PRESENCE THROUGH ABSENCE

(2015-2016) This body of work explores Verity’s fascination with people’s everyday lives and activities. Verity has always been interested in capturing glimpses into unknown lives through windows in the evening. Rather than wanting to be voyeuristic or intrusive Verity is intrigued by the sense of warmth and life that a room without a person has. She is also interested in gaining clues to that life through glimpses of possessions seen through windows.

Verity creates contemplative ceramic forms using clay as a medium for drawing and monoprinting. Working with black clay enables her to capture the soft, shadowy, silhouettes of domestic buildings in the evening and the depth and volume of darkness at night. On the surface of the work Verity is interested in capturing snapshots that convey a sense of stillness, absence of presence and being the outsider looking in. She uses coloured slips and inlayed porcelain in contrast to the black forms to portray glimmers of light and warmth emanating from windows in the evening. Verity layers abstracted drawings and monoprints onto the surface of the works referencing our abstracted view on a life we know little about. As you walk around the pieces you capture glimpses of light and warmth much like if you were walking around streets at night.

These works range in height from 15cm - 33cm. Medium: Black stoneware clay, porcelain, coloured slips and underglaze. All photos courtesy of Emily Nicholls.

A selection of these pieces are available to purchase directly from Verity’s studio. Please CONTACT Verity if you require further details about the works.