Pottery In Australia Vol 35 No 1 Autumn 1996

POTTERYin 

AUSTRA~ 

Vol 

5 Number 1 • Autumn 1996 -

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ition Calendar 

MAY 

Fibre Sculpture - Virginia Kaiser 

Headmasters Gallery 

St Ives, Sydney 

MAY-JULY 

CBramics - Bernadine AJting, 

Ft-Dtography - John Diegan, 

B3sket weaving - Salty King 

Cradle Mountain Gallery 

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania 

1-26MAY 

Water Colour Clay' 

Ingrid von Reich 

& Kathleen McMahon 

Inner City Clayworkers Gallery 

Glebe, Sydney 

3-16MAY 

'Mothers Day' 

Group exhibition 

Claythings Potters Gallery 

Balgowlah, Sydney 

3-16MAY 

Ivan Gluch 

Functional porcelain 

Mura Clay Gallery 

Newtown, Sydney 

4-22MAY 

Womens Wm< 

Women artists, all media 

Distelfink Gallery 

Armadale, Melbourne 

6-24MAY 

'Mother & Child' 

Exhibition by Guildford 

Village Potters 

Guildford, WA 

6MAY-2JUNE 

'Five X F1Ve' 

Ceramics, wood, leather, glass & metal, 

5 artists working in different media 

Fusions Gallery 

Fortitude Valley, Brisbane 

9MAY - 8JUNE 

1neBox' 

Next Wave Festival Exhibition 

Craft Victoria Gallery 

Fitzroy, Melbourne 

9-29MAY 

Aboriginal Ms 

Claremont School of Arts 

Claremont, Perth 

9MAY-5JUNE 

'B3reBody' 

Mary Anderson 

The Pottery Place 

Wollongong NSW 

9 MAY - 1 SEPTEMBER 

William Morris 

V&AMuseum 

South Kensington, London 

10 MAY - 9 JUNE 

Blundstone 

Contemporary M Rize 

Waverley City Gallery 

Melbourne 

12 MAY -4 JUNE 

Thornton Walker - painnngs 

Rue Venables - ceramics 

Beaver Galleries 

Deakin,ACT 


'Feast Funcnonal & Rrtual' 




17-30MAY 

Ljubov Seidl 

Richly decorated e/w 



21 MAY-11 JUNE 

Peter Stephens, ceramics 

Zone Gallery (Above Imprints 

Booksellers) Adelaide 

23 MAY -16 JUNE 

'Ensemble': An Exhibrtion by Union 

Street Ceramic Studio 

Domestic objects by Liz Stops, Robyn 

Whyte, 'iuzi Lyon, Patsy Hely & Abi 

Parker 

Craftspace Gallery 

The Rocks, Sydney 

25 MAY-12JUNE 

Patrick Collins, Maiolica 



29 MAY· 30 JUNE 

'Musical Interlude', 

clay with rhythm 


Glebe, Sydney 

30 MAY - 12JUNE 

'Changing Movements' 

Noel Warden 

Exhibition of ceramic sculpture 

and paintings 

Snake Pit Gallery 

Launceston, Tasmania 

30 MAY · 19 JUNE 

Tony Hayes Selecnon 

Claremont School of Art 


30 MAY- 17 JUNE 

To Look Mlead' 

Ceramics and Water by Jan Pryor 

Watt Space 

Newcastle NSW 


Claire Locker 



- - ... - 

JUNE 

1 -24JUNE 

'AfterncxJ!l Tea' 

Teapots by Cher Shackleton 

& Janice Anderson 

Guildford Village Potters, 

Guildford, Perth 

5-30JUNE 

Bruce Anderson 

- sculptural works 

Artist in Residence, QPA 

Fusions Gallery, 


6 JUNE · 10 JULY 

'Frarre Up' 

Rod Moyes & Janette Loughrey 

The Pottery Place, Wollongong NSW 

7-27JUNE 

'Animal & Plant Fantasy' 




9JUNE-2JULY 

'Spirit Wrthin', 

vessel forms in wood basketry and 

ceramics. Marcus Tatton, 

Virginia Kaiser and Sarit Cohen 


Deakin ACT 

12-30JUNE 

'Bovvfing AJong' 

13 Australian artists incl. 

Marc Sauvage,Barbara Swarbrick, Bob 

Connery 

Savode Gallery 

Newstead, Brisbane 

12JUNE-6JULY 

Vince McGrath, 

touring ceramics exhibition 



14-21 JUNE 

Karen Smrth - sculpture 

Award winning graduate from ESTC 



15 JU,'4E - 27 JULY 

'Earthry Images' 

Group exhibition by 

'Clay Concepts' - 7 local potters 

Lake Macquarie City Gallery 

Lake Macquarie, NSW

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ition Calendar 

MARCH 

MARCH - 30 MARCH 

Ceramics by Ian Smith 

Seasons Gallery 

North Sydney 

MARCH - 8 APRIL 

Stanthorpe Ms Festival 

Stanthorpe, Qld 


Womens Showcase' 

Womens' Images of Women 

- ceramics, painting, sculpture 

Studio Showcase 

Dmmmoyne, Sydney 

MARCH-2MAY 

Contemr::uary Ceramics 

from the Collection 

Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane 


Nicola R.Jrcell & Cath Webb 

New Members Show 

Inner City Clayworkcrs Gallery 

Glebe, Sydney 


Ceramics - Bernadine Atting 

Paintings - Susanne Urbank 

Oasthouse Gallery 

ew Norfolk, Tasmainia 

MARCH - 7 APRIL 

Blundstone 

Contemporary M Rize 

Lewers Bequest and Penrith R. A.G. 

Emu Plains, Sydney 

APRIL 

Works on Pap3r - 

Yvonne Cleaver 



3-Z7 APRIL 

Saltglaze by Sandy Lockwood 

Ceramic Art Gallery 

Paddington, Sydney 

3 APRIL- 5 MAY 

Steve Davies 

Highly decorative, semi functional & 

sculptural works. Mini Exhibition: 

Margrete Lohne's ceramics 

Fusions Gallery 


4-28APRIL 

Group exhibrlion of ceramics by 

'Mudlarks' 

The Seahorse Gallery 

58 Darley Street 

Manly, Sydney 

MARCH 

'From Passion to Fantasy' 

Wearable Art by Trudy Billingsley 



1 MARCH - 12 APRIL 

Douglas Chick, Katherine Ilbery 

- sculpture, Michelle Leys - textiles, 

Anne McCallum - ceramics, 

Alice Scott - painting 

Moree Regional gallery 

Moree,NSW 

3-26 MARCH 

Geoff Dyer - paintings 

Clare Belfrage, Deb Cocks, 

Ben Edols, Kathy Elliot - glass 


Deakin ACT 

4-27MARCH 

'Impressions and Emotions' 

Sandra Brown 

The Pottery Place 

Wollongong NSW 

10-31 MARCH 

GomtxJc Sculpture Survey 

Gomboc Gallery 

Middle Swan, WA 


Zenpar, Ceramics 

and mixed media installation 



4 APRIL - 23 JUNE 

Gwyn Hanssen Pigott: 

AT wenty Year Survey 

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane 

6-18APRIL 

Graeme Wilkie, Sculpture 

Qdos Gallery, 

Lorne, Vic 

11-20APRIL 

Visions of Mino 

Exhibition & Seminar 

by Janet Barriskill 

Japan Cultural Centre 

Miller St. North Sydney 

11 APRIL-4MAY 

Kar1 Millard, jewelery & metalvvork 



11 APRIL-30 MAY 

Tradrlional & Contemporary 

Pacific Pottery 

Dymocks Building, 8th Floor 

Sydney 


Visual Ms Foundation/Multiplex 

Graduate Drawing Prize 



15-28MARCH 

Rob Slingsby - recent ceramics 



16 MARCH - APRIL 10 

'Directors Choice' 

Celebrating 180 exhibitions ; 24 

ceramic artists also Steven Goldate, 

porcelain. Distelfink Gallery 



'Precious Eggs' 

group exhibition for Easter 

Meat Market Craft Centre 

North Melbourne 


'Sowenir: Greetings 

from Sydney' 




'Round & Round' 

Ceramics by Jan Burtenshaw 

& Barbara Webster 



- 

12APRIL - 2MAY 

'Mud & Magic' 

Ceramics by Joan Sparke & Val Mola 



13APRIL-1 MAY 

'Directors Choice' 

Celebrating 70 Glass 

Artist Exhibitions 

14 Glass Artists, 



14 APRIL - 7 MAY 

Chris Denton - paintings & prints 

David Oswald - ceramics 

Beaver Galleries, Deakin ACT 

16-31 APRIL 

Toe Banquet' 

Virginia Hollister, Kate Leach, Kerrie 

Lowe, Kristyn Taylor, Cameron 

Williams A satellite event in 

association with the International 

Conference on Food 

Mura Clay Gallery Newtown, Sydney 

27 MARCH · 28 APRIL 

'Bows' - functionalty challenged 


Glebe, Sydney 

29 MARCH · 15 APRIL 

Kristen-Lee Baillie 

figurative sculptures, coloured 

matt surfaces 




Diogenes Farri, Ceramics 

Raglan Gallery 

Manly, Sydney 


'Locus' Sculptural ceramics by 

T amasin Pepper 

Crafts Council of NT 

Fannie Bay, Darwin 

31 MARCH· 14 APRIL 

'Out of Hand' 

Works in different media by 11 

Deloraine artists 

Gallery 9 

Deloraine, Tasmania 

- - 

18APRIL-12MAY 

Contemporary Wearaloles 

Exhibition curated by Toowoomba 

Regional Gallery 



19-21 APRIL 

Uthgow Pottery Fair 

Lithgow Primary School 

Lithgow, NSW 

25 APRIL - 8 MAY 

WA School of M & Design: 

Staff Exhibn:ion 


Claremont, Perth

Showcase 

a Recent exhibition work 

Focus: The Art of Function 

a The Art of Function 

The work of Steve Davies & Catherine 

Lane - a strong affinity with process 

and material. 

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Fergus Stewart 

From Clay to Kiln. Article by Kathy Kituai. 

Bill Samuels 

An article about pots by Bill Samuels. 

The Passion of Earthenware 

A reply to Ian Jones by Megan Patey. 

Out of the Ordinary 

Jenny Orchard's unique exploration of 

everyday rituals. 

Cameron Williams 

Exploring the limitless range of 

possibilities with clay. 

'Being with Objects', an exhibition 

by Patsy Hely, Susan Ostling and 

Toni Warburton 

Papers from the forum held in 

conjunction with the exhibition. By 

curator Helen Stephens, Diana Wood 

Conroy and Virginia Hollister. 

The Meaning of Function 

Janet deBoos investigates the truths of 

function. 

Dining Out in Style 

Designers and chefs combine talents in 

a project for the Crafts Council of SA 

Article by Bridgette Minuzzo. 

Art of Sucessful Collaboration 

Tableware designed and made by Ivan 

Gluch and Janna Ferris. Article by 

Patricia R. McDonald. 

Chequered Clay 

Stephanie Outridge-Field and Jane 

Hawthoorn work collaboratively. 

IFJ Function by Design, Design by Fire 

'Pyro Designs' has been established as 

an alternative marketing vehicle. Article 

by Rick Wood. 

Reviews & Profiles 

m 'Works from the West' 

Exhibition of work by Jenny Dawson in 

collaboration with Ian MacRae & Jan 

Jensen. Review by Stephanie Outridge 

Field. 

Beyond the Surface 

A profile of vessel maker Merran Esson's 

latest work. 

Neville French 

First solo exhibition at Distelfink Gallery. 

Review by Kim Homby. 

Tamasin Pepper 

Graduate in residence at the Crafts 

Council, Northern Territory. Article by 

Andrea Raddatz. 

Musical Abstractions 

Vivian Cohen combines a passion for 

musical instruments and clay. Review by 

Cherry Jacobsen. 

Albie Herbert 

Thi~ artist plays a part in highlighting 

environmental issues . 

'Why do Australian Barbeques 

Need Teriyaki Sauce.' 

Installation by Won Seok Kim. Article by 

Sue Buckle. 

Burning Journeys 

An exhibition of work by students from 

Outer Eastern College of TAFE. Review 

by Kim Martin-Harrell. 

Studio Practice 

ma A practical look at Glebe Pottery Studio- 

Ruth Carter, Barry Blight, Bernadette 

Magee. Article by Sue Buckle. 

Marketing 

1ml John Eagle addresses more aspects of 

marketing. 

Technical Update 

m The Essential Aspects of T erasigillata by 

Vivian Cohan. 

ma The Glaze Page 

Starting Points for glaze research by 

Greg Daly. 

Deflocculated Slip - 

Article by Ivor Lewis. 

Clay Adhesive 

Karen Wei3s researches electric kilns. 

Postcard 

ti Gondar 

Part 2 of Geoff Crispin's work with potters 

in Ethiopia. 

Book Reviews 

Travel Update 

fS Vietnam 

Christine Pearson reports. 

Turkey 

Ken Osetroff reports. 

Australia Wide 

Reports from State Representatives 

Letters 

Reponses to the article 'Is This the End' 

discussing the future of ceramics at ESTC. 

News 

ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALJA 1

Editorial 

=he longer I work with 

functional form, the more 

I realise its potential as a 

vehicle for artistic expression. 

Every jug carries with it the whole 

history of jugs and their usage, 

every teapot relates to the facts of 

human relationships and daily life. 

As we move away from these 

functional realities, there is an 

increase in status for the work in 

that it is more readily perceived as being artistic in intent. 

What we have to ask is what is the corresponding loss' - 

Janet DeBoos, (Catalogue from the exhibition 'Process 

and Obsession', 1995). 

The artists approached to write for this issue all have 

extensive experience working with functional forms and 

have written with great feeling on the subject. You will 

find their articles very challenging. 

I am sure many of you have at some time felt the great 

satisfaction of making objects for your own or others use - 

I know I have. Now in my job as editor, as you can 

imagine, I see alot of ceramic work and meet many 

artists/ potters. One of the great joys for me has been 

buying pieces that become part of our family life. The 

beauty of hand made objects is that each time you reach 

for them they are imbued with memories of a person , a 

time, a place and they continue to collect these memories 

and associations with use. You respond to them 

according to your needs or feelings at a point in time and 

they add something extra to everyday experience. 

I grew up in a home where domestic vessels were well 

considered, but generally industrially made. Even here I 

remember the effect when the 'good' dinner service was 

brought out of the china cabinet to celebrate a special 

occassion or the special cake plate came out for a 

particular visitor.( Not least of all when my sister's 

boyfriend came to dinner to ask Dad for permission to 

many her (everyone else already knew!), chickened out 

somewhere between main course and dessert, and we 

had to do it all over again the next weekend!) And, of 

course, the old heavily stained, battered teapot was 

central to sharing many wonderful 

(and sometimes confronting) 

conversations and experiences. 

These are the objects of ritual that 

lie at the heart of our existence. 

They are particularly valuable 

because they are accessible to 

everyone. However, each of us 

has a very personal response 

which exists because of our own 

experience and may or may not 

relate to the original intention of the artist maker. This 

makes the functional object a very dynamic work of art - 

and a very powerful and enduring one. 

This is going to be an exciting year for the Potters' 

Society of Australia. We are looking forward to being at 

the National Ceramics Conference, Canberra, in July. I 

particularly enjoy catching up with all the friends of the 

magazine - how nice to see a face instead of just using a 

telephone! As part of the Conference the Society will also 

be curating an exhibition at Solander Gallery, Deakin, 

showcasing the work of seven contemporary ceramists 

and we hope to see many of you there. Launching the 

1996 Potters Directory - the first full colour Directory 

produced for many years in Australia will be another 

exciting event. This is going to be a spectacular 

publication with a limited production so make sure you 

don't miss out on your copy, available first at the 

Conference. 

You may be aware of the world crisis regarding the 

shortage of paper. This unfortunately has led to a 

considerable price rise for paper which has forced us to 

increase the cover price of the magazine. We regret this, 

but we will continue to bring 

s 

you the best quality 

magazine we can possibly produce which will give you 

plenty of inspiration and practical help. 

So, choose a special mug or cup for your tea or coffee 

and relax for a minute with us. D ~ 

it2g~;~ 1 hiir;1r~p~b1i'shed 

rciuarterly;qY,th.e_,R9hfrs'· Society 

t of Australia.

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Vic Greenaway. Celadon 1995, translucent porcelain, 12h (cm). 

ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 3

Above: Yvonne Bouwman, coloured bottles 

from "Out of the Earth" series. 

Right: Jill Symes, "High Stepping Woman 5". 

Handbuilt ceramic. 

Below: Lyn Robinson, "Sunrise North West". 

S/W. 30d (cm). 

4 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA+ ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 

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SHOWCASE 

Above: Cheryl Sobott-Tom. 

Left: Sally Cleary, "Key I". 330 x 185mm. 

Below: Catherine Batten, "Valley of Flowers". 

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The Art of Function 

Being involved in the making of clay objects over the past fifteen years, has enabled Steve Davies 

and Catherine Lane to develop a strong affinity with process and material. 

N 

ow that process and material have become a more 

familiar part of our practice we feel our work is 

beginning to mature. To not have to worry as much 

about technique and process and to give your mind over to 

the essence of what the clay may become is, and has 

always been, an intriguing and exciting prospect. 

Our explorations have led in many directions. We have 

worked traditionally in Japan with stoneware, designed 

domestic ware in England using mid-range and stoneware, 

and worked in Australia with stoneware, mid-range and 

earthenware. The delineations which are made between 

specific firing temperatures are irrelevant to the way we 

use clay. We endeavour to understand and develop the 

essence of the maker - sometimes through form and 

decoration, but always in aesthetic. 

Our practice could roughly be divided into two areas - 

objects that can be used and those which cannot. The 

boundaries between the two cross often, but somehow 

there seems to be a relative balance. The borderlines 

remain non-definitive. 

"Once you begin to consider objects which are part of 

the practical living of everyday life as objects in their own 

right, not as symbols of status, subordinated as property, a 

new connection with object becomes possible. Being with 

objects, those things which we come to know and 

appreciate at first hand through practise and experience, 

become part of daily life" 1 

We make objects for domestic use - bowls, platters, 

candelabra and so on, always remembering that these 

things will live within another person's personal space. We 

only hope that these objects will enhance that individual's 

daily rituals. 

Function plays an important role in gaining access to 

these works, a person wants to know their vessel will hold 

liquid and their teapot will pour. These are important 

factors in the consideration of the object's function in their 

6 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA+ ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996


lives. However, functionality is not the only important 

element in design. There is also the private meaning. 

Memory and personal identity are crucial, and objects carry 

various peripheral associations. The viewer accepts the 

image that the maker presents, but often without the 

knowledge of the maker's story. Once in possession of the 

piece the viewer will imbue the object with new 

associations relevant to their own personal history. 

By considering surface through decoration we are 

inviting the viewer to participate in the language of our 

visual imagery, but also to enjoy the pieces for what they 

are - objects of function. 

The ongoing development of this language of visual 

imagery has often come via 

external stimulus; for example, 

block buster exhibitions, 

where particular imagery is 

sought for specific concepts, 

and commission work where a 

client's taste often enters into 

the design process. The imput 

these projects offer can never 

be underestimated in the wider 

scheme of the development of 

a repertoire that trades as the 

language of the image maker. 

Our vocabulary is simple. We 

use colour to develop image 

and clay to create form; it is the 

right combination of these two 

elements that leads to a 

balanced work. 

Working on forms of a 

more sculptural nature does 

not necessarily mean that they 

are less functional than those 

of a more domestic nature. 

Their function is primarily one of aesthetic. This seems to 

be the point at which the art of function and the function 

of art seem to cross over. Take a large teapot, for example. 

It is obviously too large to perform any true function as the 

object of a tea making facility, yet retains the associations 

of the process through form alone. The viewer desires this 

object for what purpose? If the object is obviously a teapot 

with no function, of what possible benefit to this person 

could this object of non-function be to their life? This 

example perhaps best describes the art of function within 

the context of the cultural function of the art object. 

On the other hand, if we take a large bowl which has 

been made primarily to setve the artist as a canvas, with the 

artist's intention for the object being none other than a 

facilitator for image making, it seems to carry a different 

cultural association because it can still perform its function of 

being a bowl unimpeded. The viewer's association with this 

object changes with the ability to use the object; the bowl 

S. Davies, "Dog Gone Dry", cannister set. 30h (cm). 

performing more than one function - that of the domestic 

object, as well as an art object with private meaning. 

"The crafts, like art, are carriers of images, symbols and 

meaning but, unlike art, cannot jettison concern for form 

and function and the skilled experimentation necessary for 

innovative design and production." 2 

"For Zimmer the distinguishing and defining character of 

the crafts is located in their concern with form, function, 

decoration, style, media, technique and skill" 3 

Making a living from our work has meant that time to 

pursue more experimental forms of self expression are 

pursued when opportunities present themselves. Last year 

one such opportunity arose for Steve with an invitation to 

work as artist in residence at 

the Banff Centre for the Arts 

in Banff, Alberta, Canada. 

Time away from the 

demands of regular studio 

activities to explore a new 

body of work resulted in a 

development of the 

"Glimpses Series". The work 

is based around the concept 

of the decay of memory 

through glimpses in time , 

using mixed media ceramics, 

cast glass and pixilated 

computer imager. Post 

graduate studies at Monash 

University (by 'Distance 

Education') has led to further 

developments in this work. 

In 1996 Catherine will 

travel to Malta, England and 

Ireland to present workshops 

and lectures, and also to 

undertake an artist residency 

at the Bath College of Higher Education. She is also 

undertaking post graduate studies through Monash 

University. Catherine's recent work explores notions of 

cultural identity and Australian cultural iconography through 

small scale sculptures and vessel forms. oo 

Steve Davies, Catherine Lane 

31 Braeside Drive, Uki 2484 

Tel/Fax 066 795 292 

FOOT NOT ES 

'Being with Objects' curatorial essay by Helen Stephens "Ceramics 

Art & Perception" No 19 1995 p.37 

2 ]. Zimmer "Throwing The Baby Out with the Bath Water" The 

Sydney Review October 1990 p.10 

3 N. Ioannou "Craft in Society - An Anthology of Perspectives" p.169 

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8 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996

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From clay to kiln. 

Article by KA THY KITUAI. 

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Jug. Wood fired salt, 1995. 23h (cm). 

We are a long way from Scotland the day Fergus 

Stewart shows me photographs of his birthplace, 

Stonehaven, Aberdeen. We are sitting underneath 

vines growing over his studio at Strathnairn on the 

outskirts of Canberra, a blue wren at our feet like a 

sapphire on a velvet lawn, magpies warbling, geese 

grazing. An equally ideal landscape to the one in which 

Stewart experienced childhood, but I can't help wondering 

how growing up in Scotland by the sea has influenced the 

work of this potter. 

"I think tl1e work ethic is the most important thing", he 

replies, "It's an attitude to learning, to developing ... " 

Pragmatic, the answer doesn't immediately satisfy. He's 

just described the joy of clambering up a cliff to play in a 

12th Century castle. One thing is for certain. Stewart is 

restless, constantly shifts in his seat, doesn't seem 

comfortable while not involved in the process of making 

pots. Understandable. He began making pots as early as 

high school. 

''When I started off, I didn't see myself as an artist; I saw myself 

as a potter .. .! like the grand scale of art, you know, sculpture that 

you can climb on or sit on .. .it comes back to function." 

In essence, the rugged Scottish landscape has had effect 

after all. However, it's my tum to shift uncomfortably in my 

ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 9

Jacaranda bowl. Wood fired. 18d (cm). 

seat. As a poet, I'm struggling with new concepts arising 

from this foray into ceramics. Why this superfluous 

juxtaposition of artist and potter in the first place? 

Every ceramic magazine I've read compared functional 

with non-functional art. Surely aesthetic appreciation and 

concepts that occur in response to non-functional work are 

its function? Doesn't function differ only according to 

artistic endeavour, the purpose of the work? 

"What's the difference between sculpture and functional 

work? "$2000!" he quips facetiously, adding a much 

needed lighter touch to this debate. 

It must be frustrating to earn a living within a product 

orientated market when you're an artist who values the 

process of clay to kiln, sees it as a responsibility, as part of 

the whole. Recently when asked about making indigenous 

Australian pots he remarked: 

"Working with materials fundamentally influences what 

you do. The clay dictates technically. If you're working like 

I do with the elements of the kiln, most of the time, then 

you're dealing with really indigenous materials. Clay 

behaves in lots of different ways. They're specific to the 

geographical location." 

Holistic, Stewart also rejects the term 'production work' 

as it implies a division of labour. Potters not involved in the 

whole process miss the point of hand made pots and 

originality. He acquired high standards early in his career, 

the first from Archie McColl, who had completed a studio 

based apprenticeship. McColl introduced him to what he 

thought were characteristics of a good pot; function, 

honesty, strong form and quality of glaze surface. 

This was the 70's, a time when studio pottery was 

blossoming in the United Kingdom, apprenticeship hard to 

find. He found a trainee position that taught the basics but 

not one that kept McCall's standards. Later he worked for 

Ian and Jennifer Macrae, and made pots more to his liking - 

functional stoneware with character and form, hand pulled 

handles, bowls with robust feet, the glazes that were in the 

traditional oriental style and reduction fired at 1300'C. 

Stewart's no-nonsense attitude to learning paid off. He 

set up Kailzie Pottery in the Scottish borders with Bruce 

Walford, built an oil fuel kiln, experimented using wood 

for reduction. In 1981 he accepted an offer to work again 

for the Macraes (Beaufort Pottery) who had moved to WA. 

Here he consolidated his skills. Even when he established 

his first independent studio in 1983, he was still learning, 

this time woodfiring.He became an apprentice yet again to 

the kiln. The attraction was not so much the romance of 

woodfiring as interest in warm and subtle surfaces that he 

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10 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 3S/ I AUTUMN 1996

Tea pot. Salt glaze. 15h (cm). 

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appreciated in John Leach , Ian Jones and Gwyn Hanssen 

Pigott's work. I get the impression that Stewart is serving a 

lifetime apprenticeship. During 1983-88 he established 

glaze recipes that he still continues to use and develop. 

Now established at Strathnairn as a studio potter and 

teacher at the Canberra School of Arts, I'm no more 

surprised by his advice to students "Go and 

specialise ... explore your desire to create, but do that first!" 

than I am by the fact that he emphasises wheel skills, 

encourages with positive feedback, trial and error. "We 

must allow ourselves to fail". 

Initially Stewart left WA to join Ian Jones at Gundaroo, 

NSW. Eventually he set up another studio in Canberra, built 

a gas kiln, explored and developed various coper reduction 

glazes combined with wood ash. Strathnairn offers him the 

opportunity to explore woodfiring even further. 

A community arts property, Strathnairn provides studio 

space for emerging ceramic practitioners, much needed 

access to equipment and kilns as well as informal learning 

through cross fertilisation of ideas. All this in return for 

labour to develop the place further. However, none of 

these facilities would be possible if it weren't for the vision, 

cooperation and hard work applied by the Members of 

Strathnairn Ceramic Association Inc. who have built both 

studios and kilns to suit diverse practise over the past few 

years. Stewart shows me 'before' photos of the property 

where building materials lean against the studio like junk 

at the local tip. I'm surrounded by well-kept lawns, newly 

planted trees, a vineyard in the distance, another kiln in 

progress and don't ask if this exchange is working. 

Now? He's restless again, says he has arrived at a 

jumping off point, doesn't fully explain. There is a kiln full 

of bonsai pots to unload. 

We have just completed lunch, the geese are grazing 

closer to the studio and I remark that what I like about 

geese is that they are just geese. One of his jugs holds my 

attention. What he likes about this jug is - it is what it is .. a 

jug. When are artists just artists? To surrender clay to kiln, 

experiment yet stay with functional art withiri an industry 

divided on an issue as artificial as non-functional verses 

functional art, is to specialise in more than work ethics. 

Made of soft clay, glaze and form synchronise; this jug 

surrenders to the direction of the clay. oo 

Kathy Kituai is a freelance writer and poet who has reviewed since 

1989. She is published locally and overseas and her first collection of 

poetry "green-shut-green" (Polonius) came out in 1994. She also 

facilitates creative writing courses in the ACT (six years) for ANU 

Continuing Education, Women's Referral Centre, Southern Adult 

Education and other ACT Community Centres. 

ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 11

Bill Samuels 

This is an article about pots. About the human values which for me 

are inherent in the process and the strength they impart to the finished work. 

I 

think of myself simply as a maker of pots and describe 

my occupation as artist potter. 

As a student at ESTC in the late 60s, I learnt something 

about ceramic technology, to throw, handbuild, glaze, 

pack and fire. There were also unwritten lessons that 

provoked thoughts about the pursuit of quality, the 

excitement of exploration and experimentation, and a 

realisation that mysteries would be unravelled slowly 

because of the inherent nature of working with clay. At the 

'end of it all' there were no guarantees of success, money 

or life style. To pursue a life in the arts was my own choice 

and its own reward, if any exists at all. 

The unwritten lessons have proved the most valuable 

tools for the endless journey. An exciting one, and 

impossible to achieve without the support and 

involvement of family and friends. 

Learning to throw and handbuild served as an 

introduction to clay in all its glory, plastic, non-plastic, 

refractory, white, yellow, red, pink, brown, all good stuff 

each with their own stories to tell. I like them all, getting 

to know them intimately takes time and patience and 

imparts a strength to the finished work that is the result of 

Wood fired Bottle 

a partnership between myself and the materials. 

I've worked with the one glaze for a long time and it has 

proved a useful means of measuring the differences in 

materials, packing and firing. Limiting the glaze options 

meant I could concentrate on exploring the close 

relationships between the fuel, kiln design and 

atmosphere, and my choice of materials. The outcome has 

been to expose a lot of the unique qualities of unprocessed 

materials, increasing the creative potential. 

I enjoy working in this back-to-front way because it 

'opens doors' to ways of solving problems in the studio 

that otherwise wouldn't be apparent. It has proven to 

me just how insignificant the glaze recipe is in the final 

solution, and how important it is to use the right 

materials and to get the firing process right. What I am 

trying to convey is the importance of attitude towards 

the whole process. This is as valuable to the making of 

good work as is a knowledge of the chemistry and 

technology. 

'Attitude' has the capacity to extend technology and 

even technique into other realms otherwise unimagined, 

and becomes the means whereby development continues. 

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Buying clay and glaze materials that have been prepared 

by industry to meet industrial requirements and firing in 

industrially designed kilns, is, as far as I can see, a 

complete contradiction to the reason for wanting to make 

studio work. 

I spent Christmas '95 in Japan, my first trip, visiting 

potters and friends and looking at how things have 

developed in a country with an incredibly long and 

unbroken tradition. It surprised me to see that artist potters 

there had much the same difficulties and concerns as we 

do in Australia. I guess I expected history would have 

resolved many of the issues facing artist potters today, but 

that didn't appear to be the case. 

In some ways their traditional knowledge has lost some 

of its relevance. The radical expansion of their ceramics 

industry this century has exhausted their supply of many 

materials. Japanese industry now imports clay from 

Australia, Africa, New Zealand and elsewhere. Traditional 

values and qualities originally derived from wood firing 

are having to be adapted to gas and electricity with 

obvious differences. Today local government has almost 

legislated the wood kiln out of use, and with the 

incredibly high cost of wood, (compared to here) many 

potters use gas and electricity out of necessity. Gas is 

imported. In towns like Tajimi and Toki the felspar for 

shino glaze has run out. 

I feel fortunate to have a training that included a strong 

element of self sufficiency, and for me that self sufficient 

element is the strength of the studio. My requirements, 

unlike those of industry, are so much smaller making even 

thin seams of materials viable. Sadly, in Australian art 

institutions today these are the very aspects of studio 

independence that have been removed completely or 

watered down so far as to be almost useless, in favour of 

industrial attitudes and techniques. 

I've enjoyed my journey and learnt as much about 

myself as about ceramics. Going to Japan marked the end 

of something although I'm not sure exactly what, but for 

the first time in my potting career I feel as though I have 

finished my 'technical' training. I'll keep working in shino 

because it has all the familiarity of an old coat, and the 

thought of what comes next is exciting. oo 

Bill Samuels (047) 82 4303 


JEI 

po 

Rig 

The Passion of Earthware 

Megan Patey responds to Ian Jones' 

article, 'The Passion of Stoneware" in the last issue. 

C 

C 

Megan Patey, oblong dish. Earthenware 1050°C. 30 x 25 (cm) 

an writes about "the passion and lure of wood firing and 

stoneware" which I can understand. However, in doing 

so he makes assessments about earthenware which I 

cannot accept. 

"Firing in an electric kiln is easy". Oh, if only it were so! 

Any technique is only "as easy" as the demands you place 

on it. I think the challenge is to discover the secrets and 

marvels contained within whichever technique you 

choose. Are Takeshi's pots "easy" because they were fired 

in an electric kiln? No, I think it showed the great insight of 

Takeshi to see and discover the possibilities of electric 

firing for his pots at that time. But the firing is only one 

piece in the jigsaw which makes wonderful pots and 

creative potters. 

I think we make great pots by intimately understanding 

whichever technique we choose to use. Whether we make 

earthenware or stoneware is irrelevant when the pots are 

good enough; great pots transcend boundaries. Bad pots 

can be made in any medium. 

Ian remarks that a customer has been using his 

stoneware bowls for 10-15 years and doubts whether 

earthenware would last that distance. I have plenty of 

customers who bought bowls from me 12 years ago who 

are still happily using them. To find a clay and glaze 

combination which produces the character and quality 

which you are searching for takes time and testing in 

whatever ceramic medium you choose. 

The character of earthenware and stoneware pots is 

quite different. My inspiration comes from all pots, in any 

medium, but my chosen technique to work in, will always 

be earthenware. I love the greater openness of the softer 

body, the satisfaction of the well formulated glaze, the 

directness of decoration and the link it can provide with 

our European past. 

I also make my tea every morning in a lovely woodfired 

stoneware teapot made by Ian Jones. oo 

Megan Patey's studio is located at 67 Colo Road, Colo Vale, NSW. 

14 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA+ ISSUE 3S/I AUTUMN 1996

s 

y 

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Out of the 

Ordinary 

JENNY ORCHARD's vessels explore the 

power of rituals in everyday life. 

Right: "Bunyip No1" 1995. h30cm 

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M 

y functional work in 

clay arises from a 

struggle between my 

inner need to make personal 

objects which convey 

meaningful visual and 

emotional messages, my 

financial reality and the 

demands of the marketplace. 

Responding to the needs of 

the marketplace means staying 

alive financially whilst still 

working at an occupation I enjoy. An exploration of the 

medium directed at functional ends often leads to discoveries 

which can be useful when indulging in making work of a more 

esoteric, personal or metaphoric nature. 

There is also more to 'responding to the marketplace' 

than a knee jerk reaction to current fashion trends, 

responding to the here and now can be very challenging. 

'Tapping into the Zeitgeist' might be a more interesting 

way of looking at it. 

In the 60s and 70s making functional pottery by hand 

using real clay and simple methods seemed to signify a 

return to more basic fundamental and spiritual values. The 

European tradition of functional ceramics at that time was 

seen as cold and spiritless. Its function was perceived as 

displaying the wealth and social aspirations of the owner. 

Bernard Leach and his followers brought, via Japan, a 

new order where the more ordinary aspects of life, eating 

and drinking, could be elevated to a meaningful ritualistic 

experience. This idea, albeit in a much diluted form still 

resonates today. Both the maker and the user of hand 

made objects have incorporated it into their lives. 

In the early eighties Japanese aesthetics and Buddhist 

ideals were swept away for a while with the excitement of 

the Italian and Spanish New Wave design groups (Britain 

also had a New Wave at this time, but the English are 

always more idiosyncratic). The Italian design group 

'Memphis' headed by Ettore Sostas with the ceramic 

designer Matteu Thun had a large influence on my work at 

the time. I responded to the aesthetic as my tastes at the 

time were with the German Bauhaus movement and the 

Vienna Succession, and both these groups also directly 

influenced the Italian Memphis designers. 

Australia in the eighties was ready for them, anything 

bright, colourful and angular was in vogue, it might not 

express deep spiritual values but it was in Zeitgeist. 

This era might have had more in common with older 

traditional European values where beautiful decorative 

objects displayed the wealth of the owner. The early eighties 

was certainly a materialist era, but its influence on design is 

still felt. From each era with its rush of creative energy, 

when new forms are found a few classics will always 

emerge. In my own repetoire I still make a few shapes from 

, 

the same moulds made in 

1980. 

My functional work in the 

eighties tended to be hard 

edged and angular. I wanted 

the pieces to work as pure 

'form', to have a satisfying 

resolved aspect, but also be 

a little disquieting, to have 

something unexpected or 

bizarre about them. This I 

tried to achieve through the 

disparity between form and decoration, and the 

incompatability of the slip-cast form to its hand made 

additions and finishing. 

In the nineties diversity and multi-culturalism are the 

fashionable concepts. The hybrid is the most popular 

creature. These ideas allow for a freedom of expression 

which is liberating and challenging. 

I have always drawn on my past and inner life in my 

work as most people do, now this aspect is more 

celebrated, work can be more fun. This does not mean 

increased sales, however, everyone knows the 

'marketplace' for handmade objects is following the 

inflation rate and remaining boringly steady. 

The Bunyip series of teapots which began in 1993 and 

updates often (the range of creatures can stretch as far as 

the imagination) incorporates a nod to an English past via 

the Toby jug tradition, and illustrates the aboriginal myth of 

the swamp creature. 

I can also return often to the country where I grew up, 

Zimbabwe, this place and its people have undoubtedly 

had the biggest influence on my work, the interplay 

between content and form in African Art has always held a 

fascination. The Shona people from Zimbabwe are 

especially interesting, because they have no tradition of 

sculpture, but have created a uniquely recognisable art 

fonn from their own vision and their contact with western 

art of this century. 

I'm interested in the way culture always informs both 

content and form in art practice. Pottery being 

predominantly about form can rest on that alone, but it 

makes life interesting to extend beyond that sometimes. 

The 'Sap Chalice' series are about a fantasy dream world 

in which the substance contained in the chalice would be, 

when imbibed with the appropriate rituals, able to render 

the recipient with the power to communicate with plant 

life. Each chalice has a particular character and is able to 

transmit a special plant language. 

I find the language of clay both a challenge and a joy to 

work with. 

Jenny Orchard, 

329 Catherine Street, Leichardt, (02) 560 5706 

16 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996

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The scope of the ceramic field offers a limitless range of possibilities, 

both in the development of skills and the expression of an artiist's observations. 

Excellence and scale are the considerations foremost in 

my work. There exists in my work a solid grounding 

in practical skills centred on the development of large 

wheel-thrown vessels. The discipline required to develop 

understanding and techniques necessary to the making of 

pieces with a high degree of difficulty is the first step on 

"Oranges" platter. E/W, underglazes. 45d (cm). 

the road to mastery. The production of a masterpiece is the 

ambition of any serious artist regardless of the medium he 

employs; my aspirations lie in this direction. 

The fulfilment of large-scale corporate commissions has 

provided the opportunity to accept new challenges in the field 

of site specific works and the development of skills in 

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construction and design unavailable through formal education. 

Accredited Ceramics courses offer a valuable starting 

point for those interested in developing a career in the 

production or manufacture of marketable ceramic objects, 

be they decorative or functional, or both. The experience 

gained through post-formal professional application 

cannot be replaced by institution-hopping since the act of 

addressing the marketplace requires an independence and 

self-determination denied to those dependent on 

government support. Teaching is a shared benefit. The 

sharing of knowledge is rewarded by the personal 

development of the student, and effective teaching 

requires a solid body of work from both. Teaching has 

given me the opportunity to consolidate and communicate 

a broad sense of knowledge and practical skill necessary to 

approach the practise of potting on a commercial basis. 

In the fifteen years since my graduation from East 

Sydney Technical College and the subsequent completion 

of a traineeship at Lyrebird Ridge Pottery in Springbrook, 

Queensland, I have handled in excess of three hundred 

tonnes of clay in the making of a diverse range of 

objects,including giant urns, vases, platters, domestic wares 

and sculpture. In the sphere of wheel-thrown work I 

identify three types of wares - flat, open and enclosed. In 

each of these categories I have completed work varying in 

scale from an egg-cup to a small car. In so doing I have 

developed a repository of skills which I am able to draw 

upon when designing or making an object - be it for a 

specific set of criteria defined by a client, or a speculative 

venture aimed at the free market. 

With the refinement of the techniques required to produce 

works came the need to reacquaint myself with the 

decorative and design options in the field of small scale 

wares. During my exploration of prototype forms, maquettes 

and models, the resolution of large scale forms unfolds in 

miniature at an accelerated rate. I can then translate the form, 

decoration and surface treatment to the larger format. The 

skills thus developed have helped me extend the range of 

my activity with current work into highly decorated 

earthenware, functional stoneware and terracotta vessels. 

Collaborative work with Bill Samuels , wood-firing 

stoneware has given me a greater insight into a more 

refined aesthetic, an appreciation of simplicity and beauty 

and an empathy for materials and their effects. The woodfiring 

process raises new questions about the degree of 

control the potter enjoys over the final result. 

In contrast to the predictable nature of my decorated 

earthenware, the criteria for success in wood firing 

depends largely on the natural forces at work in the kiln, 

over which the potter has varying degrees of control. By 

this token the exceptional pieces that emerge from a 

woodfiring take on greater significance because of the 

uniqueness. By embracing and attempting to understand 

this principle, I hope to integrate the value of a traditional 

aesthetic in my future work. 

Vase. E/W, underglazes. 30h (cm) . 

The opportunity to move into the historic buildings 

remaining at the site of the old Lithgow Pottery provided 

access not only to a creative space and gallery, but also 

to the tradition of pottery in Australia and a sense of 

place within that tradition. I feel a strong connection to 

the pioneers of Australian ceramics both past and 

present. Lithgow Pottery is an appropriate platform for 

the furtherance of the tradition of excellence in 

Australian ceramics. 

In the pursuit of various disciplines,plus the development 

and applications of diverse techniques, I hope to achieve a 

standard of excellence that satisfies my personal 

expectations of a world standard Australian potter. oo 


Old Lithgow Pottery, Silcock Street, Lithgow 2790, Ph: 063 514 483 

ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN A USTRALIA 19

'Being With Objects' 

An exhibition of contemporary ceramics by Patsy Hely, Susan Ostling and Toni Warburton. 

Curated by Helen Stephens, the exhibition is being toured by Orange Regional Gallery. 

BEING W IT 

0 B J E C T 

This exhibition was seen in 

Sydney at the Craftspace 

Gallery and has toured to 

Orange, Lismore, Shepparton and 

Wollongong. It will soon be seen in 

Wagga Wagga and Townsville. The 

project was assisted by funding 

through the Australia Council. 

Patsy Hely described this 

exhibition as a meditation on 

domestic objects and the issues 

surrounding them. The exhibition 

makes reference to the traditions of 

use for objects as well as the ceramic 

traditions that each of the artists 

choose to work with and against. 

Ultimately it is seen that the user, or 

viewer, of these, or any, objects will create their own 

relationship with, and values for, the objects. 

As a further investigation of these ideas, a forum was 

held at the opening of the exhibition in Wollongong 

consisting of curator Helen Stephens, the three artists and 

invited guests Jim Logan, Diana Wood-Conroy Virginia 

Hollister. The Chair was Ivana Jirasek. This article contains 

some of the issues raised at this forum by two of the 

speakers and by the curator. The speakers are reflecting on 

the work, its conceptual base and their reaction to it. 

Helen Stephens, curator: The rationale for this 

exhibition was to attempt to reveal some of the discourses 

that lay behind simple, ordinary domestic objects of utility 

as a refutation of the more general assumption that 

functional objects are unworthy of critical attention. 

I think all of us know that such a discourse, denying any 

meaning and value in relation to simple domestic objects, 

is no longer valid and that any object carries with it a 

considerable number of loadings - in its consideration 

within a social history, in theories of 

the aesthetic and other cultural 

implications. 

But within the context of 

exhibitions of craft objects, 

particularly functional ware usually 

produced in some form of 

production - either unlimited 

production or series - little criticism 

was being afforded. 'Being With 

Objects' has attempted to present a 

framework within which a series of 

dialogues might occur. 

For me this meant seeking out 

what I call the more democratic 

objects, a series of objects which 

were both themselves - domestic 

objects of utility but also representative of - to use Susan 

Ostling's term 'acts and experiences' in relation to those 

objects and to everyday life. 

My initial inquiries focused on the sort of objects that I 

perceived to be most common and basic - objects that 

might be used in the most unselfconscious way. 

I considered at first that this unselfconsciousness of use 

was because such objects came to us initially uncoded but 

eventually became loaded with cultural meaning; our 

society seems to ensure this and the more I think about it, 

the more I realise that it is impossible to strip these, or any 

other simple, ordinary domestic objects of their cultural 

loadings. 

However, I do think it is possible to offload much of this 

cultural baggage and that in fact, most of us do this much 

of the time within the domestic sphere. That is to say that, 

even a product that begins its life witl1 a dominant overlay 

of style or fashion or design might eventually become 

exhausted within the domestic sphere where other desires 

come into play. 

Susan Ostling, Craftspace 1995 

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In the catalogue essay I have quoted from Michel de 

Certeau's book, 'The Practices of Everyday Life' in which 

he describes this action as "the artisan-like inventiveness of 

the user, sometimes called consumer", in the way that 

products, time, space and so on are used by ordinary 

people in their everyday lives. 

I see this independent functioning of the individual within 

a totalising system of mass produced forms and technologies, 

being akin to a ghetto street cunning 

undermining the power of high tech 

or, in some ways, applying high tech 

against the system - keeping the 

system pure. 

The other imperative that wraps 

itself around this exhibition is a 

concern for the environment and 

environmental sustainability - we 

can't keep producing and 

reproducing at the same rate with the 

same waste - we are all aware of this. 

So from this develops the idea of 

taking care. 

To summarise the exhibition's 

rationale: it is an attempt to reveal the 

considerable human value, 

intelligence, activity and 

inventiveness that is evident in the 

relationship that we have with 

domestic objects of utility. 

Also , the project's aim, which 

finally relies on the evidence of the 

work presented by each of the artists, 

was to encourage a critical appraisal of the functional 

object within a theoretical framework which we might call 

the autonomy of activity within the domestic space, but 

which I think spills out into a whole lot of other issues and 

ideas. 

As I wrote in the introduction for the catalogue - we are, 

each in our own way, attempting to examine ideas that are 

not fully worked over in contemporary craft practice, ideas 

that involve theatre, performance, ritual, ordinariness, 

being and taking care. 

Diana Wood-Conroy: I am interested in looking at the 

resonances objects have with their viewers over time, 

particularly functional objects. These platters and bowls of 

Susan Ostling's are like sheets of white paper waiting to be 

inscribed with image and narrative. From my training as an 

archaeologist looking at great numbers of potsherds, 

objects only make sense if they are discovered in a 

particular context. Without a provenance, without knowing 

which place, their meaning can only be diffuse and 

uncertain. It is the links with other facets of a culture that 

give meaning. 

These sets of objects remind me of a small chipped 

white basin I own, with fluted sides, part of a set that 

nested together once, but as Patsy Hely reminds us - the 

others in this particular nest are gone. It's a rather ordinary, 

1950's functional item. But it came from my grandmother's 

rambling old house, a place of overflowing family, cousins, 

dogs, cats and a chaotic kitchen with 

a large white marble slab for 

chopping meat. It came into my 

possession with a Christmas 

pudding tied up in an old bit of 

white linen, made by my mother. 

Looked at alone, my basin is 

unremarkable and anonymous, but 

in its context can evoke a whole 

history of domestic ware, and of 

family custom. To me these works 

have a sophistication, a pared-back 

quality which demonstrates the 

energy and momentum of Australian 

ceramics since the craft revival of the 

late 60's. Since the making-do 

depression years Australian potters 

have engaged in a profound 

dialogue with Japanese traditions, 

with English medieval traditions, 

with Italian earthenware, with pop 

and funk, to name only a few 

influences. In Japan the 'tea 

Patsy Hely, coffee pot 

ceremony' of Buddhism included tea 

bowls that had to have exactly the right aura of 'no-mind', 

a certain roughness and artlessness had to be exquisitely 

inscribed as the desired spiritual state of the tea drinkers - 

not unlike Patsy Hely's gently awkward set of cups. 

The great decorated earthenware traditions of the 

Mediterranean celebrated the eating and preparation of 

food. Susan Ostling's platters and bowls seem to wait for 

some great feast, a marriage or a funeral. Then for a while 

their nuanced quietness will become part of pivotal human 

emotions, which will fix them in individual and public 

memory. 

Domestic objects used for food preparation have an 

anonymity (pointed out by Norman Bryson in his 'Looking 

at the Overlooked') because, set apart from style and 

fashion, if their shapes are satisfactory, they hardly change 

over hundreds of years. Patsy Hely can mix and match past 

and present over generations because of this continuity. In 

a sequence of pottery in an archaeological excavation, the 

storage jars and cooking vessels hardly change. Sappho and 

Sophocles - separated by hundreds of years - could have 


ecognised the same shape 

of an oil jar, a waterpot or 

wine container. 

The powerful silence of 

such 'ordinary' objects as 

philosophical metaphor, 

has been depicted by still 

life painters in the 

European tradition from 

Pompeii to Morandi who 

recognise the significance 

of the chipped white basin 

in the melee of our lives. 

Another category of 

objects shown here, would 

also have been instantly 

recognised by the ancients 

- Tony Warburton's pieces 

call to mind the ritual that 

was part of the everyday in 

the classical times I am 

familiar with. The votive 

vessel is one of the most frequent finds since the beginning 

of settled life - dedicated to the deity as a sign, and hope, 

of abundance. I recently visited the sanctuary of Demeter 

and Persephone at Eleusis near Athens, where the vessels 

that were central to the famous 'mysteries' were at the 

heart of the imagery of the cult. Tiny votive vases were 

once filled with many different kinds of seeds, oil and 

honey, and presented on an earthenware platter. The 

multiple convolutions of Tony Warburton's pieces 

particularly recall these complex votive vases. 

'Being with Objects' makes reference to me to many 

histories. These three artists refer, with poetic and highly 

sensitive associations, to the grass roots, the great strength 

of craft - the traditions of functional ware that have always 

enhanced and enriched the lives of the servers as well as 

the served, and particularly the lives of women. 

'Enclosure and Distance,' VIRGINIA HOLLISTER: A 

central issue to ceramics which can be used functionally is 

containment. Robert Nelson's first definition of a functional 

object is "to be an envelope, to enclose volume, to be a 

negative space". (1) Certainly all the work in 'Being With 

Objects' has the potential for use. One might bath a baby 

or make a Christmas pudding in Susan Ostling's vessels; 

Patsy Hely's tea pots, cups and jugs invite exploratory use; 

and Toni Warburton's bowls and vases await their 

complements of food and flowers. But what do these 

objects, in this context, contain? 

I sense that the primary function of these objects is 

contemplation. Their emptiness, vacancy and potentiality is 

for the mind to fill. In this context they are completed by 

the viewer's imagination rather than the viewer's use. The 

distance between the 

'real' use and the 

metaphysical, 

imaginative use is 

underlined by the 

necessary physical 

restrictions placed on 

works and viewers in an 

art gallery space. 

There is a distance 

between the here and 

now of being with these 

objects, and the 

memories these objects 

evoke - memories of 

washing and cooking, of 

tin tea pots and bakelite 

and old toast racks, 

memories and hints of 

landscape remembered, 

of the ocean and far hills 

- memories of things 

seen, done, touched and felt. 

There is also the very real distance established in the 

presentation of all the objects, none of which utilises the 

neutral gallery white plinth. Susan Ostling's work floats 

within panes of glass and beyond a heavy steel frame. 

They are definitely not 'accessible' and do not invite 

touching or embrace. On the floor below the objects, a 

white powder shadow of a vessel-shape further 

underscores their distance from an easy functionality. 

Patsy Hely's work floats on delicate high structures just 

below eye level in intimate view. Some of the surfaces on 

which they sit suggest clinical examination whilst others 

the familiarity of a kitchen dish drainer. The objects thus 

oscillate between dearly intimate and cool detachment. 

Toni Warburton's low open vessels are offered on 

humble stools on what appear to be upturned trays. Their 

distance below the viewer ensures contact with the 

suggestions of distant cultures and landscapes conveyed in 

the surface language. On the other hand, the wall vases are 

too high to interact with their interior volumes, instead 

their placement evokes the placement of curtains tied back 

in a real room, at another place. 

In all cases the viewer has both the objects in the 

exhibition before them, and images of objects remembered 

and desired evoked in their imagination. This is a fruitful 

duality and tension as the whole show vibrated between 

those modes of distance, memory, image, presence and 

potentiality. oo 

Toni Warburton, table vase. 

Exhibition Dates: 

March 1 -April 7, Wagga Wagga Regional Gallery 

May 17 -June 30 Pere Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville 

22 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN I 996

the 

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The Meaning of Function 

'Divorcing craft from use is dangerous. Use factors control key aspects of form and meaning' 

(John Perrault). Janet deBoos investigates the truths of function and its relation to her work. 

on 

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Above: "Memories of the Domestic Life I" Teacups 1991. 

On the occasion of Louis Malle's recent death he 

was quoted in an obituary as saying: 

"When I started I showed off a lot, that's what you 

do, to show you're good. Everything is fuss, and then at 

some point you realise there's only one way to do 

something, and it's very simple. Some people never 

achieve simplicity. Most people. But the best artists ... little 

by little they clean up the anecdote." 


Perhaps that's what my work is about - little by little, 

cleaning up the anecdote. 

In 1985 I experienced a kind of epiphany. Until then I 

had been making domestic ware and thinking of each 

piece (in the prevailing way) as individual, self sufficient. 

But they weren't. In the same way that icebergs and lichens 

conceal more than they show, the individual pots on the 

production line were covering up a big secret when they 

paraded independently in galleries and craft shops. Their 

relationship to all the other pots in their production run 

was the secret and the only one who knew about it was 

me. Since then my work has focussed almost entirely on 

functional pottery, the nature of its production and the 

meaning of function. 

The meaning changes over time as one constantly 

renegotiates the importance of use/non use. At present 

usefulness seems paramount - to quote John Perrault 1 

'Divorcing crafts from use is dangerous. Use factors 

control key aspects of form and meaning.' 

But despite this emphasis on function, I pref er the term 

domestic ware as it describes the site of use. It is that place 

of everydayness, the last frontier of the true hero/ines. 

Where there is still time to occasionally idle over life. To 

reflect, to indulge in ' ... the slightly bored melancholy 

which nurtures (our) imagination' 2 

The very ordinariness of the site of so many of our social 

rituals. They may not be the major dinner parties and large 

family dinners of the past, but the shared cup of coffee 

standing at the sink (or the lone cup for that matter), the 

bowl of cereal filled and eaten while standing in the sun, 

even the stacking of the dishwasher. 

Amanda Lohrey suggests 3 

'The politics of the kitchen may be the only remaining 

place where the individual is able to assume some control 

over his/her environment.' 

Why just last night a Dutch friend dropped by and we 

had the leftover chicken livers on black bread toast "just 

like my Dutch grandmother used to do" and ate them off 

the square tenmoku plates and drank a good red wine. 

And when I washed up this morning I handled the plates 

and remembered the conversation and thought of the 

fragment of additional history that those plates had 

acquired. 

This capacity that pottery has to insinuate itself into 

peoples' lives is a great strength (and perhaps a great 

weakness as it removes it from the eye of the critic who is 

necessary for its survival as a considered art practice). The 

discourse between maker and user changes emphasis in 

the trajectory from concept to incorporation in the 

domestic milieu. The initial stage is maker dominant, the 

final stage is user dominant. If the work is sold through 

outlets, the gallery or shop owner intercepts that trajectory 

and reinvents the work by the way in which they talk 

about it and display it. If the work is sold through 

exhibition then I can exercise greater control over the 

interpretations placed on it. There, however it is still 

subject to the response of critics or reviewers. In a lot of 

respects they are accomplices in the "making" of the work 

and "remake" it when they write about it. 

There is also the consideration of what actually happens 

when use is lost in pottery making. This can happen by the 

user's act of putting a pot "up with the good china" or by 

the artist consciously denying use in the making. There has 

been a great deal of this latter sort of ceramic work around 

over the last ten or fifteeen years - 'vessels' I think they 

were usually called. I found myself drawn to those that 

made very strong reference to the usable. 

