Allen Richards

It is the context of architecture and natural form, and the spiritualism of the Church echoed in the pillars and arches of its Cathedrals, that forms the core of my sculptural practice.

I am inspired by the potential of clay as there are no limits to scale - with brick I can work on a piece 12 foot tall; equally in extreme detail on small porcelain pieces.

Mathematical principles underpin the structural forms that I use to explore architectures, artistic resonance and potential. I find that the arch, one of the most important elements of my practice, has had an incredible personal resonance as it evokes both reverence and the idea of 'reaching up'. I make spires built entirely as a skeletal structure of arches with one arch perched upon the apex of another forming a vaulted spire. I seek site specific situations for these creations, enabling me to take my art out of the gallery into the context of the locale.

Medieval Cathedrals, the Art Nouveau period and Artists such as Gaudi and Robert Harrison inspire my practice at the large scale.

I use glazes to elevate clay and brick from their 'everyday' connotation into artwork through elaborate experimentation into colourful and lustrous surface qualities. Here, my deep lo...

Ba(Hons)first class in design and applied arts,
currently working towards an Ma within the same subject area