Imagine Gallery

What shall I photograph next? I have been thinking.

A job I really hate. I want to show the varied works that we have but I really dislike the process of taking pictures and preparing them for show on the Internet.

Why? It is simple many of you must think, and I do admire the people who can just "snap away"

and show their wares. But when what you are displaying is created by someone else it is a lot harder.

I would rather show nothing [and I often do] than present someones art in a manner that doesn't do full justice to the work, so because of this I take less pictures than I should.

So back to my original thoughts of what I should show next.

Of course new arrivals are always in my mind because they have been the cause of my latest excitement and because they are fresh to me I want to show the world what I have found.

So this afternoon I had a look around, made a mental list of what to photograph, then looked again. I was amazed to see how many beautiful things that we are showing that I have never

mentioned, so instead of what I was going to photograph and show I decided to concentrate on

other pieces of work that I love equally as much but have never got around to presenting.

Of course they [or similar pieces] are always on show here but I have never shown them to a wider audience, so I will try to start rectifying that now.

So today I am showing the dramatic, yet very gentle and very emotive ceramics of

Anja Lubach.

We have shown Anja work for as long as I can remember, and I find it as beautiful and moving today as the first time I ever held a piece in my hands.

It is made from porcelain,

and more than any work I have known it relies upon light.

The same piece will take on so many different characteristics depending on how it is illuminated.

Many people have purchased her work and told me

"I am going to put candles in it".

Having heard the same statement many times

I still manage to express surprise at such a good idea.

But then it is a good idea.

Other people have told me "oh! these are really creepy".

On those occasions much as I have wanted to I have so far managed to hold back from saying

"see that door? Get out of it you ******* idiot".

Yes you can tell that I really am a people person.

Anja's work is incredible, well crafted and it is a constant delight and surprise to me that there

is not a lot of it offered for sale elsewhere.

Her small beakers are a delight and really affordable and intended to be used, but I will admit that it would take a stronger spirit than mine to pour coffee/tea or wine into one.

Which is a great shame because they are intended for daily use and I'm sure the pleasure of the piece could only be heightened by constant handling.

What's more unusual is you could even afford to break one and then only mourn the loss of the object rather than the "financial disaster" that has just occurred.

Now that is a rare thing.

I have tried without success to give a feeling of how her work looks but it really does depend upon the lighting, so here is a very small mixture, I hope it just gives a small understanding of what these beautiful ceramics are like.

I have known for a long time that she is going to be "great" but I very much doubt that a thought like that has ever gone though her mind.

I am VERY proud that her work is always here on show and feel a little shamed that I haven't talked about her in the past.

Better late than never.

Thank you Anja.