Simon Carroll English, 1964-2009
"Staffordshire slipware, Elizabethan ruffles, an American military jacket I saw in a book, three Mexican sombreros and a fish"
'Born in 1964, Simon Carroll has become well known for his exuberant, often challenging ceramic vessels. Uniquely expressive, his pots deconstruct the history of ceramics, particularly 19th century English slipware, whilst drawing inspiration from an eclectic range of sources, including Elizabethan ruffles, sombreros, Cornish wind-farms and his own experience of working on the land. Intuitively constructed, the pots take on a vitality of their own, breaking all conventions of the finished work; walls crack, bases list, classic lines are pummeled, references deliberately clash, surfaces are inconsistent. Carroll is a potter whose work is equally informed by his painting and printmaking as well as his large-scale raked beach drawings. The resulting forms with their areas which are richly painted or dripped with slips and glazes, are energetic and engaging, with a surreal wit which challenges the boundaries of ceramics and sculpture. Although still relatively unknown, Carroll has exhibited internationally and is a Visiting Lecturer at the Royal Collecge of Art. He is represented in both the V&A and Crafts Council Collections.'
Emmanuel Cooper, 2005
Simon Carroll was born in Hereford and educated at Hereford College of Arts followed by UWE Bristol where he was taught by Mo Jupp and Walter Keeler. Intrigued by the notion of touch, he became artist in residence at the Royal National College for the Blind in the early 1990s.
A breakthrough show at Tate St Ives, beach drawings and the Arts Foundation Prize, Carroll exhibited, lectured and demonstrated his craft from Hong Kong to the United States gaining international recognition.
Carroll considered Picasso and Matisse important influences and for his Collins Gallery show in Glasgow cited "Staffordshire slipware, Elizabethan ruffles, an American military jacket I saw in a book, three Mexican sombreros and a fish".
Selected Exhibitions
Permanent Collections
