The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 50 No 2 July 2011

THE JOURNAL OF 

australian cer 

• 

50/2 July 2011 $16

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Contents 

Volume SO/2 

July 2011 

S16 

Cover 

Jan Howlin. Master of Fine Arts 

Sydney Colk!ge of the Arts 2010 

See page 68 

Front: Comforts of Home , 

Back: Me and Thr~ Veg 

ceramic, mixed media, life stZe 

Photo: Anthony Btowell 

The Journal of Australian CeramICS 

Dates of Publtc.atlOfl 

1 April. 17 July, 20 November 

Publisher 

The Australian Ceramics AssociatIOn 

PO Box 274 Waverley NSW 2024 

t 1300 720 124 

F: 02 9369 3742 

mall@austrahanceramics.(om 

www.austrahanceramics.com 

ABN 14 001 535502 

ISSN 1449-275X 

Editor 

VidlGrtma 

Marketing and Promotions 

Carol Fraaek 

Design 

Astnd Wehhng 

www.astndwehlmg.com.Clu 

Subscriptions Manager 

Ashley McHutchtSOn 

Proofreader, content 

Suzanne Dean 

Printed in Australia by 

Neo.vstyle Printing, SA 

State Representatives 

ACT: Jane Crick 

JanecrlCkCdodo.com.3U 

NSW: Sue SteYIart 

suritceramK3rtlst.com.ClU 

QLD FAR NORTH: lone Wh,t. 

IoneOtpg.com.au 

OLD SE: lyn Rogers 

romeo-whrskyCblgpond.com 

SA: KIrsten Coelho 

kanddCchanot .net.au 

TAS. John Watson 

JohnOdmink.net 

VIC: Glenn England 

glennengland@optusnet.com.au 

WA: Pauline Mann 

pandprnOwestnet.com.au 

2 EDITORIAL 

3 CONTRIBUTORS 

4 NOW + THEN 

5 DIRECTORY 

6 AWARDS + GALLERY 

TRIBUTES 

10 Bernard Sahm, by Peter Pinson and Guy Warren 

13 Ian Currie, by Kevin Grealy 

14 Thancoupie, by Christine Nicholls 

PERSPECTIVE 

15 Baronial Splendour A meeting with Lord Wedgwood by Inga Walton 

FOCUS: CERAMICS + UTILITY 

21 International Wood-fired Tableware, artist catalogue 

27 In the Making Anna Lise De Lorenzo, from &company, in conversation 

with Malcolm Greenwood 

32 One Thousand Magic Bowls Carole Lander reports on a special event at 

Port Willunga 

36 Not Just a Dinner Plate The maker and the student talk tableware with 

Karen Weiss 

40 Ceramic Innovation Inga Walton considers Gregory Bonasera's design 

strategy 

46 Flat Out: a survey of dinner plates 

48 In the Kitchen with MasterChef Adam Liaw Janetta Kerr-G rant on 

celebrating the hand-made 

50 On the Table at Bilson's Jules Skovgaard gives a short report on Sally 

Gordon's tableware 

52 Creating Seder Plates Ede Horton writes about her collaboration with 

Christopher Plumridge 

PROMOTION 

53 Contemporary Ceramics at Hazelhurst 

57 NATIONAL EDUCATION PICTORIAL SURVEY 

70 AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS TRIENNALE 2012 

REGULARS 

72 VIEW 1: Fifty Australian Stories at the Edge of the World 

Paul Campbell-Allen poses a question 

75 PROCESS + MEANING: Mark Making Sarah O'Sullivan takes a look at 

an upcoming ceramic masters exhibition 

80 WORKSHOP: Getting to Know Woodfire Ashley McHutchison and Joey 

Burns share their recent encounter with wood-fire 

84 INSIDE MY STUDIO: In Conversation with Katherine Mahoney 

88 EDUCATION: Recovering the Skills of Potters in Vanuatu 

Report by Al istair Whyte 

90 EVENTS: Woodfire Tasmania 2011 

92 COMMUNITY: Are you in 201l? A brief history of the Australian 

Ceramics Diredory and its precursors by judith Pearce 

96 WEDGE: Steve Harrison Refledions on one asped of the 

Woodfire TAS 2011 Conference 

97 POTTERS MARKS 

98 ARCHIVE: Pottery in Australia, Vol 28, No 4, December 1989 

100 WELL READ: Two book reviews 

102 AUSTRALIA WIDE 

THE IOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011 1

Editor: Vicki Grima 

The Reedy Marsh Woodlire Challenge judging panel, 

Andrew Bryant. Elaine 0 Henry and Vicki Grima, 

resplendent in VB beer carton crowns; photo: Alana Blanch 

As I worked on various articles in this issue, I was reminded 

of the strong ceramics community that surrounds us in 

Australia, with four fabulous days at Woodfire TAS 2011, two 

weeks of passionate discussion on the email discussion list 

(following my posting on 23 May of Susie McMeekins WEDGE 

article from issue 5011), and the support shown on the June 

long weekend to Gundaroo potters Ian Jones and Moraig 

McKenna after a fire destroyed their house and gallery. 

The strength of the connections, the ease with which new 

bonds are made and the generosity of everyone in sharing 

knowledge, experience, time and creativity, is inspiring. As 

life constantly reminds us, change is around us wherever we 

look, and it is our readiness to accept that reality that will 

lead us to find new solutions to current issues, especially 

those challenges which we face in the education sector. I 

enjoyed listening to Torbj0rn Kvasb0, in his opening speech 

at Inside Woodfire: fifty Australian stories, as he reminded us to reach outside our ceramics world 

to connect with the broader community so that we can grow in new, exciting ways. There are several 

inspiring examples in this issue of pEi"ople who do that - potters like Malcolm Greenwood, Janetta Kerr 

Grant, Sally Gordon and Christopher Plumridge who are collaborating with design companies, cookbook 

w riters, restaurateurs and glass artists to create a point of difference with their beautiful tableware; 

craft centres like the Jam Factory in Adelaide that became an integral part of the local film festival event, 

providing 1000 bowls; and many ceramics students who are exploring the medium in new ways as they 

attend the tertiary institutions around the country. This diverse, sometimes challenging, work is shown 

on pages within this issue. 

Our new blog, http://jacpromotion2011.com, is up and running to mark the 50th anniversary of the 

publication of The journal of Australian Ceramics (JAC). Around thirty ceramicists, drawn from JAC's 

education pages over the last ten years, are participating in an online conversation about their work and 

how the journal has acted as an educational, research and promotional tool. Their conversations will 

provide material for a special exhibition in December 2011 at Manly Art Gallery and Museum. Check out 

their studios, and hear about their latest projects in (he upcoming months. 

And last, but not least. The Australian Ceramics Association is now taking applications for 

The Trudie Alfred Bequest Ceramics Scholarships, a generous project which will help up to 

5 students a year continue their ceramics study. Read about it on our last page (128), 

then spread the word within your community. 

~. 

Editor's notes: 

To view folders of Woodfire TAS 201 1 images, go to www.woodfiretasmania.com.au 

To check out the archived messages from the email discussion, 

visit http://tinyurl.com/discussionlistarchive. 

To participate in our new blog, join us at http://jacpromotion2011.com 

2 THE IOURNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011

Contributors 

Carole Lander is a freelance writer and 

editor who regularly contributes to the 

national newspapers and online publications 

in the genres of travel, memoir, profile and 

opinion. She is informed and inspired by close 

family and friends who are practising artists 

(ceramicists, sculptors and painters). 

E: carolelander@gmail.com 

M : 0402 037 267 

See pages 32-35. 

Dr Judith Pearce, PSM 

After a rewarding career at the National 

Library, I now run a gallery in Bemboka, NSW, 

with my partner David, displaying and selling 

Australian pottery acquired on the secondary 

market I am also building a database of 

Australian potters and their marks and 

making this information available online. 

www.australianpotteryatbemboka.com.au 


Greg Piper 

An exhibition A Dozen Different Ways was 

my introduction to the ceram ics community. 

Back then it was all mud to me, but this event 

transformed it to clay, to porcelain ... revealing 

the incredible variations possible. For me, 

the pleasure and excitement of observing a 

ceramicist's emotional passage via their creative 

process has always been very rewarding, 

influential and moving. 

E: greg@gregpiper.com.au 

M: 0411 107744; www.gregpiper.com.au 

See pages 7, 50, 51 and 54. 

Sarah O'Sullivan is currently completing 

her Masters at the National Art School 

Sydney, after returning from two years in 

Adelaide where she undertook a mentorship 

with artist Robin Best at the JamFactory. 

