The winner of BBC’s Great Pottery Throw Down, Matthew Wilcock, will reveal how his latest work is inspired by ancient pots held in Harrogate at a special ‘Meet the Artist’ event at the town’s Mercer Art Gallery on Saturday 12 November 2016.
Matthew, who is currently Resident Potter at Giggleswick School, will be revealing how he first got involved in ceramics and what he’s been up to in the twelve months since he won ‘Throw Down’.
Matthew is one of eight top Yorkshire craft makers who have been commissioned by the Mercer Art Gallery to make new work specifically for sale through the gallery shop.
The project, funded by an Arts Council grant, has seen the craft makers explore different aspects of Harrogate Borough Council’s museums service collections, and produce new work in response.
Jane Sellars, Cultural Services Manager with Harrogate Borough Council, said:
The Arts Council Grant provided us with more than one brilliant opportunity. We were able to invite outstanding artists and makers such as Matthew to explore our diverse collections, and we have also been able to increase sales in the gallery shop, all of which helps to support our high quality exhibitions.
Matthew has taken his inspiration from Harrogate’s outstanding collection of Ancient Greek and Cypriot pottery. He said:
The work I have produced for the Mercer Gallery really is some of my most exciting work yet. Getting the chance to work with a collection so vast, and the opportunity to inspect and handle ceramics dating back thousands of years is very rare.
The pots here demonstrate a moment in time which has happened and is now long preserved. This new work, though, is at the beginning of its life.
Meet the Artist: Matthew Wilcock is at the Mercer Art Gallery on Saturday 12 November, 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Tickets cost £6. To book, telephone 01423 556188 or e-mail museums@harrogate.gov.uk
