Ben Brierley

Ben Brierley has been a practicing ceramic artist for 25 years and exhibits extensively both nationally and internationally. Ben has built and fired many down draft/cross draft and anagama style wood fired kilns, with the process of kiln firing being an integral element of his making practice. He has published several articles relating to wood firing, glaze composition and The wood fired aesthetic, in Ceramic Review, The Log book and Ceramics Technical and has recently finished a book on kilns and firings for Bloomsbury to be published in 2014.

He is a professional member of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain. His specialisms include kiln building, kiln firing, wheel throwing, hand building, clay and glaze technology.

Books:

• The New Ceramics “Kilns and firing” Bloomsbury (To be published 2014) Ben Brierley Original ISBN: 978108185247
• Contributed chapter to:
  "Firing: Philosophies within Contemporary Ceramic Practice". Crowood Press. David Jones ISBN-10: 1861269358.

Published articles:

• "The perfect body": Ceramic Review 1970144-1825. On-going research into clays and glazes which utilise extended wood firings.
• "50 cubic feet of pots, fire and ash": The Log book. ISSN 1470-1812. Issue14. Constructing an firing anagama kilns.
• "Carbon footprint": Ceramic Review 220. ISSN 0144-1825. An investigation into carbon trapping shino glazes.
• "Liquid animation": Ceramics Technical 23. ISSN 1324-4175. Profile: written by Paul McAllister.
• "Active wadding": The Log book. ISSN 1470-1812. Issue28. On-going exploration into aesthetics of wadding contact marks.
• "All in the Ash": The Log book. ISSN 1470-1812. Issue36. Research into chemical release from wood fuelled firings and its interaction with clay bodies and glazes.
• "A coda to cracking": Ceramic Review 249. ISSN 0144-1825. Aesthetic of imperfection and the use of silver combined with ceramic.

As well as specific undergraduate and and postgraduate programme module teaching, open specialist workshops are run throughout the year and cover health and safety workshop inductions, throwing, hand building, mould-making, slip casting, paper/fibre clay, ceramic transfers, clay formulation and applications, glaze, slip and engobe formulation and application. One-off student led projects can be supported and supervised through preliminary discussion.

A community-centric night class is also run from the workshops on Wednesday evenings.