Sarah is a recent recipient of the NAS 

Aboriginal Internship and is about to 

embark on a 3-month adventure into central 

Australia. 

E: sarah.c.osullivan@gmail.com 

www.sarahosullivan.com.au 


THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 3

Now + Then 

Ian Currie's first book, Stoneware Glazes 

A Systematic Approach is no longer in print. 

An online version is avai lable here: 

http://stonewareglazes.currie.to/. 

lan's second book, Revealing Glazes - 

Using the Grid method is available for purchase 

at http://ian.currie.to/ and 

www.australianceramics.com. 

Ian Currie's family have posted this note 

about asbestos on their website: Ian battled 

Mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused by 

asbestos, for some time before his passing. 

He identified the insulation from some of his 

kilns as his main asbestos exposure. While it is 

generally held to be true that asbestos that is 

fixed into sheets and then painted will not leak 

asbestos fibres, it is also true that this leaves a 

time bomb for later generations to fix. If you are 

a potter, please take a moment to think about 

your workshop/kiln and identify any materials 

(kiln insulation, pot boards, etc) that may 

contain asbestos and either have them removed 

by a professional asbestos removal company 

or document the materials in your will so that 

anyone sorting out your estate is aware of the 

potential health risks. 

The association Dialogue Ceramique, led by 

the Genevan ceramicist Claude Albana Presset, 

devised an impressive project: to commission 

one hundred eminent ceramicists from the five 

continents to create a series of ten bowls, which 

were placed in showcases specially designed 

by Roland Eberle for a world-wide itinerant 

exhibition lasting two and a half years. After India, 

China, Korea and France, the Musee Ariana is 

hosting the exhibition on one of the last stages 

of its tour, before it continues to the Musee 

des Beaux-Arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the 

Kunstgewerbemuseum in Winterthur. Go here to 

view the bowls http://tiny.cc/1001bols. 

Andrew Widdis set up a survey earlier this year 

on perceptions about ceramic tableware. 

Go here for the results or to participate: 

www.andrewwiddis.com/news. 

Call for applications: 

Biennale de la Ceramique of Andenne, Belgium 

27 + 28 May 2012 

Deadline: 31 October 2011 

E: infos@biennaledelaceramique.be 

www.biennaledelaceramique.be 

19 June 2011 - 24 February 2012: 

Rediscovering Jonathon Leak is an exhibition 

of around forty re-constructed pieces, the greater 

part of which is made up of pieces found in a 

Sydney clay pit. In 2007, a team of archaeologists 

had the rare opportunity to excavate a clay-pit tip 

on the original site of the convict potter Jonathan 

Leak, who began establishing his pottery in 1821, 

off Elizabeth Street, Sydney, near the brickfields. 

Leak had dug clay from the pit in 1824, and then 

used it as a tip for broken pottery. Take a visit to 

the National Museum of Australian Pottery, 

76 Albury Street, Holbrook NSW 2644; 

T: 02 6036 3464. Open Thursday to Tuesday, 

9.30am to 4.30pm; closed Wednesday and the 

month of August. 

E: info@australianpottery.net.au 

www.australianpottery.net.au 

about curating a tableware 

installation in Byron Bay 

Sally Cleary reports on 

Resonate, a group exhibition 

at RMIT's First Site Gallery 

• 

4 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011

Australian Ceramics Directory 

Australian Ceramics Directory 

Add Entry 

Dean smith Ceramics 

Castlemaine VIC 3450 

E: info@deansmithceramics.com 

www.deansmithceramics.com 

My primary focus is on sculptural vessel forms with an 

angle on industrial aesthetics, chaos/order and geometry 

in nature such as crystal forms. I find the visual qualities 

of rocks and gems fascinating - the chaotic and ordered 

structures embedded within them. I like to transfer these 

qualities into the vessels directly, using extruded clay - 

sheared, fractured and shaped. I treat the surface with 

combinations of crystalline glazes, metallic glazes and 

lustres to further convey the elemental properties of rock. 

Callie McLean 

Campsie NSW 2194 

E callie@moomoobooboo.com 

www.moomoobooboo.com 

This is a salt pig I made whilst on exchange at Alberta 

College of Art + Design (ACAD) in Calgary. After making 

hundreds of these porcelain porkers on the wheel, I 

became known as 'the pig lady' and went off to Medalta 

International Artists in Residence in Medicine Hat, Canada. 

This concept came about after being diagnosed with Adult 

ADHD in 2007 and the phrase "More is more" echoes 

about my head as I muse the qualities of my affliction into 

mud, and I am then happy! 

Pattie Murr

Tributes 

Bernard in his country workshop, 2005 

Vale Bernard Sahm 

1926 - 2011 

In 1956, Bernard Sahm was a thirty-year-old Australian potter, working in a commercial ceramics 

studio near St Ives, in Cornwall. He was throwing an amazing 100 lidded pots a day. His impressive 

technical facility, combined with his strong sense of vessel design, marked him as likely to become an 

innovative and successful maker of functional ceramics. And so he did. 

What was not apparent in 1956 was that he would later create remarkable ceramic objects that were 

witty commentaries on human frailties. 

Bernard Sahm was born in Sydney in 1926. His initial employment in the 1940s was as an engineering 

draughtsman, and this experience gave him an appreciation of construction and design issues that he 

would carry into his ceramics. He began studying at the National Art School where his studies included 

ceramics, and this led, in 1949, to him working briefly as a decorator at the Martin Boyd Pottery. Pam 

Court, whom he would marry in 1955, also worked at the Boyd Pottery. 

Unlike most contemporary ceramic artists, Sahm 's early ceramic training was in commercial studios: 

Terra Ceramics in Sydney, and (in 1956) Gutenhalde Ceramics in Stuttgart, which made large ceramic 

pieces for public spaces. 

After Germany, the Sahms travelled to Britain and Bernard went to work in Harry and May Davis's 

Crowan Pottery. It was an idyllic alternative lifestyle. Goats provided milk, water came from a well, and 

a waterwheel provided mechanical and electrical power. Crowan Pottery's products, mainly usable and 

very affordable, were impressed with the workshop's mark rather than indicating individual potters. 

10 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2 011

Tributes 

, ernard Sahm. Fingers. 1973. unglazed, h.76-91cm Bernard Sahm. Botancial Ladies 

2006. tallest, h.S4

Tributes 

his colleagues would cease packing their attache cases, and the prospect of the meeting's conclusion 

would recede into the remote distance. Of course, it was precisely this capacity for seeing things from a 

fresh tangent that made his ceramics so personal, so sharply barbed, and so innovative. 

After his retirement in 1984, the Sahms moved to a property they had bought a few years earlier in 

the Wollombi area of NSW. Bernard became entranced by the vulnerable beauty of the bush and the 

forest. His sculptural ceramics began to find their subjects in the surrounding plants and flowers and 

fungi. But he had no interest in botanical accuracy: his sculptural plant-forms were ornamental, strange 

and surreal. 

In the last months of his life, he published a book entitled A Potter Looks for God. The Energy of 

Evolution. It was launched, fittingly, in a former church adjoining the Mosman Art Gallery, where Gillian 

McCracken had curated his retrospective exhibition in 2006. The book expressed his view that humans 

are responsible for their interactions with the environment, and they shouldn't assume that God w ill trail 

indulgently behind them, repairing their damage. 

Reviewing an exhibition of Sahm 's work, art critic James Gleeson wrote of his ceramics, " His work is 

strong and elegant. He is a traditionalist, but he is never dull or conventional." It was a good description 

of Sahm's ceramics, and of Sahm himself. 

Bernard Sahm died on 27 February, aged 84. He is survived by his wife Pam and his ch ildren Richard, 

Katherine and Helena. 

Peter Pinson and Guy Warren (Reprinted with the permission of The Sydney Morning Herald) 

Editor's note: A small number of Bernard's book, A Potter Looks for God - The Energy of 

Evolution, has been made available for sale via The Australian Ceramics Association; see page 110. 

Bernard Sahm, Forest Form Boa t, h.57cm 

Forest Form, h.69cm; Wind & Wa ter, h.51cm 

1996 

Bernard Sahm, Art Machine - Lollipop , 1976 

two of four parts, left, h.11 Scm, right, 181 cm 

Photos: courtesy Pam Sahm 


Tributes 

Vale Ian Currie 1941 - 2011 

Ian Currie throwing big pots at the National Ceramics Conference. 

