Working in porcelain, Ruth Gibson combines a love of photography, printmaking and ceramics, to evoke a sense of place; and in this exhibition the work is inspired by the landscape of the Llŷn Peninsula.
Imagery includes winter trees, textures in nature, birds in flight, the rocks beneath the surface, and the inclusion of sections on map, rooting the work to the place it is inspired by. Ancient standing stones found scattered across this wild landscape are echoed in the shapes of the ceramic pieces. A fascination with the silhouette of the peninsula seen from afar is a theme that runs through this work. The repeated image of the outline, as well as shapes of the hills and the patterns of their contour lines found on maps, are incorporated into her designs.
Utilising photography and ceramic printing techniques allows for photo realism to be combined with more abstract mark making to build up layers of images. Once screen-printed the clay can be stretched over moulds, the print can be distorted, or small sections can be added or removed to create abstract patterns. The work is enhanced by the addition of glazes and local clays used in a painterly style.