Stephen Bird - Industrial Sabotage
24 October, 2008 - 19 November, 2008

Stephen Bird makes ceramics that toy with convention. Stephen was born in Stoke-on-Trent – England’s Pottery District – so-called because it was the town in which Royal Doulton, Spode and Wedgewood were founded. His deliberate use of the industrial techniques and materials of his hometown form a practice he has dubbed ‘industrial sabotage’.

In this exhibition, his second at Ray Hughes Gallery, he plays with the forms of traditional ceramics – platters, vases and toby jugs. Stephen’s pieces are heavily detailed in unexpected ways – a string of dolls heads form the handle of cup; Mickey Mouses and Jammy Dodgers protrude from the limbs of bearded figures; birds feature frequently. References to art history, mythology and politics mingle with pop culture artefacts to create vibrant hybrids.