Kate Malone

A Starburst Tall Lady Gourd, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 56cm (22") Diameter 34cm (13 3/8")

When did you first discover a passion for working in clay?
At school at the age of 12 or 13. The big comprehensive government school had a ceramics department, thank heavens.

 

A Pair of Fun Atomic Candlesticks, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 29cm (11 3/8")  Diameter 21cm (8 1/4")

Q What other materials have you or would you like to work in?
I have had a few pieces converted to Bronze, and I have blown and cast glass and would like to paint more seriously.
 

Bronze Drinking Fountain, Castle Park, Bristol.

 
Q Your work is well known for being large scale – what is the biggest piece you have ever made?
In one piece it was 1m20cm all and 1m wide and 1m deep.. but the largest public piece in many sections was 16m x 5m tall. I am just about to start a project 56 m long and average 3m tall.

THE WALL OF A THOUSAND STORIES

Ceramic installation for the Children's Library at the Royal Jubilee Library, Brighton. Made over a period of a year and a half 2003-2004 and comprises 91 wall pieces that are hung on the back wall of the children's library space. The wall is 16 meters by 8 meters.

 

 

Q Each of your pieces seems to have a personality – does this develop in the design stage or during the making process?
It develops on both, I have an idea, and make sure one piece follows the original, but then having started others at the same time, I let them develop in the process.

 

Secret Garden, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 67cm (26 3/8") Diameter 56cm (22")

Q You have become very famous in the world of Ceramics – what are the keys things that brought you this success?
Luck, hard work, determination, perseverance, tunnel vision, addiction to clay, a fabulous partner who is there in support in so many ways, a fabulous art dealer with generosity and vision and style, being aware good photography is paramount to show people what you can do, talking and connecting where ever possible and working and aiming to share the progress of the field of ceramics with as generous a spirit as is possible, this attitude, tends to have the same response… not that I do it for that reason.

 

Monumental Forest Fern, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 80cm (31 1/2") 65cm (25 5/8") Depth 60cm (23 5/8")

Q Organic forms feature heavily in your work, what else inspires your work?
People, places, travel, history, friends, TV, magazines, life.
 
 
Q Who is/are your favourite artist(s)/maker(s)?
Andrew Logan, Zandra Rhodes, Axel Salto...

Monumental Fennel, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 85cm (33 1/2") Width 60cm (23 5/8") Depth 57cm (22 1/2")

Q You have just finished a solo show at Robilant & Voena  Gallery, London, what is next?
See my web site for the details about the Robilant Voena show… now the run of international shows with my international art dealer, Adrian Sassoon, (see his web site for the dates and details), but as well as some 5 joint shows for him next year I have a huge public commission and two large pot commissions for clients in the USA… I also have plans to try to work with industry and to paint more and to make a DVD teaching film for sale from my web site…

2010 Solo Show at Robilant & Voena Gallery London

 

Q You are very generous in sharing techniques, glaze recipes and your working processes – what is the thinking behind this philosophy?
To further the field, openness encourages a drive to forward and progress, I want people to be a success and this makes the whole world of ceramics a more exciting place to work and learn….

 
Q Crafts in the 21^st Century – what does this mean to you?
Anything goes now, same as art, it all comes in circles, but ever faster turning and reinventing… but the paramount thing for me is that the standard of excellence advances, with new technology and adapting to change….
 

A Tutti Frutti Baby Bad, 2008
Pebble-glazed earthenware. Height 12 cm. (4 3/4")  Diameter 14 cm. (5 1/2")

Q What is your greatest achievement to date?
Being a mother and in a partnership with my daughters dad for 27 years…. And being very happy… but that’s not my achievement, it is their patience…

 

Sliced Heart Pillows, 2002
Pebble-glazed earthenware and Crystalline-glazed stoneware, clay press moulded. Studio edition, repeated in different glazes. Diameter 11 3/8" (29cm)

Q What is your typical working day look like?
Live and work in the same building, Awake at 7, Up around 8, daughter to school, then clear house a little and start work around 10, chase my tail and try to wake up… breakfast at 10 … good lunch with assistants at around 2pm, get into gear,,,, daughter home form school fusion of homework and cooking and continuing to work, family to bed around 10 I often work on into the night.. now it is 2am, working on tax accounts, the worst part of the year,,, as im late to bed, ill probably sleep to 8 am – just able to wake to say bye to my daughter to go to school, ,,,then the process starts again…

 

Medium Sliced Triple Pea Pod, 2000
Pebble-glazed earthenware, clay press moulded.

 
 
Q What is your working style?
Chaotic and cyclical…. Periods of making, then glazing, then clearing up!
 

Q How do you sell and promote your work?
Exclusively in collaboration with Sassoon and his office of staff…also recently did some u tube weekly diaries, they were great fun to do and i hope to do more... have a look at the YouTube kate malone ceramics, and find the 8 video diaries, and one by the Robilant & Voena Gallery... 

An Acorn Box, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, limited edition 11 of 30, Height 23cm (9") Diameter 16cm (6 1/4")

Q What 3 words of advice would you give to aspiring makers?
self-motivate, listen to mistakes, persist..…

 
Q What music are you listening to at the moment?
Jacques Brel and Anthony and the Johnsons. 

 
Q What do you do to relax?
Make pots, cook, cycle, travel, party, tai chi and tv… swim when I can, do the ironing!

 



Editors Note: Kate Malone’s Work is also housed in these following Public Collections:

The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
British Council Teapot Collection
British Council Touring Collections
Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds
Crafts Council, London
Arts Council, London
The British Council, Manchester and Bahamas collections
Manchester City Art Gallery, Manchester
The Cleveland Arts Trust
Paisley Museum & Art Gallery, Paisley
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol
Gallery Oldham, Oldham, Greater Manchester
Stoke-On-Trent Museum, Stoke-On-Trent
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich
York City Art Gallery, York
Geffrye Museum, London
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
McManus Galleries & Museum, Dundee
Contemporary Art Society, London
Harley Foundation Collection, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire
Ulster Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Musée National de Céramique, Sèvres, France
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, USA
Boise Art Museum, Boise, Idaho, USA
J.B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Montreal, Canada