Swindon's Museum & Art Swindon unveils 'Beneath the Surface' ceramics exhibition
Exhibition features century-long ceramic history
Museum & Art Swindon (MAS) has opened its first major exhibition dedicated to its extensive ceramic collection, showcasing a century-long history of studio ceramics in Britain.
The exhibition, titled 'Beneath the Surface', features pieces from the early 1920s to the present day, examining the evolution of ceramics as a contemporary art medium.
Tracing a blend of beauty and practicality, the exhibition breaks down the traditional boundaries between fine art and craft, highlighting innovative styles and techniques over the last hundred years.
MAS's collection began in the 1960s, initiated by Peter Burgess, the Head of Ceramics at Swindon School of Art.
As a key figure within the studio ceramics movement, Burgess collaborated with notable potters such as Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Ray Finch, and Alan Caiger Smith.
Since 1974, the collection has continued to expand, encapsulating work from distinguished potters like Alison Britton, Janice Tchalenko, and Carol McNicoll.
The 'Beneath the Surface' exhibition includes new acquisitions from contemporary artists including Peter Ting, Natasha Daintry, and Tessa Eastman, along with pieces by early ceramics influencer William Staite Murray.
Accompanying the exhibition is a new book written by curators Katie Ackrill and Kirsty Hartsiotis, detailing the collection's development and its significance in the studio ceramics scene in the South West.
Funded by KennedyTing and State Ceramics, the book expands on how ceramic pedagogy was pioneered in Swindon.
A parallel exhibition drawn from MAS's fine art collection, ‘Dialogues: Continuing Conversations from Beneath the Surface’, complements the ceramics show.
This display features paintings and prints resonating with themes from the main exhibition, including works by Desmond Morris, Ben Nicholson, Edward Bawden, and Mary Fedden, together with recent acquisitions.
Frances Yeo, Swindon Museums Manager, described the effort in producing this exhibition and book as a "gargantuan task," emphasising its appeal to art lovers with its multifaceted offerings.
“The exhibitions and book are a tour de force, which really are a must see for any art lover – and with so much to see you may have to come back again to explore it all,” Yeo said.