Cover, Pottery in Australia, Vol 17, No 2, Spring 1978 

A great chapter has closed in the history of Australian 

ceramics with the recent death of a dear friend and gentle 

man ... Ian Currie. 

lan's professional life began with science until the lure of 

ceramics took hold, as it so often does! But it was his science 

background as much as his pots that made Ian so important to 

the development of ceramics in Australia, USA and Europe. 

In the matter of glazes, when lan's stellar career began most 

potters were at the mercy of good luck and other people's 

recipes, We were more alchemist than chemist. The dreaded 

Segar unity formula made sense mainly to those who, like lan, 

had a science background, There would be many who admit to 

having learnt to calculate glazes via the unity formula in order to pass a college exam, then never used 

it again. 

From the USA, Daniel Rhodes challenged us to grasp the Segar formula in his Clay and Glazes 

for the Potter. In England, Nigel Wood made a very useful contribution to glaze calculation for the 

layperson with his percentage method, and later Robin Hopper in Canada introduced his more userfriendly 

method of glaze calculation. In Australia, Ivan McMeekin and Ivan Englund helped us to explore 

and understand the potential of Australian materials, but it was Ian Currie who finally bridged the 

chasm between chemistry and materials in a language understandable by the layperson. 

His course for the Australian FlYing Art School eventually became a book, followed a few years later 

by the publication of an even simpler method of glaze calculation. Ian embarked on a very successful 

career delivering lectures on glaze calculation in universities in the USA. Europe, Britain and Australia. 

When I saw Ian at the Verge Conference in Brisbane a few years ago, I was aware he was not a well 

man, but his spirits were high and he was positive. He had recently joined an a capella music group in 

Warwick, and this was giving him much pleasure. 

We who have known Ian as a person are privileged. As a teacher, he was gentle, patient and 

generous, Those who did not know Ian will still benefit from the legacy of his writing for decades to 

come. The Ian Currie publications will remain classics of their genre. 

Vale, dear friend. 

Kevin Grealy 

Editor's note: see page 4 for information on lan's books and a warning about asbestos. 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 I)

Tributes 

Vale Thancoupie 1937 - 2011 

Thancoupie, Australia, 1937- 2011; Thanaquith people, Queensland 

Thaal the black eagle, Mal the red eagle, 1994, Trinity Beach, 

Cairns, Queensland. earthenware. h.29cm. dlam.32cm; South Austra lian 

Government Grant assisted by the Commonwealth Government 

through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body 1994. 

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide 

The ceramic artist and sculptor Thanakupi (Thancoupie) was 

born in 1937 at Napranum, near Weipa Presbyterian Mission 

on Western Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Christened 

Gloria Fletcher, it was only in 1972, when she began working 

as a practising ceramicist following studies in ceramics at 

East Sydney Technical College under Peter Rushworth and Shiga Shigeo, that she began publicly using 

her Wik 'bush name', Thanakupi (meaning Wattle Flower). Thanakupi is credited as being the first 

Indigenous Australian to study fine arts at a tertiary institution, and the first to forge a successful career 

as a ceramicist. At the time of her death on 24 April 2011, Thanakupi, whose career spanned some 40 

years, was recognised as Australia's foremost Indigenous potter. 

After receiving her three-year certificate in Ceramic Studies, Thanakupi turned her attention to making 

wheel-thrown domestic objects, including mostly unremarkable mugs, bowls and bottles. In 1976, after 

moving to Cairns where she first set up a studio, then soon after established her own pottery at nearby 

Trinity Beach, Thanakupi turned to the ancient culture of her own people for inspiration. She began 

making the spherical and egg-shaped ceramic sculptures, as well as the sea- and free-form shapes that 

are now collectively recognised as Thanakupi's signature works. As Jennifer Isaacs writes, "Thanakupi's 

. clay surfaces are covered with linear designs, the surface glazes changing over the years from highly 

glazed stoneware using tenmoku, celadon, and dry feldspathic effects .. . [later deploying! chalk-like 

effects with dark linear drawings of kangaroos, possums, emus, dugong, barramundi land! ibis." Later 

still, Thanakupi began representing Creator Beings associated with her coastal homeland: sea creatures, 

eagles, plants and tendrils. Another more recent directional shift led to making works that, to quote 

Isaacs, are redolent of "yams and seed pods" . 

Among the many remarkable 'firsts' in Thanakupi's life, an equally significant and infinitely poignant 

'last' comes with her passing - Thanakupi was the last remaining fluent speaker of the Thaynakwith 

language. In 2007, she published her dictionary of Thaynakwith language (Thanakupi's Guide to 

Language and Culture), equally admired by her own people and by professional linguists. Thanakupi 

thus leaves an important two-fold legacy - as a nationally and internationally celebrated ceramicist, and 

a gifted linguist. 

Vale Thanakupi, master potter; vale Thaynakwith. 

References: ISaacs. Jenmfer, 'Tharn:oupie, 2000', in (eels) Sytvia Kleinert and Margo Neale, The Oxford Companion to AboflQJnar Art and Culture, 

Oxford UniverSity Press. Melbourne & UK, p 7 13. 

Christine Nicholls is a writer, curator and Senior Lecturer in Australian Studies at Flinders 

University. 

14 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011

Perspective 

Wedgwood. Cuckoo Range: 

pink teacup and saucer, 

bone china, cup, diam.13cm 

Photo: courtesy Wedgwood 

Baronial Splendour 

A meeting with Lord Wedgwood by Inga Walton 

For thirty years, Piers Anthony Weymouth Wedgwood, 4th Baron Wedgwood of Barlaston, has 

travelled the world as the international brand ambassador for the venerable firm (est. 1759) whose 

name he bears. Following a visit in February-March 2010, Lord Wedgwood returned to Australian during 

the first week of May 2011 to launch the new range An Artful Life. It was a packed schedule of 

appearances in four states, starting with the '30 Days of Home, Food and Wine' Belle lifestyle event in 

Sydney. 

Mothballed for over a decade, the heritage-listed and newly refurbished art deco gem Mural Hall at 

Myer Melbourne, with its vast chandeliers and (Mervyn) Napier Waller (1893-1972) paintings, was the 

setting for what was billed as a 'Mother's Day Morning Tea'. Personable to a 't', Lord Wedgwood signed 

items before and long after his presentation, the queues for which surely rivalled that of American 

singer Katy Perry who was in-store promoting her new perfume two days before. In the cloyingly 

fragrant wake of the cartoonish and faintly ridiculous pop star, a more refined demographic came out to 

greet the urbane, droll and decidedly dapper peer. 

Wedgwood is the seventh generation descendant of the 'Father of English Potters', the great-greatgreat-great-great-grandson 

of Josiah (1730-95). Born in Kenya, Wedgwood came to England in 1963, 

when he was nine, and attended Marlborough College. Like his forbear, the distinguished soldier 

and statesman Colonel Josiah Clement Wedgwood (IV), 1st Baron Wedgwood, DSO (1872- 1943), 


Perspective 

--------------- 

Wedgwood continued on to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He pursued a career in the Royal 

Scots (1973 - 80) before retiring from the regiment to pursue his wider business interests. Wedgwood 

succeeded to the Barony in 1970, whereupon he entered the House of Lords, where he served until the 

1999 'reform act' abolished the right of hereditary peers to sit in the chamber. Lord Wedgwood is now 

based in the salubrious neighbourhood of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, the city his wife Mary and her 

family hails from. 

As an audience of nearly three hundred ate canapes, scones and cakes off plates from the new tea 

range, Wedgwood declared, "Actually, my personal favourite is 'Cuckoo'; here's a wonderful play, a 

twist, on a design we created in the early 1800s. You'll remember all that interest in ancient design, 

chinoiserie, the Brighton Pavilion [c.1787-18221 down in the South of England ... and this is the result 

today, and I think she's a beauty. So with tea ware that is unashamedly romantic and fun and different, 

we like to mix things up a little bit!" He discussed many of the limited-edition prestige items in some 

detail, particularly pieces whose design echoes earlier prototypes from the archives. The 'First Day's 

Vase ' was reinterpreted in 2009 in honour of Wedgwood's 250th anniversary. Six vases were originally 

thrown by Josiah Wedgwood (with his partner Thomas Bentley (1731-80) powering the wheel) to mark 

the opening of his new factory at Etruria on 13 June 1769. Many of the most beloved designs, like the 

"Dancing Hours Plaque", date from the period (1787-94) when Josiah sent gifted sculptor, modeller 

and draughtsman John Flaxman (the younger, 1755-1826) to study in Italy. This transformed Flaxman 

from an obscure and derivative British stylist into an international figure with a proven record in faithfully 

executed decorative design. 

