Gallery 05 - Crafting Colour

Primary Colours

Primary colours cannot be made by mixing others together. In art these colours are pure hues of blue, red and yellow. These three are combined in different ways to make other shades.

Primary colours have distinct meanings and symbolism in different cultures.

The bright yellow of Philomena Pretsell’s pitcher is often chosen for ceramics. Yellow was a popular choice in early Italian majolica pottery and Chinese porcelain because of its closeness to gold and association with positivity.

Red is a passionate, stand-out colour. Merete Rasmussen’s bright red sculpture demands our attention. Red is widely accepted as the colour of romance but also can represent power and danger.

Blue, on the other hand, can have a calming effect and is used to symbolise loyalty and strength.

Black, White and Shades of Grey

Artists and makers usually choose black, white and grey as the building blocks to reveal other colours. Some reject colour altogether and only work in a monochrome or neutral palette.

Without the distraction of decoration or colour, the maker helps us focus on the object’s essential shape.

The combination of black and white can exude timelessness and elegance. Individually, white is perceived as pure and modern, whereas black can be seen as sinister and associated with death. Jo Gordon’s Kiss of Death bonnet, for example, provokes emotions of fear and foreboding.

Some makers working with metal opt to change the colour by oxidisation, a chemical reaction caused by oxygen on the metal’s surface. Adrian Hope employed this process to darken his copper box. Vladimir Bohm has used another technique, enamelling, to create an opaque white surface on silver.

Natural Beauty

Makers frequently enrich the natural qualities of their materials rather than add colour. Wood and stone have characteristic natural colours and patterns. Metals can be enhanced through techniques such as engraving.

The woodworking techniques of carving and turning allow makers to expose the intrinsic qualities of the wood. Mick O’Donnell’s bowl, for example, has a wavy edge of bark whilst the grain of the wood is obvious inside.

Some makers mix pebbles and stones with different materials to create unexpected combinations. Others, like Howard Fenn, enhance the beauty of slate and marble with simple designs.

Metalworkers often play with the flexible properties of a metal to create interesting shapes. Malcolm Appleby applied gold beads to a flat silver disc before it was shaped as a bowl. The result is a soft, rippled and pleated quality, almost like quilted cloth.

Crafting Colour

When the primary colours of red, blue and yellow are mixed in various combinations they create a vast spectrum of colours. These can be arranged in a circular form, known as the colour wheel, which charts the relationship between individual colours.

Opposites, such as red and green, stand out or clash. Hues which are closer together on the wheel, like blue and green, are more harmonious. Jane Hamlyn’s salt-glazed pot uses this combination skilfully.

Makers employ a variety of techniques to exploit the full range of colour as this can enhance the shape of an object or add texture. Maureen Edgar uses precise enamelling to create rich deep shades, whilst Gabrielle Koch fires her pots with smooth, allowing it to create random patterns.

Phil Atrill has combined metallic additives with clear glass in his vase to recreate the gorgeous tints and hues of sunset.