave Neolithic Flint mines - one of the few sites in Norfolk where prehistoric architecture can be engaged with physically - that came out of an artist residency application last spring. I'm excited by the prospect of bringing my archaeological and creatives sides together more meaningfully in such a beautiful communal space.
SUMMER23
This summer I've been carrying on with my explorations of archaeological surfaces and excavation. This has been partly playing with ideas and techniques and thinking about formation and excavation processes. Out of these experiments I am developing a collection of functional pottery, 'subSURFACE', that reflects these archaeological ideas. I love using water-etching techniques where water and pressure are used to erode away the softer surfaces, leaving only the harder edges of 'features'. Using wax resist and under stains allows the more ephemeral lines of these landscapes emerge from the glazed surface.
SPRING 2023
This winter and early spring has given us some wonderfully frosty and cold mornings; when the ground underfoot has been crisp and white, the vegetation jewelled with hoarfrost. I've loved noticing how this accentuates and plays with the surface of the earthworks within the woods on my morning walks. The tops of low banks marked out of darker lines, devoid of frost, against the white background of hoar covered leaf cover.  This spring I have played around with surface decoration on a flecked stoneware clay that fires to a lovely rich, toasty brown. Creating surfaces that mirror those earthworks; either water etched and eroded away or built up with platforms and banks of clay. The white glaze, speckled from the iron flecked clay, breaks beautifully along the edges of these surfaces; revealing the partially hidden landscape. Additions of copper oxide bleed through with splashes of green, hinting at the mosses and lichen.
WINTER 2022
On a train last week I was rereading 'The Beauty Things', the result of conversations between author Alan Garner and archaeologist Mark Edmonds about the stories and histories that objects gather over time. It got me thinking about the enigmatic Neolithic carved stone balls from Scotland; as wonderfully displayed at The Stonehenge Exhibition at The British Museum. Interpretations vary widely, from weapons to weights, from symbols of power to objects of divination, currency or gaming pieces, even 'ball bearings' for moving standing stones! What is clear is that these intricate carved balls would have taken considerable time and skill to create. They often have elaborate decoration reminiscent of contemporary tomb and ceremonial architecture, again marking them out as special objects with social significance and meaning. The suggestion that they may have been a memory ball, a map or story 'read' with the finger, particularly resonates with their materiality for me. I've been enjoying playing with ideas and making hollow, pinch pot spheres to decorate and raku fire. The recent re-excavation of the Arminghall Neolithic henge by the Sainsbury Institute for Japanese Studies, has also got me thinking about the Neolithic closer to home.  The cropmarks of the timber henge were first recognised by Wing Commander Gilbert Insall in 1929 - the same aerial archaeology pioneer who first discovered the larger Neolithic timber monument at Woodhenge in Wiltshire - and was excavated by Grahame Clark in 1935. Situated to the south of Norwich, the site formed part of complex landscape of prehistoric henges and ceremonial sites that cluster around the confluence of the Rivers Yare and Tas. The excavations have revealed intriguing evidence that the substantial timber posts within, and possibly predating the henge monument, being burnt in situ. I've been making some monoprinted clay sketches inspired by the 1930s excavation plans and a number of clay balls with water-etched site plans worked into their surface. I'm also working on a test piece for a larger raku bowl, which will eventually be a kintsugi repaired landscape; each section produced in different raku firings, the rivers forming the boundaries, which will form a sinuous golden line.

