Considering our speakers have previously worked together, they were able to bounce off each other and generally create a much more relaxed atmosphere. As Kevin is our own team leader at the National Glass Centre, it did seem as though we were sitting down for an informal briefing. Petrie began by discussing his relationship to fellow speaker, Mark Angus and explained their connections in Germany working together to teach drawing and painting at Bild-Werk in Frauenau. In regards to travel and teaching, Petrie expressed how privileged he felt to see amazing places and work with amazing people and how networking is key to achieve this lifestyle.
Born in Nottinghamshire and gaining his Foundation qualification in Mansfield, Petrie described how he felt that art school was the making of him, where he found something he could be passionate about. With the aid of grant, he began lodging with an elderly lady who gave up her spare room to students, in the hope of company. Petrie would draw the woman in her home and said this is where he started to always draw his surroundings. After initially being torn between fine art and illustration during his foundation course, Petrie decided to further his study of illustration and was accepted to the University of Westminster – which hosted the only illustration course in the country at this time.
During the second year of his undergraduate degree, Petrie discovered printing upon ceramic as part of a decorative design project. Bulk buying bone china and working with a transfer printing method (which he basically taught himself to do), Petrie was able to develop a collection of ceramic objects, featuring his illustrations. His intentions with the work was to create decorative pieces with a twist, where on closer inspection more controversial imagery could be found in the patterns.
Moving on to study a Masters qualification in Glass and Ceramics at the Royal College of Art, Petrie explored his interest in ceramics through hand building. Here he was able to study his material more and began testing glazes and continuing on from his previous works with the material as the focus. Developing his work from his Honours degree, Petrie experimented with hand building heads and incorporated printmaking to the ceramic, through etching. As well as using clay, he wanted to make the most of the facilities around him and saw an opportunity to create moulds for glassblowing to form head shapes. Petrie’s awareness of the time needed to perfect this technique encouraged him to take his skills to a more manageable area of glass art in order to perfect his design in the timescale of his course. This led to the combination of prints he had created for ceramics, with kiln formed glass.
Following on from this, Petrie embarked on his PHD at the University of West of England, where he was the first PHD graduate in art. Appointed with an Applied Science student, the pair explored the areas surrounding water based ceramic transfer printing to formulate new techniques through systematic and new research. Although this period was heavily research based, Petrie was sure to express how his love of drawing always played a part in his work. He suggested that drawing captures your experience of looking at something and how he enjoys commemorating that on ceramic. Through their testing methods, Petrie developed a series of mugs to see if the techniques would be effective in mass production and was more than willing to point out the problems and limitations of their developed method.
Through funding applications, Petrie expected to stay in Bristol as a researcher meaning he was close to home. While he was waiting for clearance of roles and funds, Petrie got a part time job at the University of Sunderland on a six month contract which he intended to complete before returning to Bristol. However this contract was broadened and extended, resulting in sixteen years of employment with the University of Sunderland. Unlike many of the artists we have met, Kevin discussed how it was important to him to have a stable job, where he was sure of his role and expectations. Initially working with students, teaching ceramic tutorials, research projects and a third year material technology class, Petrie was sure to continue his own work alongside his responsibilities. This is where he developed a technique in etching moulds to create drawings in glass.
During this time, Petrie was asked to write a glass handbook, which he describes as one of the best things he ever did. ‘Glass and Print’ resulted in commissions and invitations to work with other students and artists. He was also invited to talk at a conference for the Glass Art Society in Australia. Again Petrie pointed out that he continued to draw his surroundings in his sketchbook everywhere he went.
Working with students in the landscape meant that Petrie could continue to draw alongside his class whilst teaching them skills in drawing and ceramics. His persistence of keeping up his art led to commissions in painting and drawing for public spaces.
Using the mould making technique, Petrie discovered how etching into the dried plaster created a hand drawn quality to the glass. He was able to take his moulds outside and etch his drawing of the landscape into the plaster, resulting in a drawing to be turned into glass. In an exhibition for Bede’s World, Petrie drew areas from the region in his moulds and filled the outlines with powdered black glass to create a hand drawn lineage. The rest of the mould was filled with coloured glass to create a drawing in the glass that had the qualities of a print. This meant Petrie was able to capture a moment in a permanent material. On the works you can see words jotted around the edges, recording the noises he was experiencing in the place.
For the last nine years Petrie has been the programme leader of the MA course at Sunderland and has taught a lot of PHD students. Five years ago he was given the role as team leader for the Glass and Ceramics department. His influence within the course stretches across all levels.
Petrie was keen to discuss how his work and connections has resulted in travel. From giving conference talks in Hong Kong to workshops in Montreal and Denmark, he was eager to express the importance of making yourself known in your chosen field to open up opportunities. Through the interest of Chinese students to the Masters course, Petrie has been able to travel to China to teach classes at the Tsinghua University.
The interest of his methods across the world opened up the chance to write another book, ‘Ceramic Transfer Printing’. Again he was able to highlight the importance of networking, as he was asked to write this book by a fellow student from the past. As well as this book, Petrie is working on another with Ceramicist Andrew Livingstone. Through this book they intend to bring together writing from different authors as a resource for theory lectures and as a form of research to pass on to students.
Kevin Petrie appears to be a very academically driven artist, who is keen to ensure he has job security in order to stabilise his role to assist himself in continuing to create artwork. Not only did many of the Glass Centre students attend his presentation, I noticed some of the staff appeared to listen to his progression from student to academic.
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