A series called "Memories of the Domestic Life " ' 

occupied me for several years where the resonance 

between use/non-use, intimacy/ distance and present/past 

was examined using both functional and non functional 

pots. The non functional pieces (which were a kind of 

fictional artifact) were made with soft crumbling surfaces 

and were dry glazed, the functional pots (actual artifacts) 

were plain white porcelain. 

But through all this period the production continued. 

Like the beat of one's heart, it was necessary for the life of 

the imagination. 

The idea of the work dispersing, yet still existing 

conceptually was an increasing obsession. 

An exhibition in 1995 at the Performance Space curated 

by Gillian McCracken was an opportunity to work further 

with that idea. In a collaboration with a filmmaker and a 

musician 4 I produced a piece that spoke not only about its 

wholeness and subsequent fragmentation, but also about 

these bowls being the only remnant of my performance for 

one. A kind of souvenir, a concrete record of that act of 

making. All the bowls at first glance seemed identical but 

were actually different in several ways. They were sold 

separately, and so each (or each set) was destined to be 

"completed" differently by its new owner. Thus the 

variation inherent in them 5 would be amplified by the way 

in which they would be used. 

There was also another kind of difference and that was 

of a temporal nature. 

As one works on making large numbers of the "same" 

form and doesn't work to a ruler (as I didn't) the forms 

change day by day in subtle and unanticipated ways. It 

was possible to tell the pots made on one day from 

another. They were marked by time and conversly marked 

time. I had always been aware that the forms of my 

production had changed over the years but this was a new 

experience to see it over such a short time. 

This has led to another exploration - the production of 

the one kind of form made in one continuous sequence 

and exhibited as a whole -but with no attempt to make 

them seem the same. Just the same action. They are 

explorations of the relationship between form and time. 

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24 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996

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They mark out time in a regular/ irregular way and so are 

like days, moments that sometimes fly and at other times 

crawl. 

Although I am making these in large grids at the 

moment, I think I would like to have them of a size that 

would be at home in the domestic space. That way, the 

owner/user would be able to 'enter' the work, rearrange it, 

complete it by making choices in how they used it. 

Ceramics has been subject to aesthetic analysis for a 

long time and was greatly in need of a new language. Craft 

has at last found one (as is evidenced by the increasing 

amounts of intelligent writing on the subject) and 

hopefully this will extend to ceramics. The idea that the 

things one makes become part of the material culture of 

our times is exciting - the journey from studio to historic 

artifact is a potential for every piece. 

Ceramics by its very nature, its processes, has never 

been part of the avant garde. But as Ronald Kuchta 6 

suggests, it is perhaps a better repository of cultural history 

than many other media. 

We humans want histories, and if we don't have them 

we will invent them to give meaning to our lives. As the 

nature of history has changed,the crafts generally, and 

ceramics particularly, have benefitted and have become 

ideal vehicles for the creation of these stories. But there is 

no one answer, no absolute truth. As Anne Stevenson 7 

says: 

'I disagree with ... (the contention) ... that the pursuit of 

the absolute has anything to do with the pursuit of truth. 

Truth is, in its nature, multiple and contradictory, part of 

the flux of history, untrappable in language.' 

And in clay too I would guess. 

So maybe all the above is not really the reason why I 

make domestic ware. Perhaps it's because it sure beats 

running a carpet cleaning business. In the hierarchies of 

work we all gravitate to that which is least unpleasant for 

the return it gives us in job satisfaction and cash. And there 

are those few of us who are lucky enough to work at 

something we really like, which despite our enjoyment of 

it has its slow days. And so perhaps it's all a construct, 

designed consciously or unconsciously to entertain and 

exercise one's intellect on those slow days. Then again it 

might be what making domestic ware is all about. oo 

Janet DeBoos 

Bennagui Road, Tanja, NSW 2550. Telephone (06) 249 5822. 

Crafts is Art: Notes on Crafts, on Art, on Criticism The Eloquent 

Object, Philbrook Museum of Art. University of Washington Press. 

Washington USA.1987 

2 Sylvia Plath quoted in The Silent Woman, Janet Malcolm. Picador 

London. 1994 p82 

3 Australian Book Review Dec95/Jan96 p34 

4 Christine Olsen and Tony King. The video used as part of the 

installation featured a soundtrack made by electronically 

manipulating my voice as I talked about the process of making. 

5 For they were all unique in fonn. 

6 Aquired Identities in Contemporary Ceramics. Ceramic Art & 

Perception 15 1994 p35 

7 Biographer of Sylvia Plath quoted in The Silent Woman op cit p.80 


Dining Out in Style 

Designers and chefs combine talents in an exciting South Australian contemporary craft project. 

Article by BRIDGETTE MINUZZO. 

I 

f you are dining out in style later this year in South 

Australia you could be eating off some rather special 

tableware. Well designed, functional tableware is a result 

of a collaboration between teams of winemakers, 

restaurateurs and craftspeople, an exciting initiative of the 

Crafts Council of South Australia. 

Coined the Crafts Council's Food and Wine Project, this 

collaborative process will result in original, high quality 

tableware designed by the participating teams and 

manufactured by the individual craftspeople. The project 

will culminate in a glossy, full colour, full flavour, dropdead 

gorgeous, calendar for 1997 which will be published 

by Wakefield Press. 

The calendar will be launched to coincide with the Year of 

Good Living Down Under, a nation-wide tourism campaign 

in 1997 to promote international tourism to Australia. 

The Crafts Council received a marketing project grant 

from the Australia Council with the aim of raising the profile 

and promoting the image of well designed contemporary 

craft made in South Australia. The key ideas were to 

explore and develop links between South Australia's 

designer-makers, restaurateurs and wine producers and to 

develop potential niche markets for limited production 

items and inventive one-offs. The project also gives 

craftspeople an opportunity to enhance their product 

development, marketing and promotion skills. 

The project did not initially aim to secure sales, but 

commissions have resulted. Most people want tableware 

designed for a specific style of food and unique to the 

commissioning establishment. 

During this project the participating craftspeople faced 

many challenges - the process of collaboration itself, a 

potential digression from their standard craft practices, the 

exacting quality standards required for the hospitality 

industry and the design challenge to make something 

appropriate for the venue, yet inherently functional. 

I spoke to the ceramists participating in the project and 

found that it had been an invaluable experience for them. 

Ceramist Jill Foster teamed up with Don's Table, a chic 

little establishment run by former South Australian Premier 

and arts patron, Don Dunstan, on Norwood Parade. At 

their first meeting Jill presented her portfolio to Don and 

chef Stephen Cheng and discussed examples of her high 

fired stoneware. Jill's use of brushwork and her love of the 

Japanese aesthetic is shared by both Don and Stephen. 

Stephen had definite ideas and wanted an oven-to-table 

oval shaped platter to sit in the centre of the table for 

serving shared entrees. The brief was for a platter with a 

very subtle finish using the restaurant's logo in Sumie 

brushwork. Jill, who usually works on the wheel, had to 

experiment with another clay body and use a drape mould 

to produce the platter as time didn't permit the 

development of a slip cast form. Jill said she found it 

frustrating not being able to develop a prototype fully. 

Her advice to other practitioners undertaking 

collaborations is not to shift technique too much, as this 

could be frustrating for both parties, especially under the 

constraints of a tight deadline. 

The bright metallic green decorative finish preferred by 

the chef had to be modified, as Jill fires to stoneware 

temperatures and cannot achieve bright colours. However 

the durability of stoneware is practical for use under 

restaurant conditions. Jill agreed that the experience was a 

challenge and said she enjoyed the opportunity to extend 

her ideas and skill. 

Margo Kellett teamed up with Chef Jo McCreanor from 

the Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale. She found the easiest way 

to discuss design and finish was to make up small 

decorated samples. Margo used these samples to test her 

mid fire EW clay bodies and glazes under the harsh 

treatment of an industrial microwave oven and dishwasher. 

The Salopian Inn is surrounded by vineyards which led to 

Margo's choice of a bold grape motif (pictured). Discussions 

with the chef and his preference for serving food on platters 

and open bowls led to a change in the form of the salad bowl. 

Margo believes one needs to be flexible about form and 

decoration in order to design something to please both parties. 

Aware of the tight budget on which a restaurant 

operates, Margo saw a niche market for unique feature 

pieces or accessories which would fit in with the decor and 

compliment the food rather than a complete dinner setting. 

I asked Margo what she gained from this project. She 

said that she enjoyed the design process, the collaboration 

opportunity with the chef and the challenge of conforming 

to the requirements. 

Georgia Rydon, ceramist, and Russell Jeavons, chef at 

Coriole Wines Willunga, have a long standing professional 

relationship. When she and Russell shared adjacent work 

spaces, Georgia used to make special serving vessels 

which he used in his cooking classes. 

Georgia felt that the secret to a successful collaboration was 

open communication and a mutual investment in the outcome. 

Georgia felt that the environment most strongly 

influenced the design of the product for this project. Russell 

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has a wonderfully unique restaurant that includes an 

outdoor wood-fired oven, around which he has rebuilt a 

kitchen. The building, in limestone and galvanised iron, has 

an old world atmosphere and Georgia felt it was important 

to keep the ceramics low key. Russell's overriding 

requirement was that the tableware be suitable for oven-totable 

use, as the wood-fired oven is used extensively in his 

cooking. Georgia found it useful to design and manufacture 

samples, determining their aesthetic appeal within the 

restaurant environment and testing them out in the kitchen. 

Peta van Rood outlined the phases of her collaboration 

with chef Rob Kolencik of the Botanic Gardens restaurant. 

The initial contact was made easier as Rob has worked at 

functions organised at Ashton Hills Winery, owned by 

Peta's partner, Stephen George. 

The next stages were the discussion of specific objects, 

the design process, the manufacture of prototypes and 

the testing and evaluation of these samples. 

The final stage was a commission. Rob wanted a 

tall salad bowl for his high and rather sculptural 

salads. He was attracted to the organic shapes and 

strong colours of Peta's work but requested a white 

dish with limited colour, her characteristic bright 

blue which complements the salads so well. This 

meant Peta had to experiment with clear glazes to 

find one which wouldn't craze over the body. 

Peta says that when seeking a restaurant to 

approach "I would look for a place where I would 

love to see my work and a chef whose approach 

to food appeals to me". 

Besides ceramics, the project involved craftspeople 

working in glass and metal. All of those involved have 

gained much from the experience and this process is 

really only the beginning of a relationship that will 

bear fruit for those committed to good design in 

contemporary tableware to enhance the excellent food 

and wine culture and lifestyle enjoyed in South Australia. 

Participating venues for those people fortunate 

enough to be able to visit the establishments. 

• Rockford Wines, Barossa Valley 

• Coriole Wines, Willunga 

• The Aristologist, Uraidla 

• Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale 

• Maggie Beer chef, Barossa Valley 

• Magill Estate Restaurant, Adelaide 

• Botanic Gardens Restaurant, Adelaide 

• Don's Table, Norwood 

• Blakes Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Hotel Adelaide 

• Eagle on the Hill Hotel, Adelaide Hills 

• Ann Oliver, chef 

• Universal Wine Bar, Adelaide 

Project Co-ordinated by Jane Williams, Crafts Council of 

South Australia. Calendar published by Wakefield Press, 

43 Wakefield St, Kent Town, SA 5067. 

Margot Kellet, design for 

Salopian Inn, Mclaren Vale 


erris has been making pots for fifteen years, and over 

the past decade has developed a solid commitment to 

underglaze decoration. Her work has been sold through 

leading galleries in Australia and overseas, including the Art 

Gallery of New South Wales and the Los Angeles Museum of 

Contemporary Art. Gluch, a second-generation potter, has 

been working in the profession for twenty-three years and is 

highly regarded as a specialist mould-maker. He has taught at 

the National Art School, East Sydney, since 1980 and his 

work has also been sold throughout Australia and overseas. 

Examples are currently represented in Sydney's Powerhouse 

Museum as well as several major Japanese galleries. 

The Art of 

Successful 

Collaboration 

Two Sydney-based potters, Janna Ferris and 

Ivan Gluch, have developed a rare 

working relationship in the field of contemporary 

Australian craft. 

Article by PATRICIA R McDONALD. 

Ferris and Gluch shared a workshop in Glebe for almost 

ten years, and during that time, often discussed the 

possibilities of working together on joint projects. Both 

share a strong interest in functional tableware and like to 

make objects suitable for regular use that will enhance the 

pleasure of eating and drinking and also engender a sense 

of occasion. 

Their first collaborative venture was the production of a 

series of ceramics for Sydney's Century Radisson Hotel in 

1991. This was so successful, both from a creative and 

professional viewpoint that they decided to investigate the 

possibility of further joint commissions. In 1993 Craft 

Aus 

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Australia provided the partners with the opportunity to 

produce decorated tableware for the franchise boutique at 

David Jones department store in Sydney. During the 

preliminary stage, Ferris and Gluch developed a series of 

designs for a teaset which they considered would meet the 

standards of such an exclusive venue. The fact that the 

boutique provided a previously untapped market for 

quality Australian crafts, as well as an opportunity to receive 

high profile exposure, further influenced their involvement. 

The division of expertise, design input and labour is 

crucial in any such partnership. This has been extremely 

equitable as far as Ferris and Gluch are concerned and 

underlies the success of their joint ventures to date. 

Moreover, any discussion on this subject is punctuated by a 

respect and sensitivity for the contribution of each partner. 

For example, while Gluch resolved that slip casting was 

the only option for the production of the David Jones' Tea 

Set, in order to ensure consistency, his forms were 

designed specifically to enhance Ferris' strong and 

distinctive decorative patterns. The resulting prototypes are 

inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 1920's but also 

have their own integrity. Subsequently, the range has been 

extended and now includes a series of one-off, thrown 

pieces to compliment the original moulded work. 

Ferris and Gluch have continued since that time to 

receive new opportunities for collaboration. In 1994, they 

Were invited to contribute work to the 'Interiors Exhibition' 

held at the ational Museum of Indonesia, Djakarta, as part 

of the 'Australia Today' Indonesia promotion. They were 

also commissioned by the Art Gallery of NSW to produce 

an Art Deco inspired tea set which reflected the work of 

the influential and much-loved Sydney artist Margaret 

Preston. This tea set is currently on sale through the 

Gallery's highly successful commercial outlet. Moreover, in 

1994, their joint designs were shortlisted in the Josiah 

Wedgewood Bicentenary Competition. 

Both Ferris and Gluch are excited to be involved with 

such prestigious collaborative ventures and look forward 

to new challenges on the horizon. It is also pertinent to 

examine the changes wrought by these experiences on 

their own respective work practice. Gluch continues to 

pursue his search for precision, technical excellence, 

attention to detail, and an over-riding respect for function. 

At the same time, he has become more concerned with 

simplicity of form as well as developing an increased 

interest in carving and hard-edge work. 

Ferris has been particularly influenced by the work of 

Margaret Preston which she studied in depth for the Art 

Gallery of NSW commission. She acknowledges that her 

own decoration has now become tighter and more angular 

and is definitely more labour-intensive. Again, her current 

use of a black outline and scraffito decoration reveal a 

similar debt to the artist. 

While immensely stimulated by their various 

collaborative ventures, and supportive of one another 

professionally, they also continue to pursue their own 

specialist interests and career paths each suplying 

individual work to galleries. oo 

"Preston Series", commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 


Chequered Clay 

Stephanie Outridge Field works collaboratively with Jane Hawthoorn on 'limited edition' tableware. 

0 

II 

The words art, function 

and collaboration 

create a powerful triad 

and when you douse that in 

the technical maelstrom that 

is clay, then you indeed are 

on the edge of 'where few 

have successfully gone 

before'. But then there are 

the foolish and the brave who feel the possible, or rather 

potential, rewards, far outweigh the investment of time and 

energy in the logistics of the exercise. 

Let's look at the facts: I have been working in 

collaboration with Jane Hawthoorn for over three years 

now, to produce 'limited edition designer tableware' under 

the name "Chequered Clay" - we have participated in a 

Craft Expo in Brisbane, several shows and have three 

outlets that stock our work. Jane and I work together on a 

part time basis, very much responsive to the time and 

motion that exists in our individual professional and 

private lives but we do work with 'fulltime' commitment to 

"Chequered Clay". The reason we do that is, I guess, 

different for each of us. 

I enjoy working with other people for the company and 

the camaraderie. Working alone in your own workshop 

space can be a pleasure - it can also mean working in 

isolation. It is more than nice to be able to share the 

successes as well as discuss the failures and do a bit of 

combined problem solving. There is also the challenge of 

working with someone you respect, which keeps you on 

your toes and perhaps challenged to go that step further to 

reach for that bit more. 

The artistic considerations 

are an interesting challenge. 

Instead of being totally 

responsible for the object 

produced, you need to 

negotiate the clay, the 

method of production, the 

form, the surface, the 

purpose, the audience and everything else that could be 

addressed with that most powerful single word "why?". 

This is where you are put on your mettle. This is the stuff 

collaborating is made of. 

In our collaboration the decision making process has 

evolved and the segregation of tasks now falls easily 

between the two of us. The process usually follows a set 

pattern: Jane and I get together to discuss a batch of work - 

we discuss in fine detail our intentions for the new work 

and possible guidelines on the form and decoration. Jane 

then returns to her own workshop to throw a range of 

forms responding to the parameters we have set and 

returns the work to my workshop when leatherhard. Again 

we talk about the manner of the decoration and our 

intentions for the object. I decorate and bisque fire the 

work and arrange with Jane a possible glazing day. This 

day involves a fairly early start preparing glazes and work - 

an opportunity to comment on how the pieces are all 

working or not working, as the case may be. This is a 

pleasurable part and now after three years it is a very 1 

smooth operation with cleaning, waxing, glazing and 

stacking happening concurrently. In general terms I do the 

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Above: Mixed up Mandarin coffee cups. Left: "Shark Fin Soup" h30cm 

glazing and Jane organises me and is our quality controller. 

I guess this routine is typical of any collaboration that 

stands some test of time. There has to be some easy 

rapport between the members. 

I am very lucky to work with Jane. I am, I guess, 

basically a hand builder who is in love with surface 

decoration. I am also a lover of beautiful form and the 

issue of function to me merely adds another dimension to 

the pleasing nature of a vessel. To see, to feel and to use is 

a tantalising experience. Jane is a superlative thrower - her 

strong design sense and her artisan approach to her craft 

never cease to impress me. This collaboration allows me to 

decorate using underglazes, sgraffito and carving on forms 

I couldn't even dream about making myself. 

Our personalities as well as our individual work 

contrasts the other. I am more splashy and Jane is more 

considered but the work that happens when we work 

together is unlike either of our individual production. 

Sometimes there is a reminiscent form, colour or symbol 

but the work is never a compromise between the two of 

us; rather it has a totally new entity all of its own. 

Jane and I have often talked of what we like in clay - we 

discuss others' work, our own work, the state of the 

marketplace and a whole range of other issues. Working 

together may not always be convenient and it may not be 

all it could financially, but what we have both realised is 

that the benefits of the collaboration are for us as 

individual practitioners. I am encouraged and enthused by 

Jane's professional integrity and her commitment to always 

strive for the highest standard and this influences my more 

spontaneous and intuitive approach and joy in clay. 

Jane and I want our work to fulfil the task for which it 

was intended and do it well, and also to create a 

beautifully designed object that form, decoration and feel 

are realised when in use. These aims constantly challenge 

and we are always alert to better ways of achieving them. 

Jane and I are not a production team; we make limited 

edition work that we both admire and enjoy. We also 

continue to exhibit and produce as individuals and this is 

the more important activity. The collaboration is a 

productive professional support system that compliments 

our individual professional practice. It also feeds the soul 

and spirit and gives me the chance to discuss out loud 

queries I have in the execution of my profession and that, I 

guess, is my best reason for working collaboratively. oo 

Stephanie Outridge Field (07) 857 2679 


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ave you heard the old adage 

'two heads are better than 

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other body parts too, or would it be better to 

say that collaborative efforts can realise that which 

may be difficult or impossible for a single person. 

A recent show at Fusions Gallery Brisbane by Jenny 

Dawson and friends entitled "Works from the 

West ... There's Something Fishy Going On Here" was an 

exhibition of maiolica painted terra cotta with pots thrown 

by Ian MacRae and iron work by Jan Jensen. 

This was truly a collaborative effort with Jenny in the 

role of the team leader and designer. Jenny Dawson said 

'It's collaborative. There are three people involved in it. 

Jan Jensen works with metal and contributed to the 

'Endeavour' replica. His workshop is on the 

beach near mine and he's a traditional 

craftsman in the metal area. We 

worked together: I created the tops 

of the tables and I asked him to 

design something that was 

simple but had a feel of the 

waves and the twists in the sea.' 

Ian MacRae has been working with 

Jenny for several years and the forms are 

thrown with Jenny's design concepts in mind. Her 

desire to reflect the fluidity of the sea and natural forms as 

well as having an expanse of clay surface to use as a 

canvas, has influenced the scale and the simplicity of the 

forms Ian produces. 

'Everything here is based on my experience in Italy'. 

Jenny uses the ancient Italian technique of maiolica, a 

legacy of a study tour to Italy in 1991, where she studied 

under the master-painter at the Deruta Grazia Workshops. 

Maiolica is an age old form of pottery where traditionally a 

colourful design using a number of colours - such as 

yellow, blue, orange and green - are painted on 

a white tin glaze background. 

Contemporary use of this technique 

has allowed for greater spontaneity 

with the brushwork and 

application of the image. In 

Top: "Fish Fish Platter" 1995, Jenny Dawson and Ian MacRae. Above: "Madonna Plate" 1995, Jenny Dawson 

and Ian MacRae. Opposite: "Fish Table" 1995, Jenny Dawson and Jan Jenson. 


"Madonna Vase" 1995, Jenny Dawson and Ian MacRae. 

some instances Maiolica workshops in Italy are still 

producing traditional designs hundreds of years old, with 

more being added to the repertoire constantly. 

The exhibition included mirror frames that were made of 

sectioned tiles joined with terra cotta coloured grout with 

swishing tailed mermaids surrounding the mirror; large jars 

with open form necks; bowls and platters some with 

extended feet to form stands and tile topped tables with 

metal frames. 

The theme included mermaids, luscious golden yellow 

pears and nude females - all on deep blue or green 

backgrounds. 

"Because I used to teach life-drawing, the figure features 

quite heavily in what I do. My last show in Fremantle 

included coil built forms, where the actual shape was a 

reflection of the female form." This exhibition features the 

female nude in the 'Madonna Series', wrapping around 

large, almost classical urns and boldly across the curve of a 

platter or the very individual qualities of the women 

revealed in an extensive series of small wallplates. 

The work in this show featured fluid brushwork, 

swathing the more traditional thrown forms; broad, 

confident strokes and the strong use of colour 

highlighted by black linework and resist areas on the 

maiolica glaze, which gave a very lyrical relaxed feel to 

the imagery. The surfaces were smooth with a luscious 

almost silky sheen with the colours melding perfectly 

with the glaze surface. 

Jenny is a consummate exponent of maiolica technique, 

which I feel intrinsically suits the sub-tropical climate we 

have, and our habit of living outdoors for at least part of 

the year. I would like to see Jenny have the opportunity to 

do larger scale tile works on this side of the continent, as 

she has in Perth. Maiolica has traditionally been used in 

southern Europe as an architectural component with walls, 

fountains, cornices and even house numbers being 

produced to provide an extremely permanent colourful 

design addition to the urban landscape. 

This show was a sentimental journey for Jenny to her 

family's home after eighteen years, and she showed an 

array of forms and her now recognisable style to advantage 

in "Fusions" Gallery space. oo 

Jenny Dawson 

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Fremantle WA 


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Beyond the surface 

'I am a vessel maker. My interest has been dictated by the traditions of ceramics, 

something that is perhaps inherent in the training of a potter', Merran Esson. 

Deco pot, earthenware. 

ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN A USTRALIA 35

The principle that my vessels should be for use is 

important, but this does not imply any intention of 

actual use. I am still intrigued by working formally 

with the elements of the container; i.e. handles, spouts, 

rims and legs. I am conscious of these not merely being 

elements of practicality, but intimate invitations to pick up, 

handle, pour or touch. 

It may appear that the inspiration behind my work is 

that of the sea, the coastline and the marine environment 

with a sense of time and decay. But there are many layers 

to the work. I have always had a fascination for the 

landscape and for the fact that nature has an ability to 

change things and to hide things. My early explorations 

into this caused me to look at my Australian landscape in a 

literal way, but it really was as a result of many visits to 

Scotland tl1at I found the sort of wet landscape that is rich 

in colour, from moss and lichen etched into the surface of 

standing stones and graveyard headstones. The erosion 

and decay that time and nature have caused to marks made 

by people of a much earlier time intrigues me. Our 

contemporary culture constantly tries to change and 

control our environment, but the indigenous people who 

live at one with their surroundings are able to find a natural 

connection between ideology and artefact. The objects that 

have the most powerful effect on me have been ancient, 

foreign and primitive, as though dredged up from some 

subterranean cave, covered with a patina of tin1e. 

The work that has evolved over the last few years has seen 

the transformation from vessels with hard geometric 

designed surfaces to containers whose use is formal or 

ceremonial - caskets, urns, reliquaries; the finds of 

archaeologists or deep sea divers. The vessels deal with the 

idea of mutual support of one structure needing the other to 

survive, while at the same time presenting a precarious 

balance. These structures may imply the support and 

balance that the maker needs in order to find the time to 

create whilst also meeting the demands of modem living and 

family responsibilities. The objects that I am now making 

have developed into personal hybrids, whose intention is to 

reveal energy and playfulness, power and 

vulnerability. The idea behind the form may 

develop and reveal more than the original 

intention. They become private symbols that 

may trigger fragments of universal mythologies. 

My work has always been about 'surface'. 

The earlier work was the result of many firings 

and tests, exploring the use of commercial 

stains and oxides both in clay and in slips. I 

had always approached the work with a 

laborious determination. Often spending days 

wedging colour into clay before the really 

creative process could begin. Objects made at 

this time were nearly always constrained by the 

process. My present work has resulted from 

understanding the limitations and working 

through them. The constraints have become a 

positive rather than a negative part of the 

exploration. Much of my earlier work with 

coloured clays had similarly been a response to 

a limitation of glaze techniques and glazing 

confidence. The idea of surface investigation 

still continues as I explore not only that which 

appears on the surface but trying to reach 

beneath the obvious and the superficial. 

I feel that I have arrived at a fairly simple 

approach now, which, although it still means 

that the vessels are labour intensive, has the 

feeling of spontaneity. They have a lightness 

to them that comes from working the surface and scraping 

them back, often for hours. I choose the coiling method as 

the quality for me is quite different from that obtained 

using the wheel. The vessels grow slowly, a personal 

journey is worked into the process. The quiet time that I 

treat myself to when making the pieces, the time away 

from the demands of modern living, and the time to plan 

and to dream - all this is woven into the surface. I am 

almost sad when a piece is finished, wanting the process to 

continue. oo 

Merran Esson. 

50 Ridge Street, Suny Hills. N.S.W. 2010. Tel: 02.699 3753 

36 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA+ ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996

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Neville French 

Neville French's first solo exhibition at Distelfink Gallery, in December 1995 

affirms the timeless strength and beauty of the purity of form. 

Review by KIM HORNBY. 

The exhibition at Distelfink Gallery in December 1995 

exudes the confidence of technical perfection, much 

of it with an inherent tension due to a pared down 

simplification of form. 

The thirty-three porcelain bowl forms exhibited vary 

in scale and technique but not in quality. Many are 

serene and contemplative and confirm French's 

continual striving for clarity of form through the 

repetition of a traditional shape. His work shows an 

influence of Gwyn Hanssen Pigott but also pays homage 

to the sculpture of Brancusi with its uncluttered and 

streamlined form and the constant play of light and 

shadow on surfaces. His bowls also make use of light to 

enhance their form which results in changing colour 

variations in many of the bowls which take on a 

restrained life force of their own. These wheelformed 

and technically difficult irregular shapes are redefined as 

quiet, perfect, seductive forms which exude confidence 

and lack nothing. 

The groupings of bowls in twos and threes have an 

affinity with the work of Hanssen Pigott, but in French's 

combinations, the work has a tension between the similar 

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forms not seen in Hanssen Pigott's groups with their more 

varied shapes and colours. Whereas her work has a solid 

elegance and simplicity, French's work has an amorphous, 

almost insubstantial quality, denying visually its strength 

and solidity. 