In discussing the new blue Jaspervvare 'Wattle Octagonal Tray', Wedgwood reflected on the firm's 

historical links with an emerging nation in the formative years of British colonisation. "Australiana is, for 

us, of great fascination. Why? Well we love you; we think you're fairly crazy, but we do love you! We 

have this fabulous connection which goes back to the First Fleet arriving, Captain Arthur Phillip sending 

back samples of clay, and Josiah Wedgwood making the Sydney Cove Medallion [17891 out of that, and 

ever since we have been producing pieces of Australiana." Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) sent the clay 

to Wedgwood, his friend and fellow member of the Royal Society, to be tested for its suitability to make 

pottery (which Wedgwood reported was excellent). In turn, Wedgwood asked his friend (and future 

relation) Erasmus Darvvin (1731-1802) to pen a verse to accompany the dark grey medallion, with its 

allegorical figures, made from the sample. This travelled back to Sydney on the Second Fleet1 and, as 

Lord Wedgwood quipped, " ... with our Darvvin connection, it's no wonder that we have, within the 

family, some rather odd looks." 

For nearly forty minutes, Wedgwood regaled the many appreciative 'Wedgwoodians', as he calls 

them, with his thoughts and anecdotes. After which there were even a few squalling infants produced 

for photo opportunities, but Lord Wedgwood remained unflappable; he signed, he chatted, he posed, 

he signed, he beamed, he shook countless hands, listened amiably to drawn-out reminiscences, and he 

signed. Indeed, he continued to sign pieces for collectors not even present during the time allocated 

for our interview. The opportunity to engage with the brand's loyal customer base is always foremost 

in Lord Wedgwood's mind. "Our designers are constantly looking at what the next trends are, what is 

new, what is interesting, what is edgy. We are a company that has survived on constantly changing to 

be relevant to today's consumer, and that is very important. It's all about 'how do we incorporate the 

history and the legacy of Josiah Wedgwood' into what we're doing today." 

Although Wedgwood prides itself on a long history of craftsmanship and aesthetic continuity, even a 

brand name with such a prestigious background was not immune to the economic turmoil of 2008-09. 


Wedgwood, Black Jasper Honey Pot, matte 

Black Jasper with strong white contrast. h.13.5cm 


Perspective

Persp ective 

Wedgwood, Wattle 

Octagonal Tray, white on 

Pale 81ue Jasper, d,am.12.5cm 


The GFC saw the Dublin-based Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton group, which had acquired 

Wedgwood in 1986, placed under administration, By March 2009, the New York-based private equity 

firm KPS Capital Partners was announced as the new owner. It was a period of turbulence and job 

losses, with the fate of the Wedgwood Museum in Staffordshire, and its magnificent collection, still 

to be decided.2 Lord Wedgwood is acutely sensitive to the challenges facing the manufacturing field 

in general, and specifically the viability of ceramics as a commercial medium. " It's been devastating to 

see what has happened in the forty-year journey that I've taken with this company, and the amount of 

places that have just closed down, that are no longer .. .", he ruminates. "You know at Stoke-an-Trent, 

that used to have, when I started out, maybe about 150 different manufacturers of some note, there 

may be five now, we're easily, eaSily the biggest, but we very nearly didn't survive ,." 

Any suggestion that reputation or historical associations alone could insulate a business in today's 

financial climate was trounced by Waterford Wedgwood's plight. "You cannot live on that alone, as 

Wedgwood, 

Dancing Hours 

Plaque, white on 

Pale Blue Jasper in 

a perspex frame, 

h.7.5cm, w.23cm, 

Ltd. Ed. No 200 

Photo: courtesy 

Wedgwood 


Perspective 

Wedgwood, Cuckoo Range: creamer and sugar 

bone china; photo. courtesy Wedgwood 

we've discovered in these very, very tough economic times ... I'm extremely grateful to our new owners 

who are, typically in a situation like this, they're tough; they need to be tough, but they're really giving 

us a new sense of opportunity and purpose," Wedgwood said . "We needed to change some systems, 

and some of the ways we operated. Not that we weren't doing a good job before, but we just weren't 

doing it necessarily in a manner that was going to allow us to survive through the changes of the 21 st 

century." After such a reactive period, Lord Wedgwood sees the company now undergoing a time 

of consolidation and renewal. "Just to illustrate the strength of this brand, and what can be done, 

because of the nature of manufacturing in England and the costs involved, we had to move some of our 

manufacturing overseas, which nobody wanted to happen ... well it did happen," he recalls grimly. "The 

interesting thing is, not only did we manage to keep our factory going, but we're now repatriating some 

of that manufacturing back to England .. . almost unheard of!" 

For centuries the Wedgwood imprimatur has been synonymous with the type of exquisitely finished, 

labour-intensive, artisan-made objects beloved by royalty, aristocracy, statesmen and connoisseurs alike. 

Lord Wedgwood is appalled at the prospect of such artistry and expertise being irrevocably lost, should 

there be no mentors to pass their experience on to future generations. "As an exciting anecdote to all 


Perspective 

------- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---- - - ------- 

lord Wedgwood - in the words of Inga Walton. "absolutely delightful. urbane and very professional" . Photo: Inga Walton 

of that [upheaval]. in the 'special skills' area, where most of what you see is made, we're actually taking 

on apprentices, young kids for the first time ever, and teaching them how to carry out the skills that 

are so important ...." he enthuses. " I go as far as to say it's my crusade, not mine alone, but I've been 

part [of itl; it is a crusade to ensure that it does survive." And so the inscription on the back of the 'First 

Day 's Vase', artes extrurice renascuntur (the Arts of Etruria 

are reborn), seems just as hopeful as it was 242 years ago. 

"The words, I think, are very prophetic, and talk about what 

Wedgwood is, and hopefully what it will be forever," Josiah's 

scion says proudly. 

Inga Walton is a writer and arts consultant based in 

Melbourne, Victoria who contributes to numerous 

Australian and international publications. She was 

the guest of Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton, 

Australia: www.waterfordwedgwood.com.au 

Historical information: www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk 

, The onginal ISsue medallion resides in the National Museum of Australia (object 

numbel 2004 0062.000 I). A re-rssue plate and Silver proof COin set was launched by 

lOfd Wedgwood dunng hiS VISIt last year, In conjUnction with the Perth MInt. 

2 More than £ 130 million is owed to the company's pensioners At ISsue IS whether 

It IS possible for the terms of a charitable trust established in 1962 to be reinterpreted 

retrospectIvely, mak.lng the museum and its valuable contents avadable to creditors. See: 

W'MV.s.avewedgwood.org 

First Days Vase. 2009. Saxon Blue Jasper 

hand-painted detailing. h.29cm. Ltd. Ed. No: 50 


Focus: Ceram ics + Utility 

International 

Wood-fired Tableware 

Artifakt Gallery, Deloraine, April 2011 

Clive Bowen (UK) 

linda Christianson (USA) 

Gwyn Hanssen Pigott (AUS) 

Steve Harrison (AUS) 

Elisa Helland-Hansen (NOR) 

Ian Jones (AUS) 

Nigel lambert (UK) 

Simon levin (USA) 

Sandy lockwood (AUS) 

Svein Narum (NOR) 

Masaho Ono (JPN) 

Micki Schloessingk (WALES) 

This exhibition celebrated the material character of clay and fire shown by a number of recognised 

makers who are all committed to wood-firing and th is article provides a glimpse of the diversity of 

approach used by twelve makers from various countries. Each one has an individual and expressive 

vocabulary arising from years of dedicated making which develops the skills and honed judgement that 

exhibit intent and certainty in the way clay is handled. 

Defining tableware can be a bit of a challenge. Initially there is the universal function of pots used 

for eating and drinking and primarily made for this purpose. The work of these makers builds on this 

basic premise. They use the familiar as a starting point for individual expression and present an evocative 

and ambiguous presence, balancing and incorporating utility and aesthetics. However, for the user this 

means an opportunity to be engaged by more than mere use. It may be said that use completes the 

'mak ing' of such work, which provides daily access to art and beauty within the ritual of preparing, 

serving, and eating food. This nourishment of the spirit is valuable in today's world and makes work like 

this all the more significant. 

Sandy lockwood. April 2011 


Focus: Ceramics + Utility 

Clive Bowen 

The form and fundion of my work can be 

traced back to centuries-old pots such as English 

mediaeval jugs and early Tamba ware from 

Japan. I hope that I am re-inventing them and 

not merely imitating them. There is such a wealth 

of forms contained within what we might loosely 

call 'domestic ware' that one lifetime is not 

enough to begin to explore all the possibilities. 

