John Maltby . Birds and Boats.

Image by Lowfarm.net

Born in Lincolnshire in 1936, John Maltby studied at Leicester College of Art and Goldsmith’s College in London.  He joined David Leach at Lowerdown Pottery in Devon in 1962, starting his own pottery at Stoneshill in 1964, where he still lives and works.

John Maltby remains one of the most enigmatic figures working with clay today.  His work has taken several major changes of direction, taking him away from functional work towards the making of individual sculptural pieces.  He originally trained as a sculptor and names Paul Klee, Alfred Wallis and Picasso among his influences. So, perhaps the progression was inevitable.  I love his long necked birds and the way that his boats and lighthouses feature in many different forms throughout his work.

Thanks to Godfrey and Watt‘s Gallery site for use of these images.  If you are in the Harrogate area now you can see an amazing exhibition of John’s work there, it’s only on between the 10th and 17th December, so be quick !  You can see more of John’s creative and sculptural work on the Lowfarm site here.