His use of a pale mauve and pale blue limestone matt 

glaze on the inside of the subtly distorted bowls gives 

them the illusion of having dusted surfaces, with the 

outside in a matt white glaze. The fluid asymmetry of 

these finely wheel thrown forms gives an impression of 

them being in a continual state of flux. The bowls, many 

of which have no foot, appear to have floated to rest on 

their stand where they gently pulsate. The purity and 

simplicity of these weightless forms belies their strength 

and technical virtuosity. French refers to one of his bowl 

forms as a 'helmet' shape, but its sheer fluidity of form 

contradicts an association with such a utilitarian and 

earthbound object. 

In French's large woodfired bowls, of which there are 

four, there is a distinct regularity of shape and form. These 

bowls are glazed inside and have an exquisite opalescent 

high gloss, dark egg shell blue glaze. Some have broken 

colour and some are slightly speckled. These bowls, whilst 

beautiful, lack the resonance and individuality of the 

asymmetrical bowls. This asymmetrical form, which may 

become a personal signature for French, is a shape he 

intends to develop and extend. 

Three other large, thicker-walled bowls coated in a high 

alumina white smooth glaze have a weighty, intense 

presence. As a counter to his elegant bowls which Hanssen 

Pigott calls 'a soft tautness'. These white bowls, although 

once again beautiful, do not possess the transcendent 

subtly of their companion pieces in the exhibition. They 

do, however, explain the technical quality and sculptural 

background from which French has emerged to develop 

an individual style. 

Reproduced with permission from Craft Victoria Magazine. 

Neville French is a potter and lectures at The School of Mines and 

Industries Ltd, Ballarat, Victoria. 

Opposite page: Porcelain bowl. 1995. 30w (cm). 

Below: Porcelain bowls. 1995. 20w and 30w (cm). 


Tamasin Pepper 

Being privy to the latest works of Tamasin Pepper, graduate in residence at 

the Crafts Council of the Northern Territory, provided me with a greater insight into 

her work for the exhibition 'Locus, a place of locality'. 

Article by ANDREA RADDATZ 

"Turning Inward". Stoneware/engobes 1280°C, 1994. 60h, 40w, 122d (cm). 

Tamasin's works are inspired by her travels, the sea 

and it's life forms. This is reflected in pieces that have 

a distinctly Mediterranean feel. The sweeping arc of 

boats and marine creatures is frequently drawn upon. 

These pieces also refer to phases of the moon as a 

metaphor for constant change. 

Earlier work completed by Tamasin refers to molluscs 

and shells and the textures that are found within their 

environments. Tamasin's pieces of that time reflected her 

own growth with many pieces depicting a form emerging 

from another which embodied Tamasin's own change and 

transformation, as Tamasin reflected. 'rites of passage 

represented by the image of 'shedding skin'. 

Tamasin continues the process of transformation from the 

old to the new, with the new pieces being created for her 

upcoming exhibition. Using the slab technique, the pieces 

are large and some feature interesting shaped key holes that 

involve the viewer by arousing curiosity. The line and 

curve definition of the pieces are so fine that one cannot 

resist reaching out to touch. Tamasin explained to me that 

these pieces reflected a process of self discovery and 

awareness while residing in Darwin during the past year. 

'Aspects that are clearly visible and those that are hidden or 

slightly obscured, represented by a blind or louvres. 

The purely visual quality of a form within a space and its 

intriguing internal structures are also of importance. I like 

my pieces to have a natural elegance that shows a refined 

and a considered, use of line and form.' 

Tamasin's unique style has been nurtured through her 

studies at the Canberra Institute of the Arts (ANU) and her 

travel, most recently to Spain as an exchange student. 

Tamasin was fortunate to spend a great deal of time studying 

with Enrique Mestre, whose work she was familiar with. "I 

produced a series of sculptural pieces looking at the crescent, 

arc and spiral forms, sourcing both shells and ancient knives. 

These pieces ref erred to a sense of perpetual change and 

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transformation". One of the major influences of Spain is still 

present in Tamasin's work, a surface treatment (engobes), 

which enables her to describe the dry, dusty colours of Spain. 

This surface is also descriptive of the Australian landscape. 

The opportunity to develop work over a year towards a 

solo show with full use of facilities, lured Tamasin to the 

Top End of Australia to take up a Graduate Residency at the 

Crafts Council of the NT in Darwin. "I enjoy working in new 

environments and being able to express the shock of 

strangeness and displacement into my work" Tamasin was 

enticed by the beauty and colour of the coastline and the 

idea of living in the tropics was too good to resist. "There is 

a process of osmosis in adjusting to a new place which 

pushes work in a new direction in order to accommodate it." 

The upcoming exhibition 'Locus' sees the influence of 

the coastline, the chalky, vibrant colours of the rocks, 

shells and earth as well as the fragmentary forms and 

surfaces which have an ancient, unearthly quality. "Also 

shutters, boat stays and keyholes are referenced in these 

pieces as a means of obscuring or concealing partially 

what is on the inside. Some also play on the traditional 

vase form with their 'feet' and 'hole' (which is not always 

very practical or even at the top of the vessel). 

With the new pieces being created for the upcoming 

exhibition, Tamasin has started clear glazing the inside of 

some of the pieces which contrasts with the textured 

engobes on their exterior. The colour range truly reflects a 

lifestyle along a tropical coastline; white/cream with crystals 

of yellow to blue-grey breaking to oranges and rusts. 

In essence Tamasin has started breaking new ground 

with her own works and is not afraid to experiment with 

new techniques, whilst at the same time perfecting those 

she has been working with for some time. oo 

'Locus' opens on March 29 until April 29 at the Crafts Council of the 

NT Exhibition Gallery, Conacher Street, Fannie Bay. 


Function by Design, Design by Fire 

"Pyro Designs" has been established to create an alternative marketing vehicle for 20 and 30 artists. 

Article by founding member RICK PRICE 

Left: Jane Annois, raku vessel. 30h (cm). Centre: Rick Price, vase. 60h (cm). Right: Hedley Potts, large vessel 

with detail of engobe decoration. 50cmw x 45cmh (cm). 

I 

n most instances the individual artist, or crafts person, may 

follow a series of 'ergonomic' guidelines or references 

when making a functional vessel or form. 1brough simple 

design concepts, the object at hand can be broken down into 

a series of interactive elements or components which may 

then be manipulated or abstracted to produce a wide range 

of work reflecting a common theme, or variation there of. 

It is interesting, however, to apply this formula to the 

humble 'Tea bowl', a functional form steeped in tradition 

and ritual. When one examines it's far reaching influences, 

the cultural and philosophical ramifications of such a 

simple form extend from one side of the globe to the other. 

This, in turn, may manifest itself in a wide variety of 

concepts, designs, philosophies or forms. In short, a group 

of individuals, working in clay, may interpret the concept 

of 'function' in any number of ways ... and do. 

Pyro Designs is a 'design' based collective of artists that 

occupies a shop front in Brighton, Melbourne. Artists within 

the group work predominantly in clay but also explore 

areas such as 2D art, photography, mixed media, sculpture, 

furniture, murals and individual or collective commissions. 

This diverse group of artists pays homage to the wide 

variety of approaches to clay, it's function and the 

exploration of clay as a vehicle for expression. Pieces 

range from fine espresso cups and saucers, to lustres, raku 

bowls and large coiled and thrown vessels. The concept of 

'function' in this context, is quite subjective and although a 

piece may have an ergonomic 'function', its aesthetic 

considerations will still fulfil the historical references to the 

'function' of adornment, be it classical or conceptual. 

Pyro Designs was established in December 1995 by 

1 

founding member Rick Price and is run as a collective, (or 

co op in philosophy). Featured are the works of members: 

Jane Annois, Nina Bursian, Sara Curtain, Kathy Griffiths, 

Tony Huchison, Rosie Laught, Lynley Northcott, Veronica 

Petelin, Hedley Potts and Rick Price. 

It is also important to consider the individuals 'function' 

within a group such as this. As a collective each individual's 

role is imperative to a philosophical and physical existence. 

All duties are shared throughout the group, with most 

members involved in working in the shop twice a month, 

or once a month with extra administrative responsibilities. 

The collective offers a large resource of experience and 

abilities to draw from whilst increasing it's networks and 

potential. To highlight this point one only need look at 

Rosie Laught's 'function' within "Pyro Designs". 

Rosie Laught is a photographer working in artistic and 

corporate fields, with a very strong sense of composition. 

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Below: Sara Curtain, "Pueblo" series bowl. 20w (cm). 

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Rosie's work varies from the brilliant still-life to the 

theatrical publicity shots for amateur theatre productions. 

This comprehensive background extends the abilities of 

the group to offer 'in house' photographic work, (slides, 

etc). This service is also offered externally from $60 plus 

film. Rosie, in conjunction with Rick Price, also offers the 

recording of slide show presentations of individual's CV's 

on video ( with musical backing track and voice-over from 

$300) to all 2D, 3D, visual and performing artists. 

Other members are : Jane Annois a self employed 

ceramic artist creating raku forms, as well as vitrified 

stoneware vessels and forms in combinations of dry and 

gloss glazes. Nina Bursian, is a self employed ceramic artist 

producing well crafted brightly under glazed domestic 

wares exploring beach themes and palates very pertinent 

to the Brighton area. 

Sara Curtain is involved in publishing and ceramics. She 

uses the open bowl as a canvas for decoration, drawing the 

viewer into fresh, geometric, hand painted works whilst 

retaining a spontaneity and a looseness that speaks of the 

process and the physical act of painting. 

Kathy Griffiths is self employed and has experience in 

ceramics and management. She produces a variety of hand 

painted cards, hand decorated furniture and picture 

frames. Kathy's decorative and design skills are effortlessly 

applied to a variety of medias, forms and functions. 

Tony Hutchison has decades of experience making a 

living from clay, running galleries and exhibiting. Tony's 

work includes strong vessels juxtaposed with loose, hand 


Above: Lynley Northcott, set of 5 espresso cups. 

Below: Rick Price, large coiled and thrown form. 180cm. 

built vessels with sculptural overtones. 

Tony also chooses to work in wood 

and in mixed media. 

Lynley Northcott works as a self 

employed ceramic artist with a functional 

'bent'. She produces very refined cups 

and saucers as her speciality. 

Veronica Petelin's many years of 

experience have led to a very able 

individual with realistic practical and 

marketing skills. Veronica produces a 

range of well designed terracotta oil 

burners as her bread and butter line, 

whilst continuing to explore a series of 

'one off' stoneware vessels that appease 

her creative aspirations. 

Hedley Potts has twenty years 

lecturing in ceramics at Monash 

University Gippsland campus, and a very 

extensive exhibiting record, strong drawing skills and refined 

aesthetic sensibilities. His works, ranging in size from small 

decorative 'origami bowls' and large wheel formed vessels to 

life size 'figurative wall sculpture' and mounted life drawings. 

Rick Price, eight years lecturing with Chisolm Institute of 

Technology, Monash University, and 

currently Head of Ceramics at 

Melbourne Boys Grammar, is the 

founding member of "Pyro Designs". 

Rick 's work explores the functional 

and the sculptural for the domestic and 

corporate market. 

Whilst in it's early days "Pyro 

Designs" offers a wide variety of work . 

but looks forward to the embellishment 

of glass, sculpture, jewellery, coffee and 

jazz in the not too distant future. We 

also have a gallery area, in conjunction 

with the shop, that will be available for 

exhibitions, performances and displays. 

We would also like to offer a viable 

alternative for emerging artists, as we 

accept work on consignment or the 

opportunity to be involved as a 

'Member' of the group (maximum 15 members). oo 

Pyro Designs is located at 151 Martin Street, Brighton, Victoria 3185 

(Ph 03 - 9539 6899). For further infom1ation please call Rick Price at 

Pyro Designs or on 03 - 9555 5014 after hours. 

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44 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996

Musical Abstractions 

Vivian Cohen has combined her passion for musical 

instruments, contemporary and ancient, with meticulous and polished techniques. 

Article by CHERRY JACOBSEN. 

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,~ a child I painted musical instruments ... persistently, 

compulsively. The teacher must have instructed us to 

aint a vase of flowers, a family holiday on a 

beach ... but somehow there would always be a violin alongside 

the vase, a cello under the sunshade ... As an adult, at concerts, I 

am riveted, not only by the music but also by the fonn, the 

colour, the sheer magic of the orchestral instruments.' 

In her exhibition at the Holdsworth Gallery last year, the 

Japanese Lyre II. Black terrasigillata. 

musical forms were confidently made and the unique 

beauty of colour and form of the instruments were 

sensitively conveyed. 

Vivian Cohen's pieces demonstrate interesting usage of 

varied media. To achieve an effective synthesis of realism 

and symbolism, Cohen has incorporated wood, leather and 

string ... and related these to the bold, powerful earthenware 

representations of the cello, lyre, violin and didgeridoo. 


Harp from Gabon. Terracotta, leather. 

Cohen has used terrasigillata as a surface covering 

for the pieces and they glow with a rich golden 

colour, that recalls the warm glass of the wood 

of stringed instruments. "I want the viewer to 

stretch out, to want to touch my 

pieces ... stroke them. If I create that response, 

I believe I have conveyed something of the 

joy I have known through my work. There 

is no comparable feeling to the one I 

experience every time I open the kiln and 

there, glowing and radiant are the 

pieces ... It is a special moment." 

Vivian Cohen arrived in Australia from 

South Africa in 1978. She later enrolled in 

Brookvale Technical College and was 

awarded an Associate Diploma in 

Ceramics in 1992. She pays tribute to the 

College, whose teachers cultivated and 

endorsed diversity and individuality in 

their students and who gave Cohen the 

confidence to pursue her passion. 

An interesting aspect of her work 

derives from the influence of her South 

African background - Cohen has subtly 

synthesised her early South African life 

with that of African women, full and 

rounded and of African calabashes circular 

and glossy. "It was wonderful to use brown 

and terracottas, bronzes and sepias. These are 

familiar Australian colours and the ones I 

remember from rural Africa." 

Vivian Cohen has been offered a grant to exhibit her 

musical instruments at the Queensland Performing Arts 

Complex in Brisbane from January 10 to April 6, 19%. Her 

work describes and reflects upon the evolution of musical 

instruments, their essential character and their enduring appeal. 

I asked her how she obtained that beautiful glow on the 

surface of her pieces and her reply was that the ancient 

Greeks knew more about how to make a surface glow 

2000 years ago than many potters centuries later. She 

describes her technique as follows: 

When the pieces are completed, They are either 

burnished with a stone until they are absolutely smooth, 

then polished again with soft plastic, or they are textured 

with a sur form, so the surface is textured instead of smooth. 

The pots are now ready for the final surface treatment. 

'I wanted a surface that looked like the glowing smface of 

a wooden cello or violin with the light playing over it. 

And the obvious choice seemed to be a terrasigillata. 

This is a type of engobe rather than a glaze. It is 

the burnished surface seen on the surface of 

ancient Greek and Roman pots and also on 

the pottery of many primitive peoples. It is a 

colloidal slip of clay which seals the surface of 

the ware.' oo 

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THE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS FOR THE 

PRODUCTION OF A GOOD TERRASIGILLATA 

The Selection of Clay for a Good Terrasigillata 

The best clay for the production of terrasigillata is an 

illitic clay. The illites have a variable crystal structure 

which gives rise to crystals that are extremely small, 

poorly defined flakes, often six sided. They have an 

average amount of 6% of potassium in the crystal lattice. 

The presence of this potassium and other fluxes such as 

iron and magnesium cause early vitrification. 

According to Grimm the vitrification may start as early 

as 900 degrees centigrade. This is due to the intimate 

distribution of fluxes throughout the material. Because 

the crystals are small, the green strength and drying 

shrinkage are high. The drying rate is slow and the clay 

very plastic. Because of the sheet lattice structure the clay 

minerals have their surfaces in contact. The smaller 

particles giving a greater surface contact area. Thus 

aiding strength, plasticity and adhesion. 

The Production of a Satisfactory Colloid 

Colloidal particles are those of a finely divided substance 

which is dispersed throughout another substance. The 

finely divided particles are called the dispersed phase 

and the substance through which they are dispersed is 

the dispersion medium. Both phases are called a colloid. 

All particles of a substance tend to have the same 

electrical charge resident on the surface thus they repel 

one another if dispersed in a liquid. 

The Use of a Detlocculent 

I add calgon which is a sodium hexametaphosphate to 

the dispersion medium. The amount used in 1 % - 3% to 

the weight of dry clay used. This creates the situation 

where the particles all have the same electrostatic charge, 

repel one another and are unable to aggregate. 

The Dispersion Medium 

Distilled water is used as a dispersion medium rather 

than tap water. This is to ensure that no minerals or salts 

which may be found in the tap water are included in the 

deflocculated slip. 

Methodology 

A suitable clay is selected, dried and crushed to a 

powdery state. Distilled water is measured out in the 

ration of 2:1 water : clay for coarse clay, or 4 : 1 for fine 

grained clay. The deflocculent is added to the water - the 

amount varies from 1 % to 3%. The clay is added to the 

water and allowed to slake down for 30 minutes. The 

clay is then passed through a sieve, stirred and left to 

settle in a clear container for a few days. 

The thin colourless water at the top is then siphoned 

off and discarded. The dark sediment at the bottom is 

discarded and only the middle 2/3 of the watery slip is 

maintained. This slip should have a specific gravity of 1.2 

or less, and it needs to be thickened before it is used. 

This can be done by allowing the water to evaporate off 

naturally; or simmering the slip on the stove, very slowly 

until it reaches the consistency of thin cream and has a 

slightly marbled appearance. 

Application 

The terrasigillata can be applied in a number of ways. It 

can be brushed or sprayed on to green or bisque ware; it 

can be applied to already fired ware and can, in fact, be 

fired numerous times . It should not be applied too 

thickly or it may peel off. Spraying has a better finish than 

brushing, as the brush marks may be visible. 

Firing Techniques 

There are an enormous range of temperatures through which 

terrasigillata can be successfully fired. Some authorities 

suggest 900°C - lCXX)'C others suggest 1050°C - 1150'C degrees. 

I personally have found that two firings are advantageous. The 

first firing is taken to cone 03. The pot is then re-sprayed and 

the firing taken to cone 04. This gives me a good sheen, 

particularly over the black areas. The pots must be fired in an 

oxidised atmosphere to obtain bright colours. 

Black Terrasigillata 

In order to obtain the black colouring of some of the 

pots, I use a base of Walkers throwing clay, made up into 

a terrasigillata. To 80% of the Walkers clay I add 2% of 

each of the following: 

Black Iron Oxide 

Red iron oxide 

Copper carbonate 

Cobalt 

Manganese oxide 

Coloured Terrasigillata 

In order to obtain coloured terrasigillata a white 

terrasigillata was made up using the following materials" 

Cresta BB 

Frit 3110 

Distilled water 

Calgon 

Underglaze colours can be added. 

20 

.5 

80 


I 

Albie Herbert 

The artist has a role to play highlighting the complex conflicting motives 

that pull and tug at the big environmental picture. 

Below: "Striding Men", from Endangered Species series. Ceramic, wood. Opposite: "Odyssey". Ceramic. 

n Rwanda the competition between human needs and 

nature threatens the mountain gorilla's sanctuary. 

Already prey to poachers, now millions of refugees 

fleeing war and poverty in neighbouring countries plunder 

the dwindling forest resources for firewood, which is 

essential for their survival. Who has the greater need? Of 

course these people have a right to live but the gorillas' 

plight must be recognised. 

In Western Australia old growth forests are disappearing 

at an alarming rate, but jobs and industry are at stake if we 

stop. The numbat, chudich, bilby and many other 

delightful creatures and plants are at risk if we continue 

with our present development. The dilemma is so 

profound; awareness is not enough. People with passion 

are needed to sway the argument and who better than 

artists? They have no vested interests and a powerful 

communication tool in their creative medium. 

To emphasise these issues a narrative approach has 

bee 

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as 

been adopted for my work. Paradigms are formed using 

a laminate of ideas. These are associated notions that 

radiate from a main topic (Animal Extinction, 

Industry, Military, etc). The notions supply abstract 

ingredients to be juxtaposed in unlikely 

combinations. Readings are usually open 

ended and multi layered, so that more than 

one reading is possible. 

The work deals with contemporary 

issues, but traditional aesthetics are 

maintained during construction ( complimentary 

ratios, true arcs, balance and harmony). A 

number of my works are totemic, this form 

allows abstract ingredients to be stacked, this is 

a very ancient way of condensing many ideas 

into a whole. 

Detailed drawings are produced prior to 

construction of pieces. When animal subjects 

are part of a sculpture they are drawn from as 

many different aspects as is possible, to obtain a 

truly representative finished form. These 

drawings are not necessarily adhered to 

during construction. A sculpture may turn 

out very different to the original 

conception, but the detailed drawings 

help to scale, proportion and shape; 

these act as a reference point along the 

creative path. 

From a background of pottery comes 

a concern with finish and the artisan 

approach to skills and material 

research. The important integration 

of form, texture and surface all 

enhance the final work. Though it is 

risky trying new surfaces and not 

relying on past successes, it keeps 

the work fresh in ideas and 

presentation. Traditional glaze 

(high/ low fired, On glaze, Raku) 

surfaces are still used, but if the work 

dictates; oil paint, gouache, acrylics, 

stains, polishes, etc, are a different 

and engaging approach. 

Flexibility needs to 

be maintained in all 

areas of technique 

to satisfy creative 

expression. oo 

Albie Herbert 

139 Wate1ford Drive 

Hillarys 6025 

ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 49

Why do Australian Barbeques Need 

Teriyaki Sauce? 

I' 

'Neither destroy the heart by insisting on its singular nature, nor fix it rigidly as a duality'. An installation 

by Won Seok Kim. Article by SUE BUCKLE 

Won Seok Kim, a Korean 

born Australian, sees 

himself as a citizen of 

the world very strongly 

influenced by the attitudes and 

traditions of his birthland, 

Korea and his adopted land, 

Australia. His years spent in 

Korea included the start of his ceramic training at the 

National Technical College and Han Nam University and a 

traditional apprenticeship with a Master potter. 

Korea's ceramic traditions go back two thousand years - 

it is impossible not to be affected by this and Kim 

acknowledges this strong influence in his art. 

He describes this installation as post modern in its intent 

and presentation whilst drawing on very many of the 

traditional skills learnt in Korea and developed here in 

Australia at the Sydney College of the Arts. This work 

represents a developing vision of the artist combining 

Eastern and Western aesthetics. 

This is the second installation presented by Kim. The 

first was shown to acclaim at the Cell Block Theatre and 

marked the end of his studies at Sydney College of the 

Arts in 1993. This first installation was concerned with a 

personal searching for identity. At this stage his 

philosophy and cosmology was very much dominated by 

his Eastern traditions but there was a personal need to 

move beyond this. 

The latest installation is more outward looking and deals 

with social and political issues. Kim explores the concept 

of true multiculturalism and his place as a participant and 

artist in this developing social order. The title itself is 

carefully phrased as a 

rhetorical question. It is the act 

of questioning, not the 

question that is important. As 

Kim says 'It is important to 

keep asking questions, to keep 

your mind open to changing 

possibilities, to search for 

better understanding'. The installation reflects the dynamic 

nature of Australian society as it forges a multicultural 

society with new traditions based on finding ways to 

harmonise with the different cultures of its population. 

However,to do this, Kim sees these individual cultures 

must first be truly understood, a very slow process. The 

social, religious and cultural traditions and aesthetics must 

be understood before multiculturalism can have any real 

meaning. 

Kim's installation consists of three essential forms. The 

grinders are made in the Korean Punchong style, however, 

they have been fired in oxidation for stronger colour 

response. These are a metaphor for domestic culture which 

lies at the heart of cultural identity. They are a common 

utensil in every Korean home, used for grinding and 

blending spice. 

The ships are a symbol of the isoation of this country. 

We are an island smrnunded by sea and so the exporting 

and importing of objects and culture is a very deliberate 

act. Our history is, of necessity, one of increasing 

interaction with the world on both these levels. 

The many dozens of small clay figures were modelled 

over a year. There is a roughness and spontanaeity to each 

one that makes them individually and collectively very 

po 

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powerful. Here the hands of the artist can still be felt on 

each figure as if the forming is unfinished, a symbol for the 

ongoing adaptation needed by individuals in a dynamic 

society. Collectively they are a symbol of a large 

population responding to many different cultural 

influences and having to find their own and their collective 

identity. Kim described the forming of these figures as 'art 

therapy' - the features of the figures became less confused 

and angry and more peaceful as he worked th.rough the 

concepts of this project. Each figure expresses the duality 

of 'I'. TI1e 'I' which is a part of each of us but is also a part 

of the world or the whole. 

Kim recently returned to Korea. He saw clearly the 

parallels in his Eastern/Western values and traditions. In 

both countries ceramic artists share a need to express the 

human and earthy quality of their chosen material. This 

expression becomes more important as technology 

alienates all of us from nature. 

The choice of clay as his material of artistic expression is 

deliberate. Clay can so easily be imbued with human 

qualities and its appeal as a form of artistic expression 

transcends national boundaries. Working with the hands is 

also a primary motivation. The tactile quality of clay gives 

great focus to the maker and the viewer. In Korea throwing 

is a highly prized skill whilst in Australia this skill is not 

always fully developed or appreciated. Thrown forms can 

be powerfully sculptural and throwing can be much more 

Installation 1995. 

than just a technique. Kim's other interest is keeping the 

quality of the clay alive after firing; making the sense of the 

material and the process a part of the finished work. 

In Korea nature was expressed strongly through the 

clearly defined seasons. In Australia the power of nature 

comes th.rough the landscape and the extremes of climatic 

areas. In Korea industrialization is ruling development and 

the earth becomes just another pawn in the chase to keep 

up with technology. Kim sees clearly that Australians need 

to understand the power of the land they inhabit, only then 

will they preserve it and not be seduced by technology and 

driven by economics. The spirit of the land dominates the 

individual. Destroying it only increases alienation and 

aggression and the artist, in all countries, has an important 

role in voicing these concerns. 

Installation art is an important part of Kim's professional 

practice. Each is a an important expression of his 

development as a person, a member of the world 

community and an artist. 

Beyond this he also sees he has a comrnittment as an 

artist potter to pass on his skills. He hopes to establish a 

studio in the future where he can not only make his own 

work but teach traditional skills to students working as 

apprentices. For Kim teaching from the studio has the 

advantage of being able to impart your own particular 

skills in consultation with a student's specific needs in an 

appropriate environment. 

ISSUE 35/1 AUTUM N I 996 + POTTERY IN A USTRALIA 51

Burning Journeys 

R 

Fl 

An Exhibition by students of Outer Eastern 

College of TAFE. 

Review by KIM MARTIN-HARELL. 

Right: "Glamour Puss" Cazz Ogden 

Articles on the success of TAPE courses regularly 

appear in the media. The written word bringing to 

light the quality of this supportive environment. 

T AFE programs offer individuals the opportunity to pursue 

and explore knowledge and personal development 

through a wide range of subjects. 

The courses are structured with the aim of equipping 

students for the work place, or to enter or re-enter 

University / Higher Education. The practicality of the 

courses coupled with the relatively short time frame for 

completion, makes them interesting and appealing. 

Students strive to gain proficiency and achieve a level of 

professionalism which will provide a solid basis for them 

to establish careers and make informed choices for their 

personal journeys. 

On November 20, 1995 a group of final year ceramics 

students from the Outer Eatern College of TAPE, presented 

an exhibition appropriately titled "Burning Journeys". This 

showing was the culmination of two years intensive study 

for the Associate Diploma of Arts-Ceramics, highlighting 

achievements of ten graduating students. 

Initially the students underwent diligent skill based 

training embracing design through drawing, creation 

through clay and finish through technlogy. As experience 

was gained individuals were gradually encouraged to 

express themselves more creatively in both thrown and 

hand-built methods, with the final presentation reflecting 

two styles of work. 

After only two years it is already evident where each 

person's strengths and weaknesses lie, and in most cases 

which direction will be taken in the next chapter of their 

journeys. Within the group was a diverse cross-section of 

genre which is always encouraging to see, particularly 

when individuals are working so closely together. 

Making a very colourful debut witl1 her hand-built forms 

Cazz Ogden shares with us her love of coil and slab 

forming. The vessel in a vase form is expressed through 

contained movement using symbols of life and growth. 

