Darlene Pratt
Darlene Pratt
Artist Statement
I am a builder at heart. Since childhood I have been captivated by human ingenuity and how it intersects with materials science. I continually question how I can apply the principles of design and engineering observed in manmade and natural forms into my art.
At its simplest, clay is ubiquitous, primal, and profoundly sensual. At its most complex, ceramic art is an unapologetic taskmaster that demands seamless integration of the hands, heart, and mind. At different moments in the making process, clay is pliable like fabric, carveable like wood, resilient like metal, and fragile like glass. It can be both devastating and deeply gratifying when work emerges from the kiln. The infinite possibilities keep me excited for the next kiln load!
My clay journey began in 1988 with a potter’s wheel and a penchant for functional ware. In 2005, life circumstances forced a 15-year hiatus; I traded my clay practice for time spearheading volunteer efforts to build the London Clay Art Centre. In September 2020, a mentorship with Lesley McInally reignited my clay practice and compelled me into exploring conceptual sculptural forms.
My fascination with life cycles is reflected in the compositions of my new work. The organic forms are deliberately in a state of tension with the mechanical textures stamped into the clay and the unnatural colours that lay beneath and peek around the edges of the lichen glaze. I want viewers to simultaneously feel a vague sense of familiarity and alienation, enough to compel intimate examination of the surfaces, visually and through touch. My work is intended to be animalian, yet reminiscent of plants, and of fossils. New or old? I want people to question their own position in time by questioning whether they are viewing objects of the past, present, or future.
Current Artwork Available
Sidewinder
Dark red stoneware with underglazes, snowflake glaze over, fired in oxidation to cone 5.5
$750.
Pas de Deux (not available presently)
Black stoneware with clear glaze, fired in oxidation to cone 5.5
$1,800. pair
$900. each
Come Hither (group of three)
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, with Snowflake overglaze.
$640.00
Ova Papilio SOLD
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, nichrome wire inserts dipped in clay, Snowflake overglaze. range $500.00 to $200.00 each
Ova Papilio
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, some with nichrome wire inserts dipped in clay, Snowflake overglaze.
$250.00
Behermoth SOLD
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, with Snowflake overglaze.
$1800.00
Three’s a Crowd
Black stoneware with underglazes, Snowflake glaze over, fired in oxidation to cone 5.5
$1,500 set of 3 ( only sold as a set )
Bumptious
Dark red stoneware with coloured slips and underglazes, snowflake glaze over, fired in oxidation to cone 5.5
$900.
Catriona SOLD
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, with Snowflake overglaze.
$900.00
Ova Papilio SOLD
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, some with nichrome wire inserts dipped in clay, Snowflake overglaze.
$400.
Ova Papilio SOLD
Dark Mid-Cal stoneware, double-walled slump mold construction, textured and overlaid with coloured slips and underglazes, some with nichrome wire inserts dipped in clay, Snowflake overglaze.
$350.00