Pottery In Australia Vol 35 No 1 Autumn 1996

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Wood Fired Shino Dish. d45cm lS n lS .e d LS d it 0 0 Ll n s .f :l 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 ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA 13
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
Page 1 and 2: POTTERYin AUSTRA~ Vol 5 Number 1
Page 3 and 4: • I C s b ll '\ V s [ ll C fr C l
Page 6 and 7: Showcase a Recent exhibition work F
Page 8 and 9: ul ) s. t . e o S e n t s t I e a o
Page 10 and 11: SHOWCASE Above: Cheryl Sobott-Tom.
Page 12 and 13: ISSUE 35/1 AUTUMN 1996 + POTTERY IN
Page 14 and 15: tic to re ar to at ts a. e o , d t
Page 16 and 17: Tea pot. Salt glaze. 15h (cm). d .r
Page 20 and 21: s y s r Out of the Ordinary JENNY O
Page 22 and 23: the ard ted ure ng be ve or s I the
Page 24 and 25: ! large as ld ln en CD CD 0 I ~ >
Page 26 and 27: of fal of ts, lly of ed sm ith t a
Page 28 and 29: the the ats e. ite , a her just on
Page 30 and 31: the ;till of Jrk ~ns he by as nd ey
Page 32 and 33: a ie to d e it g s e y e r r a l r
Page 34 and 35: St e th to e se a in d e ft Austral
Page 36 and 37: s e. ly ct to e e e e ?''. ff as ly
Page 38 and 39: H ave you heard the old adage 'two
Page 40 and 41: he to >US tly 1e, Ne of to as in ls
Page 42 and 43: the r to ous and to and ing s to nd
Page 44 and 45: md : to )Ur 1 a 1ed as 1ce an h's l
Page 46 and 47: "Crescent Vessel", 1995. Stoneware/
Page 48 and 49: e 3tS, l Above: Lynley Northcott, c
Page 50 and 51: Musical Abstractions Vivian Cohen h
Page 52 and 53: ~ring Iden rood ::r to my ,nse, : t
Page 54 and 55: e er ue so n n ul as been adopted f
Page 56 and 57: d ion a act the As to ep ing for ic
Page 58 and 59: Right: "Figure Dancer I" Fleur McAr
Page 60 and 61: Glebe Pottery Studio Setting up a s
Page 62 and 63: to d? to he ) it ns g ey er s is is
Page 64 and 65: 1les ed On vas he be aS he a he he
Page 66 and 67: on t of ire eg uel he lOt at ly at
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1le lly :ct he nd . a ce to :d. ut
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ly re er ip d y 6 in es d s, 8 d h
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T tO just ln is and ;ize, ious sed
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NO. OF CONTROL CuSTOM SPARE WARRANl
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md 1ite e it to lgh gh of a ty, of
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y e at t t , it Left: Nguyen Thi Do
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op a e ck de It n !, d a e is a of
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A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS
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are mds Has rom f us )rd. l to size
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sts am ing •• POTTERY IN AUSTRA
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Subscription Order Issue 35/1 Autum
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Traditional and Contemporary Pa ·
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Could these be the best electric ki
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INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS 8th Nationa
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CAST IRON BANDING WHEELS E13/A E13/
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CLAYWORKS FINE FILTERPRESSED STONEW
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( (/ Sydney College of the Arts } T
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VIDEO Wo1lKSHOPS POll PoTTEllS Form
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VENCO DE AIRING PUG MILLS all stain
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HTH MAUH - l~TH ArRlt t9r~~ IU~f{J
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ARTS &. CRAFT.I" MARKET, ~OLD COAST
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Pottery In Australia Vol 35 No 1 Autumn 1996

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