For additional information on the making of the Edge of Abstraction pots see text at foot of page.
The Edge of Abstraction
In 2023 I started using seashells and interestingly shaped stones to texture the surfaces of pots. I was pleased with the results, especially when using transparent glazes which flowed and darkened in the texture. However, when I started looking for new shapes to use in this way I had difficulty finding other objects which made impressions in clay that appealed to me. I decided to make my own carved shapes which I could use in the same way.
I have always been interested in the way that simple, apparently abstract, shapes such as runes can seem to carry some hidden meaning, and are able to act as powerful prompts for the imagination. During the quiet spells on my open studio days in 2024 I carved a series of abstract or semi-abstract shapes in small blocks of porcelain. By the end of my open studio weeks I had over twenty differently-shaped porcelain stamps (see photo below).
I decided that I would make a series of large jar-like pots of similar size and shape, each using a different stamp, pressing the stamp in repeatedly to cover an area of the surface. In my earlier pots, using a seashell, I had divided the surface into areas that had been textured in this way and other areas which remain smooth. In the new series of pots I did the same, and introduced a new element of design by relating the shapes of the textured and smooth areas to the shape of the stamp used for that pot. For example, if the shape of the stamp made me think of a flower I developed a design of textured and smooth areas which reflected this, but in a way which tried to maintain some ambiguity. I wanted a design on the edge of abstraction which hinted at meaning in a way that tickled the imagination without forcing it in a specific direction.
The textured areas of my pots make me think of the rough peel of a fruit, and the smooth areas the interior of the fruit when the peel has been removed. To enhance this impression I slightly indented the smooth areas when the pots were leather hard, so the textured areas look as if they overlay the smooth ones.
Finally, I wanted to emphasise the surface design by using different glazes on the smooth and textured areas. This involved the use of latex and/or wax resist at different stages of the glazing process. The glazes or slips used were chosen to develop interesting complexity in my salt/soda kiln – maybe crystallisation during cooling, or flow effects. It all adds to the layers of detail which give interest to the final pot.
After a year of making and firing I ended up with eighteen different pots, between 20 and 25 cm tall, which were on display (and for sale) at an exhibition in the Runway Gallery of The Base at Greenham, Berkshire, in October and November 2025. The exhibition was entitled The Edge of Abstraction.
Kevin Akhurst. November 2025
In 2023 I started using seashells and interestingly shaped stones to texture the surfaces of pots. I was pleased with the results, especially when using transparent glazes which flowed and darkened in the texture. However, when I started looking for new shapes to use in this way I had difficulty finding other objects which made impressions in clay that appealed to me. I decided to make my own carved shapes which I could use in the same way.
I have always been interested in the way that simple, apparently abstract, shapes such as runes can seem to carry some hidden meaning, and are able to act as powerful prompts for the imagination. During the quiet spells on my open studio days in 2024 I carved a series of abstract or semi-abstract shapes in small blocks of porcelain. By the end of my open studio weeks I had over twenty differently-shaped porcelain stamps (see photo below).
I decided that I would make a series of large jar-like pots of similar size and shape, each using a different stamp, pressing the stamp in repeatedly to cover an area of the surface. In my earlier pots, using a seashell, I had divided the surface into areas that had been textured in this way and other areas which remain smooth. In the new series of pots I did the same, and introduced a new element of design by relating the shapes of the textured and smooth areas to the shape of the stamp used for that pot. For example, if the shape of the stamp made me think of a flower I developed a design of textured and smooth areas which reflected this, but in a way which tried to maintain some ambiguity. I wanted a design on the edge of abstraction which hinted at meaning in a way that tickled the imagination without forcing it in a specific direction.
The textured areas of my pots make me think of the rough peel of a fruit, and the smooth areas the interior of the fruit when the peel has been removed. To enhance this impression I slightly indented the smooth areas when the pots were leather hard, so the textured areas look as if they overlay the smooth ones.
Finally, I wanted to emphasise the surface design by using different glazes on the smooth and textured areas. This involved the use of latex and/or wax resist at different stages of the glazing process. The glazes or slips used were chosen to develop interesting complexity in my salt/soda kiln – maybe crystallisation during cooling, or flow effects. It all adds to the layers of detail which give interest to the final pot.
After a year of making and firing I ended up with eighteen different pots, between 20 and 25 cm tall, which were on display (and for sale) at an exhibition in the Runway Gallery of The Base at Greenham, Berkshire, in October and November 2025. The exhibition was entitled The Edge of Abstraction.
Kevin Akhurst. November 2025
