The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 53 No 2 July 2014

Focus: Emergi ng
Lindsey Wherrett, plate
Photo: Jonathan Wherrett
In Context
by Lindsey Wherrett
I am an emerging ceramic artist; adually I'm a
potter. My work is made to be used. I, like other
ceramicists, work with my hands on my material
every day, striving to produce beautiful, tactile
and textural objem that people will use, touch
and include in their daily rituals.
I feel lucky to be on this path at a time when
there is an upsurge of interest and resped for
handcrafted products. However, I'm also aware
of the physical disconned created by our digital
age between the consumer and the object.
The pieces that we create as potters are
meant to be held, touched and used but are
often encountered for the first time through the
detached medium of the Internet. The Internet
is glorious in its ability to allow us to reach an
audience which is no longer just local or national,
but this also means that the market place is
crowded with makers' voices competing to be
heard.
How then do we express the true nature of our craft, all the subtleties of surface, form and fundional
value to our wider audience? A large part of the answer lies in the imagery that we release into the
ether. Photography is the means by which many clients experience our work for the first time, and
perhaps the only time before committing to a purchase. A cleanly lit studio photo of a pot is no longer
sufficient to capture the attention of potential customers. An audience bombarded by perfedly styled
images of an idealistic lifestyle exped to be tantalised and excited. Our clients are not necessarily
creative, may not immediately see the potential of a piece or may not perceive the subtle nuances of a
glaze su rface which seem striking to the trained eye.
Images of work in context tell the story of how a piece may be used and valued. The images
presented must speak to the lives and desires of the target audience. The photographs must help them
to visualise how their life would be better with this objed in it, how our work can bring them closer to
the lifestyle they aspire to.
THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CE RAMICS JULY 2014 4S