3. Juni 2012 - New Ceramics

PROFILE
CHARLOTTE POULSEN
nesrin During
I
always wonder about the relationship of an artist to his work. What part of
what he or she makes comes from deep down, his personal baggage; and
what and how much has his environment loaded on him. And what about
his journey in life, how would that affect his work! How does his past art grow
into his future art?
Often an artist or a musician is said to be talented; she or he is born with
a gift. There are also artists and musicians who come from totally nonartistic
backgrounds, the gift is in a lot of cases not predictable.
Talking to Charlotte Poulsen, a Danish ceramic artist who lives
in the French pottery village of La Borrne, brought to my mind all
these thoughts and questions once more.
Charlotte was born in Denmark in 1950. A child of the northern
skies with the sea always present, sometimes quiet and
peaceful, at other times agitated and violent; her world was
one of ever-changing colours in a wide, flat landscape. She
grew up close to nature and animals, and as a child was always
drawing them. While at secondary school she met a
Danish-French couple, who were potters. Charlotte was fascinated,
and after her school was finished she went to work
for them for six months. She had already made up her
mind about becoming a potter. In 1969 she entered the
Fine Art Academy in Aarhus. At the academy she chose
ceramics, learning throwing on the wheel, modelling
by hand and glaze making.
In 1972 the potter couple who had so enchanted
Charlotte introduced her to La Borne. Here she
could work a while with Pierre Mestre, and met all
the big names like Anne Kjaersgaard, Gwyn Hanson, Jean Linard,
and many more. Charlotte went back to Denmark and finished
her studies, then came back to La Borne in 1978. Together
She made thrown functional stoneware,
lots of plates, casseroles, teapots, bowls,
cups. They were decorated with very fine
brushwork with engobes which of course
came from her Danish background.
with Svein Jensen, a Norwegian potter, who had become
her partner, she bought the house of Gwyn Henson, who
emigrated to Australia, and started their own studio.
Charlotte, who had been schooled in Denmark – which
meant Scandinavian clear, sober lines, simplicity, perfection,
and fine decoration – was now adapting to values of
exuberant, spontaneous, lively woodfired work.
"Dancing Bird on a Base", stoneware, 2010
12 NEW CERAMICS May / June 2012