UMaine Museum of Art

Sculptor and ceramic artist Jemma Gascoine’s new series of wall sculptures challenge the ongoing dialog regarding hierarchical distinctions between functional pottery and fine art. Gascoine’s artistic process includes the deconstruction of her hand-thrown jars, bowls and vases during which she bisects the objects and fuses the segments onto slabs of red and white clay. “These works are the product of daily dances in the studio, of movement between the slab roller and wheel,” says the artist. The wall constructions hang alongside a series of pedestal-based vessels, some of which are glazed in scarlet red, black and white. Gascoine cites artists Lucio Fontana, Betty Woodman, Anish Kapoor and Giorgio Morandi as sources of inspiration. Above all, Gascoine’s works reflect her ongoing aesthetic of creating sleek, sophisticated forms that relate to her interest in architecture and history.

Gascoine was born in England and moved to Blanchard, Maine in 2001. She received her degree in art history from the University of Leeds and post-graduate diploma in arts management from Roehampton Institute. Gascoine first studied pottery in 1999 at Barry Guppy’s Pimlico Studios in London. Her works have been exhibited at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Susan Maasch Fine Art, North Light Gallery and Lake Hebron Artisans.