We met during the Crafts Council Hothouse programme in 2012-13. The ceramicists on the programme jointly applied for and got a research residency at the British Ceramics Biennial that year and we realised that there were opportunities we could more easily access as a collective rather than as individuals. Also, that working as a group where we shared resources and skills made those kinds of projects more achievable and enjoyable. haptic/tacit was born from that experience.
As well as being part of a group a really core idea was that we could create our own opportunities and to make and show more on our own terms, particularly if we wanted to make work or test ideas that did not naturally sit in the commercial gallery sector.
How did you choose the theme of Edgelands for this exhibition?
Edgelands has been an underlying theme for us for a while. Our last show, fieldwork at Groundwork gallery in Norfolk covered similar territory and Edgelands the book has been on the reading list for all our shows to date.
Between us there are certain methods we adopt, Grant does much of his thinking and research through cycling, Kim goes walking and foraging for materials and Jane starts with direct observations of her surroundings. We’re also all drawn to quite similar places and environments, we’ve returned to the old Spode factory site in Stoke for second project and we know the others will appreciate a photo of a nice bit of fence or a Buddleia growing from a wall.
So our fascination with Edgelands has evolved from a combination of our natural working methodologies and approach and the kind of things we are interested in and keep returning to.
This can vary.
Sometimes we each invite an artist to pair up with and this is a personal choice as we each tend to work quite differently as individual pairings.
Sometimes we make work collaboratively or alongside an invited artist, for example Kim and Gail Mahon made work together creating one large installation in our second series of exhibition In Search of the Vernacular.
Other times people invite someone they have an affinity with, whose work they admire, and they want to build a deeper network and connection with.
Deciding who we invite is a collective process and it is important to consider how an overall show will work together.
A big part of working on our own terms is how we want to operate as a group. We like to create a calm drama free zone and build a group dynamic that is maintained with each group of invited artists. We are also very open with our invited artists and want each project to be an opportunity for them to gain something as well.
We initially have an introduction meeting for everyone to get the chance to meet and chat.
We always create a group WhatsApp to encourage openness and dialogue throughout the process. Ideas reading lists can be shared and exchanged.
We’ll send previous exhibition notes out to give a clear idea about what we do and how we operate.
For this exhibition the book Edgelands: Journeys into England’s true Wilderness Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts has influenced our thinking in the past and continues to do so.
Therefore, sent a copy to the artists that didn’t already have a copy. To ensure that we were all starting from the same place.
As for collaboration Kim will normally work in close collaboration with the artist she’s chosen to work with and create a dialogue at least a year before starting the work. This often includes exchanges of notes, material samples and photography.
Working with galleries and spaces makes such a difference to how a project develops, whether it is responding to a specific place like the old Spode Factory site, helping us develop our thinking beyond the immediate work as with the environmental aspects at Groundworks or simply enjoying being in a great physical gallery spaces like Oriel Myrddin or Thames-Side Studio Gallery.
We’ve been really lucky in working with interesting and supportive organisations that have helped us evolve and develop as a collective and expand our creative network. This has definitely been the case with CHP, the team here is great and it’s a fabulous space and a place to do some exciting things. It’s been such a positive experience working with them and we’re looking forward to seeing it go from strength to strength.
What challenges and opportunities come with curating a thematic exhibition like this?
We’ve been working together for 10 years now so naturally seem to find a rhythm and we understand one another’s strengths and how we can best manage the practical elements of a project. It does take a lot of time and effort and in some cases, it can take focus from the studio and the work you want to make for the show. But ultimately, we have more freedom working this way.
Being open and transparent with one another is important but as a group we’re pretty self-sufficient and like to make the experience as easy as possible for everyone involved.
Curatorially there is more opportunity than challenge, I think. It needs balance to bring together lots of different work into a cohesive and coherent show. We invite artists who we think are interested in or hope will contribute to the theme of the exhibition but as we’re working with new people each time that isn’t guaranteed but there are often really lovely moments of connection or understanding, so when work comes together, we see something we hadn’t realised before or get a new perspective on a subject.
Exhibition notes add an additional level of exploration.
What’s next for haptic/tacit after this exhibition?
Not sure yet!
It often takes us a little while to digest after a show but then one of us will have an idea that triggers a thought with someone else and we’re right back on it.
View the price list for the artwork that Haptic/Tacit is displaying and available to purchase in our Edgelands exhibition here, and follow them on Instagram here!
To take part in a County Hall Pottery exhibition or to speak to the team, please email gallery@countyhallpottery.com