My enthusiasm is still with the clay, the slip and 

the large wood-fired kiln. For me, wood-firing 

brings the pots to life. I enjoy sitting around the 

table sharing meals with family and friends; my 

main preoccupation is always the fundion of the 

pieces. I want my pots to be used, not merely to 

sit in isolation on a shelf. I want them to be used 

to enhance the enjoyment of everyday life and 

good food. 

Linda Christianson 

Having made pots now for about 30 years, I 

am surprised that it is still both a hopeful and 

troublesome effort to make a decent pot. The 

qualities that I sea rch for in my work are fairly 

straight forward. I am interested in a pot that 

does its duty well yet can stand on its own as a 

visual objed. Wood-firing offers a quiet surface 

that I am after. These pots are not sculpture, 

and they are not art. They seem to ad more like 

engaging tools than anything else . 

Gwyn Hanssen Pigott 

Of all the loved objeds we might have in our 

home, it is the pots we use on the table that 

become our intimates. We know their feel and 

weight. We are careful how we wash them up. 

We notice new things about them. My personal 

favourites are glazed wood-fired porcelains. The 

tiny crazing and watery pooling of the glazes on 

Sandy Lockwood's bowls and cups; the flashes 

and glaze brightness of John Pigott's Tasmanian 



bowls and beakers. Pleasures to use. The glazed 

porcelain bowls fired in my small bourry-box 

kiln only show their wood-fired origins on 

close looking. A certain cloudiness, or softness, 

perhaps. A subtler colour. Nothing much, one 

might say. But worth the effort? I think so. 

Steve Harrison 

I no longer attempt to make a full range of 

tablewares. I am content at the moment to try 

and make a meaningful bowl, and it is proving 

to be a much bigger challenge than I originally 

conceived. It is important to me to make my 

tableware from my local materials and sit this 

tableware on a table that I made myself, out 

of wood that I grew and milled myself, using 

tools that I built myself, sitting on chairs that 

I made myself, in a house that I built with my 

partner Janine King. All this self-reliance is deeply 

embedded in my bowls. They appear empty, 

but are in fact chock-a-block full of intent, so 

full that it is hard to fit the food in. It is not just 

important that they are beautiful, work well and 

feel gorgeous when held, but they must mean 

something more than a mere receptacle. 

Over the 40 years of my career as a potter, I 

have become interested in aspects of the real, 

the tangible, the hand made, a sense of place, 

the 'terroir' of a locality. I have no interest in the 

fast track and the cheap throwaway. I want real 

things around me, things that will stay around 

me and develop a patina of age and a meaning 

born of context and familiarity. 

Elisa Helland-Hansen 

I have a passion for pots. 

They challenge me. 

Volumes. Curves. Colours. Tactilities. Weight. 

Freshness. Surprise. Sharpness. 

Merging utility and aesthetic qualities. 

Breathing. Asking . Seeing. Reflecting. 

Adding. Subtracting. Distilling. 

Senses are activated. 

Experiences are tested. 

Pots embody many potentials. 

At its best - touching you. 

Communicating. 

Making pots for food is a life commitment 

for me. 

I enjoy using any kind of kiln, but wood-firing 

is definitely the hardest and most rewarding 

firing method. 

Ian Jones 

The teabowls I make are fired for four and 

a half days in the main firebox or, for the dark 

high-iron clay, in the sidestoke firebox of the 

THE IOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 23


anagama kiln. The forms are thrown, constructed 

and carved, and I am striving to achieve a 

sculptural quality that will not only appear 

dynamic and graceful to the eye, but will also 

feel interesting to the hands. Relatively few of 

the finished pieces are successful due to their 

location in the firebox, however I find the ash 

deposits from the anagama give a quality and 

variety to the bowls that I cannot envision from 

any other type of firing, and that justifies the risk. 

depth of image. The pots are then fired in an 

80cubic foot wood-fired kiln to 1100°C, the ash 

and flames imparting individual qualities to each 

piece. 

Nigel Lambert 

Nigel began his love of pottery and paintings 

whilst at art college in Cornwall. His interest in 

the work of abstract painters and other artists 

from the Cornish peninsula has influenced his 

work and the decorative marks he makes. 

Nigel established his first workshop in Bristol 

in 1987. This lasted until 1990 when he moved 

to the Forest of Dean, where he currently lives 

and works. Pots are thrown or pressed from flat 

sheets of clay, then cut and re-formed into oval 

and square forms. They are then dipped in a 

white clay slip, dried and raw glazed to produce 

a flat white surface on which the blue oxides are 

painted with new and old brushes, odd bits of 

sponge, and fingers. Lines and motifs are often 

scratched through the blue, adding an extra 

Sandy Lockwood 

Wood-firing has an astonishing capacity for 

bringing clay to life, with a subtlety of colour and 

surface that changes and interacts from one side 

of a piece to another. Firing with wood reveals 

a full and sometimes elusive dimension to the 

work and intention of the hand. No two pots 

can ever be the same. Like humans, they are all 

essentially individual but related. Wood-firing 

matches the way I approach my work. Exploring 

form along with use is as engaging a path as any 

available in this extraordinary medium of clay. 

The challenge of integrating form and function 

interacting with aesthetic expression is quite 

significant. Making tableware also helps me to 

stay 'real and grounded' through the process 

of making rows and mUltiples of work and 

maintaining mindfulness of the eventual user. 

Holding and using pots every day draws all the 

senses in colour, texture, pattern, weight, heft 

and feel, how it fits one's hand and how it serves 

its purpose. I consider it a great lUXUry to choose 

a plate to suit my mood and what I am about to 

put on it. 



Simon levin 

There is so much about tableware that excites 

and interests me, and of all the utilitarian pottery 

I make, it asks to be used the most - every day, 

sometimes many times a day. We have a stack of 

plates that diminishes and re-stacks and travels 

to the table and back, from the sink to the 

dishwasher then to the cabinet and back to the 

table. Those plates gets touched, used, carried, 

cleaned and interacted with more than any other 

objects in the house. And despite the traffic and 

drama of everyday life. there is often a moment 

where something is revealed in those plates, in 

the way the maker chose to cut a foot ring, or 

the way a green lettuce leaf sets off an orange 

flash mark. 

Tableware is an opportunity to serve, and while 

serving, communicate. It is access. In making 

tableware it is important to me to make soft 

usable forms that slide into the hand and make 

you want to touch the clay. To heighten this 

interaction I seek to capture a range of colours 

and an interplay of flame on raw clay surfaces to 

draw the user in. I stay away from shiny, drippy 

ash, looking for satiny surfaces that absorb light 

rather than reflect it. These surfaces visually 

interact with the food's colours. oils and sauces, 

generating a changing palate depending on the 

menu. A painting in a museum should be so 

lucky. 

Svein Narum 

In a time when ethical and moral standards are 

floating in all directions, and fewer are occupied 

with religion, many ceremonies and rituals are 

gone from our daily life. For years the meal has 

been my source of inspiration. Friends and family 

gathered around the table to eat and talk and 

enjoy the food. For those of us who seek God 

in nature, a meal, no matter how modest, can 

be a holy communion. Now that people care 

about how food is produced and the way it is 

presented, makers of domestic pottery made 

with love have a bright future. 

THE JOURNAL Of AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 25


Masaho Ono 

I live in the pottery town of Mashiko. I use raw 

material from just around my area. I use a kick 

wheel so I can more easily transfer my feelings to 

the clay. My kiln is a climbing kiln which mostly 

brings me much more exciting results than 

I expect, though not all the time. 

I use this simple production method to make 

ware for daily use. 

During my daily work I enjoy 'talking' with 

those unknown potters who made such strong 

historical pieces, such as the giant jar made in 

Tokoname district in the Heian period (12th 

century). I feel connected to them mentally and 

spiritually. They are always telling me, "Your skill 

still has a way to go". I reply, "Maybe, but I have 

the same determination and dedication as you to 

making good work." 

Micki Schloessingk 

Where does tableware belong now? On 

the table? Which table? Most of us no longer 

separate the place where we eat from the 

place where we live. Kitchens and dining rooms 

have merged, becoming spaces that can be 

transformed in a moment. One minute the table 

is covered with a child's paint pots, busy with 

clutter, the next it is set for a dinner party. 

No longer confined to the kitchen, pantry 

or mantelpiece, our 'tableware' takes on the 

mood and charge of the moment, dramatically 

transformed by how it is used and where it is 

placed. One moment my bowl is comfortable in 

the hand, holding a beaten egg. Minutes later, 

washed and dried, it sits elegantly on the set 

table, awaiting guests and a gourmet meal. Later 

still, washed again, it finds repose on a high 

shelf, displayed now, its form clear and spare, 

with space to breathe. 

