This conversation between artist Jacob van der Beugel and students from Andover College, ruminates on the language of ceramics, and how his practice has incorporated unexpected materials such as concrete, to communicate new meanings. This diverse discussion addresses topics such as the potential of partnerships between art and science; and explores the ideas presented in his work, including his interest in genetics and DNA, the relationship between determinism and self-determination, and in what ways his works might be seen as ‘portraits’.

Jacob van der Beugel’s solo exhibition ‘Wherever the Two Shall Meet’, located in the gallery of Roche Court, was the starting point for this episode, with the students visiting the exhibition and also enjoying a virtual visit to the artist’s studio as part of their research into his work.

There is a lot here to interest anyone from an art or science background, especially young people who may be considering a career in the arts.

Find out more about Jacob van der Beugel here: https://jacobvanderbeugel.com/

Thanks to: Dan Coggins for producing this episode. Thanks also to the New Art Centre, Carlie Windows and students from the art department at Andover College and especially, Jacob van Der Beugel for generously giving his time. 

This podcast has been funded by The Arts Society

Image Credit:
Jacob van der Beugel
Wherever the Two Shall Meet
2023, Ceramics, wooden frame 170 x 130 x 5 cm

Students from Salisbury Sixth Form College explore a diverse range of subjects in this conversation with Charlotte Verity. These include the exactitude of oil painting, the importance of observation, and issues inherent in her work such as memory and the passing of time.

‘Charlotte Verity’s practice is ultimately concerned with mapping the ephemerality of her immediate surroundings. The way nature fluctuates, the seasons, the weather, the light – the life cycle of the plant life around us. As Verity works from her garden and studio, her subjects, taken from the natural world, are painted slowly over weeks and months. Vanishing moments are captured permanently. Each painting or print holds a narrative about the passage of time, an appreciation for the small marvels that can be found in nature. The curve of a stem, the colour of a flower, the formation of its petals, the matrix of branches and mass of leaves, all these delicate ecosystems of life that are moving through cycles that are both colossal and invisible.

Charlotte Verity (b. 1954), until recently worked and lived in London, and since 2022, in Somerset. After studying at the Slade School of Fine Art she was awarded the Slade Prize and Boise Travelling Scholarship. Her work resides in major private and public collections that include Arts Council England; Derby Museum and Art Gallery; the British Museum; Government Art Collection; Deutsche Bank; Garden Museum, London; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; Sir John Soane’s Museum, London; Tate, and University College London. She has exhibited widely, most recently two solo exhibitions, Echoing Green at Karsten Schubert in London, and The Season’s Ebb at the New Art Centre in Salisbury.’ (Source, New Art Centre website https://www.sculpture.uk.com/charlotte-verity)

Find out more about Charlotte Verity here: https://www.charlotteverity.co.uk

The Roche Court Educational Trust works with over 6,000 children, young people and specialist groups annually, at both the Sculpture Park and elsewhere. We encourage an exploration of modern and contemporary art through our specialist looking, thinking & speaking approach.

As an independent charity, we rely on donations to deliver our program. For further details of how to support our work, please visit our website here.   

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_ilovesculpture/ 

Thanks to: Dan Coggins and Zach James for co-producing this episode. Thanks also to the New Art Centre, Karsten Schubert Gallery and especially, Charlotte Verity, for generously giving her time. 

This podcast has been generously funded by RSA Catalyst Award and The Arts Society Wessex.

Image credit;
Charlotte Verity
Ponder (Plumbago), 2020
Oil on canvas
90.3 x 150.5 x 3.1 cm
2ft 11 ½ x 4ft 11 ¼ x 1 ¼ in.

This conversation between ceramic artist Fernando Casasempere and students from Andover College, ruminates on the nature of ceramics, addressing its properties as a ‘living material’. It also tackles subjects such as climate change, the power of taking risks in art and the importance of sharing food and conversation! 

'After studying both ceramics and sculpture in Barcelona, Casasempere returned to his birthplace, Santiago, where he consolidated his studies by working as a ceramics sculptor. After exhibiting extensively, both in Chile and North America, his work began to feature in exhibitions overseas. He then moved to London in 1997, bringing with him over twelve tonnes of his own mixtures of clay, a feat confirming his long-standing obsession with identity and his deep-seated concern for the environment. The Chilean landscape and Pre-Colombian background of the Latin world are ever present in his sculptures and his most recent works combine these influences with the cityscapes and inspirations that London has offered him.

His seven-metre long installation for the New Art Centre, 'Back to the Earth', 2005, examines the artist's interest in ecology and geology and consists of individual ceramic elements that jut out of the earth, exposing its inner core'  (source, New Art Centre)


The Roche Court Educational Trust works with over 6,000 children, young people and specialist groups annually, at both the Sculpture Park and elsewhere. We encourage an exploration of modern and contemporary art through our specialist looking, thinking & speaking approach.

As an independent charity, we rely on donations to deliver our program. For further details of how to support our work, please visit our website here.   

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_ilovesculpture/ 

To find out more about Fernando Casasempere, follow this link: www.fernandocasasempere.com

Thanks to: Dan Coggins and Zach James for co-producing this episode. Thanks also to the New Art Centre and especially, Fernando Casasempere, for generously giving his time. 

This podcast has been generously funded by RSA Catalyst Award and The Arts Society Wessex.

Photo credit: Fernando casasempere, Back to the Earth, 2005, New Art Centre