Spodespiration
From exploring ways of bringing more physicality to my paintings, to rekindling my love of printed ephemera cut and paste, in abstract expression and design. Spodespiration is a direct and sometimes literal response, to the inspiring visits made to Spode Museum in the latter part of 2023 and exploring the Spode Works site in March, 2024 with museum manager Michael Escolme. The photographic archive of the workers of Spode seemed a natural and integral starting point, hence the creation of the ‘People of Spode’ portrait series. It cannot be understated however, the impact that one photo of F. Griffiths (whom I have become to refer to as ‘The Duke’) has had in steering the Spodespiration project as a whole and my Ducas/Duka artworks in particular.
Spodespiration Zine!
To download a designers pictorial accompaniment to Spodespiration CLICK HERE
Bio
Since first venturing into a more artful world as part of 2012’s White Nancy Jubilee Art Exhibition in Bollington, Cheshire, Spodespiration is the first real culmniation of skills and ideas gathered from a working career that started in screen and lithographic print houses back in the 1980s and 90s. A creative career in advertising and marketing then followed where ventures into conceptual design and thematic direction started to flourish. Semi-permanent exhibitions of mostly giclée printed work inspired by an obsession with Fellrunning, adorned the walls of venues in Bollington and Macclesfield with commissioned work undertaken alongside the ‘day job’. In 2022 the biggest change came when a chance to fly freelance gave way for time to explore more abstract ideas and really blend off grid design and digitally crafted prints with traditional, hand-crafted works in collage and paint. With the exploration into more collage work there is a real harking back to art college days of gathering magazines and printed material to cut up and paste into interesting design pieces.
With every digitally crafted piece there is an integral hand-crafted element with many base materials being recycled, reimagined or reused from their original purpose.