Pottery In Australia Vol 36 No 2 Winter 1997

'Claydown' Tasmania
An annual Summer School with clay and fire.
RcedY Marsh Pottery in
northern Tasmania has
hosted two 'Claydowns' and
is planning a third for 1998. These
residential summer schools are led
by guest tutors - Malin a
and Dennis Monks in
1996, Sandy Lockwood in
1997.
Each school provides a
busy program lasting six
days. Activity revolves
around loads of soft day
and two longthroated
woodfired kilns. The
poltery is surrounded by
forest rich in wildlife,
while nearby, unique bush
camping fac ilities for
panicipanrs make outdoor
living easy.
What happens at Claydown is quite different from
what c1ayworkers experience in their own workplaces,
and different too, from what sltldenrs get from protracted
cerami cs cours es in conventional institutions. At
'Claydown ' there are no production quotas. Nor arc
there ex hi bi ti on or assessment deadlines. A rich
Claydown '97 participants made work
for two long throated wood kilns, one
was salted.
A lighter moment at Claydown '97 - blue-tongued
wildlife is confused for clay.
excha nge develops between
participants as they make, slip,
glaze, fire and take on the various
challenges presented. A tight time
schedule encourages risk taking -
new discoveries are made
and fresh understandings
develop. While techniques
and recipes are freely
shared, their imp0rlance
is secondary. 'Claydown's'
principle strength is in
giving individuals the
chance to compare the
starti ng point for their
own arts practice with
that of other c1ayworkers -
ii 's an opportunity to
understand what is
essential to each other'S
work, to find the essence,
the 'whys' of what we do with clay as well as the 'bows'. 00
For Dellliis of eLA YDOWN TASMANIA '98, COnl'C!: Neil HolTmann
4;0 Larcombes Rd, Reedy Marsh, Tasmania. 7.104
Phone/Fax 03 63622646
72 POmRY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 3612 WlNTER 1997