Newtown # 02: Gerit Grimm

So I'm running slightly behind schedule today as yesterday I was working until 1AM in the studio. I have learned that not only does this course like up to its monicker of "Work Intensive," but also that I am getting older and physically I need to sleep occasionally, so lets all just pretend for the sake of argument that this is backdated by a day!

"Todays" lecturer was Gerit Grimm. I had not actually heard of Gerit until I saw the list of artists teaching on the program, but she has a truly interesting approach to figurative sculpture, but I'm jumping the gun here.

Gerit was raised in the area formerly known as East Germany. She is an adorably sweet lady with a cheeky Germanic element to her personality and while in E. Germany she trained as a production potter. This has fed back into her work insomuch as she produces wonderful responses to figurines using wheel thrown elements.

Gerit has recently been working on a body of work currently on display at the Long Beach Museum of Art that is a response to the Museum's Staffordshire Figurine Collection. This is something that is close to my heart, being something of a Staffordshire figurine myself, and most definitely being a fellow Stoke-on-Trent export. This body of Gerit's work are all made from one type of clay which is put through a reduction firing to produce a wonderfully rich chocolately colour. The pieces have the effect of looking as though they are still in the state of being wet clay, however they are fired up to stoneware. Although I do not ever throw myself, it was fascinating to watch her process and hear about the technical considerations such as the migration of the various elements. 

One of the running themes I am noticing from the lecturing artists is that you cannot always micromanage clay sculpture and you have to be willing to just accept that things like cracks and slumping is part and parcel of the medium, which is actually surprisingly relieving and empowering.

The sculptures range in size from about 36 inches tall to more than life size, with my personal favourites being those that are somewhere in the middle scale-wise. I don't want to go on too much about Gerit today as I am going to go view her show in a few days and then I will talk more about the work again, so for now I shall sign off, although my next entry will hopefully be tonight to get me back on track!