@CCCERAMICS INSTAGRAM
24.01.24
THE SECOND HALF FOUNDATION ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION
Lady Jill Shaw Ruddock CBE has selected nine of Caroline’s pots to include in her annual Art Exhibition to raise money for The Second Half Foundation. This is the 11th annual exhibition, it features the work of nine artists, all of whom are in the second half of their lives.
The catalogue for the show can be viewed here - pieces are already selling!
The show itself will be opened by Andrew Nairne OBE, Director of Kettle’s Yard:
18.30 on 21 March at The Second Half Centre at the NHS St Charles Hospital on Exmoor Street London W10 6DZ.
EVERYONE WELCOME
so put the date in your diary!
In addition, at 10am on 22 March, there will be a breakfast where Natalie Melton, Director of the Crafts Council will be speaking. The show is short and sweet - it closes at midday on 22nd. Half the proceeds go to the artists and half to support the Foundation.
Founded in May 2011, after the publication of Jill’s book: ‘The Second Half of Your Life’, about positive ageing, the mission of the Foundation is to create a self-sustaining template for successful ageing, through community hubs, where people can come together to continue learning, make new friends, feel a sense of community, and stay healthy. Currently 6000 people benefit from the centre’s activities.
30.11.23
THE BOTREE HOTEL, MARYLEBONE, LONDON
Artlink Inc asked Caroline for a totem pole to include in its designs for the BoTree luxury boutique hotel, located in Marylebone. The piece that was selected, entitled Ladder of Infinity, graces the entrance foyer alongside a number of other ceramics by local makers. To quote Artlink: “The installation orchestrates a delightful ballet, offering guests a dual journey through the fantastical and the tangible, forging a gateway to imagination and craft."
In addition to the curated artworks, the amazing photographer Alun Callendar was commissioned to take a series of photographs of the makers in their studios. Some of these are displayed in the main lobby, to “transcends traditional boundaries, becoming both a singular artwork itself and a seamless extension of the hotel’s curated art collection.”
31.10.23
CAMBRIDGE CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
Eight of Caroline’s pots were hand-picked for the CCA's 'Focus on Ceramics' show in October 2023. Specialising in handmade prints, paintings, sculptures and crafts, the gallery is located in the heart of the beautiful, historic university city of Cambridge. Since opening in 1990, it has gained a reputation for showing high quality work and innovative exhibitions of local, national and international artists.
30.09.23
A SCARAB COMMISSION
Following her solo show at the OXO Gallery, Caroline was commissioned to make this Scarab for a collector's new house. The colour ways and the basic pattern were discussed around a cup of coffee but the intricacy of the final piece has surprised everyone - it really resonates! This pot is about 170mm tall.
31.08.23
CERAMIC REVIEW
Ceramic Review ran a six-page feature on Caroline’s work in its October/November 2023 edition - which appeared in August!
The article, which is beautifully illustrated with some of Caroline’s most recent pots, was commissioned by Karen Bray and written by Elizabeth Lynch. It reflects on Caroline’s career and explains how her background has fuelled her fascination with the primal elements that frame her work: shape, colour, mathematical pattern making and texture.
30.06.23
THREE SMALL BOWLS
The intense colours and geometric patterns on these three small, jewel-like bowls are typical of Caroline Cole’s designs, creating three-dimensional, trompe l’oeil patterns that play games with the surfaces.
Caroline Cole Ceramics: Three Small Bowls
31.05.23
ANCIENT INSPIRATIONS
A visit to the amazing Nabataean Tombs in Hegra in November 2022 was the inspiration for this duo of pots: a Small Bowl and a Cinch Vase. The patterns reflect the deep shadows created by the bright sunlight falling on the sculpted entrances to the sandstone tombs, somehow echoing the beauty of the Arabic script of today.
30.04.23
A NEW STRING TO THE BOW
As part of the exhibition at the Oxo Gallery on London’s South Bank, Caroline Cole showcased a series of eight drawings. Inspired by the sketches that she creates when designing her pots. These drawings are a two-dimensional manifestation of her three-dimensional pattern making.
In addition, and to celebrate the show, two limited edition Risograph prints were made of two of her drawings.
To find out more, visit the drawings and prints page of this website.
31.03.23
OXO GALLERY EXHIBITION
More than 150 people attended the Private View and over 300 people visited the show in the days when it was open to the public. Pots, drawings and prints were sold in numbers. It was absolutely beyond dreams!
Thankyou so much to everyone involved: Marcus Cole and Issy Ogden for the beautiful curation; Florence Maschietto for words that brought the whole show to life; Alex Webb for the press photography; Anahi Copponex for making the fabric covers for the plinths and Morley von Sternberg for taking photos of the exhibition itself. Thanks also to the Oxo Gallery for being such accommodating hosts.
And, finally, huge thanks to the Blake Gallagher Trust (Los Angeles), Clemency Cartwright, Harriett Hindmarsh and Joe and Angela Spence for loaning pieces.
28.02.23
AN EXHIBITION: ORDER THROUGH PATTERN
Caroline’s first solo exhibition is taking place at gallery@oxo, OXO Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank.
