A twenty-first century hybridization of studio potter and conceptual artist, Derek Wilson focuses on using the potter’s wheel as a tool to produce abstract sculptural forms. Having graduated with an MA in Fine & Applied Arts from the Belfast School of Art in 2007, he previously trained as a production potter with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and worked in numerous potteries throughout Ireland, with a view to setting up a studio practice. This was realised in 2008. Initially, he concentrated on sustaining his studio practice by producing porcelain tableware whilst continuing to explore and refine sculptural forms. This dual process caused him to become absorbed by the dialogue and points of convergence between the utilitarian and abstract forms.
Questioning functionality, Wilson uses the vessel as a means of artistic expression by exploring free and geometric abstraction. Habitually, the importance of object placement is foremost with his work and a further dimensionality lies within how it is viewed. Inviting movement in the observer, the work asks them to contemplate the significance of subtle tonalities in surface quality and the distribution of light and shadow. The process of dis-assembling elements associated with archetypal vessels that are reconstructed into complex abstract structures is at the core of Wilson’s practice.
Wilson’s current body of work is a natural progression and enquiry into new variations, with leaning and balanced elements that further abstract the vessel. The exploration of the ceramic surface has also evolved: distorting sections by applying darker or lighter areas of engobe. Glazed elements have also been added to the exterior creating a dialogue between the interior and exterior spaces. A considered and intuitive approach allows Wilson to create objects that have a sculptural and metaphorical resonance, using this process allows him to question the concept of the vessel.
An unapologetic thrower, Wilson consistently challenges his discipline. Focusing on his approach to making, he combines his minimal aesthetic with craftmanship, a wealth of material knowledge and a propensity to propel modern ceramics through reinterpretation of its form. A search for simplicity of form draws inspiration through a diverse range of sources, including mid-century painters, the modernist movement, British and Russian constructivism and the history of the ceramic industry in Europe and Asia.