International Wood-fired Tableware 

Artifakt Gallery. Deloraine 

21 April - 2 May 2011 

in conjunction with Woodfire TAS 2011 

Woodfire TAS 2011 gratefully acknowledges 

the contribution of Tasmanian Alkaloids and 

Tasmanian Ceramic and Pottery Supplies 

towards the printing of the exhibition 

catalogue. 

This article is a reprint of the gallery catalogue. 

Photos: courtesy Artifakt Gallery. Tasmania, and 

Sandy Lockwood (curator). 


Focus : Ceramics + Utility 

Malcolm Greenwood, Teapot 

2009, porcela in, 1300'(, plum 

red glaze, h.l0cm 

Photo: Steve Cummings 

In the Making 

Anna Lise De Lo renzo from &company in conversation with Malcolm Greenwood 

Anna: 

I met Malcolm Greenwood a little over a year ago to discuss his possible involvement in upcoming 

projeds with my design studio, &company. Sydney-based &company presents creative opportunities 

for emerging designers, primarily through exhibition curation and the production of a locally-made 

homewares range. Whilst many of our designers are also makers, they are not set up for commercially 

viable produdion. We spend a lot of time sourcing makers with whom we can forge strong, 

collaborative working relationships. I value Malcolm's generous sharing of ceramics knowledge and 

finely honed skills as much as his frank honesty and salt-of-the-earth demeanor. Malcolm makes one 

of our produdS, Bounty shells by Naomi Taplin &company, and we have just begun discussions on a 

new product. Malcolm's design input, ethos, experience and friendship have woven themselves into 

our studio. I sat down with him over a cup of tea to chat about the value of locally made utilitarian 

ceramics, and the process of taking design ideas through to the finished product. 

Malcolm: 

The way Australian ceramics has gone, it can seem as though utility is really looked down on - it is 

of no great value. Most people are concerned predominantly with price, either because of affordability, 

or they find quality and aesthetics irrelevant. People don't see the beauty, or value, in, for instance, 

a really nicely made bowl that is a pleasure to use as much as the feeling you get from looking at or 

holding it. For me, this has been a struggle because I like to make things that people use, pieces with 

simple, functional beauty. I'm rea lly interested in the Japanese philosophy of ceramics, where a rice bowl 

is deeply appreciated both for its everyday use as much as seeing that bowl as an art objed in itself. 

Here, for the most part, we don't do that. I want to design things that work: they have to not just fulfil 

a function, but be pleasant to use, nice to look at, and effective. There 's no point in having a beautiful 

teapot if it doesn't pour tea. 

The evolution of a new product can often take years. I have been working on some shapes for 20 

years or more. It starts with an idea. I don't really sketch that much; instead I go into the workshop and 

start making. I might have seen a particular bowl in my wanderings so I start working on the shape and 

developing it. I don't photograph it necessarily, and I don't try to repeat it. It may take months, if not 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011 27

Focus: Ceramics + Utility --------- -- -- -- - 

Malcolm Greenwood 

Head models, 2010 

porcelain, 1300'( 

slips, ash glaze, h. gcm 

w.12cm. d. 14cm 


years, to develop the shape, and the form continues to change through years of production. Fifteen 

years ago my teapot form was very spherical, then it got wider and flatter. As I began to use it regularly 

myself, I started thinking about it a bit more and now, ergonomically, the newer shape works really well; 

it pours perfectly and looks good. Being both a designer and a maker, I have that ability to think about 

a piece, make it, and if it doesn't work I can go back and make it again. 

Ceramics is such an old craft. For centuries we have been digging clay out of the ground, modelling 

it with our hands or simple tools and firing it, so not much has changed. And I like that idea of using 

those first principles; maybe it keeps me more in touch with the materials and the processes. I've been 

making production ware every day for the last twenty years or so, and the improvement in my skill level 

is phenomenal. Making bigger or more complex pieces is now relatively easy because I don't really have 

to think much about technique. 

I have always been a practical person, and my engineering background has impacted my interest in 

a pragmatic approach to ceramics. I have struggled to get away from the symmetry of engineering and 

it's only in recent years that more freedom and fluidity has come into my work - I think that freedom 

was enabled by the mastering of perfect symmetry in the first place. My engineering experience has 

allowed me to think in three dimensions and to approach production work effiCiently, both critical to 

my designing and making process. I recently began work on an architectural project which involved 

the development of an installation of heads. The 9rief required a series of large-scale forms so I was 

challenged by the lack of available space in my small workshop and by the need to move outside the 

techniques I prefer. The ideas were developed over several months as I made observations (particularly 

during recent travels Japan China and Tibet), contemplated possible forms and how they would sit with 

my pragmatic approach. All that prior experience meant that when I sat down to make the heads, the 

designs simply worked. 

I really enjoy working with chefs, interior deSigners, architects and other clients who are engaged 

in the designing and making process. When you work with people who are just focused on price, the 

process is really awful. Clients can have very different approaches when communicating their ideas to 

me. Industrial designer Andrew Simpson came in with a technical drawing, and with my engineering 

background, I could easily read that drawing and convert it to a finished product. It's the collaborative 

process I really enjoy. It's great when the new generations come in with a really new approach and we 

can resolve the product, it's really stimulating. 

28 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011


l 

r • 

r 

r 

ICIIU 

• ;~Rf::'.=.,z,C·.:rj.-; .sa- ,_ .. 

'-\E?til'"-"-- 

Top: Vert Design, Rice Cup final drawings, 2006, techntcal drawings 

Above: Andrew Simpson. Vert Design, Rice Cup, 2010, porcelain, 13000(, matt black and white glazes, h.8cm 

Photo: Vert Design 


Malcolm Greenwood, Bowl 

2011, porcelain, 1300"(, blue 

celadon glaze, diam. 14cm 


Restaurants usually have a concept that I have to interpret When I did the cup for Southern Ocean 

Lodge, it had to hold a certain amount and be sort of elegant - not real refined, but not clunky, and so 

I came up with a simple elegant shape for them. I have worked with many restaurants over the years, 

such as the Japanese restaurant, Masuya. The owner allowed me a lot of creative leeway; even though 

he had a certain idea of size, shape and particular function, within that framework I could put my touch 

on it In this case the owner has definitely differentiated Masuya from other Japanese restaurants by 

using my tableware. The Japanese respect and appreciation for the potter is amazing, and that resulting 

relationship and mutual respect is important for me. 

There is often a lack of understanding of the importance of designing something that is as easy as 

possible to make, so you can get it to market for the right price. Working out the design so it facilitates 

the manufacture is really important and that's what most people I work with don't consider. We can 

make changes in the design that don't affect the look or the performance of the product, but make 

it much easier to produce. The &company Bounty shells, for which designer Naomi Taplin wanted to 

Malcolm at the wheel; photo: Nick De Lorenzo 


Focus : Ceram ics + Utility 

Malcolm press-moulding the Bounty shells, 2010: photo: Nick De Lorenzo 

Naomi Taplin & Company, Bounty, 2010, 

porcelain, 1300"C, nuka glaze, h.2cm, 

w. Scm, d. 1 Gem; photo: Nick De lorenzo 

use Southern Ice porcelain, are a good example. Because we needed to use press moulding for that 

particular product, we could have easily lost 50% of the stock with Southern Ice. By using a slightly 

different clay the shells became much easier to make, and most people would not pick the difference. 

Working with Naomi is probably somewhere in between all these different approaches to production. 

She has a mould and prototypes of what she wants and we have to identify the best way to do it. It's 

great when the client is really interested in the ins and outs of working with clay. You learn from each 

other, you get inspired to bring in some new qualities and elements, you influence each other, and I love 

it. 

I asked two Sydney-based designers to share their experiences of working with Malcolm. 

Emerging designer and maker Naomi Taplin (Naomi Taplin, &company Bounty shells): 

Talking with Malcolm about the issues that had arisen in prototyping was fantastic. Malcolm was 

easily able to understand and replicate my design. It was inspiring to work with someone who is so 

experienced, and the process of moving the design into production was far less stressful than I had 

imagined. The steps of making, drying and finishing the products takes place around Malcolm's other 

daily work. I respect Malcolm's production process and the way my product is woven into his existing 

practice. 

