The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 48 No 3 November 2009

Wedge
Jan Guy
In terms of ceramics education, the discipline has received a real beating
in the last decade w ith the closure of many institutional ceramics studios. There are
few that would disagree but, rather than work together to find solutions to this,
much of the response has been blame and unsubstantiated statements about the value
of what is left standing. This seems to me a damn shame because one of the most
valuable qualities of the ceramics discipline in Australia is inclusivity - the specific nature
of ceramics means that it includes the spectrum of its manifestations, be that through the
hobbyist, the studio potter, the artist and/or the academic. These all playa part in how this
discipline develops and how it is perceived.
Assumptions made by some about the supposed loss of tradition because of its perceived
neglect within the education sector, are also unfounded. What is tradition but the subtle
unfolding of innovations' We need to remember that our experience of time has changed
dramatically in the last century. When we look at the ceramic objects of the Anglo-Oriental
tradition or the Greco-Roman tradition, we are looking back through time; we are witness
to the changes in surface and form that came about with political, religious and social
upheavals and which brought changes in consciousness to the people who made these
objects. Yes. that's right; I'm suggesting that no ceramics exist without thought and ideas,
even if it is as simple (or complex) as to make an object from which one eats or drinks.
God forbid if one should think and make simultaneously!
If one thinks about the position of such traditions today. we also need to recognise
that the speed of change is, in some cases. beyond the comprehension of our
predecessors. Life changes dramatically and constantly: one is aware of what has
happened on the other side of the world yesterday; I can view a new exh ibition in New
York as it opens; I can discuss the results of a kiln firing with most anyone, anywhere.
I am exposed continually to cultural differences, political nuances and the collapse of
boundaries of disciplines - I am influenced as much by the discoveries of science as I
am by art or the specificities of clay. Tradition is similarly changing and because of the
contemporary avalanche of influences. sometimes quite abruptly.
It is time we stop expecting that the young want to follow traditions blindly. Some
will see the value in emulating the aesthetics and praxis of a thousand-year-old tradition;
others will say thank you very much I have learnt a lot, now how can I use it to bring
meaning to my life or even question its relevance altogether. This attitude is not a rejection of
tradition, but its nourishment, its refreshment. If one can accept this and not see it as a threat,
and stop howling about the lack of skills when really it is just taking the rules and bending or
breaking them a little, then ceramics as a discipline can survive. And not only survive, but flourish
in its diversity.
To those who can only criticise the education sector, I make two suggestions; firstly, remember
that ceramics is a life 's journey and a three-year diploma or degree can only be a beginning; and
secondly, put your worldly experience where your disapproving mouth is and offer to collaborate
w ith the education sector to give graduates some real 'ceramics world' opportunities through
mentorship or studio work experience.
Jan Guy lectures in ceramics at Sydney College of the Arts; E: j.guy@.usyd.edu.au
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