Rosy & Rich - Oceanus

Oceanus
1100 x 400mm variable
Three piece sculpture (Lid, Vase, Base) Stoneware, glazes, platinum lustre

Description: Oceanus is a three piece sculpture referencing the legendary Greek Titan, Oceanus. The lid features a sculpted squid encrusted with platinum lustre. The central urn consists of three repeated sculpted waves sitting underneath a swirling sky. From midway to the base is a detailed painted scene of Oceanus interacting with a Giant Squid, surrounded by waves reminiscent of “the great wave” by Japanese artist Hokusai. The base features five repeated sculpted cameo's of a wave, framed by two squid on each (these form the feet of the vessel). Oceanus has passed through the kiln seven times under the watchful eye of Richard Darbyshire. As with the majority of their works, there are strong references to both Eastern and Western storytelling.

Rosy & Rich (Rosie Parsonson and Richard Darbyshire) are mid career Tai Tokerau artists with a combined art practice spanning forty years. They officially established Rosy & Rich thirteen years ago, successfully merging their specific skills in ceramics, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The practiced, engraved line and infused colour composed by the hand and mind of Rosie Parsonson, sits over and around the archetypal vessels and forms thrown, sculpted and fired by Richard Darbyshire. Engaging the ceramic medium to work on a scale that reflects the epic nature of the enduring human condition, their distinctly collaborative works sit politely in western art fascination of classic themes, whilst maintaining a contemporary, unfettered conversation challenging archetypes.

The collaborative practice of Rosy & Rich starts in art history, a perception, a sharing, a conversation, often an argument, leading to germination stages. The form is constructed through wheel throwing and hand building techniques in clay. What follows is a surface response where graphic ideas are etched and painted. Colour and sheen bounce around between clay and glaze for several seasons and withstand multiple firings before each unique piece is completed. In this crucible of to and fro between the pair, surface and form, past and present, art and craft meet 1260 degrees Celsius to melt into an abundant, generously adorned function, ornamentally speaking.

Rosie Parsonson and Richard Darbyshire reside and work in Tai Tokerau, Whangarei,

New Zealand. Their studio is located at the Quarry Arts Centre where Richard runs the kilns. They both studied at local tertiary institution North Tec and graduated together in 2011 with Bachelor of Applied Arts – Visual. Prior to that, Richard also studied at Elam and taught at Hungry Creek Art School for several years. Rosy & Rich are an intrinsic part of the greater arts community in Tai Tokerau and are represented by Megan Dickinson Gallery.