Teapots – and all that jazzy

Cliff captures the age

It seems an age since I featured any teapots on my blog.  To tell the truth, the unusual ones are still out there but I do like to group them, so they have  at least some connection with each other them into little group and finding that theme or connection  can be a problem sometimes.  So I am going for a period this tiem with a contemporay connection.

age of jazz by cliff

The Art deco period began in 1925 and lasted until the 1940s.  It was an international movement and was a rather glamourous and stylishly elegant time.  The style is unmistakable  – a mixture of cubism, futurism modern and freedom.

oakland set by lorna Bailey

When people think of Art Deco, they think Clarice Cliff.  I do like her colourful designs, along with Suzy Cooper’s.  But there are contemporary ceramic artists  about who are still inspired by the art deco movement and it shows in their work.

Lempicka

My favorite Art Deco artist is Tamara de Lempicka (I’ve written about her here) her painting epitomised the period.  The art deco style is geometric and based on mathamatical shapes, the style lent itself to not only the decorative arts, but some wonderful arcitecture..  This is a fabulous momnet in time and I shall try to do it justice at another time, at the moment I want concentrate on the teapots.

I like the quirky balance of this teapot by Lorna Bailey

  Lorna Bailey was born in 1978 Staffordshire and was inspired by a heritage of Charlotte Rhead, Clarice Cliff and Suzie Cooper.  Bailey has even been called the next Clarice Cliff.  Flattering as that accolade is, the artist much prefers to be known by her own merit.

Glascow Peony half circle by Lorna Bailey

You can see that the artist must surely have been inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  Not only is the stylised rose motif one of Mackintosh’s  trademark, the title really gives it away!  I think this is a thoughtful transcription of his style.

I enjoy the sharp thrusting angle of this teapot by lorna Bailey

I like to see the past reinterpretted like this.  It’s inspiring and in a way comforting to see the natural progession of the past marching on through design.  Nothing is new – everything has it’s source of inspiration.  It’s good to take parts of the past and weave something for the present which in turn will inspire the future.  Continuity.

 indictive of his

Lorna Bailey website here

Charles Rennie Mackintosh website here

Clarice Cliff website here