A glazed earthenware figure 'The Croziers of Spring' designed…
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A glazed earthenware figure 'The Croziers of Spring' designed and modelled by Joyce Bidder, 1933. 25.5 cm high. Provenance: Michael John (Rolling Stone Tour Manager/Roadie). Joyce Bidder was a unique sculptor who worked largely without mind to contemporary movements in art. Consequently, her work is not particularly well known in the 21st century, though she created and exhibited throughout Britain during her lifetime. Educated at the Wimbledon College of Art, Bidder studied sculpting under Stanley Nicholson Babb. She reportedly became one of his best students, and Bidder followed close in his footsteps, working in a wide variety of materials. Bidder took on her own protege in 1933 when London- based sculptor Daisy Borne sought her out after purchasing one of her ceramic figures at a Society of Women Artists exhibition. Bidder taught Borne to carve, and the two women maintained a studio together in Wimbledon for much of the rest of their respective careers. Between the early 1930s and mid-1950s, Bidder regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy; it is possible that her work would have continued to be accepted after the mid-1950s, however, she withdrew from competition because she was dismayed by the judges' favor granted to modernist works around this time. She did continue to show at the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers. Never possessing any dreams of fame in the annals of art history, Bidder sculpted almost exclusively for the sheer joy of creating art. Her personal life remains a relative mystery because of her attitude toward her work, though it is known that she preferred to sculpt the human and animal forms.

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  • Earthenware - A basic ceramic material that is fired at a low temperature. Earthenware is the basis of almost all ancient, medieval, Middle Eastern and European painted ceramics. After firing, the colour is the colour of the clay when it is dug from the ground: buff, brown and red. It is not waterproof until glazed. Creamware is a type of earthenware covered with a transparent lead glaze. Majolica, faience and delft are also earthenware covered in an opaque white tin glaze.
  • Modernism / Modernist - Modernist furniture and design emerged in the early to mid-20th century as a response to traditional styles of the 19th century and prior times, and a reflection of the technological and social changes of the time. Characteristics of Modernist furniture and design include simplicity and minimalism and clean lines and a lack of unnecessary ornamentation are key features. That form follows function is a fundamental principle of Modernist design, and furniture and objects are designed with a focus on their practical use.

    Modernist furniture often incorporates geometric shapes, such as cubes, rectangles, and circles. This reflects a departure from the more ornate and curvilinear forms of previous design styles. The furniture often prioritizes ergonomic design, ensuring that objects are comfortable and user-friendly. Modernist designers aimed to create designs that could be mass-produced, making good design accessible to a broader population.

    Prominent figures associated with Modernist furniture and object design include designers such as Hans Wegner, Verner Panton, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Ettore Sottsass

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