SUMMER 2022
Our 'Between River and Reed'' Exhibition for the 'Water, Mills and Marshes', Broads Authority project will be showing at Skippings Gallery, Great Yarmouth, 9th June -25th June 2022. A group show created by artists Liz Brandon-Jones, Louise Dougherty, Kazz Morohashi, Simon Nunn, and myself, and curated by Caroline Fisher, responding to people and place within the Broads landscape. A series of artist talks will be taking place 2-4pm on the 25th June to close down the exhibition. An edited selection of the exhibition will also be displayed The Asssembly House in Norwich, August 9th - 31st October 2022.
SPRING 2022
The development phase of my 'Fieldstories' project for the 'Between River and Reed' exhibition is well underway.  I've really enjoyed emersing myself in the agricultural landscape and community at Wickhampton over the past 6 months. I've been exploring traditions and practises that link the modern farming community with those from our ancient past, including rites and rituals associated with the land and crops, such as plough blessings, harvest festivals and corn dollies, and these ideas are maintained and reworked by this community. I've taken the opportunity to explore new ways of working with both clay and slip, creating fragile and layered surfaces through slipcasting and mono printing techniques. I've had the pleasure of working with some specially commissioned traditional strawwork and corn dollies made by the talented Janine of 'May Queen Crafts'.
SUMMER 2021
I'm thrilled to announce that I have been selected as one of five artists to work for a year on a Broads Authority project ‘Water, Mills and Marshes’.  We have been asked to engage with a particular community and landscape within the Broads project area and to develop and create a site-specific artwork for an exhibition, curated by Caroline Fisher, in summer 2022. Although my work will be led by field visits, conversations and research, I intend to explore the legacy of an area of ancient fieldsystems, overlain by moden farmland at Wickhampton bordering the Halvergate Marshes. The project was initiated with a wonderful walk on the marshes with the other artists, Lousie Dougherty, Kazz Morohashi, Liz Brandon-Jones and Simon Nunn, curator Caroline Fisher and project manager, Anna Collinbourne.
WINTER 2020
  
There's been much excitement this winter with my involvement in 'Make Holt'; a stunning new curated craft shop opening in historic Holt, North Norfolk.  Set up as a craft collective, curated and run by Aviva Leigh, who organises the popular Fresh Artisan Markets, and also a talented textile designed and weaver, the shop brings together the work of 40 artists, ceramicists, wood workers and crafts people from across Norfolk. Working alone in my studio can be quite isolating, especially with the added restrictions and market cancellations of the national 'lockdown', so it was a great pleasure to be working in a collective and helping to set up the shop. Once lockdown easing meant that the shop could finally open safely to the public, it was wonderful to be able to connect with customers and also do some Christmas shopping! I've felt a huge amount of pride being involved with Make Holt, watching it evolve and the collective vision transform into a stunning and inspirational shop and online store. Do visit the website to find out more about this exciting new venture. https://www.makeholt.com/ Further details are also available on my STOCKISTS page

I'm also really pleased to have my work included in the lovely Christmas pop-up shop at The Old Harness Makers Gallery, Harleston, south Norfolk. The festive Thrive pop-up shop at Helmingham Hall is also open again in December, as part of the Enchanted Gardens trail, See 'SUMMER 2020' News below for more information on the beautiful location. The Thrive Collective is now online; https://www.thrivecollective.online/shop. Further details are also available on my STOCKISTS page.
AUTUMN 2020
  
My big news for Autumn is that my replacement raku kiln has finally arrived. I'm so pleased to be able to do raku firings again. I've really missed that anticipation and excitement felt while cleaning off that layer of carbon to reveal the surface, So unpredictable and pleasing, well most of the time! The arrival of my kiln is perfect timing for making my autumnal raku acorns and leaves, before getting straight into the making of Christmas raku robins.

I'm also really pleased that my work is going to be included in the Anglian Potters autumn exhibition running at the Ferini Gallery in Pakefield, Suffolk. The  exhibition, 'Palimpsest', is running from 2nd October to 1st November.
SUMMER 2020
  
I'm taking part in the Thrive pop-up shop at the beautiful Helmingham Hall this summer. Located near the beautiful market towns of Framlingham and Woodbridge, near the Suffolk Coast. The shop is thoughtfully curated by Megan Clark and contains wonderful artworks and products by artists and creatives from East Anglia. Helmingham Hall is a stunning Tudor Hall, surrounded by a moat, with beautiful walled gardens and grounds. The gardens and the Thrive pop-up shop are well worth a visit and are open to the public with social distancing measures in place.

Megan has created a wonderful series of interviews with the Thrive Collective makers, called 'In conversations with...'. I was thrilled to be included and enjoyed sharing my inspirations, working processes and even my studio soundtracks.
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