NO HORSING AROUND FOR ARTISTS CREATING CLARICE CLIFF REPLICA
Long-lost piece of artwork reproduced for film
A STOKE-ON-TRENT artist has created a replica of a long-lost piece of Clarice Cliff artwork to be used in a major new film.
Emma Bailey, who has a studio at Middleport Pottery, is a selfconfessed fan of Tunstall-born Clarice Cliff, who achieved fame as a ceramic artist in the 1930s.
She was stunned when she received a call from the artistic director of the Sky Cinema biopic, The Colour Room, which was released on Friday.
They asked her to recreate a replica of the Clarice Cliff horse, which had been pictured in the 1930s, but not seen since.
The horse is made out of a number of colourful plates and bowls.
Fifty-three-year-old Emma, from Newcastle, said: “I have been at Middleport for seven years. No one knows what happened to the original horse.
“I got a phone call from the artistic director, who asked me if I could make a replica of Bazooka.
“I asked how soon, and they said they’d deliver it tomorrow and pick it up again on Thursday.”
With the help of fellow Middleport artists Kate Windsor, aged 52, from Penkhull, and Kidda Kinsey, aged 25, from Chell, they managed to complete the mammoth task.
Emma said: “I was blown away and I got Kate because she’s an artist and Kidda who’s a fan of Clarice Cliff.
“We did it before time and then we got to meet a lot of the production crew.
“It was an absolute honour to get the phone call and to be recognised as somebody who could do it.
“Clarice Cliff is my passion and we’re very passionate about the pottery industry in Stokeon-trent. I have been in the industry for 35 years.”
Kate added: “We hope the film will bring Clarice Cliff’s work to a whole new audience. The designs were very contemporary for their time. They bring colour.
“She was a female designer who got recognition in Stoke-on-trent. We hope this brings the female designers to the fore.
“It’s a real big thing for Stoke-on-trent and the people of Stoke-ontrent.
“We are really honoured to be part of it because we know how important it is to Emma.
It has been lovely.
“We’re very passionate about the city and it’s nice to be able to have a story to tell.”