Martin Harman

About Martin
I am a British artist based in the UK.
I create original, one-off, dreamlike abstract ceramic sculpture and 2D artworks.​

From 2010-2012 I undertook an MA in Ceramics at UWIC Cardiff School of Art and
Design, UK.

Why am I creating art?
Today’s society can sometimes seem mundane and in keeping with the status quo. Therefore, I believe that creating art is what it means to be human.

I enjoy creating art I have not seen before and bring it into the world to exist. All of us have the potential to dream and turn ideas into reality. I want to live in a world of creativity, and new experiences. I want to create art that liberates the imagination.

What is my purpose?
My purpose is to create art to evoke curiosity.

The Historic English Heritage monument Stonehenge helped me to develop this way of thinking. To this day its purpose and meaning still largely remains in question. It forces myself to be curious, to learn anew and reflect upon my existence. I do not intend to replicate its presence in any way but use this as a foundation to generate ideas around imagination, possibility and curiosity. The ideas behind my artworks has to resonate with me and at times it can be interchangeable with my own experience of life.

My art is created for you to explore your imagination, make decisions about what you are seeing and connect with it through your own experience. I want to communicate a fascination for the unknown as life is full of questions.

​How do I create my ceramic sculpture?
I mostly use stoneware clay to create my ceramic sculptures. I find that stoneware is good for throwing and hand-building. It is strong once fired and assists in depth of colour and glaze.

The making process usually starts on the potter’s wheel. I use the wheel as a tool to create objects such as cylinders, cones and spheres. I then cut up these shapes and join them together and sometimes combine them with hand-built components to create the overall form. It is all a constructive process.

The sculptures are usually bisque fired to 1000c to remove water and harden the clay for the next process. All firings are done in an electric kiln to control the temperature and in most cases the results.

I often apply vitreous slips to the sculpture using a spray gun. Depending on what type of sculptures I create I sometimes use masking tape to control the application of colour. I will use this to create lines and patents and sometimes use gradients of colour to draw the eye to different spaces and brake up the form. Depending on the complexity of the colour applied to the forms I will sometimes do multiple firings up to 1140c. At this stage I am then ready to apply a clear glaze.

I sometimes use clear glaze to harness the interaction of light with the form. However, some parts of the form can remain unglazed to absorb light. I usually glaze fire my sculptures between 1220-1260c.

How do I make my 2D artworks?
​I like to think of my 2d artworks as an extension of my ideas. This can sometimes help me think and develop new sculptures. On other occasions they are just there to exist by themselves.

The materials I use are broad, I don’t like to limit myself to one material. I use materials I find that are available to me. This includes paper, collage of paper cut-outs, unwanted canvases found at the local charity shop, household paints (even decking oil!), pencils, pen and acrylic paints.

Sometimes I like to build up layers to the surface to reveal textures and depth, it can often feel like working on a 3d piece.

I enjoy experimenting with the materials and seeing what can be achieved.