Could I Imagine Living With This? On How People Choose Art

One of my favourite things about exhibiting is watching how people choose.

Very few make a decision straight away. They will walk around a piece, wander off, come back a little later. Sometimes two or three times before anything is decided. I have come to think they are not really asking themselves whether they like something. They are asking something much more considered, could I imagine living with this?

The objects we choose carefully become part of the rhythm of everyday life. We notice them in changing light, catch sight of them as we move through a room, and over time they become familiar companions. That is what I hope for every piece I make. Not simply that someone admires it for a moment, but that it becomes one of those calm presences that continues to reveal itself over the years.

Something I notice at every show is the moment people stop themselves from reaching out. Years of galleries and museums have taught us that art should not be touched. So I always tell people the opposite, please do.

These sculptures are made to be experienced from every angle, and touch is part of that. The curves, the texture of unglazed stoneware, the weight and solidity of the form, these tell a story that a photograph never quite can. There is something lovely about watching people relax once they realise they are allowed. Almost instinctively, they reach out.