Transcript Clarice Cliff PowerPoint

Clarice Cliff
Ceramicist
• Clarice Cliff was born in Stoke-on-Trent in
1899 and started working at the age of 13.
• Clarice Cliff's fame and success in the
1930s are hard to fully appreciate now, but
at that time there was no such thing as
'career women'. The publicity she received
in the national press was unprecedented.
• By the First World War (1916), she moved
to the AJ Wilkinson's pottery factory.
Clarice was given her own studio. The
famous 'Bizarre' wares launched 1927.
• In 1928 Clarice produced a simple, hand painted pattern
of Crocus flowers in orange, blue and purple, each flower
being constructed with confident upward strokes.
• Then green leaves were added by holding the piece upside
down and painting thin lines amongst the flowers. Being
made from the individual brushstrokes, the Crocus
pattern was clearly completely hand-painted, and the
vibrant colours instantly attracted large sales
Trees & House (Alpine)
orange colourway Teapot set
in conical shape. 1929 - 31.
Consisting of Teapot Creamer and Sugar. Fantasque
Bizarre by Clarice Cliff,
Handpainted, Newport
Pottery, England.
'Ravel' shows
an abstract,
cubist pattern
on Conical
shape coffee
pot, sugar and
cream, 1930.
These angular
and geometric
designs are
described as
‘Art Deco’ style.
• Cliff's patterns are highly stylised and interpreted
in strong colours, such as the 1933 Honolulu
pattern.
• The trees are enamelled in red (coral) orange and
yellow. Cliff produced a colourway variation on
this by simply changing the trees to shades of blue
and pink, and this was then called Rudyard after a
local Staffordshire beauty spot.
During the War
Clarice Cliff (right) with
visitors to Newport
Pottey in 1933
During World War II (1939-45) only
plain white pottery (utility ware) was
permitted under wartime regulations,
so Cliff assisted with management of
the pottery but was not able to
continue design work.
• Clarice Cliff is, today, regarded as one of the
most influential ceramics artists of the 20th
Century and her work is collected, valued
and admired the World over.
Examples of Art Deco Style
To summarise
• Clarice Cliff was famous in the 1930’s for
her Art Deco style ceramics. (Pottery)
• Her ranges (e.g. ‘Bizarre’, ‘Honolulu’,
‘Crocuses’) were extremely popular and
she was the first really famous female
designer in Britain.
• She stopped production due to wartime
restrictions which meant only white pottery
could be produced.