Ceramic artist Gareth Mason showcases 'Wild Clay’ at Jason Jacques Gallery

What appears as a wonted element of nature from afar, holds the power to shape itself in the most astonishing forms and shapes. Clay has an essence of innate wilderness that cannot be tamed but can only be shaped. In an intensely expressive exhibition, legendary ceramist Gareth Mason platforms the artistic ability of clay, as a medium with an essence of the untamed wilderness. The exhibition ‘Wild Clay’ is being held at the Jason Jacques Gallery from July 14, 2022, to August 14, 2022, featuring a wide assortment of extraordinary pieces by the British sculptor and artist. "We love glittering things brought into being by forces beyond our ken. We want to bear witness and to know awe. Clay has this potential in spades," says Gareth Mason upon the conception of the objective collection.

Diving into the extraordinarily imaginative world of Gareth Mason, one cannot help but notice the nearly-bewildering thought behind his ideation of art. The British sculptor uses his creative prowess to not just express art as a really strong emotion but also to uplift different mediums that he uses to a level of supremacy. “The idea that art emanates from a place where there are no roads is a bit of a cliché but I confess a weakness for it. Off the beaten track, different skills are required and jeopardy is ever-present. The net result is an enhanced experience. Ask any mountaineer. It is alluring, but the wilderness is not for everyone,” asserts Mason assessing art as an ability.

The clay vessels that Gareth Mason designed are complex, weary and completely organic in their outlook. He created them using repurposed shards of pottery pieces with lustrous paints and polishes that makes each of his pieces unique and unapologetically filled with raw emotions. According to Gareth, the beauty of each piece was achieved only after establishing the wild and untamed nature of clay, which usually takes a back seat in the process of transportation and mass production. It is only after incorporating a human touch, that the natural material regains its original personality. Furthermore, the artist also compliments the abilities of fire as a natural element and his kiln, for adding to his efforts and empowering his beautiful clay vessels to complacency. “The wilds are both palpable and ethereal. Such are our powers of projection, a blister, a crack, a luscious drip, each affects us viscerally. This embodies intelligence in action. Then the imagination: my paltry dalliance in 'the wilds' pales before its untrammelled potency. I credit everyone with this power. Emotion and reason are indivisible and each of my objects proffers its testimony to this. The wilds of clay call to our sensitised emergent curiosity, the very wilds of aesthetic arousal,” says the British artist.

In a world that thrives on proposing every material medium in a constructed structure or frame, Mason’s vessels appear unobstructed by any set shape. They are free flowing and hold pure forms of ceramic microcosms that if released in a natural setting will perfectly blend in as the ethereal, wild and unabashed creations of mother earth.

Gareth Mason is a fellow of the Craft Potters Association and also a member of the Art Workers Guild, London. His practice holds a rich cultural and visual density, uplifting him from being not just an exceptional artist but also an art educator. With an illustrious career spanning three decades, his works have been showcased in individual as well as group shows across the globe.

The exhibition will be on display at Jason Jacques Gallery from July 14, 2022, to August 14, 2022.