Peter Hayes Sculpture
www.peterhayes-ceramicss.uk.com
“My main aim in my work is not to
compete with nature; but for the work
to evolve within the environment”.
One of the major introductions into
ceramics was digging Neolithic iron
age and Roman samien shards on
archaeological digs somewhere in
Wales while trying to survive as an art
student in Birmingham.
I have always been interested in
the history of ceramics – why and
how ‘things’ are made of clay. This
interest was extended after I spent
several years travelling through Africa
working with various tribes and village
potters and being intrigued how, with
limited technology and basic tools,
they were able to get such exquisite,
beautiful surfaces. I found the same
inherent skills in India, Nepal, Japan
and New Mexico. I tried to adopt
the ideas picked up from my travels
in my own work. By building up
layers of textured clay combined with
burnishing and polishing of surfaces, I
try to achieve opposites of rough and
smooth.
I have been working on large scale
ceramic forms which I have placed in
the landscape. My main aim is that
the work should not compete with
the landscape, but evolve within the
environment. With this in mind I have
introduced other minerals into the
Raku ceramic surface such as iron and
copper. With the elements of time
and erosion, the individual piece ta