Pottery in Australia Vol 17 No 1 Autumn 1978

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Finally it came time to see the place where the great storage jars of ancient times had been used in such numbers-the ruins of the palace of King Minos at Knossos. Many of these powerful giants had been left standing in the excavated storerooms following their discovery by Minos Kalairkerinos in 1878 and the later excavations by Sir Arthur Evans from 1900 to 1935. Some of the jars are over 6 ft high. One could imagine them standing in serried rows in the palace storerooms, filled with oil and grain, representing the great wealth of the king. Decorations on some of them reproduced the patterns and textures of the ropes which must ha\>e been needed to move them about; indeed many had numerous lugs big enough f ; 1/ ropes to be threaded through to form handles. There was usually a trougl! in the stone floor of the storehouse, a canny thought which could save the contents if ever a jar was broken, either by accident or as a result of the earthquake~ which periodically shake the region . It was a great earthquake on the nearb I island of Santorinj, followed by a tidal wave, that finally brought about the d~ ~ tru
SOME THOUGHTS ON CRACKS AND TEXTURE Stephen Skillitzi Cracks and fissures in clay and crazing and crawling in glazes usually strike dismay into potters' hearts-for both good and bad reasons. Kitchen and table ware has little room for the unhygienic crack, nor a flower vase for a crack that leaks. But when the same attitude to cracks automatically extends to decorative ceramics or to pots where the function is not impaired by a crack or two, then we need to consider the example of a ceramic culture greatly admired by most potters--Japan. Shoji Hamada is the leading exponent of the folk pottery movement and a Living National Treasure. Pots that are deemed unworthy of his personal endorsement (a certificate of authenticity) are sold merely as humble workshop pots. Seconds dog the heels of every potter, great or small. Nevertheless, amongst the pots he does acknowledge as his own and which fetch fantastic prices are to be fo und some with clay fire cracks. One Hamada bottle seen in Adelaide had a firing crack half way up each of its four sides. Such cracked pots of Hamada's would be viewed with suspicion by some of Australia's craft galleries and potters, and much of our buying public for that matter. Obviously the value judgements of East and West are still quite divergent in this regard. One can't generalise about Japanese ceramics today-it encompasses functional-folk to funk-fantasy, Shigaraki to slipware, porous to porcelain ware. But perhaps one can say that our Oriental counterparts accept and quietly contemplate the natural outcome of the struggle between matter and the elemental forces that shape that matter--ocean waves against a soft rockface, strong wind against Hexing trees, and Harne pitted against clay and glaze. Matter, like man himself, reveals its latent proclivities and limitations when subjected to ageing and extreme stress conditions. To the Oriental mind the results of this fundamental process are not to be despised in nature or in pottery. But to the traditional Occidental mind complete subjugation of matter and process to his will is equated with mastery of his craft. Is it any wonder that the industrial revolution, which subscribed to the "mastery" concept, should have developed the totally controlled and dehumanized mass-produced pot, where any irregularity or flaw undermined the belief in "mind over matter". This Stoke-on-Trent, industry-spawned attitude to clay and glaze Haws permeates our craft ceramics more than many realise, for better or for worse. In stark contrast are the comments of the TV