This exhibition marks the first showing of Barnaby Hosking's new body of sculptural ceramic works. Usually known for his video and sculptural light installations as well as velvet prints and painting, for the last four years Barnaby has been focused entirely on ceramics; in his own words: "For me, ceramic art encompasses the perfect balance between process, object, being in nature and a spirit of innovation that has been characteristic of my practice thus far".
Barnaby's process involves the formulation of custom made clay fired with the “Naked” Raku techniques, allowing him endless discoveries, which have reinforced his belief that there is more innovation in ceramics than any other of the plastic arts.
Starting with a large slab of clay, which handles similarly to a very heavy fabric, the sculpture manifests through spontaneous curling, lifting and folding of the clay by the artist, who's hands are guided by an appreciation of bodily forms, intertwined with and continuing into each other in a flowing movement.
There appears an element of Pareidolia; the psychological phenomenon that causes some people to see or hear an image or sound as something significant. Within these folds of clay can be seen a couple spooning, a reclining figure; each composition manifesting through the performance of the clays handling as new ambiguities within the form are discovered. The fabric-like folds of clay can be seen as alternately covering or revealing the body, resulting in forms that are both open like a vessel and enclosed like the body. The movement created, particularly in the central aisle display at Siegfried Contemporary, is a continuous play between two and three dimensional form; as the flat clay slabs imprinted by natural landscape-like compositions, folds and contorts into vessel-like bodily forms.
Barnaby Hosking’s (1976, UK) is a multidisciplinary artist who's work has been shown internationally since he graduated with an MA in sculpture from the Royal College of Art in 2003.
Amongst other venues Hosking’s wok has been shown at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, Japan; Houghton Hall, UK; Olbricht Foundation, Germany; Moscow Biennial, Russia.
Barnaby was the recipient of several of Art Prizes including The Credit Suisse Prize and the Michael Kenny Memorial Prize.
His work is held in important public and private collections such as Honart Museum, Iran; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Rubell Family Collection, USA; Zabludowicz Trust,UK amongst many others.
