Fragile Forms
Rachel Vosper
69 Kinnerton Street, SW1X
Jess Carter's ceramic works occupy space between vessel, sculpture and natural specimen. They appear less like objects that have been designed in a conventional sense, and are more like forms that have grown, weathered, erupted or accumulated over time. Their surfaces are central to their presence; ridged, encrusted, folded, spiked but always softened by Jess' handmade unique glazes. They invite a closer look and physical curiosity. Each piece carries a strong sense of touch, with the hand of the maker visible in the irregularity of the form and the vitality of the surface.
The works draw on the visual language of the natural world without becoming literal representations of it. They suggest flowers, shells, coral, seed pods, bark, mineral deposits, marine organisms and geological formations, yet they remain ambiguous strange, delicate and resilient, domestic and wild. The vessel form is often present, but it is pushed towards something more sculptural and instinctive, where usefulness gives way to atmosphere, texture and emotional presence.
Colour plays an equally important role. Carter's glazes range from soft, chalky and aquatic tones to darker, earthier greens, smoky greys, intense blues and hot volcanic reds. These colours are not simply to decorate the forms; they seem to emerge from within the clay itself, pooling in recesses, catching on raised edges and deepening the sense of organic growth. The result is a body that feels alive with movement, as though the surfaces are still changing before the viewers eyes.
Together the ceramics form is a tactile landscape of natural references and imaginative transformation. They speak of fragility, protection, growth, decay and renewal, while remaining an intimate handmade quality. Carter's practice celebrates clay as a material capable of holding both rawness and refinement, a medium though which the natural world can be reimagined as something sensuous, sculptural and quietly powerful.
Now in Permanent collection