Dr Angela Tait & Dr Ian Clegg are artists who have been working collaboratively on creative projects since 2010. Many of the exhibitions listed on the about page have been joint.
Their practice was founded upon a fascination with combining their individual disciplines of sculpture, photography, illustration and photography. This has led to a collaborative approach to other projects including teaching and writing. Currently they exhibit throughout the UK and beyond. They also present workshops based around their specialisms.
Angela is a sculptor and ceramicist who works in mediums from the traditional to the experimental. She lectures at the University of Salford and is currently practicing Fine Art from Ebor Studios in Littleborough. She is interested in the fundamental form of the vessel and the relationships between ceramics practice and the domestic. She holds a PhD in Art and Design from the University of Sunderland. Basically, she is good at everything and is splendid to work with.
Ian (as you know from this website) is a photographer, illustrator and painter. He lectures in photography and design and his personal practice includes visual essays and on-going collections of thematic photographs. Ian holds a PhD in photography from the University of Central Lancashire.
Northern Willow, ceramics and illustration
Shown at the Whitaker Museum and Gallery, Rawtenstall 2019/20
Northern Willow is an overarching title for our interpretation of the traditional willow pattern. Using similar formal qualities, Chinese symbols are replaced with imagery from the North of England. Weeping willows become apple trees and a junk becomes a barge on the ship canal.
This design is shown on handmade ceramics which are fine porcelain casts of today’s disposable crockery. There are paper bowls, cardboard coffee cups and tinfoil takeaway containers all made precious by the use of top quality materials and hand drawn decoration.
This work sits somewhere between Fine Art, design and an ecological/cultural critique which is firmly rooted in the North West.
The COVID version reflects the feelings and events at the time. Places became deserted, football grounds, playgrounds empty. And the rules and more rules imposed almost randomly.
The Urban Moth
What would happen if moths had the capacity to rapidly change to protect themselves in an contemporary environment?
The Urban moth is the outcome of a residency with the Entomology department at the Manchester Museum. The moths are porcelain and contain unique imagery from the museums collection, surroundings and architecture.
The Ceramic Camera
The only ceramic polaroid camera in the world. We created this camera as an interactive machine to involve audiences with the process of instant peel-apart film. Also to see that ceramic could be reassigned to physically interact with other disciplines.
The camera is currently waiting on a shelf patiently for the peel-apart instant film to come back into production. The impossible project is trying to remanufacture it, lets see if they can get the cost down. Watch this space.
