(2017-2018) ‘Heyop Church Series’ centres on the research of Alfred Watkins, a Herefordian naturalist from the early 1900’s. I am fascinated by the mystery surrounding Watkins’ work which includes photographs of Herefordshire and maps documenting connections between ancient sites.

In this series I explore using the words ‘Heyop Church’ as a starting point to conjure up a mental image and a feeling of something that has never been seen before. The title ‘Heyop Church’ came from one of Alfred Watkins’ maps. To me the words that evoke the feeling regarding ‘Heyop Church’ are: tall, dark, towering, spire. I have therefore been creating works with these words in mind. I have used black stoneware clay to echo the mysterious mood that to me Watkins’ research captures. In combination with texture I have used grey slips and underglazes to create monoprinted surfaces which reference elements from churches, such as roof tiles. The form of the works allude to features from church architecture such as the angles of towers and spires. Some pieces through their structure reflect both the interior and exterior of buildings. The abstract nature of these pieces echoes the bringing together of past memories, buildings and places in order to evoke a sense of place.

These works range in height from 7cm - 32cm. Medium: black stoneware clay, coloured slips and underglaze. All photos courtesy of Dan Barker Studios.

A selection of these pieces are available to purchase directly from my studio. Please CONTACT me if you require further details about the works.