Susan Parkinson Fish Dish

An unusual dish designed & illustrated by Susan Parkinson at her pottery in Brabourne Lees, Kent, circa 1955.

Although Susan Parkinson is renowned for her stylised figures of animals, her artistic skills did not end with sculpting; she was a distinctive & proficient illustrator. Her fantastic drawings, some of which feature in the 2004 publication 'Susan Parkinson and the Richard Parkinson Pottery', show her unique & expressive style translated in two dimensions.

The few plates and dishes produced at Parkinson Pottery often feature Susan's wonderful illustrations of animals, medieval figures or astrological signs, all sketched in her striking & stylised manner.

This decorative dish features a hand-drawn illustration of two fish. Created using the wax-resist method, the monochrome drawing is bold and expressive. Each fish features sharp geometric elements, such as their tail fins, and have been decorated with diagonal white stripes. The eyes and gills are confidently & expressively indicated with simple swooping brushstrokes. The mark-making featured on this dish is varied; feathery lines indicate transparent fins, whilst bubbles & water are cleverly indicated with abstract 'blobs' and smudges.

The form of this shallow dish is a soft diamond shape, with gently upturned edges. The Modernist form is not only practical, but is distinctly 1950's in style. The shape wonderfully reflects the aesthetics of Postwar British design, influenced by the Festival of Britain of 1951.