Tailladet is a tiny hamlet deep in the Dordogne region of France. It is about 20 kilometers south east of Bergerac on the D660, in between the villages of Beaumont du Perigord and Monpazier. That is where - at the gorgeous home of Michael and Sue - on a balmy evening, we recently farewelled the summer(perhaps a little prematurely, but any excuse is good for a party!) -- friends, good music that made us all feel quite nostalgic (yes! music from the sixties and seventies will do that when you get to this age!)under the trees, lovely food and wine -- the perfect combination for a perfect evening.
Since discovering clay I have become fascinated by the amazing complexity and unpredictability of the medium and the endless possibilities for the making and decorating of a form. I have found that in the concept of The Illustrated Vessel, the application of fun, playful and narrative images onto a three dimensional canvas, using the volumetric and sculptural aspects of the form, open up endless creative possibilities. My pieces could be seen as sculptural but they are always vessels, this is important to me".
When I came across Michael Kay's work for the first time, this is what I wrote:There is something to be said for nature vs. nurture. Or is it just that living in such a beautiful part of the world brings out the creativity and talent in people. Not that they did not have the talent before, but it seems that when they leave the big crowded cities and rushed rat race and polluted air behind and come to settle here in the Southwest of France, there is something in the air – or the water? – that makes them blossom and surprise even themselves with their latent gifts of creative art. Or is it that when people leave their land of birth behind to go settle in a new country and in a new environment, a side of their creativity is awakened, enhanced by a different perspective, different stimulus, a different language?
I recently enjoyed a delicious meal in L’Imparfait in Bergerac and was immediately struck by the gorgeous water jugs on the tables. Each table was adorned with a small work of art – a ceramic, slightly out of kilter designed jug, decorated with delicately colourful figures of women, reminiscent of the work of Lautrec, but with an individuality that makes you want to go pick up each and every jug to inspect it more closely. Beautifully crafted in sensuous lines, the jugs form a perfect backdrop for the equally sensuous figures and faces of women.
I was not the first to comment to the manager about the jugs! He had a card ready at hand of the artist responsible for them, so it was with great anticipation that I set off over the hills of the Dordogne one misty winter’s afternoon to go look for the man behind the jugs – another fellow-expat who has made France his home – and source of inspiration.
I am not sure what I expected to find, but Michael Kay was a surprise to me --- if I had met him at a dinner party, I would probably have guessed him to be ….. well, anything but a potter. He welcomed me at the door with a wide smile and a warm handshake, drawing me into the lovely large living room of their restored farm house, one of a cluster commune sitting perched on top of a hill not far from Beaumont. In front of a crackling wood fire we sipped coffee and ate delicious banana cake, that Sue, his partner had specially baked, chatting about his fascinating career.
It was only in the early 90’s that Michael, then a successful graphic artist in London, discovered his love for clay. “I have become fascinated by the amazing complexity and unpredictability of the medium and the endless possibilities for the making and decorating of a form. The concept of ‘the illustrated vessel’ – applying playful and narrative images onto a three-dimensional canvas, opens up endless creative possibilities.”
This is very obvious in his work. Some of his pieces are more sculptural than functional – such as his totems – intricate collections of people and animals that demonstrate a strong mythological influence whilst still mesmerizing the viewer in the complexity of its sometimes erotic subtext, frequent touches of humour, intelligent use of glaze and colour and hidden meanings.
I work on the edge of the potter’s craft, says Michael. “I consider myself rather a painter or illustrator – engaging the onlooker in a narrative or fantasy, much the same as those masters of story telling, the ancient Greeks.
However you look at his work, he successfully fuses the various disciplines of painting, sculpture and story-telling into a powerful language of its own – a language that not only crosses the boundaries of time and space – but a language that crosses all boundaries of country, culture and custom.
Michael's work is generally available from:
Galerie ANAGAMA, 5 rue du Baillage, 78000 Versailles. Tel: 01 39 53 68 64
He also has a small exhibition space at home, where there are always a number of current pieces available for sale. And of course, he can be seen at the various pottery fairs and ceramic festivals in France.
Telephone: +0033(0)553 22 56 83
Email: michaelkay@orange.fr
Web-site: http://www.michaelkayceramics.net
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