Influenced to a degree by ceramist Fiona Murphy, Ogden 

works the clay surface with a rhythm that is sensitive to the 

form and enhances the strength and movement of the 

pieces. Use of colour is dynamic and produces both an 

internal and external energy. The quality of the glaze is like 

stone, its coolness contrasting with the apparent heat, 

visually generated. 

Arthur Siozio's tall cylindrical based forms show a strong 

interest in large thrown pieces which do not relate to any 

obvious function, except to imbue the message of the 

"Ceremonial Totem", Siozio needs to extend the idea 

continuing on from one piece in particular called "Desert 

Sand". Here the painterly use of glaze in blue-greens, 

orange, pinks and a considerable use of black, give the 

piece a distinct sense of purpose, while conveying the 

atmosphere of a desert environment, with sgraffito marks 

slinking like snakes across the sand. 

Through figurative sculpture, Fleur McArthur tackles a 

different area of expression with an air of flamboyance and 

freshness. Driven by a need to embody colour, texture, 

me 

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Right: "Figure Dancer I" 

Fleur McArthur 

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movement and music into her work, McArthur has spent 

many hours at the Australian Ballet observing and sketching 

the dancers for her sculptures. The time has been well 

spent as she has captured the energy of the dancers and the 

figures show an understanding of anatomy and correct 

placement of weight within the body. "Figure Dancer l" is a 

superb piece. The figure bends back in the rapture of the 

dance and the exotic use of colour on the costume adds to 

the mood. Copper wire has been used to construct a 

delicate skirt, which creates yet another dimension. 

By way of contrast Elizabeth Ellison-Jones also tackles 

the figure but in a more organic mode. She has chosen to 

blend figure and rock-form together and fuse both in the 

heat of the raku firing. The smaller rock figures work best 

forming homogenous unions with richly glazed and 

textured panels. However, the relationship between figure 

and rock-form can be pushed much further. 

Ola Almarker with his sophisticated and competent 

throwing abilities, will be one to watch for in the future. 

The forms are clear, the lines are clean and the confidence 

evident. Almarker's pieces have a professional finish and 

the glazing is rich and methodically applied. In particular 

the royal-blue glaze he has developed on "Mirror Blue 

Bowl 11" is very beautiful. As an award winner in the 

prestigious national Walker Ceramics Award his talents are 

already being recognised. 

Karen Desarmia's small sea forms show sensitive 

textures with subtle slip and oxide application. "Spiral Pot" 

is a delightful sea related form with pinched spines which 

spiral around in a wave-like rhythm. The delicate nature of 

her work supports the use of pastel colour to enhance ilie 

intimate subtleties. 

John Bomford's "Tree of Life Bowl" reflects an interest in 

nature. His large open bowl displays a grey-blue glaze on 

the rim over a carved relief and a deep blue pool of glaze 

in the centre. The contrast between the movement on the 

rim and the calm depilis of the centre - like trees around a 

pond - is the success of this piece. 

Jan Mccallum-Field with her elegant "Spider Orchid 

Celadon Tea Set" is also influenced by the nuances of 

nature. Gently caressing the surface with curved images of 

the Spider Orchid, the relief is superbly enhanced by the 

celadon glaze. The wispy movement of the plant leads ilie 

eye around the well executed teapot. 

Functional sets are always a formidable challenge. 

Sometimes, for the inexperienced potter, it would be 

advisable to gain much more experience before attempting 


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Above: Porcelain coffee set. Ola Almarker. Below: "Ceremonial Totems" Arthur Siozio 

W( 

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in 

GE 

this complex task. Until ideas and 

techniques are flowing the dinner and 

other sets can be a trap which stifles the 

novice's creativity, ability and 

sensitivity. Instead of opening up, one 

is confined to a major design task with 

very little margin for error. Ricardo 

Besaude and Cheryl Korban might have 

undertaken these complex tasks too 

early in their development. While their 

efforts were adequate the sets lacked 

the excitment and joy of other pieces. 

Korban's raku "Candle Sticks" were 

special, with smoked areas alternating 

with a glittering glaze on the edges, a 

touch of regal with the primitive. 

Besaude's brush work shows promise 

and his large sculptural vessel is a 

clear direction to hold to. 

Overall the effort and committment 

of the students and staff at Outer 

Eastern TAFE should be highly 

commended. It is obvious that the time 

and energy devoted over the two year 

course has been extensive. Equipped 

now to set up their own studios, the 

graduates are venturing into the public 

scene to participate in the Australian 

ceramics arena. oo 

Kim Martin-Harell is a ceramist and 

freelance writer. 

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Glebe Pottery Studio 

Setting up a studio is about more than producing high quality ceramics. 

Article by SUE BUCKLE. 

e 

a 

t 

r 

y 

e 

r 

d 

e 

c 

R 

uth Carter, Barry Blight and 

Bernadette Magee currently 

share studio space called the 

Glebe Pottery Studio in the inner city 

suburb of Glebe, Sydney. Each is a 

well established potter with many 

years experience. Bernadette and 

Ruth ran Terrapotta in Newtown 

which included shared studio space, 

a gallery that sold their work and that of other potters, as 

well as selling ceramic supplies. Barry had previously 

worked from the studios 'Burnt Offerings', and 'Down the 

Lane Pottery'. Bernadette and Ruth currently work full time 

in the Glebe studio whilst Barry also teaches part time at St 

George TAFE. 

The move to a studio in Glebe still represented a 

challenge despite their previous experience of sharing 

studio space and despite having worked professionally 

together previously. 

The setting up of this, and any, studio requires careful 

consideration of a range of issues. The experiences of 

these three potters in setting up Glebe Pottery Studio 

highlight many of the issues and potential problem areas. 

Individual or Shared Studio 

Space? 

There are many advantages 

to shared space beyond the 

obvious economic ones that 

include shared rent payments 

and shared use of, and 

responsibility for, equipment. 

Shared space means there is 

the opportunity for a critical 

exchange of ideas and 

emotional support when 

developing new ideas or 

markets. Tasks involved in the 

running of the business can be 

shared out reducing the time spent 

on these important aspects that take 

you away from producing work. All 

these aspects are seen by the Glebe 

Potters as most important. A shared 

studio also imposes a rhythm and 

discipline that may be hard to 

maintain when working alone. 

Leases: 

Decide how many are going to share the space and what 

your space requirements are. Finding suitable 

accomodation can be tricky. Once the space has been 

found (not easy in inner city Sydney) it is necessary to 

check that the zoning of the building is correct for your use. 

If not (generally that means that the building has had 

another use by the previous tenants) then DA approval 

must be obtained. This involves time and money. It's easy 

to get caught up in Council regulations but the approval is 

essential. The easiest option is to take over an existing 

studio which is what Barry, Ruth and Bernadette did in 

Glebe. Their landlord is the Department of Housing and 

they were able to negotiate a 

reasonable rent. Even though 

their building is to be sold, 

the lease will protect their 

tenancy. Negotiate the terms 

of your lease carefully and 

don't forget to allow for the 

costs of insuring the premises. 

The length of the lease is 

important. This will protect 

you in most cases even if the 

building is sold. No lease 

means no security of tenure. 

ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN I 996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 55

Sl 

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SI 

P' 

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The Glebe potters suggested that formalising the financial 

agreements between members may be an advantage. TI1ere 

should also be written agreement regarding details of what 

happens when one member wants to leave. 1his safeguards 

the others. 

Overheads: 

These need to be worked out so that each member of the 

new studio knows in advance what their financial 

responsibility is. Don't forget items like the relocation and 

installation of kilns and other heavy equipment. Installing 

three phase electricity can be a very expensive business for 

electric kilns of any size. This is a cost that cannot be 

avoided as professional installation is essential. Gas kilns 

will also need certificates of compliance. 

The Glebe Potters each have their own kilns but share 

other equipment like slab rollers. They found it was more 

productive to each have their own kiln which they were 

used to firing. As each potter's work was different in both 

style and scale so their needs regarding firings was 

different. A kiln also dictates the rhythm of work and each 

potter again had different requirements. 

More mundane, but none the less, essential items for the 

studio will include shelving, paint and possible plumbing 

alterations. Even if you decide to do this yourself there is a 

cost in terms of time. Time away from producing your 

work. Don't underestimate this cost in terms of your current 

production of work to sell. 

Setting Up and Settling In: 

You may have allowed for the time it takes to move into 

the studio but what happens after you have moved? 

Bernadette Magee stressed the amount of time needed to 

settle into regular production. Even if you are using the 

same kiln you had before, chances are, now it is moved, it 

will fire differently. The Glebe potters set up their kilns 

near the workspace for maximum convenience of loading 

and found that the airflow patterns were such that they 

couldn't ventilate the kilns properly. This involved further 

disruption as the kilns were moved further away. 

You must also take into account that your work patterns 

will change and productivity may be affected at first. It is 

important to have money or stock to get you through this 

period. 

Producing Work: 

In the case of Bernadette and Ruth, their work changed 

in the new studio. Bernadette felt it took nearly a year to re 

establish her range. She chose to move from earthenware 

to low stoneware temperatures. Although she liked the 

colours available at earthenware she was not comfortable 

with its other properties. Developing a new colour range 

and working with new clays and glazes took considerable 

development time. Ruth Carter, on the other hand chose to 

work with terracotta instead of white clay. Majolica was her 

preferred technique but there were many difficulties along 

the way finding compatible clays and glazes. Where to start 

h: 

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- with the clay or the 

glaze? Then the firings 

needed to be altered to 

suit the body and the tin 

glaze. This is the time 

when being part of a 

group is so important. 

Shared knowledge is a 

powerful tool, not to mention 

the emotional support that can be 

offered. 

Marketing: 

Barry, Ruth and Bernadette each 

have their own distinctive range of 

work. Each came to the studio with 

their own markets for their work. 

Barry Blight particularly, has been 

exhibiting his work continuously 

and successfully for many years in 

Sydney. Bernadette and Ruth were 

reestablishing contacts and 

promoting a new range for 

galleries. They found that the 

system has changed alot in the last 

five years and more galleries expect 

to take work on consignment. This 

throws more responsibility on the 

makers as they have to keep track 

of stock. Some galleries are more 

organised than others and so more 

time needs to be spent by the 

maker keeping track of money 

owed. It is no longer enough to 

assume that retailers of your work 

will keep efficient records, you 

must check for yourself. 

Although each potter is primarily 

responsible for marketing their 

own work, they have also set up a 

small retail space at the front of the 

building which is open on 

Saturdays. This is a valuable link 

with the buying public but is also a 

drain on their time. Sales are erratic 

but they feel it is an important part 

of their business linking directly 

into their community and giving 

Top 

Bernadette Magee, cone 6 SW clear 

satin glaze. d30cm. 

Below 

Barry Blight, orange vase. h380cm. 

Opposite 

Ruth Carter, large platter 

earthenware majolica decoration. 

them direct feed back 

on work produced. 

Often the most valuable 

comments are those 

overheard being made 

between two customers! 

It is a place to sell seconds 

but also a place to try new 

or 'one off works. 

A Christmas sale is held each 

year with each potter contacting 

their own mailing list as well as 

letter box dropping in the local 

area. This has built up a loyal 

clientele. Marketing possibilites 

are always being assessed and it is 

a constant struggle to find the time 

for this activity. Each studio 

member found it frustrating that so 

much time was spent away from 

actually producing work just to 

keep their individual, and the 

studio's business running, but I am 

sure this could also be said of 

individual professional artists. 

The experience of establishing 

and running this studio has 

certainly taken both creative 

energy and considerable business 

skill by all three members. Those 

considering setting up a studio 

need to be well prepared for a 

considerable investment of both 

time and money, particularly in 

Sydney. So much so that 

Bernadette Magee said, 'it appears 

studio potters are an endangered 

species due to loss of habitat'. 

However there is no doubting 

there are many advantages to this 

type of studio practice and with 

careful planning many of the 

pitfalls can be dealt with or even 

avoided. oo 

Glebe Pottery Studio, 123A Mitchell 

Street, Glebe Ph: (02) 660 7265 


More on Marketing 

John Eagle continues this regular series providing information on aspects 

of marketing for the ceramist. 

Moving away from packaging as an obvious 

marketing device, perhaps it is time to comment on 

other methods of complimenting a product by 

adding to its appeal in the market place. Any product 

needs to gain an edge over the competition to the point 

where a wavering customer will select it rather than 

another. 

This article is about functional ware and the relationship 

of design and a marketing idea that my partner, Rosema1y 

and I worked with in the early 1980's, and this rationale to 

some extent still influences my thinking when attempting 

to design and produce a new product. 

The business was a small retail/wholesale concern just 

out of Ballarat with the range being functional and 

relatively earthy. In spite of the obvious practical nature of 

my work I was still asked from time to time questions like 

'Can it go in the oven?' 'Can you use it?' 'What can you do 

with it?'. These questions were usually asked about the 

more complicated items like pie plates and pudding bowls. 

However, other items like casseroles and mugs were not 

exempt. 

The need to explain and to discuss the usefulness and 

versatility of our products provided the answer to our need for 

a marketing idea that would make the product's general use 

obvious and provide guidance for a specific use - a recipe! 

We felt this idea would also be a worthwhile item in 

shops and galleries where there was not time for the sales 

person to be completely involved. 

For each pot in my main range a recipe was developed 

that was tried and tested (two desserts in a single night!). On 

the inside of the swing tag that went with the pot there was 

a recipe that we knew was a success in that particular pot. 

With the development of the recipes came the 

realisation that my pots in many instances needed to be 

better designed and a process of refinement was 

undertaken. One example of a redesigned form was the 

pudding bowl. The original bowl was shaped with a 

slightly constricted top and then a slight flair to allow the 

cloth or foil to be tied without slipping off when the 

pudding was steaming. This was fine except that when the 

pudding was cooked it had to be dug out of the basin, 

often in the most unceremonious manner! By altering the 

design and providing the support for the cloth or foil, and 

by redesigning the rim, not only was the shape more 

comfortable as a pot but the pudding could be removed 

happily in one piece. 

Our cottage outlet also enabled us to extend our 

marketing ideas based around the recipes. One of these 

ideas took the form of a recipe tasting day. Although not an 

immediate financial coup, the good will and interest 

generated increased the sales made over the following few 

months and convinced us that the effo1t was worthwhile. On 

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58 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN I 996

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the day of the tasting the Brandy Berries recipe was the most 

popular and I know for a fact that a number of our customers 

had mysterious headaches the next morning! We continued 

with the recipe cards for a few years with up to twenty 

recipes being included and from time to time the thought 

crops up that maybe we could reintroduce our recipes. 

The ability to provide additional material with a product 

is becoming easier with the availability of laser printing 

and community centres that have quite sophisticated 

reproduction equipment. I have included two of the most 

popular recipes and their pots - the Brandy Berries can be 

a real blaster! oo 


Starting Points 

From the Greg Daly workshop held by the 

Potters' Society of Australia in February. All the participants left with heads spinning, 

full of renewed enthusiasm for glazes and glaze testing. 

SUE BUCKLE reports. 

Greg's approach is extremely pragmatic, and more 

than a little cavalier (I'm sure there would have 

been some TAFE or University glaze teachers 

turning in their graves! ). However, this combination of 

being both extremely methodical in building up his 

understanding of materials and always inquisitive and 

adventurous is something we can all learn from. 

If you are reading this page then you are obviously still 

curious about glazes. Have you stopped to ask yourself 

"why do I want a particular glaze?" And what will you do 

with it when you get it? Without understanding the basic 

materials of a glaze then any recipe becomes just a lucky 

dip - maybe you win; maybe not! And where to then? 

As Greg puts it 'Any glaze is just a list of materials and a 

list of numbers.' Before launching off into any new recipe, 

make sure all your recipes are expressed as parts of 100. 

This way you can easily compare the quantities of 

ingredients which will improve your understanding about 

their differences and similarities. 

There are a number of factors that will affect your 

experience of glaze. 

1. Materials: Remember that many of our glaze materials 

are natural and so will vary from batch to batch. It is 

important to test new bags of any material. Place a small 

amount piled up on a tile (a commercial, unglazed tile 

from the tile shop is perfect) or a piece of kiln brick When 

you buy a ball clay or kaolin, make sure you know which 

type it is - (eg Eckaglass or Eckalite), they each have a 

slightly different chemical analysis. 

2. Body: The type of clay body you are using will affect 

glaze quality and colour. Even clay bodies of the same 

colour may affect the glaze surface and colour response 

because the clay body itself may have different ingredients 

and a different surface quality. 

3. Heat: Not only will the temperature you fire to affect 

your glaze but so will the length of the firing and tl1e time 

taken to cool the kiln. To measure heatwork in your kiln 

use Cones. Unlike a pyrometer which only measures 

temperature, the Cones measure the heat work done on 

your clay and glaze. This is related directly to the length of 

time taken to reach a temperature. Some glazes require 

specific heating/ cooling conditions to be successful, eg 

crystal glazes need slow cooling. 

4. The Kiln: Is it gas, electric, wood, oil etc? Each fuel 

imparts its own characteristics to a glaze, particularly the 

organic fuels. 

Reduction or oxidation is also a critical variable as is not 

only the time of reduction/ re-oxidation but at what 

temperature it is commenced. Reduction is particularly 

important when the glaze materials start to melt. 

As an experiment, try firing your current glazes at 

different temperatures. Take e/w glazes to s/w or to bisc 

temperatures. Take s/w to e/w; Cone 10 glazes to Cone 6 

etc. Some high temperature glazes may be very interesting 

and stable dry glazes at lower temperatures; colour 

responses may also vary considerably. 

5. Application: Be aware how you apply your glazes and 

experiment. Take your applications to the extremes of both 

thickness and thiness; pour, spray, dip and paint them. 

Overlap them. It is important to check your bisc 

temperature - the glaze application is directly affected by 

the porosity of the bisc body. A change in the bisc 

temperature (either intentional or unintentional) can 

dramatically affect glaze application and therefore the fired 

quality of that glaze. 

6. You!: This is the really tricky one. You need to be aware 

how thickly you apply a glaze, and how you mix it. 

So, how do you begin a successful glaze programme for 

yourself? 

- Decide exactly what you are looking for. 

- Learn about your materials by firing them in isolation 

and combination and by reading appropriate books. 

- Don't believe anything you are told - t1y it and test it 

yourself! 

To begin take a common glaze, or a glaze you use in your 

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60 POTTERY IN AUSTRAL.IA+ ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996

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own work, and change the proportions of the materials, for 

example: 

Leach's Cone 8: (Fire to Cone 9 down, Cone 10 soft.) 

Potash Felspar 40 Change to 10 30 20 

Whiting 20 40 10 30 

Silica 30 20 40 10 

Kaolin 10 30 20 10 

This alone will give you a whole range of glazes from dry 

to glossy. 

To test colour responses make additions of different 

oxides. Greg suggests staning with 4g iron oxide, 10g iron 

oxide, lg cobalt carbonate, 4g copper carbonate, 4g nickel 

oxide and 10g rutile. 

Funher experiments can be done easily by replacing the 

flux in any recipe with different fluxes. This will have an 

affect not only on the melt and the surface of the fired 

glaze but also on the colour response. In the above 

example replace the Whiting with Barium (use extreme 

caution when handling barium - masks and gloves are 

essential), Talc, Dolomite, Zinc or a Frit. The flux material 

is in fact the most important factor in colour so 

understanding the properties of different materials in 

relation to colour will be extremely useful. 

So these are some accessible starting points for your 

own journey of discovery. It is very obvious that Greg 

really enjoys exploring glazes and can certainly 

communicate his excitement. I would suggest this is the 

most important factor in any journey! oo 

Glazes and Glazing Techniques by Greg Daly is available from the 

Potters' Society of Australia for $29 (RRP $35), plus postage. See 

Special Book Offers, Page 81. 


Greetings from Gondar, Ethiopia 

--- 

PART2 

Geoff Crispin spent most of 1995 working in Project Ploughshare's Wolleka Womens' Pottery 

e first postcard from 

thiopia described my efforts 

searching for useful clay 

deposits - trying to pin down the 

local raw materials and testing 

them. The six month period 

allowed the development of 

bodies and preliminary glazes. The 

necessary machinery to make use 

of the local materials was 

identified, some built in Ethiopia 

and some imported. Additional 

equipment is still needed, but a 

start can now be made to get the 

production going. 

My first sojourn ended in June 

and I returned to Gondar during 

October to train the management 

team in production control and 

planning. 

The whole landscape had 

changed in the interim. The 

scenery before I left was dry and Alem Tegow burnishing pots before firing 

dusty with the dominant colours 

being brown and grey-green. This has altered dramatically 

with the coming of the rains. Crops have grown and 

matured and harvesting is in full swing. Barley and maize 

are already being cut, whilst teff, the mainstay of the 

Ethiopian diet is yet to reach full maturity. The dominant 

colours are now the green of the tree foliage and the 

various colours of the maturing crops; bright yellow for the 

oil seed flowers through to the straw yellow of the ripe 

barley and, in between, yellow and green of the almost 

ripe teff. This harvest is reflected in the local markets with 

a variety of vegetables available that are not seen during 

the dry season. Everywhere the products of the rains are 

for sale; pumpkins, carrots, peas, various types of beans 

and cobs of maize being roasted over charcoal fires. 

Returning to the progress in the pottery, part of the 

management has been the stockpiling of the materials 

needed for full scale production. 

Sunday was the day designated to collect reject bricks 

from Ancho. This is a small scale 

brick making project located only 

7-8 km from the pottery. The reject 

bricks are crushed and used in the 

stoneware body for both tiles and 

making thrown ware. It acts as a 

calcined clay addition to reduce 

drying /firing shrinkage and also to 

act as a flux when the clay is fired. 

The alkali content is about 7-8%. 

The trip to Ancho is only about 

7-8km from Wolleka, the site of 

the pottery, but after the rainy 

season the road is almost 

impassable for our vehicle even 

though it is a four wheel drive. 

Instead we have obtained the loan 

of a 10 ton truck from the Road 

Construction Authority for the day. 

We set off having picked up 8 

workers to help load the truck. The 

road to Ancho is little more than a 

track once you turn off the main 

road. First we cross a flat area rich 

with the ripening harvest and the going is easy but all too 

soon the track starts to follow the vagaries of a small stream 

as it winds it's way deeper into a narrow valley in between 

two huge hills, Ancho Michael and Gondar Georghis. The 

water from the torrential rains has washed away the road in 

places and the damaged sections have been filled with rocks 

so progress is slow over the very bumpy sections. It's 

obvious why the smaller vehicle would not pass some 

sections that climb steep inclines and fall just as rapidly all 

over a bed of basalt rocks. The truck suffers two flat tyres as 

a result of the sharp rocks but keeps on going until we reach 

the site of the brickworks where the flat tyres are replaced. 

After the rains there has been an enormous growth in 

weeds as well as the crops in the fields. The piles of reject 

bricks are covered with about 1.5m of undergrowth so it 

has to be removed first with one eye out for biting, stinging 

things. It is cleared away and we are under way. The truck 

backs up to the site and loading is commenced. 

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We form two chains of 

people passing broken 

bricks from hand to hand 

and then throwing them 

up into the back of the 

truck. After two hours of 

loading we climb up 

onto the back of the 

truck to check how the 

filling is progressing. It's 

depressing when we 

realise that less than half 

of the back is full, we 

are down to the smaller 

pieces and no one 

remembered to bring 

a shovel! 

Fortunately someone 

did remember to bring 

some bags so we start to 

scrabble around and 

scrape up all the small 

pieces with our hands. 

Filling the bags and 

passing them up to be 

emptied and refilled 

again and again. Very 

slow progress. 

I've forgotten to bring 

some water and, not 

really thinking about the 

enormity of the task of 

filling a 10 ton truck by 

hand, no lunch either. 

After about three hours of the loading I have to have a rest. 

The altitude (approximately 2,300m), and the heat in the 

middle of the day is all a bit much. It reminds me of the 

day when, a few weeks after arriving in Gondar, whilst 

chasing raw materials, I had to climb the very hill that 

towers over the brick making site. Ancho Michael is about 

another 4-SO0m above us and located very close to the top 

is a deposit of a volcanic rock called tuff. This material can 

be used in a number of ways in ceramics, but climbing that 

hill when you start at 2,300m was exhausting. I made it, but 

the knees were a little shaky on the way down. 

Back to the loading, and the others take a short break 

and we discuss stopping. It is not worth stopping now as 

we need to get as much as possible in one trip. Tesfaye, 

the manager of the pottery is older than me but keeps on 

going relentlessly without a break, determined to fill that 

truck. I don't know how he does it.. .. 

Eventually after 5 hours, 'Mulu', 'enough'. A halt is 

Loading the truck at the Ancho brickworks. 

Threshing and winnowing barley after harvest. 

called, and exhausted, 

dehydrated and hungry 

we climb back onto the 

truck, check out that 

the load has indeed 

reached acceptable 

levels and start off on 

the trip back to the 

pottery. Because of the 

weight in the truck it 

rides easily and moves 

more quickly back 

down the track and in 

no time we are back 

at the pottery. The 

bricks are deposited 

by the tip truck 

almost immediately. 

What seems like a very 

small pile is the result 

of all that labour. I 

must confess to feeling 

a little cheated! The 

pottery, however, has 

enough to last for 

about a year but will 

need to return to 

Ancho before the next 

wet season for another 

load. The next time we 

will try and locate a 

front end loader to do 

most of the work. This 

will allow more loads 

to be taken to the pottery more quickly, without 

exhausting the workers. 

It was a pleasure to return to Wolleka and find the place 

knee deep in pots. Skills have been honed by the practice 

during 'krempt' or wet season and the improvements are 

impressive. The pottery is starting to produce the 

stoneware tiles and domestic ware which will help to make 

the project economically viable. The traditional pots will 

continue to be made as well giving the pottery a broad 

economic and cultural base. 

It's an exciting time at Wolleka with the blossoming of 

new skills and pots, pots, pots. Thanks to all those who 

have and continue to help support the progress of Wolleka 

and it's women potters. oo 

A fundraising raffle will be held leading up to the National Ceramics 

Conference in July. Leading potters have donated work. For tickets or 

information contact Geoff Crispin 066 - 449 685 


I 

' 

Bauer, Classic American Pottery written by Mitch 

Tuchman, photographs by Peter Brenner 

Chronicle Books, San Francisco 

A new release, distributed in Australia by Peribo 

The first impression is of luscious photographs that 

reflect superbly the colourful style of Bauer Pottery. 

the ].A. Pottery Company(1885-1962) was the first to 

break with the tradition of white porcelain for the dinner 

table in America. The briliantly 

coloured, mix and match, tableware 

have become highly sought after 

collectors items. 

Bauer made an asortment of slip 

cast, hand thrown and moulded 

ware first in a factory in Kentucky 

and then in Los Angeles. In 1896 

there were 60 men employed in 

production and 4 kilns. The wares 

were traditional brown, unadorned 

hand thrown forms - jugs, crocks, 

churns and shallow pans. In 1928 

Bauer launched their first coloured 

tableware, yellowware, with 

immediate market sucess. Ceramic 

engineer Victor Houser was largely 

responsible for developing the 

colour range. During the Second 

World War Bauer only made two 

items, a white cereal bowl and mug 

for the navy. Lead, copper and tin, 

which went into their coloured 

glazes we declared essential for the 

war effort and new glazes had to be 

developed. By the 1960s cheaper imports and out dated 

methods of production took their toll on the company and 

it closed in 1962. 

This book is a colourful and detailed tribute to an 

innovative design which the author calls 'The most 

colourful chapter in the history of American pottery. ' It 

details the designers and the designs; the tableware, the 

florist ware, the artwares and the decorated ware. And all 

accompanied by richly coloured photographs. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

---- A---- 

COLLECTOR'S 

GU IDE 

WILLIAM & DOROTHY HALL 

Australian Domestic Pottery, A Collectors Guide 

by William and Dorothy Hall 

Kangaroo Press 

This small paperback focuses on commercial artware and includes a listing of 

studio potters upto the 1960s. It details the commercial pottelies including a brief 

history, a description of the products including photographs of the most common 

and information on identification marks. 

Of course this book is aimed at collectors and begins by giving basic 

information regarding aspects of collecting and ceramic techniques. There is a 

great diversity of forms shown and an interesting variety of Australian motifs used 

on the work. 

Both books available through McGills Technical Books, Brisbane and Melbourne. 