Admission is free, and the show will be open to the public from 11.00 to 18.00 from 23 to 26 March
The exhibition will showcase six collections of non-circular ceramic works that have emerged from the confluence of shape, colour, texture and surface. This assembling of handcrafted objects explores the unpremeditated interactions between these primal elements when combined with mathematical and scientific pattern work, to achieve a harmonious sense of order.
Caroline Cole said: “This art is not commentary. It does not grow from the human condition. Instead, it is founded on primal elements that will frame our existence for as long as there is light in the universe with which to see: shape, colour and texture.”
gallery@oxo is owned and managed by Coin Street Community Builders: www.coinstreet.org
31.12.22
A FAREWELL TO 2022…. AND TO A HANDFUL OF POTS….
As 2022 draws to a close, four pots have gone from the studio. They will be missed but hopefully appreciated in their new homes.
30.11.22
SKETCHES FROM THE PAST
It’s taken a while but Caroline’s sketchbooks from 2021 have now been uploaded onto this website. To see them - and those from other years as well, do take a look here.
31.10.22
SICILIAN INSPIRATION
The latest addition to the Flat Oval Collection, inspired by the greens and blues of Sicily and the gently wafting palms surrounding the wonderful Egesta in Calatafimi,
30.09.22
POTS ON THE OUTSIDE
Four pots were taken outside and photographed in the urban landscape of South London. It is interesting to see how perceptions change in the great outdoors
31.08.22
VENITIAN INSPIRATIONS
This addition to the Bottle Collection is inspired by a summer trip to Venice. The colours, the buildings and the rhythmic geometry they create. The sketches were the foundation for the final patterns that emerged, creating a pot with two very different faces, and yet, two faces that are linked and complementary.
31.07.22
YING AND YANG
These two little Droplets - shown side by side in both of these pictures - have the same colours and the same patterns. But they are juxtaposed, so where there is colour on one, there is white on the other, and vice versa. The result is two remarkably different pots.
30.06.22
MENHIR SEASONS
So, here is Summer, completing the Menhir Seasons. Four Menhirs, one for each season: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
31.05.22
ACROSS THE COLLECTIONS
When gathered together, the pieces from across the different collections sit in remarkable harmony - shapes, colours and patterns all feel comfortable together, despite the variety.
30.04.22
HOUSE & GARDENS!
A real pleasure to see the richly patterned Spiralling Arrows 1 Bowl featured in the 2022 Country House issue of House & Gardens.
31.03.22
SPRINGTIME
Pots with flowers to herald a new, hopefully COVID-free, year.
28.02.22
DARK AND LIGHT : SOLID AND VOID
The pattern on this Twisted Oval Vase explores the interplay between dark and light, solid and void. The blue glaze subtly brightens as the darker colour dissipates towards the top of the pot.
31/12/21
THREE NEW PIECES THAT LINK THREE COLLECTIONS
Although these three pieces come from different Collections (Bottles, Scarabs and Droplets), they are clearly from the same family. The pattern is similar on each, and the gently fading, yet still vibrant colours are echoed. Despite the similarities, the pattern behaves differently on each piece, creating trompe l’oeil effects, fern-like leaves and sharp arrows depending on the shape of the piece and the angle from which they are viewed.
30/11/21
THE NEW DROPLET COLLECTION IS FILLING OUT!
Six little droplets - three of each shape. Each stands only 150mm tall and yet, with its strong geometric pattern that flow with the form and a strikingly unusual colour palette, each still manages to command a room
When you see them together, the intensity grows, as they invoke the riot of colours and patterns of swirling folk costumes at a country dance.
31/10/21
ADDITIONS TO THE LATEST COLLECTION
These two bottles with their fading patterns manage to convey both playfulness and elegance at the same time.
30/09/21
A NEW COLLECTION COMES TO FRUITION
The first iterations of Caroline Cole’s Bottle Collection pick up on the theme of Trompe L’oeil that has been a feature of many of her previous works. This time Caroline has experimented with slabs of gently textured colour, relying simply on the geometry of the shape to create trompe l’oeil effects.
31/08/21
POTS IN THEIR NEW HOMES
It is always wonderful to see pots in their new homes. Here are two images. One showing the vertical rhythm of books and records singing along with the stripes on the Menhir. The other showing how the delicate colours in the Trompe L’oeil Scarab are paired with the gentle pastels of the centre-piece painting. Both seem quite content!
30/07/21
A BIRTHDAY COMMISSION
A wonderful commission to create a special birthday gift.
The client loved the enigmatic patterns on one of the previous Trompe L’oeil pieces in Caroline’s Scarab Collection. Couple this with the brief that the person who was to receive this vase was a ‘blue’ person, the pattern on this commissioned piece focused on shades of blue, from the deepest navy, through intense electric blue to a delicate lavender, off set by textured matt and glossy whites.
