Claire Goddard, working with everyday objects

Naomi Jones discovers how artist Clare Goddard transforms everyday items into unique objects of beauty, including paper, utensils, spices and spoons.

Before we talk about your pieces, tell me a little about your background.
I’ve always liked to create and draw: when I was a child, my grandmother was never afraid of me making a mess; once she gave me lots of old plastic bottles and I spent hours fashioning them into puppets. A creative path was clearly the only thing for me, so I enrolled at Loughborough College of Art & Design for my degree, and then studied for an MA at the Royal College of Art. This incorporated an exchange programme to the sculpture department of Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.

After graduation I worked in various different areas, including textile design, producing one-off fabrics for fashion collections, interior projects, as well as exhibiting.

How did you move away from textiles and start working with everyday objects?
Over the years, on my travels, I have found myself collecting bits and pieces from junk shops and random things that people normally throw away. Used train tickets, old letters and photos, packaging, rusty cutlery, odd buttons, scraps of fabric… they’ve all served their purpose in the past, and I enjoy being able to bring them together to create something really beautiful.

Are your pieces functional?
No, they should be appreciated on a purely aesthetic level – a set of spoons and ladles, for example, that have rich textures and a delicate feel are appealing as a decorative collection.

Which of your creations are you most proud of?
That’s a difficult question, as each piece is handmade and therefore unique, and although I’ve exhibited in many international galleries, and have some very loyal collectors, I’m still striving for perfection.

Do you work with clients on private commissions?
Yes, often people will trust me with personal collections and their family’s keepsakes, to create collages that speak of their own life experiences.

How would you describe your studio?
Silent and messy. I’m lucky to have quite a large space, which gives me the freedom to hoard my treasures and be as creative as possible.

Who do you most admire in today’s arts and crafts world, and why?
During my college years I was fortunate enough to have work placements with shoemaker Emma Hope, set and jewellery designer Simon Costin, and the extraordinary milliner Stephen Jones; they all gave me a profound understanding of how craftspeople work. I’ll always be grateful I had the experience of learning from them.

What advice would you pass on to others who’d like to be more creative?
Don’t spend valuable time worrying whether you’re good enough – if you enjoy it, just do it.

To contact Clare, visit claregoddard.com. Commissions start from £100. You can also see her work at the Flow Gallery in London (020 7243 0782; flowgallery.co.uk).

WORDS NAOMI JONES
Featured in the February 2010 issue of Period Living