Pottery In Australia Vol 38 No 3 September 1999

eaturing the work of 44 potters,
including students and recent
graduates, the exhibition
represented a great variety of styles,
decorative and firing techniques.
The winner of the Pat Emery
Encouragement Award for an emerging
potter was Judith Roberts . Her fine,
well-proportioned raku vessels
contrasted freshly textured black clay
with a smooth unctuous crackle glaze
in tan and also cream, a combination
of quality finishes with spontaneity.
Honorable Mentions went to
Dayleen Evans and Kerrie Lightbody.
Dayleen exhibited a collection of dry
glazed boat forms, skeletal and abraded,
but it was her group of three simple,
crescent shaped sculptural forms which
took the judges eye. The smoked, raku
and pit fired finish enhanced and
complimented their soft curves.
In contrast were Kerrie's fine
polished bone china vessels. Her group
of three sandblasted-cupped forms
suggested erosion and fragility , the
action of waves and sand.
This was an exhibition with
'something for everyone'. Spread
through the three areas of the gallery
there was a treasure around every
corner. Overall the work displayed
quality and craftsmanship. Ola
Almarker's large open bowls and
square platters were simple and
refined. The blue chun glaze had a
depth and an almost ethereal quality.
'Fruit Bowl with 2 Frogs' and 'Teaser
for 2' by Ruth Petersen, in soft matt
green with added frogs were well crafted, whimsical and
appealing. Of particular appeal were 'Tendrils I and II' by
Juliet Beovich; delicate stained porcelain cups with added
handles of soft grey, weathered vine tendrils.
The salt-glazed functional work by Frances Lockett had
warmth and vitality with a lustrous finish, as did the
anagama jars and vases by Ian Rowe from the recent
Qdos kiln firing. Jan Barnes' urn form appeared in
different sizes and finishes , including pit fired and oil,
wood and anagama fired shinos.
Peter Ries ' vessels and jewel boxes with quietly
iridescent reduced lustre brushwork, the fine dry finished,
squared off thrown forms of Susan Matyas and the clean,
subtle matt glazed spiral vases of Lene Kuhl Jakobsen
were well resolved and showed a mastery of their
individual techniques.
In the more sculptural area were 'Lorikeet House' and
'Kookaburra House' by Margaret Holloway, a unity of
form and colour, Jocelyn Mannings strong, well
considered, architectural forms and the abstracted female
forms of Maria Coyle. I thought that some of the larger
sculptural pieces in the exhibition needed more space
around them. The brief was for up to six items to be
displayed together. Entering 2 larger forms , instead of 6,
would have allowed the work to be displayed to better
advantage.
I think that the annual unselected exhibition is an
important event. It encourages new graduates, students and
new exhibitors to submit work without fear of rejection.
This, in combination with the Pat Emery Encouragement
Award, has helped to produce an interesting and varied
show, a true 'Potters' Showcase'. oo
38/3 SEPTEMBER 1999 + POTTERY IN A USTRALIA 47