Sam Hall

flat form H. 49cm. W. 41cm. 2007

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I first encountered one of Sam Hall's pieces in the London a few years ago and was immediately drawn to it's painterly surface and the quiet presence of the form. I was amazed at how a relatively small pot had the ability to capture and hold my attention from such a distance. This was the first pot I ever bought and it still has me in its spell….

The appeal of Sam's work is its ability to defy definition. While its foundations lie in clay which is carefully thrown altered and fired in relatively orthodox fashion, the glazing and decoration process in which glazes are repeatedly thrown and splashed and the surface scored demonstrates an intuition in mark making and an abandon of reserve which is more often associated with abstract expressionist painting. By refusing to comply with convention Sam's work definitely falls into the category of the truly contemporary object....
(Debbie Loane November 2008)

Trained at Harrogate college of Art and a BA Hons in ceramic from Loughborough college of Art, Hall has shown throughout the UK since mid 1990’s

Each piece that Hall embarks on starts as a simple thrown cylinder of stoneware clay. It is then cut and altered to produce a flat-sided oval form. The blank expanse of these become the basis for a series of layered “slip” washes and a minimal use of glaze/oxides that transform the surface of each piece into a work of art.

Over the years Hall has developed a distinct vocabulary of mark making on his pots, from which he is constantly culling and continues to craft. Organic “grids” that cordon off the surface in to several sections often provide an opportunity to employ multiple techniques on a single piece. Some of the most reoccurring of the “Hall marks” include; dripping slip. Gouges and grooves inscribed in the clay and a crackled effect that highlights the textural concerns in his approach. The colours in Hall’s work are decidedly natural and muted aside from the occasional small red slash, or gold enamel embellishment. The scored lines, random marks and predominantly sombre palette help to “create a tension where drawing and form cohabit together”.

1996/97 Cecilia Colman Gallery, London, Bettles Gallery Hampshire, St Ives Pottery & Gallery.

1999 Beatrice Royal Gallery – Southampton, John Davies Gallery – Stow on the Wold, Walker Galleries – Harrogate

2000 Gallery Upstairs – Henley in Arden, Walker Gallery- London, Walker Galleries – Harrogate and Honiton

2001/2002 Betteles Gallery – Hampshire, Milne & Moller – Affordable Art Fair,

2003 Bettles Gallery – Hampshire, Lemon Street Gallery - Truro

2004 Lemon Street Gallery – London Art Fair,

2005 Lund Gallery – Yorkshire, Bettles Gallery - ~Hampshire, Lounge Gallery Holmfirth, Cill Railiag Project – South West Ireland

2006 Lemon Street Gallery – Truro, Ceramic Art London , Gallery The Yrd – Netherlands, Frank Steyaert Gallery - Belgium