After meeting Carl Jung in the 1940’s and beginning to work from her subconscious, in her later works Yarrow began to move away from such an idea. Instead she began to draw ideas from nature and earth, developing a new style for herself. After years of experimentation with her home-built kiln, she developed an distinctive ash-glazed high-fired stoneware style which we can see here. One of her most simple pieces in terms of its colouring, this was created towards the end of her life and therefore demonstrates some of her final ceramic interests. This is also clearly demonstrated when compared with Yarrow’s wall plaque, held within the mima collection, as in this later piece she demonstrates sureness of both form and glazing technique. After the years of experimentation, here she has toned down the pigment she used to just delicately fleck the bottom of the bowl with blue. Blue seems to have been a favourite colour of hers, with several bowls and dishes featuring blue markings in them. It was also later in life that she started to use an old French Potter’s wheel, resulting in a small collection of thrown bowls and dishes which this small tea bowl is part of.
1985
Glazed stoneware
Where you'll find this
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Permanent collection