Artists Statement

"What I am looking for in my work with 'clay and fire' lies in their own essential beauty and the play between them - a beauty subjective , difficult to define, control or repeat - something to do with chance coincidence. My methods are as simple / direct as possible where chance has space to surprise. This leads me along a narrow ridge between my will and that of the material".

"I make coil/slab-built Stoneware "Trompe-l'œil" objects, coloured with kaolin slips all wood-fired in a 6 ku/m chamber kiln. They give the idea of simple bowls and jars, of a tradition that has given me a lifelong fascination, but take them into another space of the mind".

    "ever tried, 
      ever failed,
      never mind, try again, fail again,
      fail beautifully"
       ("fail better" S. Beckett")

The Vessel and its Image (extract from the text in my new catalogue)

 McWilliam’s work inscribes itself into a very long tradition that dates far beyond the strands of modernity and the concept of art as we know it, at the same time as he points to the most advanced scientific studies. In premodern cultures the cultic object would form a bridge between this world and the divine forces beyond human understanding.

Today we investigate these fields in the context of consciousness studies, Superstring theory and quantum physics that all end up questioning the present view on reality. Both represent and materialize a connexion between the world as we know it, and the space that is beyond human consciousness. Compared to the cultic object, in a postmodern context McWilliam is able to create a similar passage, precisely because his works adapt and incorporate the postmodern reality.

The play with dimensions openly tells the story of postmodern deconstruction, but still, essence has not been lost. The extended awareness that is created as time and space merge offers us a possibility to get in touch with those deeper layers of human existence. The most existential experiences expressed in the humble form of a vessel. Clay, water and fire. Form leading to the formless. Space dissolving space. Dr. Louise Mazanti. Writer and lecturer, Denmark.

2013.  I have moved on from the “Kerr metric” describing space-time around rotating black holes to the ergosphere which is a region located outside a rotating black hole. Its name is derived from the Greek word ergon, which means “work”. It received this name because it is theoretically possible to extract energy and mass from the black hole in this region.

History

1957 Born in Cape-town.
1966 Family returns to England.
1976 Finish at Bournemouth Art School England.
1978 Finish at Dartington-Pottery-Workshop
~under P.Starkey , P.Cook, Dir. D. Leach
1978- 83 Experience in European and Japanese
~(Tamba, Shimizu san) workshops.
1983 Set up own workshop in N.Germany.
1994 Professional Member of the CPA, GB.
1996 Chairman of the' Werkschule' Oldenburg,
1997 Member of AKB, (D)
2001 Fellow of CPA (GB)
2007 Member of the International Academy of Ceramics

Collections

E- Cadaquès L'Amistad GalleriaD'Art.
D- Frankfurt Museum (MAK)
D- Westerwald Ceramic Museum.
NL- De Bilt, Rathaus
AUS- Gold Coast City Art Gallery
D- Clemenswerth Emsland Museum.
D- Wiesbaden, Naspa collection.
D- Leipzig, Grassimuseum.
D- Dresden, Museum
D- Hamburg, Museum
D- Bremen, Focke Museum
GB-Huttton in the Forest, Lord and Lady Inleworth collection
GB- London, Jerwood Collection
D- Berlin Keramik Museum
NL- Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, NL Leiden

Awards

2010 B- Raeren Euregio-Keramikpreises 2010
2003 GB- Potfest, The Sotheby's competition
2002 B- Andenne Biennale Jury and the Public prize
2001 D- 1st. Kultur preis Oldenburg
1998 D- Auguste-Papendieck-Preis, Focke Museum Bremen
1997 D- Grassi-prize, Grassimuseum Leipzig
         D- Erwin Amsink Förderpreis, Hamburg
1996 AUS- Gold Coast Honourable mention

Publications

D- Keramik Magazin Nr.6/ 1991, Nr.2/1998
D- Neue Keramik 2/1997, März/Aprill 1999
GB- Ceramic Review No.168 Nov -Dec 1997
D- Kunst und Handwerk 2/1998
AUS- Ceramics Art and Perception Nr.37 1999
IL- Ceramic Art Review_Winter 2001(Israel)
D- Neue Keramik 1/2006

