Gower Ceramics
ARTIST STATEMENT – CHRISTIAN MILLER
I have over 35 years of experience of all pottery construction techniques and teaching ceramics. My practical and functional pieces of work stem form my origins while training to throw in Holland in 1989 with a traditionalist potter who was heavily influenced by Japanese ceramics. From here I developed my own style of creations and formulations of glazes. While studying BA (hons) in Ceramics I continued to develop my ideas and techniques while designing my functional sculptures, expanding and incorporating mixed media elements to create layered tactile pieces.
I have now acquired an abundance of knowledge and skill over the years which have enabled me to create my work. The theme and background behind my sculptural forms has been evolving over a lifetime of explorations of my home in the heart of the Gower Peninsula and its complex geology, unique micro climate and beautiful sunset skies. My pieces reflect an interest and passion in the natural environment and I am deeply inspired by the natural landscape of the coastline, its shifting tides, weathered cliffs, textured rock formations and quiet expanses of shoreline. Erosion patterns, tyre tracks, footprints, sediment and sea worn fragments give me ideas to explore and experiment with texture, mark making and glazes as I strive to embody the sand, sea and sky of Gower.
The construction of my ceramic forms has mostly been made in the conventional way on the potter’s wheel. I use balance, repetition and meditative qualities of form, creating functional pieces that have grounded simplicity. With my sculptural forms I move beyond function to create individual pieces incorporating mixed media elements which ensure each piece is a unique design.
A significant part of my ceramics is the formulation and analysis of my own glazes. By developing and experimenting with recipes, over time I have created unique, distinctive visual effects and movement. Across all of my work there is a focus on material honesty, process and balance that also reflects a powerful connection to nature that has both passionate expression and tranquil stability.
I have over 35 years of experience of all pottery construction techniques and teaching ceramics. My practical and functional pieces of work stem form my origins while training to throw in Holland in 1989 with a traditionalist potter who was heavily influenced by Japanese ceramics. From here I developed my own style of creations and formulations of glazes. While studying BA (hons) in Ceramics I continued to develop my ideas and techniques while designing my functional sculptures, expanding and incorporating mixed media elements to create layered tactile pieces.
I have now acquired an abundance of knowledge and skill over the years which have enabled me to create my work. The theme and background behind my sculptural forms has been evolving over a lifetime of explorations of my home in the heart of the Gower Peninsula and its complex geology, unique micro climate and beautiful sunset skies. My pieces reflect an interest and passion in the natural environment and I am deeply inspired by the natural landscape of the coastline, its shifting tides, weathered cliffs, textured rock formations and quiet expanses of shoreline. Erosion patterns, tyre tracks, footprints, sediment and sea worn fragments give me ideas to explore and experiment with texture, mark making and glazes as I strive to embody the sand, sea and sky of Gower.
The construction of my ceramic forms has mostly been made in the conventional way on the potter’s wheel. I use balance, repetition and meditative qualities of form, creating functional pieces that have grounded simplicity. With my sculptural forms I move beyond function to create individual pieces incorporating mixed media elements which ensure each piece is a unique design.
A significant part of my ceramics is the formulation and analysis of my own glazes. By developing and experimenting with recipes, over time I have created unique, distinctive visual effects and movement. Across all of my work there is a focus on material honesty, process and balance that also reflects a powerful connection to nature that has both passionate expression and tranquil stability.