Industrial Designer Andrew Simpson (Vert Design, Rice Cup): 

I had worked with four other ceramicists before meeting Malcolm and his attention to detail 

and knowledge of his craft makes him second-to-none. I communicated my designs to him using 

engineering drawings and handmade prototypes. Malcolm was able to tell me all the shrinkage rates 

that meant that we could supply him with laser cut tooling and jigging profiles to make sure that our 

finished product was crisp and consistent. Malcolm always takes the time to talk through his processes 

so that I can better understand how my design dictions will affect how the materials behave. Good 

design uses materials to their full potential and Malcolm has helped me to be a better designer. 

Anna Lise De Lorenzo is a director of &company, a design studio made up of emerging 

designers and their products; www.andcompany.com.au 

www.malcolmgreenwood.com 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011 )1


--- 

Right: Jane Burbidge at the wheel 

One Thousand Magic Bowls 

Ca role Lander reports on a special event at Port Willunga 

Serendipity recently brought about a revival at the JamFactory in Adelaide, South Australia; 

a resurgence of interest in hand-throwing and production pottery. 

Firstly, the new director of the JamFactory, Brian Parkes, appointed award-winning ceramicist Prue 

Venables to his staff. 

Secondly, acclaimed restaurateur Gay Bilson coordinated a food event called 'One Magic Bowl' for the 

Adelaide Film Festival and asked Prue to organise the production of one thousand ceramic bowls for the 

occasion. 

So, thanks to a celebration of the visual arts, a former chef and a ceramicist who recently arrived in 

Adelaide, a group of South Australian potters are back in business. 

The Jam Factory came into being in the 1970s when then premier Don Dunstan established the 

Adelaide Arts Festival, and South Australia was branded as the Festival State. The fact that it now 

remains the only art and craft establishment of its kind in Australia is a tribute to the ongoing funding 

policy of Arts South Australia. 



Green and blsqued bowls 

Below: Glazed bowls drying 

A series of workshops and studios, with exhibition spaces and a shop, this not-for-profit organisation 

currently sits neatly among arts-related buildings on the east side of Adelaide's CBD. Pottery is a strong 

feature of the JamFactory's success and Prue Venables is already making her mark as the Creative 

Director of the ceramic studios. 

Prue has established tier own reputation as a maker and exhibitor across the world. She brings to her 

new posit ion a wealth of expertise and an abundance of enthusiasm to maintain the reputation of this 

institution in the field of pottery and ceramics. The invitation from Gay Bilson was just one of several 

projects that Prue has introduced, but this particular one was the first to inject interest in the craft from 

local potters. It also provided a valuable learning experience for the JamFactory associates. 

These associates come from all over Australia, and most already have a qualification but use the 

hands-on experience offered at the JamFactory to develop their careers. Projects such as One Magic 

Bowl provide them with valuable experience in making a living out of their craft. There are also resident 

artists who occupy studio space; they have their own practice and work on projects which earn money 

for the JamFactory. 


Focus : Ceramics + Util ity 

------- 

finished bowls 

After producing an acceptable prototype bowl for Gay, Prue set about looking for the workforce to 

produce 1000 of them between October 2010 and February 2011 with a few days' break for (hristmas. 

She needed more than the Jam Factory's trainees and residents for this enormous task . 

Prue discovered there were lots of people in the area who used to be production potters but who 

had just stopped. "They had given up for a variety of reasons and the good news is that the ones who 

joined the team said they really loved being involved in the project and are now going to make this part 

of their lives again." 

Prue measured the wet clay used in her prototype and instructed her makers to use this amount for 

each bowl. "I wasn 't too strict because of the time restraint. I just wanted the bowls to look beautiful 

but not necessarily identical. The differences were softened by the glaze." 

Gay's idea was to have a truly local event, so terracotta clay from South Australia 's historic Bennett's 

Pottery at Magill was used. 'This clay is very robust and a delight to throw,' says Prue. 'Because the 

bowls would contain hot soup or stew and be held by hand, they had to have a turned foot on the 

base. One of the team, Jane Burbidge, could produce one hundred bowls in one day and turn them the 

next - a phenomenal record.' 

After being bisque fired at 980 0 (, the bowls were hand-dipped in a tin glaze. After the second 

firing at 1150 0 ( they came out of the kiln a creamy white colour, matching the cliffs and sand at Port 

Willunga, the location for the event. Where thin, the glaze softened to a sandy brown revealing the 

clay's natural terracotta colour. As a final flourish, the inside of each bowl was stamped with a seaweed 

motif in blue, reminiscent of the turquoise sea . 

The final step was to pack the bowls carefully in cardboard boxes so they could be transported to the 

venue . Watching them being driven off, Prue and her team were very proud of their efforts in producing 

such a large quantity in such a short period of time. 

34 THE JOURNAL Of AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011


Left: Spot the bowls at sunset 

Below left: Victory Hotel chefs 

ready to serve dinner 

Below: Prue Venables at the 

event 

In a summer of unpredictable weather, the gods were smiling on Sunday 27 February when a 35-degree 

day with clear blue sky mellowed into a perfect evening for the One Magic Bowl event. On the tip of the 

Fleurieu Peninsula, Port Willunga is an hour's drive from Adelaide through the McLaren Vale wineries. 

Visitors picked up their bowls from the stacks at the entrance to the beach and added them to their picnic 

sets, not just for the dinner but also as a memento to take home. 

Meals were served from small tents along the beach and the menu was truly multicultural: there was 

curry, con gee, chowder, ravioli and couscous, all served with locally baked bread. Wine and beer could be 

purchased to complement the dinner and, as the sun set over the water, a light show and film stills were 

projected on to the cliffs. 

Not all the potters who made the bowls were able to make it to the event but those who did, including 

Prue and her director Brian Parkes, were able to mingle with the crowd incognito and witness the 

success of this major project which did more than help to feed a crowd, it reinforced the purpose of the 

Jam Factory which has always been to nurture the ca reers of talented artists, craftspeople and designers. 

Carole lander is a freelance writer and editor based in Melbourne, 

www.jamfactory.com.au 

THE IOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011 35


--- 

Not Just a Dinner Plate 

The maker and the student talk tableware with Karen Weiss 

David Edmonds is a successful Sydneybased 

ceramic artist and designer-maker who 

specialises in producing handmade tableware 

for the high-end market He works with several 

skilled part-time assistants. 

Karen Weiss (KW): Can you tell me 

something about your background, where your 

interest in clay began? 

David Edmonds (DE): It was just a hobby, an 

interest At school they had an old wheel and 

one small kiln. I went on to art school and I had 

some really interesting teachers - Maria Gazzard 

and Peter Travis. I spent twenty-five years 

throwing and working for other people, mouldmaking, 

gaining skills, and still had a real passion 

for it ... this material with which I've had a lovehate 

relationship for such a long time. (Laughs) 

I made a decision at forty to make a living 

out of what I was doing, rather than working 

for other people. That's been a real challenge. But through the support of a lot of friends, I thought I 

had to give it a go. I did quite a bit of research and I knew I had to produce something that was very 

different. I had fairly definite ideas about what I didn't want, which in hindsight is important .. it does 

lead you in a direction. 

KW: Your work seems to draw on a 50's aesthetic. Can you say something about that? 

DE: I have a really minimal aesthetic; a strong clean form. Because the work is so deceptively simple, 

people think it is very retro and very safe, or they think it is very contemporary and very modern. It does 

have to appeal to different people on different levels. I've seen this product in very modern settings, in 

country kitchens, in commercial settings - it seems to fit. IHow itl came about ... wasn't calculated; it 

was really intuitive. It comes from a long time looking at it and thinking about it. 

KW: Have you a particular market or clientele in mind? 

DE: The reality is that Australia is a small, incredibly competitive, educated market so you have to 

appeal to as many people as possible. It has to be a quality prodUct. The younger generation of people 

who are setting up houses and collecting, they're led by colour. I don't do white; I do a soft colour that I 

call vanilla ... why would you compete with the commercial market? 

36 THE 10URNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011


David Edmonds. Blue and Vanilla 

Pla te Set, 2010, hand-built, w.5Scm 

Photo: Warrick Orme 

David Edmonds, Dinner Set 

20 II, hand-built, w.28cm 

Photo: courtesy artist 

My idea is not to get my product everywhere but to get it into the best stores - leaders in the market. 

You can't sell to this market; it's much more organic, more subtle. You provide an object of desire that 

they want. I want to make as beautiful objects as I can, that show off food, that enhance that daily 

experience. 

Every two years I do a signature range for an exhibition which informs the domestic range and 

pushes me a bit too. It's a real juggle. There is that ideal about having the freedom to do what you 

want, and paying your overheads. I don't think many people do that really. 

