Claire Partington

Narrative and the retelling and misinterpretation of stories is at the centre of my work. Initially concentrating on reimagining and retelling Folk and fairy stories with particularly strong imagery, then merging these stories with imagined back stories for historical figures and their associated iconic imagery.

The aesthetic inspiration is drawn largely from European Applied Art and Design styles from the 1600’s onwards. Underpinning this is the long European tradition of appropriation and reinterpretation or misinterpretation of “exotic” styles that can be seen in National Collections across Europe. I like the idea of getting it slightly wrong and the bluffing and “cobbling together” of styles that has resulted in some fantastic historical objects.

I started making sprigged vessels inspired by the salt glazed “bartmann” figurative bottles, but with the look of tin glazed earthenware from the 1600’s. This evolved into the fully figurative vessels I’m making at present, starting with the bottle shaped wide court mantua dresses of the 1700's. The figures have head “stoppers” to reflect the origin from the figurative bottle and sometimes an additional head stopper to illustrate the metamorphosis of a character.

My work has a very familiar feel to it due to the historical and literary references, even though it has it’s own very definite aesthetic. The pieces are all meticulously hand built, using traditional ceramic techniques. They are coil built, then the shape is refined before adding surface decorations of sprigged (press molded) ephemera and modern computer generated enamel decoration over the glaze.

The subjects for my work come from varied sources - contemporary culture, traditional children’s rhymes and folk tales. I’m fascinated by transformation tales and their imagery, from the traditional, up to the Power Rangers and contemporary kids cartoons.

I started making sprigged vessels inspired by the salt glazed “bartmann” vessels, but with the look of tin glazed earthenware from the 1600’s. This evolved into the fully figurative vessels I’m making at present, starting with the bottle shaped mantua dresses. The figures often have interchangeable head “stoppers” to reflect the transformation of the subject and to allow a sense of play with the object.

My work has a very familiar feel to it due to the historical and literary references, even though it has it’s own very definite aesthetic. It is all meticulously hand built, using traditional ceramic techniques. Each piece is coil built, then the shape is refined before adding surface decorations of sprigged (press molded) ephemera and modern computer generated enamel decoration.

I graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1995 with a 1st in Fine Art Sculpture and gained a Post Graduate qualification in Museum Studies in 2000. Institutions I have worked for include Leighton House Museum, The British Library , London Transport Museum, The Wellcome Trust and notably, the V&A where I managed the installation of objects into the redeveloped British Galleries. During this time, I was privileged to experience so many beautiful objects first hand, to see how they were constructed and understand the making process in great detail. In 2003 I resumed my fine art practice. This time concentrating on ceramics, which I had loved at school, but now, unavoidably adding many different influences gained from a non-Craft education and a wealth of vocational experience working with National Collections.

View CV

Education

BA Fine Art Sculpture (1st Class), Central St Martins, London 1995

Exhibitions

Taking Tea, Seattle Art Museum, 2018 - 2020
Collect 19, Crafts Council, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2019

London Art Fair, 2019

Early Modern Matters, James Freeman Gallery, London, 2018
Young Masters, Collect 19, Crafts Council, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2018

doing identity: Die Sammlung Reydan Weiss, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany 2017-18
London Art Fair, James Freeman Gallery, 2018

KochXBos Amsteram, Netherlands, 2017-18

A Cautionary Tale (solo, catalogue), James Freeman Gallery, London 2017
Collect 17, Crafts Council, Saatchi Gallery, London 2017

I Prefer Life, Reydan Weiss Collection, Weserburg Museum of Modern Art, Bremen, Germany, 2016

Masterpiece, London, UK, 2016
Volta 12, Basel, Switzerland, 2016

Divine Decadence, Kasteel van Gaasbeek, Belgium, 2016

My Blue China, Musee Ariana, Geneva, Switzerland, 2016
Cabinet Da End 06, Galerie Da End, Paris, France, 2016

New London Figurative, Charlie Smith Gallery, London, UK, 2015

Artefacts, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2015

My Blue China, curated by Laurent de Verneuil, Bernardaud Foundation, Limoges, France, 2015

HEY! Act III, curated by Hey! Magazine, Halle Saint Pierre Museum, Paris, France, 2015

Volta 11, Basel, Switzerland, 2016

SWEET 18, Kasteel D'Ursel, Antwerp, Belgium, 2015

The Masque, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK 2015

The Future Can Wait, London, UK, 2014

Young Masters Art Prize 2014: Lloyds Club & Sphinx Fine Art, London, UK, 2014

Pipe Dreams, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2013

Microtopia, Kingsgate Gallery, London, UK, 2013

In Dialogue with the Baroque, curated by Dr. Michaela Braesel, Schloß Schleißheim, Munich, Germany, 2013

The Islands Across the Sea, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2013

Young Masters Art Prize, London, UK, 2012

Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK, 2011, 2012

Voyages Extraordinaires, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2011

Dynamic Array, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2010

Young Masters, curated by Matthew Reeve, Truman Brewery, London, UK, 2010

Wunderkammer, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2009/10

AAF London, UK, 2009, 2010

Five years, James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, 2008

Inspired By, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK, 2007

Awards

‘Taking Tea’ Commission for Seattle Art Museum, 2018

Virginia A. Groot Award, USA - 1st Place Award, 2018

Publications

Ceramic Review Issue 294, Winter 2018

Lapham's Quarterly (cover image), Volume XI, Issue 4, Fall 2018

"Taking Tea" Examines the Legacy of Britain's Love of Porcelain, by Megan D Robinson in Art & Object, December 2018

'A Cautionary Tale' exhibition catalogue, 2017

Palace Costes Magazine, 2017

The Art Circus, interview, 2017

Stouffer, H: The New Age of Ceramics, Gingko Press, 2016

My Blue China, Bernardaud Foundation, Exhibition Catalogue, June 2016

Hey! Act III, Exhibition Catalogue, June 2016

Artefacts, Exhibition Catalogue, September 2016

SWEET 18, Exhibition Catalogue, May 2016

Ceramics Review, September 2014

Pipe Dreams, Exhibition Catalogue, November 2013

Hey Magazine #14, feature, June 2013

Art Circus Interview, February 2013

Garcia, E: Ceramics and the Human Figure, London: Bloomsbury, 2012

Juxtapoz Magazine, February 2011

Collections

Victoria & Albert Museum, London. UK

Museum of London, UK

Seattle Art Museum, USA

Reydan Weiss, Essen, Germany

21C Museum, Louisville, USA

Charles Saumarez Smith, London, UK

James & Maylis Grand, London, UK

Bert Moore, London / NYC

Private collections worldwide

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Claire Partington

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