Profile

Born in Stoke-on-Trent in 1964, Stephen Bird spent much of his childhood playing amongst the broken moulds discarded by the Allied Insulators factory close to his home. Like many born and raised in the Potteries, Bird grew up regarding ceramics as an industry that had once supported whole communities and families, not just as the branch of the heritage or culture industries that it has since become. His work connects with a whole range of pottery traditions, and his imagery and non-specific folk style synthesise all the passions, emotions and simple truths that are conjured up by these associations. His work draws on the ideals of 'Folk Art', and evokes the nostalgia characteristic of industrially made commemorative ceramics.

This empathy for the industrial traditions of the Potteries has influenced Bird's approach to his own work. In the commemorative and souvenir tradition of the pottery industry we can identify the brevity of technique and the surface complexity that emphasises content over craft in industrial ceramics. Part of the success of Bird's ceramic work lies in the way he does not emphasise technique at the expense of his need to communicate. This is not to say that technique has no place in his work, but that his concerns are not primarily the pursuit of expertise or innovation. He makes conscious references to traditions that support his vision of a 'folk' art on a domestic scale, and makes artefacts whose function is to celebrate and mark universal domestic triumphs and events.

AWARDS

2006 : Dundee Visual Arts Award.
2006 : Aberdeen artists design award.
2006 : Shell Expo Award.
2005 : Engage Scotland Visual Arts Education Award.
2004 : Professional Development Award. Scottish Arts Council Lottery Grant.
2004 : Creative Development Award. Scottish Arts Council.
2000 : Visual Arts Award. Dundee City Council.
1997 : Mott McDonald Painting Prize, Aberdeen Artists Exhibition. Travelled to New York.
1987 : Elizabeth Greensheilds Memorial Award. Studied at Cyprus College of Art and at Fuente Studios, Competa, Malaga, Spain.
1986 : Duncan of Drunfaulk Travel Award, Italy.
1985 : Ian Eadie Memorial Award. Travelled to Holland and Belgium.
1984 : Mitchell Painting Prize. Travelled to Barcelona, Spain.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION

2006 : Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh. (6th -29th November)
2005 : Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2004 : England & Co, London.
2004 : One Five Two Gallery, Dundee Contemporary Arts.
2003 : Return to Oz. A journey to Australia through India, S.E. Asia. Open Eye Gallery.
2003 : England & Co, London.(Concurrent show with David Larwill)
2001 : Compass Gallery, Glasgow.
2000 : England & Co, London.
1998 : Works on paper, Wysing Arts, Cambridge.
1994 : Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.
1994 : Psychology Institute, Edinburgh.
1989 : Tower Gallery, Dundee University.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2006 : SOFA Chicago, USA. Represented by Australian Contemporary. (8th-13th Nov)
2006 : A funny thing hapend on the way to the kiln. Delmar Gallery, Sydney.
2006 : Dundee Visual Artists Award Scheme. Generator project space. Dundee.
2006 : Society of Scottish Artists, RSA Edinburgh.
2005 : Absolut Secret, National Art School, Sydney.
2004 : On a Plate. With Richard Slee, Philip Eglin, Takeshi Yasuda, Scottish Gallery.
2003 : SOFA, Chicago, USA. Represented by Scottish Gallery.
2003 : New Wave II. 6 Welsh, 6 Scottish Makers. Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales.
2003 : Storylines. Three applied artists explore narrative, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh.
2002 : Sydney Myer International Ceramic Award. Shepparton, Victoria, Australia.
2001 : Obsessive Visions. Art Outside The Mainstream. England & Co, London.
2001 : Intuition. Exhibition of self taught and visionary art, Crescent Arts, Scarborough.
1999 : The Plate Show. National touring exhibition curated by Collins Gallery, Glasgow.
1999 : Islington Art Fair. London. Represented by England & Co.
1999 : Society of Scottish Artists. Invited Artist as part of the year of Scotland Africa.
1999 : The Morrison Portrait Award, RSA, Edinburgh.
1999 : New Paintings. The British Work House Gallery, Dallas, Texas, USA.
1997 : Noble Grossart Painting Prize. Glasgow Art School and Royal Scottish Academy.
1997 : Cross Reference. The Association of Applied Arts. 18 Month touring exhibition.
1996 : Sitting Pretty, Exhibition of Art Chairs, Kirkaldy Museum and Art Gallery.
1992 : The Decade Show, Dundee Art Gallery and Museum.

COMMISSIONS

2004 : Creative Links Commission. To explore work within the context of disability and create two new works for Woodlands and Hazelwood schools. Funded by Scottish Arts Council in partnership with the Aberdeen City Council.

2004 : Big Hand Little Hand. Contemporary craft makers school residency project. A collaboration between Dundee Contemorary Arts and Dundee Education Department.

2001 : Exterior ceramic sculpture. Commissioned by Mexican Consulate for the grounds of rural estate, Balvarran, Perthshire.

2000 : Exterior ceramic wall panels. Commissioned by Agacan restaurant. Panels to form identity to present facade of restaurant in university area of Dundee. The restaurant features works by a variety of artists.

1999 : Large scale ceramic mural at Charles Square on Old St, East London. Commissioned by Hackney Borough Council . Joint commission with artist Neil Irons. A collaboration with local community by adding personal local histories to the narrative of the mural. Completed work was 3 m by 25 m exterior on glaze ceramic mural, adjacent to main road.

1998 : Major site specific sculpture at Whitfield, Dundee. Commissioned by Dundee District Council. A community based project to design and build sculpture to commemorate the rejuvenation of shopping center and library. Through art workshops with a variety of local groups the community were involved in the design of the finished work. Completed sculpture was 2 m high concrete figure with ceramic inlays.

1998 : Artist in residence at Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge.

PUBLICATIONS

2006 : Dundee Visual Arts Award Scheme, Catalogue.
2005 : Ceramic Art and Perception, issue 62, No Place Like Home, by Gregor White.
2005 : The Australian News Paper, arts review, Dec 2nd 2005, by Sebastian Smee.
2005 : The Journal of Australian Ceramics, 44#3. Collective Journeys by Stephen Bird.
2004 : Recent Ceramics at England & Co, exhibition catalogue. Text by Jane England.
2003 : New Wave-Wales, Scotland II Exhibition catalogue. Written by Amanda Game.
2002 : Sydney Myer International Ceramics Award, catalogue, LaTrobe University, Vic. Australia.
2002 : Artesian Magazine. Review of Compass Gallery show. Summer edition.
2001 : Ceramic Review. Souveniers From The Outside. By Greagor White. July-August issue.
2001 : Obsessive visions, Art Outside the Mainstream, calalogue, England & Co ,London.
2000 : Ceramics In Society. Plate Show. Spring edition.
1999 : The Plate Show, calalogue. Collins Gallery, Srathclyde University, Glasgow.

COLLECTIONS

2004 : Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery.
2003 : National Museum Of Scotland. Chamber Street, Edinburgh.
2003 : Paisley Art Gallery and Museum. Strathclyde, Scotland.
2001 : McManus Gallery and Museum, Dundee. Purchased through national acquisitions fund.
2000 : Mexican Consulate Collection.