Stephen Bird: Industrial Sabotage

24 February - 25 August 2024

Vitrine Gallery | Free

Stephen Bird is a UK-born painter and ceramicist whose artworks take aim at the class divide of British pottery. While the world-famous ceramics factories of England (think Royal Doulton, Spoke and Wedgewood) are synonymous with fine collectibles, Bird looks to the pre-Industrial Revolution records of workers creating one-off pieces of experimentation and self-expression at the end of their workday. Likewise, Bird’s wares, which he terms  ‘industrial sabotage,’ surprise and shock with their violent, bawdy, funny and even grotesque subject matter; offering much more than an ornamental surface. 

 

Stephen Bird Hero Image

Stephen Bird (b. 1964), Pair of Pugilists 2012, glazed earthenware, 2 pieces: left 66 x 26 x 19 cm; right 73 x 30 x 20 cm. Image courtesy the artist