Large Unique Stoneware Dish, Carl Cunningham-Cole, Sweden. 1970s.

A phenomenal stoneware wall-hanging dish of great scale; an early piece by English-born potter Carl Cunningham-Cole from his Algutsboda studio. 

The incredible painterly approach to this dish, highly impactful at no less than fifteen inches in diameter, immerses the viewer in the glorious natural landscape in which Cunningham-Cole worked, deep in rural Kalmar county, Sweden. The bottom two-thirds of the composition is dominated by a deep rusty brown, Sienna and ochre yellow glazed depiction of Småland wetlands, whilst the heavy sky is dusted with gentle cloud sweeping up above the overcast landscape. I can picture Cunningham-Cole in awe of this (at the time, new) environment that he found himself in, and taking the mental image home in earnest in order to convey the intense power of this natural scene on newly dried stoneware. He was, after all, a gifted painter as well as an accomplished potter. His skill in wielding the glaze brush, calculating his colour alchemy to perfection for gas-firing the artwork, was quite unmatched. 

This plate, complete with Cunningham-Cole's signature wire hanger to the reverse, is a very special and unique work of art, completely mesmerising in both colour and composition. 

I highly recommend watching this fascinating short documentary produced and directed by John Robach later in Cunningham-Cole's career, one of the most genuine and insightful looks at the life of the artist behind the art. It is especially interesting to watch the clay being painstakingly worked, the kick wheel process, the deftness at which the glaze brush is applied, and the immense natural forces at play in his gigantic kiln.

"If I can make a piece sing to its beholder, I feel I have succeeded in expressing not only the aesthetics of art, but the aesthetics of life itself."

Carl Cunningham-Cole was born in Farnham, Surrey, and already began to receive professional recognition for his artistry as early as his teenage years. In the 1960s he relocated to Denmark after his exhibiting successes, working with firms such as Herman Kähler to produce designs for lamp bases and continuing to collaborate in later years. in the 1970s his first and only workshop in Algutsboda, Sweden, was established, and from here he braved the harshest winters and welcomed all the gifts of nature to produce an ever-evolving body of work until his passing in 2015. He fostered a profound connection with his surrounding environment which served not only as inspiration but also for natural resources in his quests for ultimate glaze alchemy. Before his move to Denmark, Carl had also spent three years travelling across India, the Middle East, China, Japan and Korea - these experiences heavily influenced his approach to producing forms as well as glazes that would become his signature. The number of Carl's achievements and exhibitions are simply too great to list; he leaves behind a legacy I hope to preserve and share for as long as I remain a collector.

Specifications:

Suitable for wall hanging. Hand-signed. 

Diameter: 38cm / Height/Depth: 4.5cm