An Artist’s Perspective | Caroline Couzens | Episode 749

Caroline Couzens | Episode 749

Caroline Couzens is both a designer and maker working across interiors and ceramics. Caroline’s aim is always to solve problems, create balance, and achieve beauty. Every project undertaken starts with a materials based approach whether she’s designing a space or indeed an object. Caroline works from her studio in north London.

SPONSORS

You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

goodmedicinetea.com

diamondcoretools.com

Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Why is the humble everyday object a source of inspiration for you?

Because it is in the smallest things we gain the most regular satisfaction. That little ritual, that good cup of tea, that good cup of coffee, that ten minute break with your hands clasped around your favorite mug…if one of my mugs become your favorite mug I’ve done a great thing.

On your website you say design and craft should hold equal balance. What does that mean?

Neither are informed with out the other. There are people who call themselves designers who haven’t ever touched the material that they are designing for. If you have touched that material you have crafted it. If you have crafted it you can design it and the two hold equal balance. You do not get success in design without successfully understanding and hopefully practicing the craft. Or at least have some sort of knowledge about the material or some sort of understanding from a person who works in the material.

How much consideration to put into the silhouette of a piece?

Everything. It’s what I think about. That’s my end vision, always. If I am drawing it’s the silhouette…the decoration, if there is any, will come afterwards because fi you look at the work of Clarice Cliff, a 1930s potter, who made lots of domestic tableware here in the UK, which is highly desirable and very brightly colored. She was just a genius in terms of the decoration being informed by the silhouette. You can see that the silhouette for her was absolutely coming first. What she did to it afterwards completely controlled by the silhouette. I actually think decoration doesn’t work if the silhouette hasn’t been considered first because the shape is without doubt the thing that is going to come through most strongly when you touch it and use it.

I noticed your table ware is all pure white. Why is that important to you?

I love cooking. I cannot bear baked beans on a green plate. I can’t go there! If you are going to put somebody off their food…hey do the pasta on a black plate. Please! Just the food has to be one of the most important things that you are considering at that point. At that point the plate is quiet. You can look at it in its own right in a cupboard, as you are handling it, as you are laying the table, but when you put food on it, the food sings. At that point my plate goes, Shut up and enjoy the meal.

How important is it for these three things to interact well: Function, visual appearance, and the feel of the hand?

Ohhh. They have to form a very, very happy union. Function come first. Form follows function. FFF. It works every time. You know, you sit in a comfortable chair, it is because somebody has considered it’s function. I think that is one of the things I find very frustrating actually. People make a lot of noise about things that are visually quite loud, funky, whatever you want to call it, but actually you sit in that chair or you try and use that table. The Alessi lemon squeezer was popular when I was a design student working in a shop and I can’t tell you how many people brought them back because they didn’t work. It looked great but there was no consideration toward what it was doing. So to answer your question, form first and then everything else flows. You use the right material and the right technique and it’s just like this marriage where everything comes together.

Why does interior design and ceramics work so well together for you?

It’s life, isn’t it? I am always happy and hopefully always will be a very practical girl. And it’s just all those things that I interact with around me daily. My family interacts, I socialize, these are just the things that make me feel good and make my life easier, make my life more comfortable. Comfort. It’s just about everyday living. It’s always been a priority. Everyday life has always been a priority.