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There was a certain machismo in operation when I 

was at college. The dirtier and more difficult it was to 

fire a kiln, the higher the status. By this thinking, the 

cleanness and ease of firing of an electric kiln, put it right 

down the bottom of the heap - for wimps only. Thanks to 

a widespread upsurge of interest in the extensive palette 

of colours that has been developed for earthenware, 

which benefit from an oxidising atmosphere, the electric 

kiln has become much more popular with the studio 

potters. There are at least 300 models of electric kiln 

currently available, half of which are designed and 

manufactured in Australia. 

This also means that there is some pretty fierce 

competition going on out there and one of the biggest 

bones of contention is ceramic blanket / ceramic 

fibreboard vs insulating brick. It is being fought on the 

grounds of health and safety - manufacturers using brick 

assert that there are health risks associated with using fibre 

(Fibre kilns over 16" have been banned in California) and 

point to the inconvenience of using masks when working 

with fibre lined kilns. Manufacturers using fibre blanket / 

board quote extensive international medical studies 

pointing out that 'gross overexposure to any dust/fibre 

may overload the natural defence mechanism' and 'there is 

still no proof of long-term occupational hazard - other than 

temporary skin and eye irritation in bulk wool or blankets.' 

Woodrow Kilns use ceramic fibre board which is 

bonded in such a way as to make it dust-free and seal it 

with protective coatings of 99% alumina. Whatever the 

lining, using masks is a good general work practice. 

Of course, ceramic fibre I board is used because of its 

qualities as an insulator. With ceramic fibre/ board, all the 

energy goes into heating up the pots rather than the extra 

load of heating up the bricks. Therefore it can provide a 

quicker firing and cooling cycle at considerably lower cost. 

But some glazes benefit from the slower cooling that brick 

provides and the majority of manufacturers only offer brick 

lining. The debate continues. Whatever material the lining, it 

is worthwhile asking your supplier/manufacturer about 

replacing damaged sections. 

Electric kilns 

This issue Karen Wesiss researches electric kilns. 

ELEMENTS 

Kanthal Al wire is now standard on all Australian-made 

electric kilns. When fired in an empty kiln up to bisque, a 

protective layer of aluminium oxide forms on the outside 

of the wire, increasing its resistance to the chemical byproducts 

of firing. One manufacturer suggested that firing 

empty to l000'C after every 5-6 firings 1200'C or over, 

wo~d radically extend the life of your elements. The 

avera~ life of elements is 200-300 firings. 

Elements are generally mounted in one of two ways; 

either groove or rods and hooks. In the first, the element 

rests in a groove in the lining. The advantage is that this is 

cheaper and gives some protection to the elements during 

packing as they are flush with the lining. 

The disadvantage is that heat is not radiated as efficiently 

and therefore it is necessary to heat for longer. Also after 

extended use, elements start to squirm around. The 

continual expansion and contraction results in the, not 

unfamiliar, sight of elements bulging from their grooves 

and even gradually draping themselves down the walls. 

Rods and hooks or plugs are the second kind of 

mounting. Here the support comes from a ceramic rod 

inserted through the coil of wire and held out from the wall 

by ceramic supports. This permits the elements to heat 

more effectively and makes it easy to replace damaged 

elements. The downside is that it is more expensive to 

manufacture and it leaves the elements more exposed to 

debris and accidental damage when packing or firing. 

Whichever you choose, be certain to ensure that the kiln 

has elements that are rated at least 2-3 cones above your 

consistent top temperature. Firing to the maximum 

temperature tolerance of your elements will shorten their 

life by up to 25%. A note for those buying secondhand 

kilns: With extensive use, elements will calcify. This 

reduces their ability to heat and they will need to be 

replaced. 

CONTROIS 

The more sophisticated computer control systems give you 

the opportunity to set a number of firing schedules 


according to your needs. You can set different heating 

rates (RAMP rate) for different parts of the firing, soak at a 

particular temperature and have the kiln switch off using 

either temperature or electronic cone or both. You might 

want different programs for different glazes or to alter your 

basic program if you have damp, very large or thick pots. 

Then you just press a button and walk away. Of course the 

more it can do, the more it's going to cost. Top of the range 

controllers were quoted at about $1650 (incl. sales tax) at 

the time of publication. 

The next option to consider is an indicating or digital 

temperature control working from a pyrometer which 

switches off when temperature is reached. Sometimes 

these come with a soak option. Prices will vary according 

to the type of thermocouple. The cheapest is suitable for 

firing to lO00'C, the most expensive to 1300'C. Top of the 

range: currently about $700 (incl. sales tax). This will 

require your supervision for the first part of the firing. 

Further down, there is the kiln sitter. Many kilns will 

come with a kiln sitter as part of the package. A kiln sitter 

is a simple device using Orton cones rather than 

temperature to determine the cut-off point. A small Orton 

cone is inserted to lie across two prongs. A third prong 

rests on top of the cone, and as the cone deforms as it gets 

to temperature, the prong descends and the switch cuts off. 

Several people working with kiln sitters have told me of a 

tendency the sitters have of switching off about lO'C 

before they reach the desired temperature. In this case, 

they work with a back-up cone in the kiln which they 

check at switch-off time. Also a manufacturer advised using 

a bit of kiln wash on the prongs before inserting the cone, 

to avoid the possibility of cones getting stuck on the 

prongs. 

The most basic form of control is the energy regulator. 

This is a manual control used for turning the kiln UP or 

DOWN. It does not turn the kiln off, nor does it tell you 

what temperature the kiln is. Although very common on 

old models of kilns, it is no longer so readily available. 

Probably the cheapest way to buy a kiln controller is as 

part of a kiln package, however they can be bought 

separately and there is always the option of a later 

upgrade. Something to consider: exposure to heat will 

eventually reduce the life of electronic components so the 

further removed they are from the kiln, the more extended 

their life. 

WHICH KILN? 

Having decided that electric is the way to go, the question 

is - Where to start? The answer is, as always, with yourself. 

Think about your needs. If you are a production potter 

working with earthenware in oxidation, a large or even 

trolley kiln with a single-stage controller may be your best 

choice. If you are working with small or individual pieces 

with multiple applications of lustre or overglazes, a small 

kiln which is easily filled and can fire quickly to 

temperature with a multi-program controller, may be just 

what you need. For those just starting out, a smaller kiln is 

an option that gives you plenty of practice in firing and 

glazes and limits the extent of disasters. 

Having decided what you would like for internal size, 

think about what space you have to put it in. For obvious 

safety reasons, electric kilns are put in an enclosed 

weatherproof space. It's a good idea to look for a kiln that 

will fit through that doorway! Consider the weight of the 

kiln and your flooring, especially if your workspace is 

upstairs. A large aluminium frame and fibre kiln is 

considerably lighter than a steel and brick one and will 

cost a lot less for delivery. 

What about height? Ease of packing should be a priority. 

Ideally, to place the least stress on your back, you should 

be packing between waist and shoulder height and not 

having to lean too far into the kiln with a heavy kiln shelf 

to do so. Some front loading kilns come with a stand, some 

can fit on a bench, otherwise you may consider having a 

stand made. 

COMMON MYTIIS 

Myth 1: You can't reduce in an electric kiln without 

destroying the elements. Things have changed since the 

old days of nickel-iron elements with the advent of Kanthal 

Al wire. This wire has the ability to form a protective 

coating of aluminium oxide which will resist the effects of 

reduction. The potter can now safely reduce by 

introducing solid fuel such as coal or charcoal during 

firing, without drastically shortening the life of the 

elements. Hilldav kilns even have a specially designed 

solid fuel aperture and for those interested in using 

reduction in an electric kiln. I recommend reading their 

newsletter Vol. 2, No. 11 for a well thought out guide to 

the technique. 

The results however, will probably be quite different to 

those achieved in a gas or woodfired kiln as there is no 

flame path, the heat being created by radiation rather than 

combustion. 

Myth 2: Electric kilns fire more evenly. It is difficult to 

make kilns fire evenly top to bottom. Manufacturers have 

approached this problem in different ways: (1) by making 

a toploading round kiln. The elements are laid all the way 

around the kiln with no break for a door. (2) By 

temperature profiling the elements: in the Cress toploaders 

the elements fire hottest at the bottom and slightly cooler at 

the top, being graduated in between. (3) By having 

elements connected in individual relays or sets of relays 

with a controller with multiple thermocouples. The 

elements will respond to the controller individually as 

needed, or in sets at the top or bottom. 

This is most effective with the smaller kilns, but the rule 

of thumb seems to be that in the range of front loading 

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kilns, the larger the kiln (especially from 17 cu. ft. up), the 

more likely it is that the centre of the kiln will be hotter 

than top or bottom. Comments I have received would 

seem to indicate that this difference may be more marked 

in brick-lined kilns. This would make sense as the brick 

would retain heat longer than fibre. These variations can 

be compensated for by using glazes with a wide firing 

range, or two glazes with a different melt. One potter 

reported that she compensated by packing the bottom 

shelf of her frontloader with large pieces. Some toploaders 

have a problem with a cool spot in the bottom. According 

to one report, that was sucessfully overcome by using a 

downdraft venting system (see safety issues). 

Myth 3: Electric kilns are very cheap to run. Small hobby 

kilns are very cheap to run, however the larger kilns are 

not so cheap, as you will be paying the higher commercial 

rather than domestic rates (Off-peak rates may be availab 

le.) 

Manufacturers of kilns using ceramic fibre or board 

claim energy savings of up to 50-60% compared to brick. 

But the real costs come with the installation. Electric kilns, 

even single phase, cannot just be plugged into the wall and 

switched on. First check with an electrician. Single phase 

kilns may require a separate circuit which will run from 

your board to a 15 amp. box in your workspace. 3 phase 

kilns require 3 separate circuits which run from the street 

supply to your board (which may need to be extended) 

and then to a box in your workspace. In Sydney, Sydney 

Electricity will supply the wire free but nothing else. If you 

are installing 3 phase you may have to pay for them to 

disconnect and reconnect during installation. You must 

also include in your costs ongoing maintenance, replacing 

elements etc. which will vary according to the amount of 

use the kiln gets. 

SAFETY ISSUES 

We have already looked at fibre vs brick. Now think about 

a kiln in an enclosed workspace. Electric kilns are not 

flued like gas or woodfire kilns. They have vents from 

which the unpleasant and often toxic fumes given off 

during firing, are released. These can be drawn off by an 

exhaust fan. This is not very effective, and still allows 

fumes to disperse within the work area. The next step is to 

enclose the top of the kiln in a metal hood and use either 

passive convection or ducts and a fan. This is fairly 

expensive and too strong a draw from the fan may create 

temperature variation within the kiln. In addition, it still 

allows some fumes into the room. 

Recently mechanical downdraft systems have become 

available. This attaches easily to the base of the kiln and 

draws hot air and fumes from the bottom creating 

downdraft ventilation, immediately mixing this with cool 

air and venting it outside. Woodrow Kilns have developed 

the system further, adding an activated carbon filter. The 

manufacturers of Envirovent, an American downdraft 

system, claim that this system actively improves heat 

distribution within the kiln, making it more even and 

providing a well-oxidised firing. 

Currently costs were quoted at between $500 -$700 (incl. 

sales tax). 

Kilns get very hot on the inside. How hot they get on the 

outside depends on the grade and thickness of the lining. 

Three inches of insulating brick is not alot between you 

and 126o·c. If you are sharing a small work area with the 

kiln and other people or children are around. It is safer to 

purchase a kiln with insulation that will bring the outer 

surface down to an acceptable temperature. 

WHAT DOES A IillN COST? 

Present prices in the 6-8 cuft range are from $3200 - $5000. 

But this is meaningless without looking at the type of 

controller, the lining, the elements, the structure, the cost 

of delivery and installation and extras like exhaust systems 

and kiln furniture. 

Most Australian manufacturers will design and build 

kilns for specific needs, even building them in place if 

necessary. Whatever you choose - happy firing! 

My thanks to the following manufacturers and suppliers 

for their generous assistance: 

KilnWest: (09) 377 1222 

B & L Tetlow Pty Ltd: (03) 9877 4188 

Woodrow Industries Pty Ltd: (02) 727 4755 

Prior Industries Pty Ltd: (02) 649 6388 or (07) 394 3833 

Ceramic & Craft Centre: (02) 771 6166 or (07) 343 7377 

Australian Furnace Company: (07) 3865 1209 

Ellen Massey: (02) 553 9400 

Hilldav Industries Pty Ltd: (02) 688 1777 

Ceroamic Supply Company (Cesco): (02) 892 1566 

Melton Ceramic Supplies: (03) 743 9479 

BPQ Kilns: (074) 99 0733 

Walker Ceramics: (02) 451 5855 or (03) 9725 7255 

A.F.C. Hitech Kilns: (07) 3933409 

Aldax Industries Pty Ltd: (02) 772 1066 

The Pug Mill Pty Ltd: (08) 43 4544 

Ceramicraft: (09) 249 9266 

Northcote Pottery: (03) 484 4580 

N.S.W. Pottery Supplies: (02) 630 0133 

S.E.I. Kilns: (07) 349 3558 

and all the potters for their feedback. 

In our next issue we will be looking at Safety Gear; Face 

Masks, gloves etc. As always, your information and 

feedback is appreciated. Please contact Karen Weiss 

Tel: (02) 308 439. 

Karen Weiss c. 1996 


ELECTRIC KILNS - 1996 SURVEY 

NAME ORIGIN INTERNAL LoAD LINING WIRE ELEMENT STIIUCilJRE WEIGHT Frr SID NO. OF CONTE 

SIZES TYPE SUPPORT DOORWAY CONTIIO lYPES 

OPnONS 

AVAIIJ 

Woodrow Aust. 0.28 cu.ft.- T&F ceramic board Kanthal Al groove all aluminium bd. 5-240 kg most 6 progr 

Industries 15 cu. ft. and insul.brick br.140-470 kg 

6.4-3451. 

Cromartie U.K. 0.75-16 cuft T ceramic fibre High grade groove mild steel galv. 30-200kg most 9 basic 

17.2-3681. and insul. brick spiral or paint.stain- kilns 

less steel 

progr 

Duncan U.S.A. 1.2-7.3cu.ft. T insul.brick High quality groove stainless steel 72-332 lbs Yes kilns 

27.6-1681. spiral 

Ward Aust. .09-12.01 cuft F insul. brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel 15-360 kg most kilns 

2-2761. and fibre stainless steel basic 

Skutt U.S.A. .55-11.57cu.ft T insul.brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel galv. 55-362 lb. Yes. Sections kilns 

12.7-2661. stainless steel detachable for progr 

removal. 

Hilldav Aust. 5.5-50cu.ft. F insul.brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel or 450-1600kg Up to 3.25 cuft progr 

126.5-1150 I. stainless steel size model 

painted 

Cesco Aust. 2.5-30 cuft F fibre blanket Kanthal Al rods all aluminium 80-1000 kg depends on 3 Indic 

57.5-690 I. fibre board and hooks painted. design prog1 

insul. brick 

kilns 

prog1 

B.P.Q. Aust. 0.38-7.1 cuft T insul. brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel,lid 40-220kg Yes 4 basic 

8.7-163.31. fibre lid stainless steel indic 

Tetlow Aust. 0.4-32 cuft T&F insul. brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel 25-750 kg Up to 12 cuft indic 

9.2-7361. prog1 

prog1 

Cress U.S.A. 0.68-9.62 cuft T insul. brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel 80-400 kg Most basic 

15.6-221.31. stainless steel kilns 

KilnWest Aust. .42-12 cuft F insul.brick Kanthal Al groove mild galv. steel 30-330 kg depends on prog1 

11.8-3401. baked enamel design 

Walker Aust. 1.6 cuft T insul. brick Kanthal Al groove stainless steel 50 kg Yes kiln i 

36.81. 

A.F.C. Hitech. Aust. 2.5-25 cuft F fibre blanket Kanthal Al rod alumetal, 92-300 kg Up to 12 cuft progi 

70-7001. and plug stainless steel size model 

Paragon U.S.A. .125-29 cuft T&F insul.brick Kanthal Al groove galv. steel 4-220 kg Most 3 kiln 1 

2.9-6671. stainless steel prog 

Aust. Aust. 1.75-20 cuft F ceramic fibre Kanthal Al rod alumetal 78-335 kg Up to 10 cuft prog 

Furnace Co. 

and hook 

Gare U.S.A. .57-14.4 cuft. T insul. brick Kanthal Al groove mild steel galv. 29.3-204 kg Yes kiln 

13.1-331.21. stainless steel prog 

prog 

S.E.I.Kilns Aust. 1.3-15 cuft T&F insul. brick KanthalAF groove angle iron 100-450 kg 4.5 cuft basic 

29.9-3451. stainless steel indic 

All kilns can be installed single, 2 or 3 phase according to size. 


NO. OF CONTROL CuSTOM SPARE WARRANlY CoMMENTS 

CONTRO TYPES MADE PARTS 

OPilONS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE & SERVICING 

6 programmable Yes Yes 2 yrs.labour & Ventilated air cavity behind casing,abrasion resistant coating for hotface 

parts.Travel board,fixed glass spyholes avail. with integral venting system. 

costs ex Sydney 'Rapid fire' model fires to 1300C from domestic powerpoint. 

9 basic regulator, No Yes 12mths. Labour Kilns come as septagon, round or oval, depending on size. 

kiln sitter, and parts All models(excepting oval)mounted on castors with brakes. 

programmable. 

kiln sitter No Yes. varies with Kiln sitter comes with safety timer and is standard-fitting on all models. 

All spares supplier Override switch for manual LOW or HIGH,extemal handles.Easy repair.2.5"-3" brick avail. 

Kiln extension rings available. 

kiln sitter Yes Yes 12mths,parts Additional fibre between inner brickwork and outer case 

basic regulator and labour for better thermal efficiency.Baked paint finish. 

kiln sitter, No Avail. 12 mths parts Safety timer for kiln sitter avail. Also can increase size by adding 

programmable 1-2 wks except element Wired Ring or Blank Ring.Most models have 3" thick brick. 

Small glass slumping kilns also avail. Sealed dustfree lid. 

programmable over 50 cuft Yes 12mths. parts, Designed with special aperture in door for introducing 

materials only solid fuel for reduction. 1400C hot face brick.Safety door switch. 

Element placement options are 2,3,4 walls and floor. Trolley kilns. 

Indicating temp Yes Yes 12 mths parts 5 layers fibre blanket, brick suitable 1300C firing. 

programmable and labour stand comes with kiln furniture shelf. 

basic regulator Yes Yes 12 mths parts Elements rated to rnax.1280C.Lid safety switch.lO0mm. legs, stands avail. 

indicating temp and labour frame powder-coated. 

kiln sitter 

programmable 

indicating temp. Yes Yes 12 mths parts Elements avail. to fire to 1400C. 4 door types avail. incl. 

programmable and labour central pivot.Door removable. Zone programming for elements. 

excl. elements 

basic regulator No Yes 2 yrs parts 3" brick on larger models.2 position lid venting prop. Locking 

kiln sitter 

lid brace.Shapes vary from hexagon to decagon. Most pop. model 

programmable 

"Little Wizard"14"w.18"depth. fires to Cone 10. Inexpensive. 

programmable Yes Yes 12 mths parts Top firing temp. 1280C Other controller options avail. 

& labour on request.3 layers insulation. 

excl.elements 

kiln sitter No Yes 3mths parts Cone 6 capacity. Will fire to 1280C but this limits 

& labour life of elements, bricks & kiln sitter. Backup limit timer. 

programmable Yes Yes 12mths parts Cerachem blanket fires to 1425C, low shrinkage,stays soft.Doors removable. 

5 yrs structure Cast ceramic spyholes,exhaust ports.Stainless steel adjustable door catches. 

Larger diam. element wire for longer life. Alumetal for longer frame life. 

kiln sitter Yes Yes 1 yr 3" brick Kiln stand std. most models.Kiln stand with casters avail. 

programmable 2 yrs. 2.5" Br. Quikfire 6 model, ceramic fibre shell 0-lOOOC in 5 min. 

labour,parts. Lid and top edge sealed with refractory coating. some models heat shield on switch box 

programmable Yes Yes 12 mths parts 5 layers of blanket, Cerachem hotface 1425C.Removable doorswith adjustable closing 

lockable. Spyholes, ports cast ceramics.Stand with adjustable feet, kiln storage shelf. 

kiln sitter, No Yes 12mths parts Ventilated control panel.2 position lid vent.1260C most models.Handles. 

programmable and labour Dust free coating on inner lid.Fyrematic models combine controller and kiln sitter. 

5 yrs structure 

basic regulator Yes Yes 3 mths parts 4.5" brick, fires to 1280C consistently, removable doors. 

indicating temp. and labour competitively priced. 

programmable 


Deflocculated slip 

- Clay Adhesive 

'I learned of using deflocculated slip 

as an adhesive compound from John Dermer'. 

Article by IVOR LEWIS. 

Opposite: Oval dish. Ivor Lewis. 

J 

ohn recommends its use and insists that the parts 

being joined should NOT be scored. He contends that 

scoring may leave cavities which en-trap air when the 

slip is applied. Expansion of the air as it heats causes 

pressure to increase. This stress can initiate cracks and 

possible fracture of the joint. 

I have accepted his suggestions. I make a thick, dense 

deflocculated slip from the clay body I am using. Soak 

dried, crushed turnings, stand overnight, the excess fluid is 

decanted off, or mopped up with a damp sponge. When 

the mixture is blunged and sieved, allow the water to 

evaporate then reblunge, so the mixture is thickened. A 

consistency should be similar to thick (double) cream, 

does not readily run, and peaks when an object is pulled 

from it. 

Parts to be joined should be leather hard, firm, but 

pliable. I mark locations with a liner brush and red ink. 

Both pieces are liberally coated with the deflocculated slip 

on their mating faces. I try not to obscure my location 

marks. There is a need for speed without undue haste. At 

this stage it is important not to apply pressure which will 

cause the pieces to lock. Instead, the lubricant properties 

of the slip are exploited, allowing the parts to be precisely 

positioned. When the parts are accurately located, gently 

apply pressure to each side of the weld and vertical to the 

plane of the joint, causing the slip to exude, flushing out 

any trapped air. 

When this has been done gently along the joint, excess 

slip is sponged away. The damp sponge should be rinsed 

and squeezed regularly. The pressing process is repeated 

with increased force to ensure that the high and low points 

between the contact surfaces meet. Butted joints should be 

given a slightly convex profile. This provides a central 

point of contact and slip exudes easily out of the wedge 

shaped gap. 

Lawrence and West ("Ceramic Science for the Potter" 

1982, Page 68) give a comparison between flocculated 

(ordinary throwing slurry) and deflocculated slips and 

describes their qualities. Their information shows quite 

clearly that deflocculated slip has properties which make it 

ideal as an adhesive. My own experience leads me to 

believe that it behaves in a way analogous to a high 

temperature brazing alloy. Consider these qualities: High 

density because it is made from the minimum volume of 

water containing a high weight of solids, so providing a 

high bulk of clay to fill or bridge the voids; low viscosity, 

providing lubrication for movement during alignment of 

parts; high bulk to volume means reduced shrinkage, 

hence reduced susceptibility to hair line cracks; high green 

strength, reducing potential for damage prior to firing; 

fina 

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finally, a stable suspension which does not separate and 

settle during a production run. All these properties are 

ones which improve productive efficiency and lead to a 

product with enhanced quality. 

In contrast, the simple mixture of clay and water has 

properties which are opposite in character.I use the 

process described, with deflocculated clay, as a standard 

routine. Handles on mugs, spouts and lugs on teapots, 

knobs on lids (subsequently thrown) and feet onto 

planters. Using Jane Hamlyn's methods for composite pots, 

I achieve joints between wall and base up to 150cm long, 

with a weld area of 200 sq. cm. 

One note of caution. If the clay has lost its pliability and 

dried past the leather hard stage, there may be difficulties. 

The slip seems to loose its lubricity and liquidity on contact 

with the clay. This makes joining difficult and a hair line 

fracture may form but not reveal itself before bisque firing. 

Preferably all parts are made at the same time, from the 

same clay batch, and allowed to dry slowly. oo 

Copyright Ivor Lewis, 1995 

Ivor Lewis has a Certificate in Teaching and a B. Ed. In 1991 he 

resigned from teaching to pursue a life as an artist and potter. His 

current interests are ceramic rtsearch, product design and gallery 

management. 

Left: Traditional jointing requires scoring and slip. This can lead 

to air inclusions which expand during heating to cause stress 

fractures which may propagate to become cracks. Centre: 

Eliminating scoring leaves no voids when deflocculated slip is 

applied. The mating faces and the slip have similar densities and 

there is an effective weld between the two pieces. The cause of 

fracturing is eliminated. Below: Magnified view shows scored 

surface where bubbles of air have been trapped in the slip. 

When the clay dries out these become irregular voids. Angular 

contact points along their internal edges act as stress raisers. 

Cracks can propagate from these locations. 

ISSUE 35/ 1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN A USTRALIA 71

Cam Ha Pottery Village - Vietnam 

Christine Pearson explores traditional life in a village of potters. 

Transporting pots to market. 

South east of Danang is the ancient town of Hoi An, 5 

km inland from the coast. For several centuries Hoi 

An was one of the most important trading ports in 

South East Asia and an important centre of cultural 

exchange between East and West. 

By the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th 

Century Hoi An's social and physical environment had 

changed drastically. Local wars and the silting of the river 

forced a new port to be established and Danang succeeded 

HoiAn. 

Cam Ha Pottery Village is on the Thu Ben River upriver 

from Hoi An. Our boat chuggs past huge fishing nets, men 

dredging for sand, others in coracles - round woven boats - 

collecting greens for lunch and huge beautifully woven 

fish traps. Close to shore children are playing and 

swimming in the river whilst women are doing washing 

clothes. It is early and already you can feel the heat of the 

day approaching. 

The river splits and we head past small villages. I can see 

the kilns in the distance. Children are running along the 

bank waving and calling 'hello'. Bricks are layed out to dry 

around the kilns and mounds of clay are waiting to be 

carried to the production areas. The clay is brought by boat 

from Dien Phuoc. One boat load costs about $US12. A boat 

of clay makes approximately 2000 pots, I'm informed. 

We pull up at a small jetty and walk into the village past 

open doors. Everywhere pots are stacked waiting to dry, 

even under beds, pots balanced on top of each other wait 

for the next firing. I'm taken to meet Nguyen Thi Don who 

is 67 years old and one of only 7 persons - all of similar age 

- left in the village using the wheel. The younger people 

want to make easier money in the towns and cities and the 

craft is dying. 

Ms Thi started making pots when she was 20. She has 

made teapots and bowls, but her favourite work is the 

making of money boxes which she obviously could do 

with her eyes closed. These she makes for 20 days in order 

to fill a kiln. Her assistant who kicks her ironwood wheel, 

wedges the clay at the same time. She uses 1kg of clay for 

each money box and very little water. 

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Left: Nguyen Thi Don, 67 years old, potting for 47 years, assistant kicking wheel and wedging clay. 

The men in the family fire the kiln. Wood from the jungle 

is used - 5 stacks, roughly one cubic metre, per firing is 

required. Each cubic metre costs $US20. The kiln takes 7 

days to fire and 7 days to cool. Four families work together 

and use one kiln. A firing had been completed and the kiln 

cooled so we joined in the excitement as pots were being 

unloaded from the kiln into wagons. No bubble wrap here! 

Everyone was busy working together and sharing 

resources. Even as the kiln was being unloaded, money 

boxes were being made at a rapid rate and women in 

another area were busy making bricks. 

Brickmaking is simple. Throw clay into a mould and pull 

a harp across to trim off the excess. Stack to dry then fire. 

The bricks are made so quickly I could have a new 

courtyard in no time with this technology! 

It was payback time for our visit and as I was the leader, a 

piece of clay was cut from the lump behind the wheel and 

wedged before being handed to me. It felt good. Ms Thi got 

up from her 5cm high stool with ease. I sat down, not very 

elegantly I must add, with legs spread everywhere. I looked 

Right: Pots for sale. 

so awkward and huge - the workers stopped to see the 

show. Luck was on my side. After we worked out how to 

kick the wheel my way, I was off and I managed to make a 

shape similar to the money box - only a few centimetres 

short of Mrs Thi's. The cheers went up. Hopefully they kept 

my moneybox so that on my next trip I can improve on the 

height. 

