Untitled, 2012

These ceramic moustaches are unique in a series and have been generously donated by the artist and Hales Gallery to support Studio Voltaire’s artistic and public programmes. These works were included in Camp Futility, Slee's solo commission at Studio Voltaire in 2012. As one of Britain's most important contemporary ceramic artists, Slee's work attempts to challenge every conventional notion in ceramic art, transcending its utilitarian roots whilst sidestepping the indulgent aspects of the studio tradition that became ubiquitous in the late twentieth century. His works lie in contemporary debate and reference the current positioning of material specialisations within visual creativity. Central to Slee’s exhibition at Studio Voltaire were several works based on vernacular objects such as wood saws, hammers, pick axes and camping equipment. Inspired by a residency at Alfred University, upstate New York, the works investigated particular myths surrounding the symbolism of America as a land of the great outdoors and pioneer spirit. Lashed together, workbenches, scattered tools, and an abandoned campfire transformed into an allegory of abandoned industry.