	Philomena PRETSELL Dates: 1951- Born in Dublin and brought up in North Wales, she makes vibrantly decorated slab-formed ceramics using commercial transfer prints, gold and brightly coloured glazes. She trained in ceramics as a mature student (1987) in Edinburgh. In contrast with the more sober traditions of studio pottery Pretsell draws on a range of sources as diverse as: the work of Claes Oldenberg, Roman Catholic visual culture, fairground ornaments and eighteenth century costume. She builds her pieces from slabs of clay, which she pulls (not rolls) out. Using paper patterns, like dressmaking, she cuts round the templates and builds up the forms. After biscuit firing the pieces are decorated directly or sometimes dipped in slip and then glazed mainly with a sharp yellow, green or blue. The transfer prints are applied cutting through the images to give a scrapbook-like effect and finally gold is added to lift the colour. She compares this with 'dressing up' where the glint of gold jewellery gives the last touch. Philomena Pretsell's ceramics express her passion for colour, decorative form and domestic display. They play games with memory and challenge the viewer to reconstruct their own associations of form, meaning and personal identity.

Philomena PRETSELL

Dates: 1951-

Born in Dublin and brought up in North Wales, she makes vibrantly decorated slab-formed ceramics using commercial transfer prints, gold and brightly coloured glazes.

She trained in ceramics as a mature student (1987) in Edinburgh. In contrast with the more sober traditions of studio pottery Pretsell draws on a range of sources as diverse as: the work of Claes Oldenberg, Roman Catholic visual culture, fairground ornaments and eighteenth century costume. She builds her pieces from slabs of clay, which she pulls (not rolls) out. Using paper patterns, like dressmaking, she cuts round the templates and builds up the forms. After biscuit firing the pieces are decorated directly or sometimes dipped in slip and then glazed mainly with a sharp yellow, green or blue. The transfer prints are applied cutting through the images to give a scrapbook-like effect and finally gold is added to lift the colour. She compares this with 'dressing up' where the glint of gold jewellery gives the last touch. Philomena Pretsell's ceramics express her passion for colour, decorative form and domestic display. They play games with memory and challenge the viewer to reconstruct their own associations of form, meaning and personal identity.