THE WORK JACK CHOOSES TO MAKE
Jack went to the Ulster College of Art & Design wanting to become a painter. But after a visit to Lucie Rie’s studio he changed his mind. The completeness of her way of life made sense so he decided to make pots for a living. Designing
and making has shaped his career.Jack describes himself as being, interested in the particular usefulness of things, the sense of an object as being something which has a place in life. These pots are to do with function but are not necessarily about utility or usefulness, these are vessels for drinking, for sharing, for display and for storage;
"Drinking is a very intimate process.
I love drinking from cups without handles.
It allows you to physically experience the form
and substance of the pot by touching it to your lips,
holding and cradling it."
"Bowls are about giving and sharing.
They are open and generous,
the most essential of pottery forms."
"The cylinders are simple forms.
Their function, their reason to be,
is just to hold beautiful things.
I always have flowers around."
"The lidded pots are not just containers in a practical sense.
They are safe places to hold and protect the personal and vulnerable things
we don’t want to leave lying around.
I call them pots for secrets"