The Maker

  • Header image

Carmarthen School of Art LecturersMaker in Focus

24 November - 05 January 2019

FROM HAND TO HAND

 

This Maker in Focus will showcase the work of three members of staff from Carmarthen School of Art at Coleg Sir Gar. Artist Jeweller Carol Gwizdak, Sculpture Lee Odishow and Ceramicist Ray Church all having achieved recognition as artists in their own right. All three produce pieces that balance a high level of technical skill and an intellectual approach to develop concept – as perceived- through the objects they make. This way of thinking and their attitude towards their craft is central to their engagement with both their own work and with students in their role as educators, heavily influencing how know-how is transmitted.  

In this, these individual practitioners demonstrate the ethos of the School. Its commitment to and national reputation for specialist skills based delivery coupled with intellectual engagement to heighten the communicative value of work produced. All engage with social, creative and cultural developments and the changing needs of its students, industry and wider community.

As a small Art School staff and students can easily communicate and collaborate across departments and all, including these three artists, are influenced by this highly, technical, flexible and creative environment.

 

Ray Church 

Taking classical Greek ceramics as his inspiration, Ray Church satirises political issues of today. The ancient Greeks recorded stories of daily life using visual imagery, often steeped in drama and tragedy. The artist replaces this with provocative contemporary narratives. The shape of the vessels, the style of decoration, even some of the specific patterns he re – uses are easy for us to look at because they are so familiar. This makes it all the more uncomfortable when we recognise the dark subject matters that Ray Church is presenting us with. 

Trained in Carmarthen School of Art he now works as a technician in the Ceramics and Jewellery degree department. His extensive technical knowledge and  fascination with how the art from the past continues to inspire artists now,supports student skill and intellectual development.

 

Carol Gwizdak

Focusing on ecological issues that draw on the visual and conceptual language of the natural world and in so doing she entreats us to reinstate nature in its purist form, as the most precious of all commodities. In more recent work the conceptual focus has become more urgent, driven by the ever-growing ecological uncertainties of our world. Pieces question the global values of current society and our obstinate disconnect with the planet. 

Trained in Birmingham School of Jewellery, Carol Gwizdak predominantly tutors students on the Ceramics and Jewellery degree department, working with them to apply technique and intellect in their practice.

 

Lee Odishow

As a fine art sculptor, he works within the traditional field of iron and bronze casting. Through these processes, he documents, preserves and comments on the objects that he finds, acquires or creates. Odishow’s purpose is to enhance or highlight the inherent beauty and complexities found within the world around us. The lost wax casting process effectively cremates the natural forms, leaving a void which is replaced by the molten metal. This act reverentially immortalises what has been lost, allowing the viewer the opportunity to explore and appreciate the finer qualities of that which once existed. 

Trained in Carmarthen School of Art as a tutor and technician within the Sculpture degree Department his technical knowledge, playful exploratory approach and attention to detail influences the students he works with.

 

O LAW I LAW

 

Mae’r arddangosfa Gwneuthurydd mewn Ffocws sydd i’w gweld ar hyn o bryd yn dangos gwaith tri aelod o staff Ysgol Gelf Caerfyrddin yng Ngholeg Sir Gâr: yr artist-emydd Carol Gwizdak, y cerflunydd Lee Odishow a’r ceramegydd Ray Church, pob un wedi derbyn cydnabyddiaeth fel artist ar ei liwt ei hun. Mae’r tri’n cynhyrchu darnau sy’n cyfuno lefel uchel o fedr technegol ag ymagwedd ddeallusol tuag at ddatblygu cysyniad – fel a welir yn y gwrthrychau y maent yn eu gwneud. Mae’r meddylfryd yma a’u hagwedd tuag at eu crefft yn ganolog i’r ffordd y maent yn ymgysylltu â’u gwaith eu hunain ynghyd â myfyrwyr yn eu rôl fel addysgwyr, gan ddylanwadu’n drwm ar sut mae gwybodaeth yn cael ei chyfleu. Yn hyn o beth, mae’r artistiaid unigol yma’n dangos ethos yr Ysgol – ei hymrwymiad i ddarpariaeth sy’n seiliedig ar sgiliau arbenigol a’i henw da amdani’n genedlaethol, wedi’i chyplysu ag ymgysylltiad deallusol i ychwanegu at werth y gwaith a gynhyrchir o ran cyfathrebu.

