Artist: Joseph Ludkin
Joseph Ludkin, UNITED KINGDON
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I live and work in South East London in the United Kingdom. I currently balance my time between teaching and tutoring design at College and University level and my ceramic and design craft practice.
My Pottery and Ceramic Art practice is influenced by a wide range of stimuli including Japanese, Chinese and Korean aesthetics, techniques and philosophies as well as contemporary British, European and American studio pottery.
My practice consists of one off pieces or series of related works that explore aesthetics, philosophies, contemporary and traditional cultures, materials, techniques, processes and context; although quite often functional I would place my work somewhere between the home and the gallery, a mix of functional design with the conceptual intentions of art practice.
I incorporate found and donated materials in in my work, I dig local clays for the clay body mixes, slip decoration and combine them with ash from organic sources such as trees, shrubs and plants to make the majority of my glazes. I feel this ‘homemade’ approach brings me closer to the work I produced and creates a narrative that discusses the relationships between objects, people and places. Although not intentionally political my work resonates with issues surrounding Identity, borders, boundaries, concepts of cultural appropriation and globalization.
The Yunomis I have exhibited for the 2018 Yunomi invitational are part of my ‘Fire and Ice’ series; The fire and Ice series explores the relationship between the conscious and unconscious the planned and the unplanned. The Yunomis have been heavily inspired by Wabi Sabi philosophy and represent a new approach to my making for 2018. Some elements of these vessels are planned and designed, other elements developed through sub conscious reactions to the materials in front of me.
The name ‘Fire and Ice’ is a response to the aesthetic qualities of the pieces but also the concept behind the making process. ‘Fire and Ice’ refers to two entities that can be man-made, intended, conscious and controlled but that can also exist naturally and evolve on their own without consciousness or intention.
Both the Fire and Ice Yunomis incorporate local materials to my studio/house which also creates a ‘Geo Loci’ persona for my work.
EDUCATION
GCSE and A’level qualifications – Wymondham College, Norfolk
Foundation Diploma in art and design - Norwich School of Art and Design
BA honors degree in Design - Goldsmiths College, London
MA honors degree in Critical theory and practice - Goldsmiths College, London
PCERT Teaching qualification – Greenwich University, London
EMPLOYMENT
Junior designer - Jan Mellis (Droog) and Ben Oostrum (MNO), Rotterdam, Netherlands
Visiting eco design lecturer - Goldsmiths College, London
Studio technician - Shooters Hill College, London.
Part time Teacher of Graphic design, product design and architecture - Shooters Hill College, London
Part time Art and Design Department Coordinator – Shooters Hill College, London
Part time Teacher of Pottery and Ceramics – The mews pottery, London
Freelance graphic and product designer
Inventor and owner of ‘Reelwings’. Company that makes and sells synthetic insect wings for fly tying and
model making.
Ceramicist, Potter and Designer – Joseph Ludkin studio, London.
Visiting Tutor MA Design - Goldsmiths College, London. Starts April 2018
CERAMIC AND POTTERY SHOWS
2017 Mews pottery, autumn show – London
2018
Clay Akar Yunomi invitational, Iowa City, United States.
‘Surface’ exhibition – Claystore, Peckham, London
The Kiln rooms summer show – The Kiln rooms, Peckham, London
Tactile Minds - London Design week, London