Perspective program on Japanese Crafts, which defined crafts as "any object that, during manufacture, is continually at risk". However, there is a growing acceptance by Western potters of the "happyaccident" and the judicious use of glaze faults (crazing, crawling, bubbling, etc.) . For example, Lucie Rie (England ) with her crater-like glazes, Otto and Gertrude Natzler (USA) with their melt fissured and textured glazes, or Helen Mason (New Zealand) with her "the survivors are the exhibition" approach to runny ash chuns, etc. Peter Voulkos and followers, with their dynamic pummel, slash and dribble expressionism in clay and glaze, set the pace for USA ceramics of the late 50s and early 60s. Whilst West Coast-derived Pop/ Funk movements' "feti sh finish" approach has clearly stolen the limelight, there still remains general empathy for ceramists who allow their medium to "do what comes naturally". Nevertheless, 47
Page 2 and 3: EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Editor Janet Ma
Page 4 and 5: EDITORIAL The publication date of t
Page 6 and 7: statement, even the repetition of o
Page 8 and 9: 6
Page 10: FAENZA 1977 The 35th International
Page 13 and 14: CERAMIC FIBRE KILNS THE DAWN OF
Page 15 and 16: A NEW ENERGY - SAVING KILN FOR POTT
Page 17 and 18: efractory fire-brick structure of t
Page 19 and 20: I UO:::!*- I , 70
Page 21 and 22: should enable potters to be more im
Page 23 and 24: CHERYL SMALL: "Peter the hot bread
Page 25 and 26: L YREBIRD RIDGE POTTERY A BEGINNI
Page 27 and 28: Martin Kelly was the first trainee
Page 29 and 30: AN AIRING ABOUT DE-AIRING PUGMILLS
Page 31 and 32: other minor innovations on the Venc
Page 33 and 34: ---------------- A CLAY MIXER Leona
Page 35 and 36: WARREN PALMER : Shino glaze, cone 1
Page 37 and 38: RECENT WORK (continued) FREDERIC CH
Page 39 and 40: RECENT WORK (continued) IAN WfNTER:
Page 41 and 42: RECENT WORK (continued) GREG DALY :
Page 43 and 44: The material that worked beautifull
Page 45 and 46: POTTERY IN CRETE Penny Riley In Apr
Page 47: "'"eT c.. L4P ~"'T F I"-'-' TO fJ.
Page 51: College Courses Col h~lIe Coursels)
Page 54 and 55: 51
Page 56 and 57: ticles act as constant irritants to
Page 58 and 59: glaze mixing, should be isolated as
Page 60 and 61: serving as an excellent guide to po
Page 62 and 63: on view in state galleries. It also
Page 64 and 65: EXHIBITION REVIEWS H1ROESWEN Pastor
Page 66 and 67: Copacabana beach (near Gosford), is
Page 68 and 69: DULCE HERD At Potters' Cottage, War
Page 70 and 71: Adele Hollywood, Prahran College of
Page 72 and 73: section of some of the ceramic scul
Page 74 and 75: MEMBERSHIP : There are three catego
Page 76 and 77: SA Studio Potters' Club Jolanta Jan
Page 78 and 79: NEWCASTLE CERAMIC GROUP continues t
Page 80 and 81: "... a true museum-piece, too good
Page 82 and 83: HEAVY WEIGHTS OR BANTAMS WHEN IT
Page 84 and 85: RUSSELL COWAN's for RUSSELL COWAN,
Page 86 and 87: KRAUS R. C. ELECTRIC WH EEL MOTOR:
Page 88 and 89: WALKER CERAMICS Factory and Showroo
Page 90 and 91: POTTERS EQUIPMENT by DOALL THE "DOA
Page 92 and 93: DIAMOND CIRAMIC SUPPLIES IN.S.WJ Pl
Page 94 and 95: TALISMAN POTIERS' EQUIPMENT Manufac
Page 96 and 97: POTTERS EQUIPMENT 14 PITT STREET RI
Page 98 and 99:
DESIGNED & BUILT IN AUSTRALIA FOR A
Page 100 and 101:
POTTERS' EQUIPMENT 74 WILSON STREET
Page 102 and 103:
terrapotta stoneware by anne alexan
Page 104 and 105:
VENCD ELECTRIC POTTERS WHEELS, PUG
Page 106 and 107:
VENCO ELECTRIC POTTERS WHEELS, PUG
Page 108 and 109:
KI LNS. FURNACES. POTTERY WHE ELS.
Page 110 and 111:
12A George Street, Blackburn, 3130
Page 112 and 113:
KILN SERVICES STATEWIDE REPAIRS Re-
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Pottery in Australia Vol 17 No 1 Autumn 1978

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