Dennis Farrell

Dennis Farrell was born in Liverpool in 1949, attending St Helens School of Ar t and the Polytechnic Wolverhampton gaining a Diploma in Ar t & Design, Ceramics in 1971. He has lectured at St Helens school of Art, Blackburn School of Art, Harrogate College of Arts andTechnology and the University of Wolverhampton. He has been a guest lecturer/ demonstrator for colleges and ceramics groups across the UK.

“My work for ‘Collage’ has been formed by layering materials, then cutting and re-rolling clays to build complex surfaces.The resulting coloured clay slabs have been joined together to construct new forms. Visual themes focus on moments of light, shadow and texture observed in intimate spaces and sweeping vistas.
Most clay forms are produced by hand-built techniques using red earthenware blended with black stoneware crank clays; a few forms were produced using a white earthenware clay. White engobe is applied to the clay surface, sometimes being drawn through when wet. Found materials and ground fired clay granules have been rolled into the clay slabs which are then brushed with coloured engobes; underglaze colours are then worked together on the leather hard clay surface like paint on canvas. After a first firing, further underglaze colour may be added sometimes using hand cut sponge shapes before forms are brushed with transparent glazes and fired to 1120 ̊C.“