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artists: Clarice Cliffe
Clarice Cliffe
Clarice Cliff was born on 20 January 1899 in Meir Street, Tunstall. Tunstall is the most northerly of the six Potteries towns of Staffordshire, in the English Midlands. She was the daughter of Harry Thomas Cliff and Ann (nee Machin) and she had two brothers and five sisters. Clarice attended the High Street Elementary School and later Summerbank School in Tunstall, and left school at the age of thirteen. Her first job was at Linguard Webster and Co where she was apprenticed as an enameller for the wage of one shilling (5p) a week. Here she learned freehand painting, and after 3 years moved to work as a lithographer at Hollinshead and Kirkham. In 1927 Clarice Cliff's employer arranged for her to study sculpture for a few months at the Royal College of Art, London, and then set her up in her own studio adjoining the Newport Pottery. Clarice was allowed to experiment with designs and her first pieces were brightly coloured, geometric patterns and shapes.These early designs were called Bizarre Ware. She was in charge of a small team of paintresses, dubbed ‘Bizarre Girls’ and these patterns were in direct contrast to the prevailing traditional styles.
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