The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 50 no 1 April 2011

View
Helen Fuller, Three Pots, terracotta, hand·built using
(oils, underglaze. tallest. h.23cm, w.8cm
Photo: Michal Kluvanek
The South Australian
Ceramics Award 2010
An overview by Stephen Bowers
As Jan Twyerould, founding organiser of the Award and convener of this year's event, again on behalf
of the Potters' Guild of SA, observed in her opening catalogue comments, the role of the competition
"is to provide a forum for the professional Potters of South Australia" - and this it certainly has done.
The award has materially assisted development of the Art Gallery of South Australia's contemporary
ceramics colledion and, with its exhibitions and prizes, fostered public appreciation and awareness of
South Australian ceramics. This also promotes the event amongst established ceramics praditioners,
while attrading new entrants from within the State.
The cata logue statement by this year's guest judge, highly respeded visual artist Gerry Wedd, noted
his surprise that some established praditioners had not entered the field. Perhaps, given the overall
modest size of the praditioner community in SA, where many artists have entered and some have
won the award in the past, this may not be so surprising; in any case it leaves room for other artists to
present their new works.
The award was the 9th since inception in 1988, and has always been an interesting event locally, as
it gives audiences a chance to see what contemporary peers are doing at anyone time. This year 's field
included several fresh faces who were showing for the first time, as well as others who have entered
only infrequently.
62 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS APRil 2011