I discovered Barry Guppy's evening pottery classes when I flicked through a ‘Time Out—London’ magazine that someone had left on one of the seats of my train. I attended his classes on a Thursday, after I finished my day working at the Arts Council of England. Soon I began turning up for a clay session on a Saturday too. Guppy had studied under Lucie Rie and Hans Coper. He then taught beside them at Camberwell College of Arts. I attended Guppy's workshop classes for two years, then moved to Maine in the US, bought a potter's wheel and a kiln and set up a studio of my own in Blanchard Township.
I began selling my work in 2001 when I helped set up a local Arts and Crafts co-operative called Lake Hebron Artisans in Monson, Maine. There I curated small exhibitions and installations often including my own work. My work has also been exhibited at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA), the Center for Maine Craft, Aarhus Gallery in Belfast, at the University of Maine Museum of Art (UMMA), Susan Maasch's Fine Arts Gallery in Portland and Maine Craft Portland. I sell and ship my work nationally and internationally.
It was the tactility and the physicality of throwing which initially drew me to clay. I build my utilitarian work with stoneware thrown on a potter's wheel, which I adapt, alter or augment. I make models which helps me refine my ideas in preparation for my sculptural work. Over time, I’ve created a repertoire of signature motifs that I reuse and build upon. A minimalist at heart, I favor clean lines and solid bold colors to accentuate form. Weight, feel and texture are important to me but form is fundamental. My work is a studied exploration towards what I am curious about and what I find beautiful.
Click here to view my Resumé
Click here for the Makers of Maine podcast and article, "Jemma Gascoine Crafts Pottery With Clean Lines & Solid Colors; She Is Based In Monson & Has A Focus In Sculpture".
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