29/06/21
ANOTHER NEW COLLECTION IS UNDERWAY
Having worked with the tall pieces in the Menhir and Totem Pole Collections, Caroline Cole has been looking to create a collection of smaller, easily handled ceramic vases. These two little droplets, standing only 150mm tall are the result.
28/05/21
BOWL ON A STALK
Inspired by the extraordinarily beautiful Islamic bowls at the V&A, this bowl has been given a tall footer; the colours of the trompe l’oeil pattern are drawn from tulips in Caroline Cole’s garden. The result is a statement piece that is both dramatic and formal but with a delicacy that comes from the gentle spring colours.
29/04/21
THE START OF A NEW COLLECTION
In early 2020, Caroline Cole created a twisted hand built piece, rhomboid in plan with a classic bottle silhouette in elevation. Over the year of lock-down, Caroline has returned again and again to this piece, intrigued and inspired by the possibilities that are inherent in its simple yet powerful shape. Now, the piece has become the basis of a new collection that is coming to fruition. Watch this space!
25/03/21
A COMMISSIONED POT
The collector wanted a ceramic vase from Caroline Cole's Totem Pole collection and specified colours that reminded her of her trips to Sicily. Vivid blues, earthy browns and terracottas, dark greens and sparkling whites. The glaze colours were discussed and trialed before being applied. The result is both classic and vibrant.
22/02/21
SOMETHING NEW….
Unusually, the pattern on this Menhir is founded on nature's geometries rather than geometries generated through mathematical sequences. It is reminiscent of an autumn leaf, or perhaps a river delta. The pattern creeps across the surface of the pot with a texture that is almost alive, evoking the skin of an alligator or crocodile. The result is quite different from other pots in the Menhir collection.
21/01/21
A LOVELY START TO THE NEW YEAR
Another scarab has gone to a new home, and the first commission of 2021 has arrived….
The commission is for a Totem Pole - now in the making. It is at that tantalising stage of offering a blank canvas waiting to spring into life. It is to be inspired - at the client’s request - by the colours of Sicily. What a wonderful brief.
19/12/2020
THE SCARABS HAVE STARTED FLYING!
This week, two scarabs have gone to new homes. While it is sad to see them go, it is lovely to know that they will be enjoyed by others.
16/11/2020
WINDOWS ON THE WORLD
The gridded pattern on this new addition to the Flat Oval Collection is reminiscent of the relentless array of windows in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. By contrast, the pastel shades of the graded light shining through each window, evoke serene and peaceful skies, far removed from human intervention.
15/10/2020
A TRIPTYCH OF SCARABS
Two patterns decorate these three new additions to Caroline Cole’s Scarab Collection. They appear individually on two of the pots, and are combined on the third, creating a harmonious triptych, where each piece stands alone but is somehow enriched by the proximity of the others in the group.
10/09/2020
POTS IN THEIR NEW HOMES
Here are three of Caroline’s pots happily ensconced in their new homes. The Large Bowl is sitting below an Anthony Caro folding book, and the two Cinched Oval Vases are playing second fiddle to a lovely Miró print.
15/08/2020
A PIXILATED FLAT OVAL VASE
Lockdown has been all about subdued blues and greens. This Flat Oval Vase bucks the trend with deep browns and oranges combined with vibrant blues. A summer pot!
20/07/2020
A NEW TROMPE L’OEIL MENHIR
Through the very simple use of three base colours, the pattern on this Menhir makes the smooth surface look carved. The juxtaposition of underglazes and matt glazes adds further depth.
13/06/2020
A NEW COMMISSION
This birthday commission for Flossie is one of the first times Caroline has worked with terracotta slip. It has been created through a wonderful working collaboration, where Caroline has been encouraged to explore new ideas to match the new material. Ensuring that the electric blue and the turquoise underglazes sing out from the earthy base colour was a key aspiration.
09/05/2020
WOVEN MENHIR
The majestic shape of the Menhir is accentuated by the woven pattern on this piece. The spring time colours bring hope at a time of lock-down.
02/04/2020
THE SCARAB: A NEW FORM
Introducing a new shape: the Scarab. It is wonderfully curvaceous from one angle and quite constrained from the other. It seems to offer endless opportunities to invent trompe l’oeil patterns, while encouraging a surprising range of more free-flowing geometric patterns.
08/03/2020
TOTEM POLE PRIME NUMBER 5
Another iteration of this twisting form. Decorated with a pattern, derived from prime numbers, that becomes increasingly complex and intricate as it moves up the pot. The colours here are inspired by the beautiful city of Venice: the light, the water and the buildings!
04/02/2020
EXPLORING A NEW FORM
This is a new shape: the Menhir.
It feels strong yet elegant with its wide flat face and tall elongated side view. As with many of Caroline’s moulds, it can be cast both ways up, and it is surprising how different the shape feels in each iteration. Here are the first two Menhirs, which develop two themes that Caroline has explored in her past work: woven patterns and trompe l’oeil.
03/01/2020
TOTEM POLE PRIME NUMBERS 4
The twisting form and the complexity of this pattern, derived from prime number sequences, is given a pure simplicity by the restrained use of colour. The result is surprisingly calming.