Solo Exhibitions

2011
NL - Leiden, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
NL - Delft Gallery Terra
D - Frankfurt KUNST im blauen haus
2010
D - www.eckernfoerde.net/museum/index.html
2009
F - Gallery Le Fel Du Don www.poteriedudon.com
NL - Delft, Galerie Terra
D - Beverstedt, Kulturhof Heyerhöfen.
2008
D - Rothenburg- Kunstturm
NL - Margraten, Galerie Grootwelsden.
A - Tulln, www.artspectra.at.
2007
NL - Groningen, Galerie Albion Putti.
NL - Tilburg, Gal. Contrast
D - Bremen, Galerie Mönch
NL - Deventer, International Ceramics Gallery L&R
2006
ROK- Seoul, Gallery Tong-IN
D - Berlin, Galerie Theis
NL - Nijmegen, the Yard
2005
GB - Edinburgh, Scottish Gallery
D - Westerstede, Bahnhofsverein
F - Montsalvy, Gallery Du Don
F - Saint-Quinten-La-Poterie, Terra Viva
CH - Carougeois, Biennale
CH - Lausanne,Espaces Arts & Objets
NL - Groningen, Albion Putti
NL - Dekft, Terra
2004
F - Paris, Viaduc de Arts
GB - London, Cont. Ceramic-Gallery
D - Osterholz Scharmbeck, Kunstverein
NL - Tilburg, Gal. Contrast
D - Bonn, Galerie Hundertmark
2003
D - Beckum, Fourum KeramikD- Hüfingen, diegalerie
D - Lüneburg, Galerie Meyer
2002
D - Oldenburg, Landesmuseum (Catalogue)
D - Schleswig, Galerie Henningsen
NL - Dekft, Terra
D - Bremen, Galerie Mönch
D - Hamburg, Galerie M-Art
2001
D - Münster, Orangerie, Ulrike Kohrt-Sinner
NL - Groningen, Galerie Albion Putti.
2000
D - Hüffingen, Die Galerie
D - Hameln, Gallery Margret Faita
D - Chemnitz, Galerie Rosenkranz
CZ - Praha, Gallery Ivana Follovë
1999
D - Köln, Galerie Christophstraße
D - Oldenburg, Treuhand "Kunst am Langeweg"
NL - Groningen, Galerie Albion Putti.
D - Neustadtgödens, Galerie Schlieper
1998
D - Clemenswerth, Emslandmuseum
D - Bremen, Focke-Museum (Catalogue)
1997
NL - Groningen, Galerie Albion Putti
D - Oldenburg-Pulverturm (Catalogue)
D - Hüfingen Int. Keramikwochen
NL - Margraten, Galerie Groot Welsden
D - Frechen, Keramikmuseum.
1996
GB - London, Cont. Ceramic-Gallery (in the window)
D - Lüneburg Galerie Meyer
D - Neumünster , Galerie im Fürstenhof-
1995
D - Bissendorf, Darmstadt, Bonn, Hamburg, Hameln.
1993
E - Cadaquès, Spain, Galaria D`Art

Group Exhibitions

2011
B - EUREGIO-Keramikpreis 2010 www.toepfereimuseum.org
NL - NL-Gees, Dehullu Galerie-Beeldentuin
NL- Delft Gallery Terra"Masterpieces"
2010
UK - Worcester, The Gallery at Bevere
UK - Lancaster, www.arteriashop.co.uk/gallery23.shtml
F - Paris, Musée de Sèvres AIC
NL - Groningen, Oude Groninger Kerken
2009
D - www.worpsweder-kunsthalle.de
F - www.terraviva.fr
UK - London, Royal College of Art, "CAL 2009"
2008
C - IAC General Assembly
UK - St Ives, Leach Pottery Museum
UK - Kirdford, The Jozy Show
UK - Woodbury, Tim Andrews
2007
PL - Academy of Fine Arts Wroclaw “The Art of Fire”
D - Bad Zwischenahn, Galerie Moderne
GB - 50 years CPA "The Pot, the Vessel and the Object"
NL - Drente, Gallery Duhullu
GB - Glasgow- Bill Cliffe Gallery
GB - London, V&A Museum, "COLLECT"
GB - London, Royal College of Art, "CAL 2007"
D - Keramik Museum, Westerwald
2006
NL- De Bilt "Keramuze"
GB- Glasgow- Bill Cliffe Gallery
D- Koblenz, Int. Ceramic Competition
GB- Glasgow, "Glasgow Art Show"
GB- London, V&A Museum, "COLLECT"
GB- London, Royal College of Art, "CAL 2005"
2005
Korea- Cheongju "Tradition & Innovation" Symposium
GB- London, V&A Museum, "COLLECT"
D- Oldenburg, Stadmuseum, 20Jahre Werkschule.
GB- London, Royal College of Art, "CAL 2005"
D- Berlin, Rotunde der Dresdner Bank, "greenart"
CH-Montreux Art Show
D-Heidelberg,Marianne Heller
2004
D- Westerwald Keramik Museum
D- Clemenswerth, "Tete à Tete"
AUS- Sydney Meyer , Ceramic art int. Competition
2003
GB- Edinburgh, The Scottish Gallery
D- Landestrost, D- München- Maths and Art,
GB- Alfa House Gallery, D- Hannover- Die Farbe Weiss
D- Oldenburg Landesmuseum- Begegnung Israel
D- Güstrow- Triennale, NL- Tegelen Museum
J- Tokyo German Crafts
D- Schloß Pilsach- Summer Ex.
2002
F- Vallauris, Biennale
D- Koblenz, Int. Ceramic Competition
2001
I- Faenza, Int. Ceramic Competition
2000 USA- New York, German Art/Craft special exhibition; AUS-Gold Coast , Australia , Ceramic art int. Competition; 
1999 NL-De Bilt, "Keramuze"; GB-Rufford, "European Ceramics"; J- Tokyo, German craft special exhibition; E- L'Alcora international Competition; AUS- Gold Coast, Ceramic art Award; D- Erfurt, Augenlust - Contemp. German Craft .
1998 J- Tokyo, German craft special exhibition; A/S/F- Vienna, Stockholm, Paris-Louvre, 1st European Prize ~ for Cont. Art and Design-Led Crafts; J- Mashiko Int. Ceramic contest.
1997 J- Tokyo, German crafts special exhibition; E- Biennal Europea de Ceràmica; AUS- Sydney Meyer Fund, Int.Cer.Award; GB- Plymouth. Cont. Euro. Ceramics
1996 NL- De Bilt "Keramuze"; AUS- Gold Coast, Ceramic art~International Competition.
1995 D- Köln , Museum of Applied Art ~collection Adolf Egner; GB- London , V and A Museum ~"Studio Ceramics 94"
1994 D- Fankfurt "Trienale" Museum of Art and Craft
1993 GB- Dartington "60years retrospective"