Vivienne Foley (Photography)

  • Overview

    My flower form photography has developed over the years and plays into my ideas and the challenges that working with clay presents. Taken as square format colour transparencies on a Mamia twin lens camera in natural studio light, I used plant material to confront the texture and form of my sculptural porcelain.

    Over the years, Vivienne has established a significant international reputation for her complex porcelain structures. Less well-known is her long-held interest in photography. Whether in clay or camera, creating a sense of the organic has always been her goal.

    Using photography as a source for ceramic inspiration, she often pairs exotic flowers with new work from the kiln. Using delicate, living materials juxtaposed with the living  nature of two opposites and  hard-fired clay allows Vivienne to explore and distil thoughts and ideas for future works.

    Assembling groups and focussing on curves and angles through a lens helps distil her thoughts and plan future works. Since each porcelain grows from the organic process of throwing, it became a natural progression to look at them in conjunction with botanical material. Discovering structures within plants and correlating them to glaze textures and the varying hard profiles resulted in beautiful and unique images celebrating the qualities of both.

    Individual unframed photographs £975
    Examples of Vivienne's ceramics and bronzes can be viewed here.

     

  • Works
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Protea in Becky's Vase, 1998
      Protea in Becky's Vase, 1998
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Magnolia in Ivory Forked Vase, 2000
      Magnolia in Ivory Forked Vase, 2000
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Pincushion Protea in Ivory Crackle Vase, 2004
      Pincushion Protea in Ivory Crackle Vase, 2004
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Strelitzia in Blackbird Vase, 1998
      Strelitzia in Blackbird Vase, 1998
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Pear Blossom in Classic Blue Ice Vase, 2008
      Pear Blossom in Classic Blue Ice Vase, 2008
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Anthurium in Black Boat Necked Vase, 2000
      Anthurium in Black Boat Necked Vase, 2000
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Maidenhair Fern in White Funnel Necked Vase, 1996
      Maidenhair Fern in White Funnel Necked Vase, 1996
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Bromelaid in Black Butterfly Vase, 1997
      Bromelaid in Black Butterfly Vase, 1997
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Strelitzia in Ivory Winged Form Vase, 1999
      Strelitzia in Ivory Winged Form Vase, 1999
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Pincushion Protea in Black Tulip Vase, 2000
      Pincushion Protea in Black Tulip Vase, 2000
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Sedge in Funnel Neck Vases, 1996
      Sedge in Funnel Neck Vases, 1996
    • Vivienne Foley (Photography), Ginger Flower with Crackle Glazed Vases, 2003
      Ginger Flower with Crackle Glazed Vases, 2003