Vivienne Foley (Photography)
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Overview
My flower form photography has developed over the years and plays into my ideas and the challenges that working with clay presents. Taken as square format colour transparencies on a Mamia twin lens camera in natural studio light, I used plant material to confront the texture and form of my sculptural porcelain.
Over the years, Vivienne has established a significant international reputation for her complex porcelain structures. Less well-known is her long-held interest in photography. Whether in clay or camera, creating a sense of the organic has always been her goal.
Using photography as a source for ceramic inspiration, she often pairs exotic flowers with new work from the kiln. Using delicate, living materials juxtaposed with the living nature of two opposites and hard-fired clay allows Vivienne to explore and distil thoughts and ideas for future works.
Assembling groups and focussing on curves and angles through a lens helps distil her thoughts and plan future works. Since each porcelain grows from the organic process of throwing, it became a natural progression to look at them in conjunction with botanical material. Discovering structures within plants and correlating them to glaze textures and the varying hard profiles resulted in beautiful and unique images celebrating the qualities of both.
Individual unframed photographs £975
Examples of Vivienne's ceramics and bronzes can be viewed here. -
Works
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Protea in Becky's Vase, 1998
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Magnolia in Ivory Forked Vase, 2000
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Pincushion Protea in Ivory Crackle Vase, 2004
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Strelitzia in Blackbird Vase, 1998
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Pear Blossom in Classic Blue Ice Vase, 2008
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Anthurium in Black Boat Necked Vase, 2000
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Maidenhair Fern in White Funnel Necked Vase, 1996
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Bromelaid in Black Butterfly Vase, 1997
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Strelitzia in Ivory Winged Form Vase, 1999
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Pincushion Protea in Black Tulip Vase, 2000
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Sedge in Funnel Neck Vases, 1996
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Ginger Flower with Crackle Glazed Vases, 2003
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