Our few days in the village amongst these lovely people 

watching and sharing in their lives was wonderful. Their 

generosity and hospitality made it very memorable for all 

of us. oo 

Christine Pearson is a Director of Active Travel in Canberra and will be 

escorting a tour program to Vietnam with Sue Buckle, Editor of 

Pottery in Australia, in late November this year. It is especially 

designed for potters and includes a workshop in Cam Ha. 

For more details contact Christine on 06-249 6122 

Active Travel, First Floor Garema Centre, 

Canberra City ACT 2601 


Turkey 

Ken Osetroff uncovers some Turkish delights in Avanos 

I I 

Deep in the central Turkish 

plateau of Anatolia lies 

Cappadocia, an area noted for 

its natural beauty, intriguing ruins and 

a long history of pottery production. 

If you're planning on a quick trip 

here when your international airlines 

gives you a stopover in Istanbul, you 

should think again .. .it's a very long 

drive from Istanbul to Avanos. 

What will make you take even 

longer is that you can't just pass by 

such places as the town of Iznik, 

founded about 1000 BC and centre of 

the Ottoman Empire's tile production; 

the Anatolian Civilisations Museum 

with its outstanding collection of 

Hittite (1900 - 1600 BC) figurines and 

pottery vessels; or Kutahaya whose ceramic artisans, 

commencing in 1514, were also renowned for making 

decorative tiles. 

A vanos town would probably not exist if it wasn't for its 

potters. 

The pottery industry has brought much wealth and 

prosperity to this town along with a steady stream of 

tourists. As one potter aptly explained 'Most Turkish 

potters are not rich enough to produce work that might not 

sell, so we make what the market demands.' 

In fact much of the work produced here is very 

functional and for domestic use including roof tiles, pipes, 

building bricks and what seems to be an oversupply of 

unimaginatively decorated vessels. 

However, amongst what I call survival pottery produced 

for the passing tourist trade, you can find artisans with some 

personal flair that makes them stand out from the crowd. 

When you walk in to the studio of 'Chez Galip' you 

know instantly that you've discovered a real Turkish 

delight. Galip himself demonstrates the use of his kick 

wheel with all the showmanship of a born actor. The 

spindle of this kick wheel is built up of a series of 

interlocking hollow wooden forms, the top segment being 

determined by the form of the piece to be made. For a large 

vessel it would be a hollow bowl into which the base of the 

piece would fit, but for a plate, the top 

form would be similar to our bats. 

This whole column fits onto a 

cement wheel which, when the 

Assyrians first introduced the kick 

wheel to A vanos, was probably made 

of stone. 

Firing of his smaller pieces is done 

in a small kiln on the roof of his 

house but larger pieces are taken to a 

huge community kiln just out of 

town. This is a wood fired, updraught 

kiln built of stone with a brick lattice 

floor between the fire box and the 

firing chamber. No shelves are used 

and the pots are stacked to fill the 

space, which is almost the same size 

as a local farmer's house. 

Amongst his various decorative styles Galip is 

experimenting with traditional watercolour marbling in an 

attempt to create a unique finish. As you walk through the 

network of underground passageways that make up 

Galip's gallery, what at first looks like spider web is 

actually 10,000 locks of women's hair, hanging from the 

ceiling. These have been donated willingly by women who 

have visited the gallery and each year five names of the 

donors are chosen, just like a lottery, and invitations are 

sent to the fortunate five to attend his studio for pottery 

tuition by Galip himself. 

I'm not sure what Galip's Dutch wife thinks of this, but 

in fact, a few years ago she had been one of those chosen 

five. Women in Turkey have never been overlooked, 

particularly in the line-up of goddesses worshipped 

through the ages. The earliest pottery statuettes of such a 

goddess, of which a replica can be seen in 'Chez Galip', 

was unearthed in excavations of Cata! Hoyuk, the world's 

oldest 'city' (6500 BC). She is described in one guide 

book as being 'a big busted woman with large hips and 

symbolises the power and crowdedness of a tribe'. 

As you can well imagine, a variety of opinions were 

forthcoming from the ladies with whom I was travelling. oo 

"Goddess", replica. 

Ken Osetroff, Destination Management. 

AL 


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Above: Cappadocia homes and shops. Below left: Community Kiln, Avanos. Below right: Galip at the Kick Wheel. 

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AC'f - 

8th National Ceramics Conference 

Canberra means ' a meeting place' and Canberra is 

1HE meeting place for potters in July this year. 

"Will technology change a potters' perception?" 

"Is it really beneficial to have trained overseas?" 

"Can copying hone the cutting edge?" 

"How small is a small world?" 

Whether you are a professional or an amateur, a 

thrower or a handbuilder, a traditionalist or a 

revolutionary, a teacher or a student - there will be 

something to stimulate, intrigue or enlighten you at the 

8th National Ceramics Conference. The four days of the 

Conference will be full of opportunities to have your say 

either during chaired panel discussion sessions, or in the 

extensive alternative programme of individual papers, 

slide lectures and demonstrations, not to mention the 

myriad of diverse exhibitions. 

Why not maximise the international connection by 

attending one (or more) of the Master Classes which will 

run before and after the Conference. The wheel, the slab, 

the cast, the kiln, the colour and much more will be 

addressed in ten fully inclusive participatory workshops 

led by outstanding ceramic artists from around the globe. 

For example, you could wrap coloured clay with Elina 

Brandt-Hansen from Norway; build kilns with Fred Olsen 

from USA; or cast and assemble with Hideo Matsumoto 

Qapan) and Anna Zamorska (Poland). More information 

on Master classes may be obtained from Alan Watt, coordinator, 

International Workshops, ANU, Canberra 

School of Art, GPO Box 804 Canberra 2601 

• JANE CRICK 

WESTERN AUS I R4UA 

The Ceramic Study Group of WA now has a new 

meeting venue which is situated at Alexander Park 

Craft House Inc, Clyde Road, Menora (only a short 

distance from the previous meeting place at Edith Cowan 

University, Mt Lawley). The premises provide plenty of 

room for meetings, a full range of facilities, including an 

office and kitchen plus better parking which is just what 

the doctor ordered for this rapidly expanding, 

enthusiastic membership. Mike Kusnik, a founding 

member, appropriately presented the first talk for the 

year, living up to his nickname of 'Mr Bentonite' as he 

expounded the virtues of the use of bentonite. Don't 

forget the 25th Anniversary Exhibition coming up in July: 

all past and present members are invited to join in for this 

special occasion. Ring President Irene Poultan for details 

Ph 401 3938. New members are always most welcome to 

meetings which take place every second Thursday of the 

month. 

South of the River Potters Club is undergoing a difficult 

time at present as it battles to retain its Government 

owned premises. The Club which was founded 21 years 

ago by Fremantle Technical College Graduates has 

occupied the current venue for the past twelve years. All 

endeavours by the 50 member strong group have been 

unsuccessful and the deadline for vacating is only weeks 

away. The property which acts as both studio and retail 

outlet for members has now been described as 'surplus to 

government requirements' and is to be auctioned. The 

Group are determined not to dissolve and will continue 

to meet wherever possible until a new address can be 

found. Phone President Cher Shackleton on 384 6875 if 

you can assist in any way. 

International Ceramic Artist Matthias Ostermann 

recently conducted three two-day workshops in Perth. 

Nearly a hundred potters attended these very worthwhile 

and interesting Majolica workshops. 

A visit to Busselton Potters in April/May is presently 

being planned together with city and regional workshops 

in August by Brian Gartside. 

Claremont School of Art is gearing up for a busy year 

and is soon to welcome sculptor Mona Ryder from 

Queensland as artist in residence from 24 February for 4 

weeks. 

• LYN ROBINSON 

VICTORIA 

0 

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of the best things about the build up to 

Christmas are all the final year Student 

Exhibitions. It always amazes me the diversity of 

work and the consistently high standards that are 

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76 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN I 996

A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS 

FROM OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES 

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achieved. We are also lucky here with the Walker Awards 

as we also get to see the best of intra and inter state 

students works. This year looks like it will be another 

busy one for potters. It will be great to catch up with all 

our interstate colleagues in Canberra - till then, cheers 

• BARRY HAYES 

SOUTH AliS I HAI IA 

In late November 1995, the Ceramic and Glass School 

of Design University of SA opened its doors with an 

Introductory Weekend Workshop which included 

glass blowing and slumping, wood firing, raku, 

sandblasting, slip casting, etc. 

It was an action-packed weekend. The lecturers and 

students were fantastically helpful. Lots of paper handouts 

to read at our leisure. We all left with the 

determination to start glass slumping in our own kilns. 

There is the probability of future similar workshops. Go if 

you can. 

March is a good month to be in Adelaide. The Festival 

is an absolute cornucopia of things 'arty'. Lots of fun too, 

bumping into friends at the various venues, where we 

have come to view the old, the new, and the innovative. 

• MAGGIE SMITH 

TASMANIA 

Hi, Lots of exciting things happened at "Claydown" 

held at Reedy Marsh, the property of potter Neil 

Hoffmann. Dennis and Helena Monks from NSW 

demonstrated wheel throwing, mug making - kiln 

building, salt firing, wood firing, etc! Heard some people 

manage to steal a few hours of sleep under the stars! This 

very successful workshop will be repeated next year, 

and hopefully every year thereafter. A MUST!! 

"The Suitcase Ceramics" travelling exhibition (small 

scale ceramics by students and staff of the Launceston 

University Ceramics Department) came to its final 

destination at the Attisan Gallery at Robigana 

Peter Pilven-held two successful workshops one in 

Hobart, the oilier in Devonport 

A multinatibnal. Art Award 'Tasmania 1995' has been 

established to promote excellence in artistic expression 

and to recognise cultural and religious diversity in 

Tasmanian society as expressed through art - An 

exhibition of the finalists was held at the Swing Bridge 

Art Gallery, Dunaly. 

Hope to have more news next time! 

• HAPPY FIRINGS, BERNADINE ALTlNG AND LEANNE VANDERSLJNK 

QUEENSLAND 

The QLD Art Gallery has scheduled a major show of 

Gwyn Hanssen Piggot in April with work spanning 

over 20 years since her return to Australia in the 

early Seventies. It should be something to see the fine 

tuning of Gwyn's approach to her work in that time 

frame. 

Savode is once again continuing its tradition of a mid 

year ceramics show. This time with an Australasian 

influence. There are botn glass artists and ceramicists 

from Australian and New Zealand. Jess Gibson is the 

guest curator and Bob Connery is one of the exhibitors. 

The QLD Potters Association is hosting a residency 

workshop programme with Bruce Anderson who will 

also have an exhibition on conclusion in Fusions Gallery 

The Sunshine Coast Institute is away with a hiss and a 

roar, with Rowley Drysdale teaching glaze technology 

and sand Johnson on staff. Rowley is also having a solo 

show at Fusions opening the end of October this year. 

Marc Sauvage is busy and busier producing his deco 

colours to great demand. They are spectacular, almost 

eatable, especially with names lil

Is This the End? The End of What? 

Should the Ceramics Department be included in the 

Proposal for an independent National Art School or remain 

with TAFE? A reply by Bill Samuels to the article 'Is This the 

End' published in Issue 34/4, page 59. 

The survey article titled "Is this the End?" By Karen Weiss is 

unfortunately poorly researched, without basis in fact and 

contributes nothing to informed debate, only serving to 

engender fear and confusion among the students it 

purports to support. 

The article campaigns for the retention of the East 

Sydney Ceramics Department within the T AFE structure 

and IMPLIES that the course associated with Peter 

Rushforth, Bernard Sahm, Bill Samuels and Steve Harrison 

still exists. The course offered in those days is nothing like 

the courses offered today. 

The changes to the Art and Ceramics courses that have 

occurred under TAFE direction have increasingly focused 

on industrial elements to the detriment of studio 

techniques. Those changes began in the early 80s 

prompting concern among staff and students, and the 

continued drift away from meaningful and relevant art 

education has been the trigger that sparked the desire for 

independence. 

The article claims: 

1. Students "would no longer be able to follow a full-time 

course in ceramics exclusively" 

2. "It might well become one of many subjects in an Arts 

course" 

3. "With drastically reduced hours" 

All of the above are completely untrue. The NAS 

recommendations prefer the ceramic department to 

retain complete autonomy as an independent 

department just as it is at present, and to increase its 

focus on full-time ceramic study. 

She further claims that: 

4. "Students would no longer receive the practical skills in 

areas such as Glaze and Kiln Technology" 

This is also untrue. The NAS proposal specifically 

encourages the development of studio practice. 

Further: 

5. "The NAS's orientation is away from vocational course 

components" 

This is also erroneous. One particular concern of the 

NAS is the extensive use of CBI criteria within TAFE 

which they believe is inappropriate to art training. 

And the claims relating to funding: 

6. "The funding pool itself will be strictly limited as the 

NAS will not be part of TAFE" 

7. "This may result in students having to pay a much larger 

78 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996 

proportion of the costs in fees" 

are extremely misleading. All government funds are 

limited, but the NAS proposal maintains EXISTING funds 

to the school with provision for appropriate increases. 

Where has Karen Weiss obtained her information? Has 

she been misinformed? Her article implies support from 

Peter Rushforth, Bernard Sahm, and myself, but none of us 

were asked our opinion. 

The independent NAS proposals are a matter of record. 

Concern over disruption to students and staff is central to 

the recommendations, as is acceptance of the current size 

for the school on the EST campus. 

The campaign to remain within TAFE has no basis other 

than wrongly informed hearsay and supports the 

maintenance of a course that has reduced hours generally 

and the consequent lesser skills levels, together with 

substantially increased hours focusing on industrial 

processes and associated electives. 

So, "Is this the End?" I hope so. As a professional artist 

potter trained at ESTC in the late 60's, and a teacher there 

before, during and after the changes, I believe the best 

future for studio ceramics lies with an independent 

National Art School. 

Bill Samuels. 

Thanks for alerting potters about the proposed National Art 

School in Sydney, and the almost certain demise of the East 

Sydney Ceramics Dept. as a hands on learning 

environment. Dispersal of staff and equipment will almost 

certainly accompany that move whatever honeyed terms 

are used! 

Although I am a born and bred South Australian, East 

Sydney Ceramics Dept. is held in high regard over here. 

The result of amalgamating disciplines so diverse as 

those currently proposed frequently ends up as watering 

down of course content and the general lowering of 

standards. 

There seems to be an attitude that to 'upgrade' means 

the elimination of any practical skills, and simulate 

everything on the computer. A few more decades and all 

the practical skills will be lost, as curricula will be set by 

people who are all airy fairy and do not have the faintest 

idea about the practical needs of ceramics. 

Cost cutting by so called upgrading, renaming places of 

learning, renaming courses and issuing qualification with 

fancy names, is often counter productive, ending up in the 

long run costing more, not just in hard cash, but the end 

product has very little individual value, and certainly will 

do nothing for Australia's reputation. 

Regards Liz Mount, South Australia 

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LITHGOW 

POTTERY FAIR 

19TH, 20TH, 21ST APRIL 1996 

The Lithgow Pottery operated from 1876 to 1896. In 

order to revive interest in, and knowledge of, the 

important contributions Lithgow Pottery has made 

to the ceramics industry, Lithgow Public School initiated 

the Lithgow Pottery Fair. The inaugural fair was held in 

1995. 

Local sponsorship was sought and two major prizes 

were awarded in a prize exhibition. An open prize of 

$1,000 was offered and a local prize of $450 was awarded 

to a potter working in the Lithgow district. 

Entries in the prize section were outstanding. The 

quality and range of pieces submitted made judging a 

difficult task. The overall effect of the combined prize 

exhibition was stunning, with beautiful examples of work 

from many of Australia's leading potters. 

The result was an exhibition to rival the best art gallery 

collection, with beautiful pieces submitted from Greg 

Daly, Bill Samuels, Sandra Lockwood, Amanda Warner, 

Peter Wilson and Cameron Williams, to name just a few. 

Peter Rushforth sent a beautiful chun vase for display and 

he and Bobbi graced us with their presence on the 

opening night. Peter was generous in his support and 

positive comments about the exhibition and we were 

delighted that he and Bobbi were able to attend. 

Chester Nealie judged the exhibition and was very 

flattering in his comments about the quality and quantity 

of work submitted, and the exhibiton space in general. 

After considerable deliberation Chester awarded the open 

prize of $1,000 to a piece which was "quiet and 

unassuming, a piece which demonstrates strength, 

energy and the sublety of natural earth. [A piece in which] 

the images from the decoration were evocative of the 

land's essence, where the accidental marks of fire and 

flame enhance the concept". Bill Samuels created this 

outstanding, and subtly beautiful piece of work. 

The local prize of $450 was awarded to a potter who 

created "a youthful, exuberant piece which demonstrated 

a great joy of making [which was] fluid and strongly 

thrown, well proportioned with whimsical handles, which 

combined well with the generous strength of the form". 

Local potter Cameron Williams was awarded $450 for 

the local prize, and was doubly rewarded when one of 

our local sponsors purchased the pot and ordered a 

matching piece. 

The generous support provided by the local sponsors 

extended beyond the donation of prize money, many 

prize entry pots were purchased by sponsors and 

collectors. 

The quality of work presented was not lost on the 

many thousands of visitors who attended the Pottery Fair 

over the weekend. Sales were brisk during the three days 

of the Lithgow Pottery Fair, making the event a financial 

success for all those potters who gave us their support, 

both in the prize section and the market section. 

The committee was delighted with the response, not 

only from the potters who supported us, but also from 

the crowds of people who came to look and spend over 

the three days. 

Spin-off from this first event has resulted in continuing 

enquiries from potters throughout the country. The 

establishment of pottery classes for adults, high school 

students and primary aged students, taught by local 

professionals Cameron Williams (Old Lithgow Pottery), 

Michael Conolan (Hampton Pottery)and Ludwinna 

Alstern has given rise to the need for a student pottery 

prize section. 

The committee is delighted to announce that we are 

including a student prize section in the 1996 Pottery Fair, 

sponsored by McDonalds (Lithgow) with sections for 

Infants, Primary, Secondary and Adult students. Cameron 

Williams will judge these student prize sections. 

The 1996 Lithgow Pottery Fair to be held on the 19th, 

20th and 21st April. Peter Rushforth has kindly agreed to 

judge the open and local prize sections. 

Potters interested in participating can contact Lithgow Primary 

School on (063) 512297 to request entry fom1S. 

Galleries and collectors can likewise contact the school to be 

included on the opening night invitation list. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 


NeWS for Autumn 1996 • CONTINUED 

era.ft F Oftlffl A new magazine addressing the business needs of artists 

and craftspeople. It has been created, researched and funded by Bridget Young with a talented team 

of contributors. It is designed as a useful guide to such issues as marketing, copyright, accounting 

and other aspects of professional practice. Available by subscription Ph/Fax (03) 9419 6993. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

WANTED 

Artisan Craft Books is looking for the following books. 

Industrial Ceramics by Singer & Singer 

Dictionary of Ceramics by A.E. Dodds 

Science for Potteers by Lawrence 

Salt Glaze by Jack Troy 

CONTACT 

Penny Johns on (03) 9329 6042, Fax (03) 9326 7054 

GWYN HANSSEN PIGOTT: A TWENTY 

YEAR SURVEY The Exhibition, at the Queensland Art Gallery 

April 4-June 23 will include 80 individual and group ceramic works 

produced since 1973. Exhibition curated by Glen Cooke. 

SIDNEY MYER FUND INTERNATIONAL 

CERAMICS AWARD 1997 This is an International 

exhibition and competition. The two judges are the Shepparton 

Art Gallery Director, Joseph Pascoe and Janet Mansfield. Entries 

must be received by August 1 1996. For more information contact 

the Director, 

Shepparton Art Gallery, Locked Bag 1000, Shepparton 3632. 

Ph/Fax 058 216 352 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

• 

l,!I 

The Potters' Society 

of Australia 

Presents 

Potters 96 

an exhibition of work by members 

in conjunction with the 8th National 

Ceramic Conference, Canberra. 

Andrea Hylands, Chris James, 

Susan Jorgensen, Catherine Lane, 

Sandy Lockwood, Lindy Rose Smith, 

Bruce McWhinney, 

5th to 28thJuly 1996 

Solander Gallery 

Director: Joy Warren 

36 Grey Street Deakin ACT 

80 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA+ ISSUE 35/ I AUTUMN 1996 

,!!I 

Manly 

Art Gallery & Museum 

and 

The Potters' Society of 

Australia 

Presents 

STANDING 

SENTINEL 

Applications are invited from exhibiting members 

of the Potters' Society of Australia or those 

seeking membership to participate in this exhibition 

to be held at the Manly Art Gallery and 

Museum in early August 1996. 

Please send slides and a description of actual 

work or representative of the work to be 

exhibited 

to 

Chris James & Simone Fraser 

70 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076. 

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NSW Raglan Gallery Potters EquWrment The Pug Mill 

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YARRAGLEN 

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Old Bakery Gallery 

76 Wommara Ave, BELMONT 

P.O. Box 193 LANE COVE Victorian Ceramics Group 

PERTH 

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery 

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Esplanade Complex, 

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88 Geole St, 

91 Bussell Hwy, 

The Roe s, SYDNEY 

ACT 

Hidden Talent Studio-Gallery MARGARET RJVER 

Design Plus Gallery Canberra Potters Society ~6,141In~Rd, 

P.O. Box 657 QUEENBEYAN Crafts Council ACT 

END, T WNSVIIlE Potters Market 

1 Aspinal St, WATSON McCabes Newsagen~ 18 Stockdale Rd, O'CONNOR 

The Fabled Bookshops 

54 Terania St, NORTH LISMORE Cuppacumbalong Craft Centre 7 Eight Ave, HOME LL 

NORTHERN TERRITORY 

Naas Rd, THARWA Maranoa Potteg s~ 

Gleebooks 

6 lies Aussie Potz 

131 Glebe Point Rd, GLEBE Garema Place Potters 143 James St, T O OMBA 

Shop 14 

18 Garema Pl, CANBERRA CITY Middle Ridge Pottery 

Golden Canvas Gallery 

National Art Gallery of Aust. 128 Nelson St, TOOWOOMBA 

Rapid Creek Shopping Village 

218 Darling St, BALMAIN CASUARINA 

Bookshop, CANBERRA North Queensland Potters 


The Art Shed Association, TOWNSVILLE TASMANIA 

175 Rosedale Rd, ST. IVES 

7 Naas Rd, 1HARWA Pottery Suf ?clies 

Ceramic 5 Studio 

Hilldav Industries 

108 Oakes Rd, 

Walker Ceramics P.O. Box O PADDINGTON 13 Russell St, INVERMA Y 

OLD TOO GABBIE 

289 Canberra Ave, FYSHWICK The Potte 

1 Place Entrepot Art Products 

Hum,f.hries Newsagency 

VICTORIA 

171 Newe St, CAIRNS 

60-6 The Corso, MANLY 

Artisan Craft Books 

Centre for the Arts 

Queensland Art Gallery 

Meat Market Craft Centre SOUTH BRJSBANE Hunter St, HOBART 

Inner Ci~layworkers 

42 Courtney St, 

Cnr St Jo Rd & Darghan St, NORTH MELBOURNE ~ueensland Potters Assoc, Handmark Gallery 

GLEBE 

82 Brunswick St, 

Bendigo Pottery Services 

77 Salamanca Pl, 

FORTITUDE VALLEY 

Janets Art Books 

Midland Hwy, EPSOM 

BATTERY POINT 

143 Victoria Ave, CHATSWOOD 

Quin~ Pottery 

Clayworks Potters Su~ies 1710 m Harley Dr, UNITED KINGDOM 

Keane Ceramics 6 Johnson Crt, DAND ONG BURLEIGH HEADS 

371 Debenham Rd, SOMERSBY 

Contemporary Ceramics 

Dairing Gallery 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

Craft Potters Assoc Shop 

Kiln and Pottery Sutilies 321 Lennox St, RJCHMOND Aldgate Crafts 

31-33 Hill St, URAL 7 Marshall St, LONDON 

Distelfink Gallery 4 Strathalbyn Rd, ALDGATE 

L.E.M. Arts Hobby Ceramics Studio 1005 High St, ARMADALE Barnfurlong Fine Crafts U.S.A. 

5/6 Wilmette Pl, MONA VALE 

Gippsland Pottel su 

6 ty 34 Main St, HAHNDORF Seattle Pottery Supplies 

Mudre Book Case 

20C Avondale R , M WELL 

PeEI?r Street Galle~ 

35 South Stanford, SEATTLE 

10 C urch St, MUDGEE Linden - St Kilda Art Centre 55 agill Rd, MAG LL 

Mura Clay Gall~ 26 Acland St, ST KILDA NEW ZEALAND 

Jam Factory Craft & Design 

49-51 King St, WTOWN National Gallei: of Victoria Lion Arts Centre 

Coastal Ceramics 

Newcastle Potter Su~lies Bookshop, ME BOURNE 19 Morphett St, ADELAIDE 124 Rimu Rd, 

3 Arnolds La, W ARA AH Northcote Pottery Services New Works Desi~ PARAPARAUMU 

NSW Pottek Su~plies 85A Clyde St, THORNBURY 219 Sturt St, ADE DE 

Cobcraft Supplies 

90 Victoria d, ARRAMATTA Potters Cottage Galled Potter's Lot 24 Essex St, CHRISTCHURCH 

Potters Roundabout 32.i=g Creek R Main Rd, COROMANDLE VALLEY 

Rear 338-340 High St, PENRITH W YTE Studio 20 

South Street Gallery 

Coromandle Pde, BIACKWOOD 10 Nile St, NELSON 


Traditional and Contemporary 

Pa · fie Pottery 

Opening by 

MARGARET TUCKSON 

6pm, April I I 

Until May 30 1996 

WRITE, PHONE OR FAX 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

New Guinea Arts 

Dymocks Building, 8th Floor 

428 George Street, SYDNEY 

Tel: 232 4737 

Fax: 223 843 I 

Industries Pty. Ltd. ACN 002 849 318 

THE AUSTRALIAN FURNACE CO 

Gad and Electric KiLM 

••• 

STANDARD ON All KILNS 

Lifetime frame - non-rLMt 

5 layerJ ceramic fibre 6/anket 

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• 

ELECTRIC KILNS 

Harco 8 program, 8 .1tage contorl/er 

BUILD YOUR OWN KILN 

• MATERIALS AND ACCESSORIES SUPPLIED• 

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Telephone 07 3865 1209 Facsimile 07 3865 1972 

, . 

LEADERS IN KILN TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN 

; ' 

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108 Oakes Road , Old Toongabbie, 

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Warehouse open 

8am-Spm Mon-Fri 

9am-12.30pm Sat 

CLOSED 

Sundays & 

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FURNACES 

• Electric in air to 2000°C • Vacuum • Heat treatment • Controlled 

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Left: Model K 4A - Fitted with Shimaden temperature controller 

Below: Model Kl IA - Fitted with Shimaden temperature controller 

CLEAN EFFICIENT ELECTRIC KILNS AND FURNACES 

• Environmentally friendly 

• Low density hot face insulating brick (fibre free) 

• Economical to operate 

• Made in Australia 

• One of Australia's most experienced kiln and furnace manufacturers 

• Australia's largest range 32 standard sizes/custom made sizes on request 

• 30 years experience - est. 1963 

• 15,000 kilns and furnaces now in use 

• Kanthal Al elements 

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• Safety switch/energy regulator/warning light/standard on all electric kilns 

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Telephone 09 249 9266 Facsimile 09 249 9690 

D 

"., 

_,., " "'~" HAWKESBURY 

f . . ', COMMUNITY 

.. ../ 

ARTS WORKSHOP 

Claycraft 

for 

Materials and equipment for 

craft potters, schools and potteries 

Stockists of 

CESCO underglazes and glazes 

FERRO colours WARD kilns 

VENCO Wheels and Pug Mills 

Queensland agent for TALISMAN products 

CLAYS 

Feeneys, Bennetts, Clayworks, Cesco, 

Keanes, Northcote, Walkers 

Raw Materials, Oxides, Stains, 

Corks, Clockmovements, Tools, Equipment, 

Books and magazines, Lotion pumps, 

Kero lamps, Oil burners 

Claycraft Supplies Pty Ltd 

29 O 'Connell Tee, Bowen Hills, Brisbane 

PO Box 1278, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006 

Telephone: (07) 3854 1515 Fax: (07) 3252 1941 

l 'i'.'l\'EIUT 't OI 

\ \'E.'"fTR;\ SYI :\'['t 

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Acqui 'ilivc Exhibilion 0 0ale 

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CallirJ8 for Entries 

(.al c 0

8th National Ceramics Conference, Canberra 

July 5 - 9, 1996 

I~~::JE:~ ~ -CIC>~...A....JL C:::C>~~::JE:C:::-CI~S 

The 8th National Ceramics Conference is hosted by the Ceramics Workshop of the Australian National University, 

Canberra School of Art. It will explore the international exchange of ideas and provide a national focus for ceramics in 1996. 