Mae pob un yn ymgysylltu â datblygiadau cymdeithasol, creadigol a diwylliannol ac anghenion newidiol ei fyfyrwyr, diwydiant a’r gymuned ehangach.

A hithau’n ysgol gelf fechan, gall y staff a myfyrwyr gyfathrebu a chydweithredu’n hawdd ar draws adrannau ac mae’r amgylchedd hynod dechnegol, hyblyg a chreadigol yma’n dylanwadu ar bawb, gan gynnwys y tri artist hyn.

 

Ray Church 

Gan dynnu ar gerameg Roegaidd glasurol fel ei ysbrydoliaeth, mae Ray Church yn dychanu materion gwleidyddol yr oes. Byddai’r hen Roegiaid yn cofnodi straeon am fywyd beunyddiol gan ddefnyddio delweddaeth weledol, yn aml wedi’u trwytho mewn drama a thrasiedi. Yn lle hynny, mae’r artist yn llunio naratifau cyfoes pryfoclyd. Mae siâp y llestri, arddull yr addurno, hyd yn oed rhai o’r patrymau penodol y mae’n eu hailddefnyddio yn hawdd i ni edrych arnynt oherwydd eu bod mor gyfarwydd. Golyga hyn ein bod yn teimlo’n fwy anghyfforddus byth wrth adnabod y testunau tywyll y mae Ray Church yn eu cyflwyno i ni.

Wedi’i hyfforddi yng Ngholeg Celf Caerfyrddin, erbyn hyn mae’n gweithio fel technegydd yn adran y cwrs gradd mewn Cerameg a Gemwaith. Mae ei wybodaeth dechnegol helaeth ynghyd â’i ddiddordeb mawr yn y ffordd y mae celfyddyd o’r gorffennol yn dal i ysbrydoli artistiaid heddiw yn cefnogi datblygiad deallusol a sgiliau myfyrwyr.

 

 

Carol Gwizdak

Wrth ganolbwyntio ar faterion ecolegol sy’n tynnu ar iaith weledol a chysyniadol byd natur, mae Carol yn ymbil arnon ni i ailsefydlu natur ar ei ffurf buraf fel yr adnodd mwyaf gwerthfawr sydd gennym. Yn ei gwaith mwy diweddar, mae’r ffocws cysyniadol wedi dod yn fwy taer, wedi’i sbarduno gan holl ansicrwydd ecolegol bythol gynyddol ein byd. Mae darnau’n cwestiynu gwerthoedd byd-eang ein cymdeithas gyfoes a’r ffordd styfnig yr ydym yn ymddihatru â’r blaned.

Wedi’i hyfforddi yn Ysgol Emwaith Birmingham, mae Carol Gwizdak gan mwyaf yn tiwtora myfyrwyr yn adran y cwrs gradd mewn Cerameg a Gemwaith, gan weithio gyda nhw i ddefnyddio techneg a deallusrwydd yn eu gwaith.

 

Lee Odishow

Fel cerflunydd celfyddyd gain, mae Lee yn gweithio ym maes traddodiadol bwrw haearn ac efydd. Drwy’r prosesau hyn, mae’n dogfennu, cadw ac yn gwneud sylwadau am y gwrthrychau y mae’n eu canfod, eu caffael neu eu creu. Diben Odishow yw amlygu neu ychwanegu at yr harddwch a chymhlethdodau cynhenid a geir yn y byd o’n cwmpas. Mae’r broses bwrw cwyr coll yn ei hanfod yn amlosgi’r ffurfiau naturiol, gan adael gwagle a lenwir â’r metel tawdd. Mae’r weithred hon yn anfarwoli gyda pharch yr hyn sydd wedi’i golli, gan roi cyfle i’r gwyliwr i ystyried a gwerthfawrogi priodweddau gorau’r hyn a fu.

 

Wedi’i hyfforddi yng Ngholeg Celf Caerfyrddin fel tiwtor a thechnegydd yn adran y cwrs gradd mewn Cerfluniaeth, mae ei wybodaeth dechnegol, ymagwedd archwiliol chwareus a’i sylw i fanylion yn dylanwadu ar y myfyrwyr y mae’n gweithio gyda nhw.

 

 

 

Image/Delwedd: Carol Gwizdak, Borderline 2018, Mixed Media. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<< Back to Previous Page