If the difference between what is an art and what is a craft is defined by the process by which the object is created, then a key similarity between the two are the themes of which they are able to produce. On this key point, one element in particular that interlinks all of the artists within this edition is that of a search for home. This could be clearly seen within Andy’s crafted works for instance, such as the sourcing of timber that once belonged to the trees he used to play on. It is a search that could also be found within Mike’s designs; a profound sense of belonging to Wales radiating from each of his Celtic wooden carvings. Candice’s work too also effused a sense of searching for a place to call home, only this time from an animal’s perspective; whether it be in the form of an owner or for the land which they once belonged to. Up until this point however, we’ve been able to view such themes through the lens of realism; whether it be the wood used, the animals presented or the carvings of Celtic crosses. In other words, the objects have been obvious in what they are and what they aren’t and in what they convey and what they don’t. Sarah’s work on the other hand, whether it be her ceramics, printmaking or painting, portrays such aspects through more abstract means, whether it be through sound, movement, or space.
A sense of belonging doesn’t always have to mean a place however, sometimes it can just be doing something your passionate about – little surprise then why so many people feel ‘lost’ when they’re not in a job they enjoy or following their passions in some way; even if they’ve never left the place that they call home. This was the case for Sarah who, after being a keen painter and ceramicist growing up, and in a similar fashion to many an artist, sportsperson or the like, decided to put art on the back burner when she decided to study more conventional subjects, which in her scenario was Health and Geography. Years later however, she decided to take the plunge and return to her passion for ceramics, as she says: ‘I rediscovered ceramics through adult education classes, again on a Saturday. I dabbled with throwing on a wheel [a way of making clay on a spinning wheel], but it was hand building [a bit more of an intricate way of making ceramics; adding details etc.] that rekindled my love of making and I was hooked. So much so I decided to take a career pivot in 2017, go back to University and study Fine Art’. In this sense, it seems that re-discovering our passions is just as important as finding them in the first place; after all, to see something again with a fresh set of eyes is what truly allows us to re-evaluate – for it allows us to inject our external experiences into it.
