CLAY, CERAMIC, EARTHENWARE, PORCELAIN, GROG, STONEWARE, BISCUIT, CONES, SLIP, SLAB, THROW ...

I MAC, E-MAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, DIGITAL, DVD, ZIP DRIVE, JPEGS, TIFFS, PIXEL ...

In an increasingly technological world where contact with handmade objects is more removed from daily life than ever before, it is easier for children to explore virtual worlds that exist only in the memory of a computer than for them to engage with the more tangible and material experiences which aid the development of a wide range of human senses.

Retail has developed in an extraordinary way, industry imitates handmade ware and the commercial world is ruthless, ideas are freely poached from all available sources. In a country largely dominated by money, management and the media, making the decision to study ceramics is therefore an increasingly radical option taken by fewer and fewer people.

The work produced by students and graduates that continue to practice this art both inside and outside educational institutions is just as ambitious in its intentions as it has ever been and even more varied in its outcomes. However the resources that society puts into this type of education is considerably reduced. There is currently still a wealth of talent, expertise and irreplaceable facilities in the ceramic departments of our British Art Schools and Universities that should be treasured and developed rather than threatened in the never ending streamlining of establishments.

It is too easy to criticise the new, hindsight is often tinged with a rosy glow and this exhibition is testament to the fact that Ceramics develops creatively and technically in line with all the other art disciplines. The vast and extraordinary history of this medium does however still separate us from other arts, whilst continuing to thrill and inspire new generations of makers.

It has been a privilege to have the opportunity to be involved in the development of this important and exciting exhibition; as a teacher I have had the chance to help create opportunities that are usually outside my remit, and as a maker I feel that there is a new generation of potters, artists, ceramists, call them what you will, whose work demonstrates levels of excellence and diversity which should be celebrated.

My thanks go to the very dedicated team of individuals who have believed in this common vision, the institutions which have in turn supported us, and the selectors who have chosen Ceramic Contemporaries 4.