Peter Moss FSDC

Ceramics

About Peter
Peter Moss draws inspiration for his decorative and sculptural ceramics from archaic art forms, contemporary influences and the landscape. He interprets the patterns, colours, signs and symbols reflecting both an historical and contemporary awareness. His flat-faced forms offer the largest surface area for multi-layered decorative treatments but he continues to work on an assortment of shapes including large dishes, small bowls, and forms based on the kimono. His sculptural work often makes liberal use of materials and methods that he first experienced when training as a potter.
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Biography Back to top

Peter Moss’s initial interest in ceramics and sculpture began in 1959 at Bournemouth College of Art and Design under the tutelage of David Ballantyne, Peter Stoodley, and Paul Fletcher. As a student at the Royal College of Art between 1965 and 1968, Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, and Eduardo Paolozzi were among his hard taskmasters; Professor David Queensbury was Head of the Ceramic and Glass Department and he encouraged an open-ended fine art approach to ceramics and glass.

Peter counts himself fortunate to have experienced such a major period of change in art school teaching and to have encountered, and been encouraged by, such influential artists and mentors.

A career teaching in art colleges and universities followed and, when he retired from formal education provision, he was Vice Principal of Lincolnshire College of Art and Design. As an educator and mentor, Peter always encouraged young artists; he joined local and national arts organisations and committees in order to influence and take part in a broad range of art and creative industries.

In his earliest work Peter was keen to use quick, explosive, expressionistic mark making into the clay surface rather than on it; gradually this exuberance has become more restrained and understated as he strives for harmony and balance from ever-changing combinations of colour, pattern and form.

The formal, repetitive aspects of his decorative and sculptural ceramic forms are of major importance to him. The carefully constructed surfaces have become canvasses with recognised boundaries enclosing tightly drawn, painted or modelled exteriors.

He retains the enthusiasm and expertise to allow him to continue exploring the endless possibilities of materials and methods he uses in his own practice.

His ceramic practice includes thrown, hand-built, slab-built, and press-moulded stoneware and earthenware clay. Decorative treatments include glazing, lustres, enamels, multi-fired precious metal lustres, sgraffito, transfers and incised decoration.

For many years Peter experimented with a wide range of low-fired coloured glazes many of which have a smooth or glossy appearance. The choice of base glazes is very important as they sustain and react in a predictable manner to his decorative on-glaze designs.

Abstract designs express the interaction of several coloured three-dimensional planes in an active two-dimensional format. The final surfaces are carefully contrived and rely upon an intimate knowledge of precious metal on-glaze lustre technology.

Resumé Back to top

Master of Art (Hons) - Royal College of Art

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Professional Member of the Craft Potters Association

Fellow of the Society of Designer-Craftsmen

1968-94 Full-time teaching at Trent Polytechnic, Sheffield Polytechnic, and Lincolnshire College of Art and Design. Part-time teaching at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art; De Montfort University; Grantham College; University of Lincoln; Bishop Grosseteste University College.

Educational consultant and visiting lecturer nationally and internationally.

External Examiner and Moderator at numerous colleges.

Mentor for local and national mentorship schemes.

Member or adviser/consultant on regional arts funding organisations, regional and national arts/crafts groups, local galleries/arts centres, and education/arts development bodies.

Exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions.

Participated in workshops and arts projects.

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