PROGRAM 

DAY 1 - Friday 5 July 

Registration 1 - 5.00 pm 

(also 8.30 - 9.30am daily) 

DAY 2 - Saturday 6 July 

Keynote Speaker: Alison Britton 

Panel: Been There Done That 

Chair: David Williams 

An examination of the various ways in which 

international experiences (such as exhibiting, 

attending symposia, teaching) are integrated into 

personal practice. 

Panel: Worked Here, Trained There 

Chair: Tim Moorhead 

Does the nature of training change from country to 

country? How do these differences (if any) manifest 

themselves in different ways of working? What are 

the advantages of working "here" having "trained 

there"? 

Conference dinner 

Guest Speaker: Janet Mansfield 

DAY 3: Sunday 7 July 

Keynote Speaker: Garth Clark 

Panel: Pinched Pots -Appropriation, Plagiarism, 

Influence or Tradition? 

Chair: Jacqueline Clayton 

When does influence become plagiarism? Is cultural 

appropriation acceptable? Where does ownership of 

culture lie? 

Panel: Technology: Albatross or Eagle? 

Chair: Les Blakebrough 

Ceramics is a technically difficult medium, made 

easier today by commercially available resources. To 

what extent do we need the technical mastery? How 

has the quest for technical mastery affected ceramic 

practice? 

Convenor: Anita McIntyre. 

Phone: 06 2495821. Fax: 06 2495722. 

DAY 4: Monday 8 July 

Keynote speaker: John Teschendorff 

Panel: Any Future for Clay? 

Chair: Anne Brennan 

Where is current clay practice going? What causes 

different craft media to fall in and out of favour? To 

what extent are practitioners responsible for 

these changes? 

Panel: Region, Nation, World 

Chair: Geoffrey Edwards 

An examination of the extent to which regional and 

national modes of practice can still exist in the last 

decade of the 20th century. To what extent has the 

concept of place supplanted the physical place? 

DAY 5: All day 

Gallery tours, Demonstrations, Lectures, Slide 

presentations, Australian National Gallery lecture, 

special ceramic presentation. 

• Conference dinner 

• Major exhibition openings 

• Demonstrations 

• Trade display 

• Studio and gallery visits 

• Pot market# 

•Wind-up hangi and woolshed Dance 

• Auction at conference dinner 

• Slide shows of individual work projects, 

schools, etc.* 

• Postpak - selling exhibition of conference 

participants' work 

• Individual papers program* 

• Glaze and kiln doctor sessions 

• Mug sale## 

• Wood-fire seminar & Masterclasses 

(ad in this edition) 

* Expressions of interest invited 

# All delegates and participants may take part 

## All delegates and participants are invited to 

donate a mug for sale. Proceeds go to the 

establishment of a student conference scholarship. 

To register, complete the form below and return with payment to 

International Connections, 8th National Ceramics Conference, 

ANU Canberra School of Art, GPO Box 804,Canberra ACT 2601. Australia 

Registration fees: Full $320 ($300 if received by 1 March); Student $150; day only $100 

Cheques should be made payable to ANU CSA 8th National Ceramics Conference 

Name __________________ Organisation _________________ _ 

Address __________________________________ _ 

Postcode _____ Phone __________ Facsimile __________________ _ 

Student ID Number and lnstitution ____________ -1----------------- 

Payment -please tick the appropriate box 

D My cheque is enclosed debit my- D Bankcard D Mastercard D Visa 

Card No ________________ Expiry Date:_-+-___ Amount:$ -------- 

Card Holder ______________ Card Holder's Signature ____________ _ 

D full registration D student registration D day registration/Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

If you have selected the daily registration please indjcate _which day y9u wish to attend 

Conference dinner (Sat 6 July) for other than full regIstratIon $30 (indicate number) 

D I wish to take part in Pot Market 

D I wish to present a paper 

D I wish to donate a mug 

D 

D 

D 

I wish to show slides 

Send info on accommodation 

Send info on Masterclassess 

D Send info on woodfire

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS 

8th National Ceramics Conference, Canberra 1996 

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CANBERRA SCHOOL OF ART 

CERAMICS WORKSHOP 

In conjunction with INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS, The 8th National Ceramic Conference, to be held in Canberra, 

July 5 -9 1996, a number of workshops conducted by leading International ceramics artists will take place immediately before and 

after the conference period. In catering for a broad range of interests and differing approaches to the ceramic medium, the invited 

artists have been selected because of their established reputations, individuality of artistic expression and previous experience in 

conducting teaching programs. All workshops except for the Woodfire workshop will be participatory with a maximum of 12 places. 

Applicants must have previous experience in ceramics. 

Before the Conference: 

ELINA BRANDT-HANSEN - NORWAY 

June 29 - July 5 

Seven day participatory hand building workshop, 

Canberra School of Art. 

Cost including materials: $450 (Discount $380) 

PRUE VENABLES - AUSTRALIA 


Seven day participatory wheel throwing workshop, 



JINDRA VIKOVA - CZECH REPUBLIC 


Seven day participatory hand building workshop, 



FRED OLSEN - USA 

June29 - July 5 

Seven day participatory wheel throwing, kiln making, firing workshop, 

Strathnairn Ceramics Association Studio. 


After the Conference: 

ARCHIE McCALL - SCOTLAND 

July 10-16 

Seven day participatory wheel-throwing/decorating workshop, 



JOHN CHALKE - CANADA 

July 10-14 

Five day participatory hand building workshop with extras, 


Cost including materials: $350 (Discount $300) 

HIDED MATSUMOTO - JAPAN 

and ANNA ZAMORSKA - POLAND 

July 10 -16 

Dual-led 7 day participatory hand building and cast assemblage 

workshop, Canberra School of Art. 

Cost including materials: $450 (discount $380) 

SVEND BAYER- ENGLAND 

July 10 -16 

Seven day participatory wheel throwing and wood firing, Strathnairn 

Ceramics Association Studio. 

Cost including materials $450 (Discount $380) 

WOODFIRE WORKSHOP 

JULY 4 - 5 

Demonstration, slides, wood kiln firing discussions and involvement 

with some specialists in the field including: 

Sandy Lockwood, Melina Monks, Ian Jones, Fred Olsen, 

Fergus Stewart, Tony Nankervis and Chester Nealie. 

Strathnairn Ceramics Association Studio. 

Cost $150 (discount $125) 50 places 

The Strathnairn Ceramics Association Studio boasts numerous kilns 

especially wood, salt and conventional kilns and is situated on a rural 

property on the outskirts of Canberra (15 mins to city) with views to the 

Brindabella Mountains and kangaroos as regular visitors. 

A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS 

At least one place will be set aside for a full-time tertiary student 

studying ceramics in each of the participatory workshops and four 

places for the non-participatory woodfire workshop at a scholarship rate 

of 50% of the normal cost. There is a number of limited places for 

workshop assistants, who, while not participating, may be involved in 

the workshop activities by assisting workshop leaders in preparing 

materials, firing kilns, acting as couriers etc. There will be no cost 

involved but it will require the endorsement and support of the student's 

Head of Department in making application for these positions. 

DISCOUNTS OFFERED TO CONFEREES 

If you are attending the 8th National Ceramics Conference and have 

paid the full registration fee you are entitled to the workshops' special 

discount rates indicated in brackets. 

A GREAT GET-TOGETHER 

Although daytime participation and involvement will be principally with 

the workshops of your choice there will be many opportunities to meet 

other participants and workshop artists at arranged dinners, slide 

sessions and informal get-togethers. 

For further information on the workshops and the visiting artists as well as methods of payment please contact by fax or post after 

February 1, 1996: Alan Watt, Head of Ceramics, Coordinator; International Workshops, ANU, Canberra School of Art, 

GPO Box 804, Canberra 2601 Fax: (06) 249 5722 tel: (06) 249 5824 (as a last resort only) State your name, postal address, and 

contact fax/telephone numbers for a colour brochure to be sent.

d 

es. 

ELECTRIC KILNS 

MADE IN AUSTRALIA 

te 

's 

• Sturdy baked enamel frame 

• Non corrosive panel or stainless steel outer cladding 

• Flat suspended roof for more usable volume 

• Conservative Kanthal Al wire elements 

• Super efficient lightweight brick insulation 

• Thermally graded backup insulation 

• Ceramic fibre door seals 

• Tee bar screw locks on door 

• Elements in door and walls for more even temperature 

• Pre wired for addition of any type of temperature 

~-~-- control or indication 

• Efficient natural kiln venting 

• Prompt delivery available on our wide range of 

kilns from .4 cubic to 35 cubic feet. 

Front & top loaders available. 

• Kilns below 1.3 cubic feet do not have elements in 

doors 

d 

For Sales and information contact our dealers, or 

EJWARD&COPTYLTD 

5 Wanda Ave Findon SA 5023 

Ph 08 3569155 Fax 08 3531207

CAST IRON 

BANDING WHEELS 

E13/A 

E13/B 

E13/C 

E13/D 

WIDE 

(mm} 

HIGH 

(mm} 

E13/A 180 50 

E13/B 200 150 

E13/C 220 50 

E13/D 220 175 

E13/E 225 80 

E13/F 300 60 

85A Clyde Street, Thornbury, 3071. Phone: (03) 484 4580 Fax: (03) 480 3075

Lotion Soap Dispensers 

with glue-down collar 

§ $1.40each 

plus postage 

and packaging 

for immediate shipment 

please send cheque and order to: 

Bermagui Mud Works 

PO Box 29a Bermagui NSW 2547 

Phone: 064 93 4661 

ALDERSON'S 

of 

*REVESBV *KOGARAH 

* Paragon Kilns 

* Ward Kilns 

* Walker Clays/Slips 

* Keanes Clays 

* Cesco Glazes 

* Duncan Glazes 

* Kemper Tools 

* US Moulds 

* Plasters/ Latex 

Main Warehouse. Open 6 Days 

64 Violet St, Revesby. 2212 

Phone 02/772 1066 

also at 

264 Railway Pde, 

Kogarah. 

--/-.-.. Phone 02/587 2699 ~- 

0_pen 7 Days 

EX-CEL KILNS 

Proudly manufactured by Geoff & Nan Holdsworth of 

G.A.N. Trading 

***6 C.F. to 20 C.F. setting capacity as standard stock lines 

Kiln Building Materials: Bricks, Fibre, Mortars, Anchors, Burners, etc. 

Wholesale & Retail 

OLD'S largest stockist of cane handles, keg taps and tools 

Cane handles from $2.75 retail 

Discount available on bulk and club orders 

G.A.N. Trading, MS F177, 59 Nash Road, Gympie 4570 

Telephone (074) 82 7283 Fax (074) 82 8302 Mobile (018) 713 340

CLAYWORKS 

FINE FILTERPRESSED STONEWARE CLAYS 

NEW RELEASE 

FILTERPRESSED 120# TERRACOTTA 

A RICH, VERY FINE TEXTURED TERRACOTTA 

WITH GOOD GLAZE FIT- GREAT FOR THROWING, 

IDEAL FOR MAJOLICA AND BURNISHING. 

PLEASE ASK FOR SAMPLE 

TOM COLEMAN'S PORCELAIN 

NOW IN STOCK 

BONE CHINA CLAY BODY 

FOR TRANSLUCENCY AND WHITENESS 

AVAILABLE AS PLASTIC BODY WITH INSTRUCTIONS 

HOW TO INTO MAKE SLIP 

BISON TUNGSTON CARBIDE TOOLS 

TOP QUALITY POTTERY TOOLS 

SLABROLLERS 

LARGE RANGE AVAILABLE 

FROM $ 795.00 TO $ 2700.00 

CLA YWORKS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 

6 JOHNSTON COURT DANDENONG 3175 

PHONE (03) 9791 6749 FAX (03) 9792 4476 

A.C.N. 007 005 923

B·P·QKILNS 

Manufauturers of 

• Digitemp Pyrometer (N, R or K) 

• Electric top loading kilns from 0.4 to 7.1 cu ft 

Other serviues inulude 

• Kiln repairs ( mobile service SE QLD) 

• Kiln controllers supplied and repaired 

• Pyrometers repaired and calibrated 

• Thermocouples supplied and repaired 

Beauhmere Pottery OLD 

PO Box 18 Beachmere QLD 4510 

Telephone 074 99 0733 •Facsimile 074 98 3345 

-- or contact your local retailer -- 

KEROSINE LAMP POTTERS SETS 

* Oil lamp burner & 

crimped glass 

chimney @ $5. 00 

per set (no 

additional sales 

tax) 

* Minimum order - 

24sets 

* Ex factory (Gotts 

Harbour) 

Southern Cross Pottery Pty Ltd 

14 Caba Close 

Boambee NSW 2450 

Phone/Fax: (066) 58 111 o 

South Africa 

March 1997 

Pottery Tours 

Turkey & Greece 

September 1996 

Journey into a fascinating country of many and 

varied cultures, each making its own contribution 

to South Africa's enormous pool of creative 

artistry. 

Most potters you will meet on this exclusive 

journey produce contemporary decorative and 

functional ware that has won acclaim for its high 

technical and aesthetic qualities. Traditional 

native pottery and crafts will also be seen as well 

as galleries and markets. 

Wildlife, game reserves, national parks, 

wineries, historic sites and famous cities will also 

be part of this 21 day tour to a country whose 

talented potters are becoming more 

internationally recognised. 

Meet traditional and contemporary potters at 

work in their studios in Istanbul, Avanos, 

Ankara, Athens, Volos and on the island of 

Samos. 

Visit Iznik, famous for producing coloured tiles 

and Karacasu known for its red clay pots and 30 

wood fired kilns. 

Stop at galleries, kilns, pottery study centres as 

well as famous sites of antiquity, Ephesus, 

Aphrodesias, Pamukkale and Cappadocia in 

Turkey, the Acropolis and Agora in Athens. 

Special visits will include the Turkish and 

Islamic Art Museum, Anatolian Civilizations 

Museum, the Bursa silk caravanserai and free 

time to explore the old bazaars.

( (/ Sydney College of the Arts 

} The University of Sydney 

Sydney College of the Arts seeks tenders for the 

design and construction on the site of a Bourrie Box 

Wood Burning kiln to the following specifications: 

* Chamber sized to accomodate four 330mm x 

305mm shelves and 12 courses of bricks to 

bottom arch (1200mm to top of arch). 

* To include gas after burner smoke elimination 

system and smoke arrester. 

* RI bricks to be used throughout. 

* High Alumina Refractories (greater than 45% 

AIp 3 

) to be used in throat arch. 

* Roof floated off framework. 

Also to include: 

Supply and installation of natural gas after 

burner system to AGL specifications. 

For technical or other information, phone Tom King, 

818 5149. Tenders close 4pm Friday, April 12th 

and are to be addressed: 

Kiln Quotation 

Attention: Tom King 

Sydney College of the Arts 

PO Box 1605 

ROZELLE NSW 

2039 Austrc;1lia 

Ceramic 

Study 

Group 

Inc. 

for everyone interested in pottery 

Members enjoy monthly meetings • monthly 

newsletters • weekend workshops • residential 

Spring School• annual Potters Fair• extensive 

library of books, videos and slides 

Meetings are held on the fourth °Friday of 

each month (except December-February 

inclusive) in the Mason Theatre, Building 

E7B, Macquarie University , 

CSG Inc. PO Box 1528, Macquarie Centre NSW 2113 

Telephone 02 • 953 5938 or 02 • 869 2195 

HOT & STICIIT[f~ 

Steve Harrison - KILN & CLAY TECHNOLOGY 

CUSTOM DESIGNED AND BUILT: 

KILNS • RI brick or fibre 

BURNERS • LPG or natural gas 

HOODS • custom built stainless steel 

STAINLESS STEEL FLUE SYSTEMS 

KILNS AVAILABLE IN KIT FORM 

KILNS DESIGNED, PLANS DRAWN AND SPECIFICATIONS 

VENCO POTTERS WHEELS 

VENCO VACUUM PUG MILLS 

KILN SHELVES • sillimanite or silicon carbide 

DIGITAL PYROMETERS AND THERMOCOUPLES 

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS 

Old School Balmoral Village via Picton 25 71 

Telephone or facsimile • 048 898 479

s i n c e 

Talk to the friendly Jtalf at Woodrow and find the be.1t JoUttwn to your kiln problem. 

Select from a Juperbly fini.Jhe'il range of electric or ga.i Juign.i in traditional brick or ,Jttper 

efficient vacuum formed ceramic film board - or talk about a cu.,tom duign. 

Ali offer guaranteed pe,formance, economy and lightu•eight with unbelievably low CMe 

temperature.,. 

ChoOJe from a f anta.itic range of new environmentally friendly product optwn.i: Integral air 

extraction - remove., f U111M and moiJture, improve., uniformity. Du.it free Jealed !iningJ - 

ultra hard re/lectiPity ceramic coatingJ of non poroUJ 99% alumina 

:::r~:~::lrJ:.'.:g:f~ RapiJ fire kiln,,, /cit kiln,,, kiln control,, thermocouple.,, .1tain/e.,J Jteel 

hoodJ and fluu, kiln builJing material, (bric/cJ,fiJJre, mortarJ, anchorJ, burner.1 1 element.,) 

REPAIRS AND REBUILDS TO ALL MAKES OF KILNS AND CONTROLS 

CONTRACT SUPPLIERS OF KILNS TO NSW GOVERNMENT SINCE 1971 

BU IL T TO LAST 

WooJrow Jn3u.,triu Pty LimiteiJ 

17 Kurrara Stred Lan,wale NSW 2166 

Telephone 61 2 727 4755 F(lCJimi/e 61 2 727 4511

VIDEO Wo1lKSHOPS POll PoTTEllS 

Form and Funaion 

Ceramic Aesthetics and Design 

(Five individual Programs) 

Robin Hopper expands on his 

clas&c text, Functional Pottecy, 

exploring the nature offonn and 

the tension that exists between 

pots that please the eye yet 

function well in the home. 

1. Elements of Form 

2. Lids & Terminations 

3. Spouts & Handles 

4. Pots for Eating & 

Drinking 

5. Pots for Cooking & 

Serving 

with llobin Hopper 

Making Mark, 

Ceramic Surface Decoration 

(Six Half-Hour Programs) 

A video series dedicated to the 

deooration and emiclnnent of ceramic 

surfaces. Full of closeups of surface 

details, working processes and tools that 

doo.nnent a master potter at work 

1. Intro & Surface Removal 

Processes 

2. Marks of Addition & 

Impression 

3. Liquid & Coloured Clays 

4. Pigments & Resists 

5. Glazes & Glazing 

6. Firing & Post-Firing Effects 

"These videos are the perfect way to give a 

'hands on' understanding of designing and 

making pots for all types of use - eating, drinking, 

storing, cooking and serving. 

These are high quality videos that are an ideal 

teaching tool for either an individual or in a class 

situation. They raise issues that challenge and 

teach even the experienced maker of functional 

ware because of the detail presented in each 

subject area. " 

Sue Buckle 

Editor Pottery in Australia 

"Each video concentrates on several decorative 

techniques, giving the basis for further exploration 

by the potter in their own work. The processes of 

pottery making and design are pleasantly 

demonstrated within Robin Hopper's own studio. 

It is certainly true that a picture speaks a thousand 

words and this set of videos gives all of us access to 

the excellent instructive techniques of Robin 

Hopper, a world renowned educator and ceramic 

artist. " 

Christopher James 

President, Potters' Society of Australia 

Va 1 ill ti On I On If a k II witl, (Jordon H """'"' 

Also Available: 

A 33 minute video with printed notes and recipes. Featuring applications of the following processes. 

terra sigillata, fuming, saggar ware, slip resists and post-firing reduction. 

FFunction each 

Ff unction Series 

Personal 

$44.95 

$199.95 

Institution * 

$89.95 

$399.95 

MMarksEach 

MMarks Series 

Variations on Raku 

Personal 

$39.95 

$199.95 

$49.95 

Institution * 

$79.95 

$399.95 

$99.95 

*Institutional price includes Public Performance rights and the right to lend to the Institutional community. 

Australia:- 

New Zealand:- 

Please add $5 .00 post and handling for one video, Or $7.50 for two to six videos. 

Please add $6.00 each video post and packing for air mail delivery. 

ORDER BY MAIL, PHONE OR FAX. 09 3451434 

PAY BY VISA, BANKCARD, MASTERCARD, CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER, MADE PAY ABLE TO: 

JBF DISTRIBUTORS, 142 FLINDERS STREET, YOKINE, PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6060

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CERAMIC SUPPLY COMPANY PTY LTD

VENCO DE AIRING 

PUG MILLS 

all stainless steel 

Features All stainless steel heavy duty barrel with antirotation 

wear ribs • High capacity gear box with 3 Kw (4HP) or 5.5 

Kw {?HP) three-phase motor• twin cylinder vacuum pump with 0.75 

Kw (1 HP) three-phase motor• Optional 212mm (8½") or 262mm 

(1 0½") barrel • Rectangular 150mm x 125mm (6" or 5") nozzle or 

135mm (5½") diameter nozzle • High capacity nominal 1 ¼ tonne/h 

(212mm model) or 2 tonne/h (262mm model). 

NOW WITH VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE: 8 - 28 RPM 

ALL STAINLESS STEEL DE AIRING PUG MILLS 

125mm x 150mm NOZZLE 212mm BARREL 

DEAIRING PUG MILL 3Kw (4 HP) 

$ 9800.00 

125mm x 150mm NOZZLE 262mm BARREL 

DE AIRING PUG MILL 3Kw (4 HP) 

NOTE BOTH MODELS AVAILABLE WITH 

a) 5.5Kw (7 HP) MOTORS 

b) VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES 8-28 RPM 

$15500.00 

+$ 600.00 

+$ 2500.00 

G.P. & G.F. HILL PTY LTD 

29 Owen Road, Kelmscott WA 6111 Australia 

Telephone 61 9 399 5265 Facsimile 61 9 497 1335 

ACN 008 969 104

Invitation to exhibit your work! 

Royal Hall of Industries 

Sydney Showground 

Saturday-Sunday 

July I 3 - 14, I 9 9 6 

NOW IN ITS FOURTH BIG YEAR ... 

. . . back in Sydney for 

Australia's biggest art event 

This is a unique opportunity to sell 

your works and meet the galleries. 

Whether your medium is pottery, 

sculpture, ceramics, glass, timber, 

painted finishes, or fine art, this is the 

perfect showcase for your talent. No 

commissions payable and thousands 

of buyers in attendance. 

--· For exhibitor enquiries phone Dawn Sullivan on (02) 99S8 1811 __ .. 

-- '"'• • ERS oru 

nderglazes 

Brush-on glazes 

Powdered Glazes 

Casting slips 

Clay Bodies 

Electric or gas fired 

Fibre or brick lined 

Ceramic Supply Company Pty Ltd 

1/17-19 Pavesi Street 

Guildford NSW 2161 

Telephone 02 • 892 1566 

Facsimile 02 • 892 2478

HTH MAUH - l~TH ArRlt 

t9r~~ IU~f{J ''9tJ{ 0JL:vu:ftat 7 .OOpm, 

mmGmm 

5-7 RAGLAN mm, mu ms THHHONE/rH~IMltE 9977 090ij 

or n ra o. 61

LEAR~ THE FINE ART Of TIIROWI~G 

at 

VIC GREENAWAY SCHOOL OF CERAMICS 

,\Jeat :\clarket Craft Centre 

42 Courtney Street . rorth :\lelhourne 

•Enquiries• 

telephone 03 9329 9966 weekdays or 018 594 345 

after houri- 0:3 9510 9870 fac·sintlle 0:3 9:329 9972 

ENROLMENTS FOR 1996 COURSES NOW BEING ACCEPTED 

Postal address: PO Box 2092, Prahran Vic 3181 

Great Potters Workshop Series 

+ NEWCASTLE + 

--- BOOKINGS AVAILABLE NOW FOR - 

TED SECOMBE 

27th & 28th April 1996 

Functional/studio u•heel thrown fonns and Crystalline g/a;;es - $80 

STEVE HARRISON 

9th, 10th and 11th June Long Weekend 

Kilns and large throim 1l'orks -$120 

CLAIRE LOCKER 

Soft slab functional pieces and decorating - Single day class 

++ 

NEWCASTLE STUDIO POTIERS 

57 Bull Street Newcastle 2300 

Telephone 049 61 356'± Facsimile 0'±9 69 6'¼67 

PO Box 3'±5 The hmction 2291

ARTS &. CRAFT.I" MARKET, ~OLD COAST 

There is a NEW Arts & Crafts Market 

opening on the Gold Coast where you can 

buy your own freehold brick shop ... 

I I I I I 

... in a Village for Arts & Crafts where 

there is something different for everyone. 

Opening late 1996. Register your interest NOW! 

Ph: Wayne Price (07) 5530 1885 

for further information & colour brochure! 

Unique retail art/craft shop and studio, established 

four years, in landmark historic tourist complex. 

Low rent, new 3x3 lease, electric kiln, three phase 

power and fixtures included. Stock negotiable. 

Suit practicing artisan(s). 

Telephone 

Jacqueline Henwood or Christine Curry on 

(066) 55 2072 b.h. (066) 55 4143 a.h. 

Asmall private ~ftNl't'!nn open by q:)p()intment. 

Saggar fired, Wood fired, Majolica and 

Sto,t1111•ilJlk,ttery. 

Boundary Road, Wahroonga NSW. Ph:02-489-5256 

ARTISAN 

CRAFT BOOKS 

CERAMICS AND PRINT - P. Scott $24.95 

SODA GLAZING-R Tu26aLL $24.95 

POTIERY, PEOPLE AND TIME - A. Caiger-Snzith $68.00 

ART OF PETER VOULKOS $124.00 

HANDMADE TILES - F Giorgini $37.50 

VISITING THE MINO KILNS -J. Barri.JkiLL $69.00 

Podt $6.50 fiNt hook. + $2.50 each thereafter 

MEAT MARKET CRAFT CENTRE 

42 Courtney Street, North Melbourne Vic 3051 

Telephone (03) 9 329 6042 Facsimile (03) 9 326 7054 

Headmasters 

Gallerlj 

J ·,1 

with an emphasis on ceramics, wood, glass and both 

contemporary and antique Asian textiles 

MARCH 1996 

From Passion to Fantasy- Wearable Art 

-TRT.,'DY BILLINGLSLEY 

APRIL 1996 

Works on Paper - YVONNE CLEA VER 

MAY 1996 

Fibre Sculpture - VIRGL,1A KAISER 

175 Rosedale Road, St Ives NSW 2075 

Telephone 02 44 6561 Facsimile (02) 449 3916

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March 26-April 18 June 18-July 11 

Ceramics by 

Recent works by 

Salamanda Lolicato 

Anthony Figallo 

Paintings by Ingrid 

Wood Sculpture by 

Szoeke 

Kate Caish 

April 23-May16 

E July 16-August 8 

Robert Lee 

Woodtuming by Harold 

i Ceramics by Niky Hepi 

& Matthew IMng 

! Glass by Greg Gepp 

May 21-June13 ~ Recent Works by 

Ceramics by Robert Maryin McMahon 

~ 

Knighton ~ 321 Lennox Street 

Recent Paintings, 

Richmond Vic 3121 

~ 

Katsuya Nishimura 

Telephone 03 9429 3296 

~ 

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'r:-;,,. , . 

~ 

BOB CONNERY, BOWL, REDUCED 

LUSTRE ON COPPER GLAZE 

BOWLING ALONG 

Ceramics and Glass 

12-30 June 1996 

Thirteen artists from around Australia including Marc 

Sauvage, Deb Cocks, Barbara Swarbrick, Bob Connery, Patsy 

Hely, Ben Edols & Kathy Elliot, Pippin Drysdale, Prue Venables 

11 Stratton Street, Newstead Qld 4006 

Telephone/Facsimile 07 3852 2870 

OPEN 12-5.30 TUESDAY TO SATURDAY 

FOR HANDBUILT AND FUNCTIONAL POTTERY 

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Pottery In Australia Vol 35 No 1 Autumn 1996

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