Created in her studio in Penwith, Cornwall, Rebecca Harvey's Cornish Pots are inspired by Cornwall's natural beauty, blue skies and white-crested waves. We're stocking the Cornish Pots Shoreline range in the Museum Gift Shop and chatted to Rebecca about her processes and inspirations.
Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a ceramicist?
I’ve always enjoyed making things and as a 70’s child growing up I remember gardening, growing fruit and vegetables, making fudge and bread. I’ve been creating with clay now for nearly thirty years. I followed a ceramics educational journey with a degree and masters. Initially a Crafts Council grant supported me to set up a studio.
What makes Cornwall the perfect location for your creative practice?
My father is Cornish and I fondly remember visiting my grandparents, often spending the six week Summer holidays in Penzance. It was an intuitive calling to have a creative life in Cornwall and I’ve have always felt that I belonged here with so many childhood memories attached to the area.
I collect inspiration like a magpie, noticing an eclectic mix of colours, textures and shapes. I absorb seasonal changes in the skies, hedgerows and the ancient landscape of West Penwith. I can feel the seas rhythm and close connection of the seascape whilst rowing in Mounts Bay. These observations are often simplified and translated onto the surface of the pots as decoration.
Cornwall has such a rich pottery heritage, how does this tradition influence your contemporary approach to making ceramics here?
I was lucky enough to be taught by key studio pottery figures and have felt grounded but not constrained by the discourse of studio ceramics. I’ve long admired the traditions of slipware and particularly that of Michael Cardew. The dialogue between the historical and contemporary is an ongoing conversation within my practice.
Can you walk us through your creative process, from the initial idea to the finished piece?
I enjoy throwing with a smooth creamy clay, rich in kaolin from St Austell. The light body gives a bright ground for the contrasting coloured slips to be applied.
On the wheel the clay is malleable, has a memory and acts as a reflection of the shape of my hands. There is a trace of myself as a maker and the craftsmanship of understanding the materials. Each pot that I make has been made with an attention to detail and is imbued with skill and time in the making. An antidote to the mass produced, machine-made throw-away culture. It is a privilege to enrich the everyday lives of people by making pots for them to enjoy through use.
What does it mean to you to have your work stocked at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall?
I am delighted to have my work at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. I especially enjoy visiting with my daughter who loves boats and being on and in the water. I’m particularly drawn to the shapes of the vessels. My Grandfer was born in Newlyn and I remember wandering with him around the harbour looking at the boats. His brothers had been fishermen and he worked as a stone mason for Trinity Lighthouse, maintaining aid to maritime navigation.
Shop the Cornish Pots Shoreline Collection
