Carol McNicoll

Carol McNicoll (b.1943) works within the vessel tradition and alongside other women ceramicists, such as Alison Britton and Elizabeth Fritsch. She helped to transform the British ceramics scene in the late 1970s. McNicoll's objects embody quintessential English eccentricity: china shire horses and toby jugs, for example, are given a surreal twist; teapots appear with three spouts; and bowls resemble classic English dishes such as egg and chips. Yet all are functional: a common characteristic that illustrates McNicoll's determination to push back boundaries and to make everyday objects extraordinary. This preoccupation with the unexpected is reflected in the artist's favoured technique, slip casting, primarily an industrial process whose association with replication and mass production is intrinsic to her work. This title brings together biographical and developmental elements to create an in-depth analysis of Carol McNicoll's work. Featuring an interview between the artist and lifelong friend RoseLee Goldberg, it also provides insights into the period in which the artist emerged, placing her work in the context of the worlds of art, fashion and music in the 1970s.