James Tower

Hove, Hove Museum and Art Gallery, James Tower - A Retrospective, 28th January - 25th February 1989, un-numbered exhibition;
London, Gimpel Fils, James Tower, 3rd December 2003 - 10th January 2004, cat. no.6;
Lancaster, Peter Scott Gallery, James Tower, Sculptural Ceramics, 4th October - 3rd December 2003, un-numbered exhibition;
London, Gimpel Fils, James Tower and Contemporary Ceramic Art, 26th April - 9th June 2012, un-numbered exhibition.

Structurally sound, there is a single tiny nick to the extreme edge, most probably in line with a firing defect, which has resulted in a tiny speck of loss to the glaze. This is only visible upon extremely close inspection, and does not detract from the overall appearance of the work, which excepting is in very good overall condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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We are grateful to Timothy Wilcox for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

James Tower holds a position as one of the most distinctive and unique figures within the field of British studio ceramics, both in terms of his relationship with the wider field of British Post-War Abstraction, and the continued dialogue between ceramics and sculpture that he fostered throughout the course of his extensive career. Through his captivating forms and the movement of his lyrical glazes Tower’s work continued to explore themes of nature and the cosmos, which, by the 1980s were fine-tuned, as seen in the stunning present example, created just four years before the artist’s death. 

Studying at the Royal Academy, Tower later served in the Second World War, before continuing studies at the Slade, where he was introduced to early English slipware, igniting a passion furthered by classes under William Newland at the London Institute.  In 1949 he established the ceramics course at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, a school which was to become the leading light in Post-War Art in Britain.  Here he taught alongside British heavyweights including William Scott, Peter Lanyon and Howard Hodgkin, all the while developing his distinctive and organic style inspired by his local surroundings.  At Corsham, and through his later position as Head of Sculpture at Brighton Polytechnic, Tower served to blur the lines between ‘craft’ and ‘art’, inspiring artists as diverse as Hubert Dalwood and Antony Gormley, through the continued discussion and exploration of themes such as movement and rhythm inherent in both art forms.