About
Lawrence Epps is an artist working with clay. The inspiration for his current work is the rise of corporate culture and its effect upon the individual. Personal experience, social anthropology and psychoanalysis all contribute to his approach.
Often Lawrence's work uses industrial extrusion – a process which requires relentless and repetitive pressure to force material through a mould - to metaphorically mirror many of his ideas about corporate pressure and workplace conformity. He uses this process together with the low status, dirty and tactile material of clay to create sculptures and installations which are often formed from masses of smaller elements echoing the scale of the globalised society in which we live. It is England’s considerable industrial ceramic heritage – with its once endless production lines, highly specialised technology and remarkable output that contributes to many of his ideas regarding process and finish.
As well as exhibiting in traditional gallery environments, Interventions in public spaces continue to be an important part of Lawrence's practice. He is a founder member of the Sykey Art Collective - a group committed to making public statements through art and has been responsible for over 14,000 ceramic sculptures placed across the cities of London, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent in large scale participatory art events.
Often Lawrence's work uses industrial extrusion – a process which requires relentless and repetitive pressure to force material through a mould - to metaphorically mirror many of his ideas about corporate pressure and workplace conformity. He uses this process together with the low status, dirty and tactile material of clay to create sculptures and installations which are often formed from masses of smaller elements echoing the scale of the globalised society in which we live. It is England’s considerable industrial ceramic heritage – with its once endless production lines, highly specialised technology and remarkable output that contributes to many of his ideas regarding process and finish.
As well as exhibiting in traditional gallery environments, Interventions in public spaces continue to be an important part of Lawrence's practice. He is a founder member of the Sykey Art Collective - a group committed to making public statements through art and has been responsible for over 14,000 ceramic sculptures placed across the cities of London, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent in large scale participatory art events.
Exhibitions
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
Disused Spode Factory, Stoke-on-Trent
2012 Body Double
Frederick Meijer Sculpture Park, Michigan, United States
2012 Design Week at the V & A
The Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2012 FutureEverything
Museum of Science and Indutry, Manchester
2012 From Tradition to Innovation
CAA Gallery, London
2011 British Ceramics Biennial
Disused Spode Factory, Stoke-On-Trent
2011 Mint Explores
Mint Gallery, London
2011 Replace Fear of the Unknown with Uncertainty
P3 Ambika, London
2010 Unsplit Peak Problems
Royal College of Art Sculpture Department, London
2010 Natural Selection
London Gallery West
2009 Elemental Tales
London Gallery West
Interventions
2012 8,000 little clay men distributed across the streets of Manchester
2011 6,000 little clay men distributed across London and Stoke-On-Trent
Residencies & Retreats
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
Residency in association with Ibstock Bricks and Potclays
2013 Wysing Arts Centre
How We Make and How We Might Make Artists' Retreat
2012 European Ceramic Work Centre / Sundaymorning@ekwc
3 month Development Residency
Talks and Lectures
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
2013 International Ceramics Festival
2012 Frederick Meijer Sculpture Park
2012 FutureEverything Festival
Awards
2011 British Ceramics Biennial Fresh Award
Education
2011 BA (hons) Ceramics , University of Westminster
Publications
2012 From Tradition to Innovation
Ceramics Research Group
Selected Press
2013 FutureEverything / Human Resources Microsite
2012 BBC News
Little Clay Men Invade Manchester
2012 Vimeo
Human Resources Interview at the Museum of Science and Industry
2012 Manchester Evening News
Various
2012 BBC Radio Manchester
The Breakfast Show
2011 Crafts Magazine
Pride and the Potteries
2011 The Guardian
British Ceramics Biennial Brings Signs of a Potteries Revival
2011 Ceramics Review
Leaving the Corporate World
Links
Sykey Art Collective
Wysing Arts Centre
Aid & Abet
FutureEverything
British Ceramics Biennial
Youtube Channel
Vimeo Channel
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
Disused Spode Factory, Stoke-on-Trent
2012 Body Double
Frederick Meijer Sculpture Park, Michigan, United States
2012 Design Week at the V & A
The Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2012 FutureEverything
Museum of Science and Indutry, Manchester
2012 From Tradition to Innovation
CAA Gallery, London
2011 British Ceramics Biennial
Disused Spode Factory, Stoke-On-Trent
2011 Mint Explores
Mint Gallery, London
2011 Replace Fear of the Unknown with Uncertainty
P3 Ambika, London
2010 Unsplit Peak Problems
Royal College of Art Sculpture Department, London
2010 Natural Selection
London Gallery West
2009 Elemental Tales
London Gallery West
Interventions
2012 8,000 little clay men distributed across the streets of Manchester
2011 6,000 little clay men distributed across London and Stoke-On-Trent
Residencies & Retreats
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
Residency in association with Ibstock Bricks and Potclays
2013 Wysing Arts Centre
How We Make and How We Might Make Artists' Retreat
2012 European Ceramic Work Centre / Sundaymorning@ekwc
3 month Development Residency
Talks and Lectures
2013 British Ceramics Biennial
2013 International Ceramics Festival
2012 Frederick Meijer Sculpture Park
2012 FutureEverything Festival
Awards
2011 British Ceramics Biennial Fresh Award
Education
2011 BA (hons) Ceramics , University of Westminster
Publications
2012 From Tradition to Innovation
Ceramics Research Group
Selected Press
2013 FutureEverything / Human Resources Microsite
2012 BBC News
Little Clay Men Invade Manchester
2012 Vimeo
Human Resources Interview at the Museum of Science and Industry
2012 Manchester Evening News
Various
2012 BBC Radio Manchester
The Breakfast Show
2011 Crafts Magazine
Pride and the Potteries
2011 The Guardian
British Ceramics Biennial Brings Signs of a Potteries Revival
2011 Ceramics Review
Leaving the Corporate World
Links
Sykey Art Collective
Wysing Arts Centre
Aid & Abet
FutureEverything
British Ceramics Biennial
Youtube Channel
Vimeo Channel