Art in Ed

It is hard to imagine that this ceramic sculpture, Mae Be Baby, would lead to anything deep. Surely it is a floozy piece? I created her on commission for an egragrious lady who is a fan of Marilyn Monroe and Mae West. My client dresses flamboyantly, 'out there' with black clothing and feathers in her hair, sizable cleavage showing, layered hemlines. And a shoe fetish.

Perhaps I have now caught it, or at least a foot fetish... more on that later.

So how to create a piece that expressed the essence of the client but also showed her depth and generous nature. As usual I write accompanying poetry to go with my pieces and in writing this one a key phrase stayed with me... beware of the surface dwellers.

It now is the title of my next exhibition and the ideas are beginning to flow.... themes to do with climate change and the fragile nature of the surface of our planet.... how much of the problem is caused by humans living shallowly. When we live deeply connected to ourselves, the universe, and to others we live more lightly and responsibly. I am interested in future studies, integral theory and consciousness development theories at the moment and this is also informing my thinking. Not that I have really changed that much... my previous two exhibitions also had very spiritual themes with my pieces being women who appear complete and in the flow... that is if they are not being satiric.

So as usual my ideas get too big for the exhibition room and me to do in the time frame.... perhaps I need a sculpture garden... and then please I need a group of students to create it (with their own ideas of course) and once I get thinking on that road I suddenly see how the whole thing can be made into wonderful integrated learning curriculum that links maths, science, history, art, technology, literature togeher in a rich learning context. OK . More on that later.

Meanwhile, I also have got interested in black and white as colours, whereas previously all my work has been full blast with colour. Interesting.

Mae be Baby

Mae be baby
I’ll let you into
my deepest secret.

But,
unravel it slowly,
and savour
the unfolding revelations
of each layer,
exposed