KW: Do you start with an idea and research it? 

DE: It 's a continuum, looking and thinking and absorbing. I wanted to make something that was 

a marriage between colour and form and the surface, and so there 's no foot, the inside flows and 

becomes the outside. The object is a vessel; but it's not, as well. I wanted to make every object unique 

but it had to be repeated. It was freedom to not make the same thing day after day. I don't think I've 

compromised anything to do what I do. I think the challenge to keep it real is much more interesting. 

THE IOURNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011 37


Anne Braithwaite is a student at Northern Beaches TAFE 

and is completing her Advanced Diploma of Fine Arts with a 

focus on tableware. She works part-time as a nurse. 

Karen Weiss (KW): How did you start with clay? 

Anne Braithwaite (AB): There was the craze for painting 

on moulded pieces, the Paint-A-Plate thing. By the time I had 

five cups the same shape, I was over it. They said, "Why don't 

you go down to Northern Beaches TAFE." My background 

is nursing. I had never seen clay in my life. The first class I 

watched John Edye throw a bowl and I got goosebumps, and 

that was it. I've spent fifteen years at Northern Beaches TAFE 

which is a fantastic place for expert advice. 

KW: What is it about tableware that intrigues you? 

AB: Functional ware to me is the most sensuous, delightful 

way of being surrounded by pieces. I can never understand putting the effort into cooking a dish and 

then putting it on a plain white plate; there's nothing to enhance the food. You need a certain type of 

plate or bowl for a certain type of food. The two go together. It makes [eating) a pleasurable, relaxing 

event. It's nice watching [people) unconsciously running their hands around the side of a plate or 

stroking a cup while they're talking. They wouldn't do that with a mass produced plate. That 's what 

makes me feel good inside. 

KW: You 've visited Japan several times and use a Shigaraki-type clay and Oribe and Nuka style glazes, 

what draws you to this aesthetic? 

AB: It's the unexpected I like in the Japanese [ceramics). the happy accidents. I love their philosophy, 

the heritage, the contemporary Japanese potters who have taken on the traditional side and opened it 

right up. They look at something for what it is, not necessarily for what they were going to do. [With 

my work) I often start with an accident that's happened to something else. I think - that could be 

developed, do some drawings, do some tests, take it a bit further - then more accidents happen. It's 

always tangents. 

KW: How do you feel about marketing your work? 

AB: When you make handmade pieces, it's never going to be a huge market, unless you are massproducing 

moulded pieces. The pieces I've put in galleries sell well, so the market's there. 

Marketing and getting your name known is a very big part of being able to sell your work for what 

it's worth. I'd rather be making, but when you are getting out there, you are meeting gallery owners 

and people who are passionate about ceramics. 

You're always told if you have a passion for what you're making, it will come out in your work. But 

one article I read said, if you want to sell your pots, buy fashion magazines, interior design magazines, 

because you'll be way ahead of your peers on the trends that are happening and can change your 

glaze and your style quite quickly to go with that. I find that a bit cold. I don't know if I could do that. 

Fortunately, I've never had the pressure of supporting my family from my pots. 

KW: Can you see you supporting yourself from your work? 

AB: I would like to get it up to 50% of my income, but that would be an awful lot of pots. With the 

nurSing, I feel I'm achieving a good balance at present. It's keeping me in the two worlds that I love. 



1 Cup, wheel-thrown, handcarved. 

white satin glaze, woodfired, 

h.l Ocm 

2 Side plate, slab-built, cut and 

hand-carved, wood-fired, shino 

glaze, diam.19cm 

3 Cups, wheel-thrown, hand 

carved, Oribe style glaze 

4 Large bowl, wheel-thrown, 

hand-carved, Oribe style glaze, 

h.12cm, w.22cm 

Photos: artist 

All work was made by Anne 

Braithwaite In 2010. uSing 

a self-formulated blend of 

commercial clays to achieve a 

Shigaraki-style clay body suitable 

for both wood-fire and oXidation. 

All Oribe-style glazed work was 

fired in oxidation; all others were 

wood-fired. 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMI CS IULY 2011 39


----------------------------------------------- 

Gregory Bonasera, Segmenta Bowl, (in collaboration with Shapeways), 2011, porcela in, h.3.6cm, diam.19cm 


Ceramic Innovation 

Inga Walton considers Gregory Bonasera's design strategy 

Tucked away behind a typical industrial fa


Gregory Bonasera studio shot; photo: Paul Barbera, www.wheretheycreate.com 

to produce any other way. It's difficult to predict where this will go but it's fascinating and exciting." 

And a little worrisome? Bonasera certainly isn't concerned that he's going to be out of work. " I don't 

think or hope that this technology will make handmade ceramics redundant, it just offers a new option. 

I think you'd still need to have a good understanding of ceramics to really exploit the technology, and 

most industrial designers don't," he said . 

Despite the concept being in its early stages, Bonasera's first 3D item, the Segmenta Bowl (2011) 

which he designed in two days, was nonetheless ready in time for exhibition at the International 

Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City (14-17 May). "Exposure at such events is important, as 

it contributes to a profile which people recognise and remember, which in turn contributes to viability, " 

he remarks. "It also puts me at the coal-face, and it's a great way for me to get direct feedback from 

people who are likely to buy or specify my work." Bonasera graduated from Monash University in the 

late 1980s with a BA in ceramic design, specialising in slip-casting, and went straight into a studio 

situation making metal furniture, primarily in stainless steel. "I have always produced work to sell, 

whether it be bespoke pieces to order or batch-produced products. I rarely exhibit my work because 

I'm a designer, not a fine artist, or a potter necessarily. In Europe there are design galleries but, 

unfortunately, we don't really have the same here." 

Bonasera's formative years were critical in terms of developing and responding to his creative 

impulses, with the opportunity and encouragement to pursue his own projects. His father was a 

traditionally trained upholsterer and maker and restorer of furniture, who worked firstly for Fleur before 

branching out on his own. "I spent a great deal of my childhood in my father's furniture workshop 

where he often restored very decorative antique chairs. I thought many of the pieces were so beautiful, 

but so often not entirely comfortable or functional; they were, however, relevant and appropriate for 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011 4'

Gregory Bonasera, Cu rio IV, cervical vertebrae 

clear glazed porcelain, ceramic decal. h.2Scm 


Gregory Bonasera, Curio VIII, Ghost Garden Vase 

unique composition, clear glazed porcelain, h.37cm 


their time," Bonasera recalls . "I think my work is quite similar in that it often straddles a line between 

functionality and decoration. It's important that my work is functional, but the aesthetic is what gives it 

uniqueness. I don't think something needs to be functional to justify its existence. It's also a worthwhile 

challenge to bring a fresh aesthetic to a functional object." 

Although he still undertakes a certain amount of bespoke and commissioned projects (primarily 

lighting) - "it's always a welcome break from production work, which can become dulling after a while" 

- it is for his bowls, vases and beakers that Bonasera is most renowned. Having designed mould-formed 

vessels in steel, resin and glass in the 1990s, Bonasera is now entirely focused on the development of 

ceramic works, strongly influenced by organic, architectonic, and hybrid forms. " My aesthetic is quite 

visceral; I do what feels right. My style is really an organic geometry in both the product ranges and 

the WOnderkammer range, which is about paying homage to the stunning brilliance of nature, " he 

comments. " In my childhood home we had our 'nature shelf' where objects from the natural world 

would be placed to be admired; this instilled in me a respect and fascination for such things." The 

range was what Bonasera calls a 'high end concept' which originated as the solo exhibition My Garden 

(2007), a metaphor for fertile creative ground in his design practice, at Craft Victoria as part of the 

Melbourne Design Festival. 

The 'Museum' and 'Curio' pieces in clear glazed porcelain tie into the more recent renewal of interest 

in various historical areas of quasi-scientific collecting and connOisseurship. "I love repetition, and the 

OPPOsIte page: Gregory Bonasera, Elk Vase , basalt colour, glazed porcelain, h.33cm; photo: courtesy artist 


Focus ; Ceramics + Utility 

radial repetition in much of my work, including Curio IV-V, 

emphasises the precision and geometry of the bones. I'm 

also fascinated by the engineering solutions resulting from 

evolution evident in bones. They really tend to creep some 

people out, but I don't th ink they should," he reasons. "I think 

it's because animal bones remind us of our own mortality; 

they're so strikingly similar to our own. It's my understanding 

that generally the people who do find the porcelain bones 

disturbing wouldn't think twice about admiring a sea shell 

and yet they represent exactly the same thing; it just doesn't 

resemble us." 

As his business advances, Bonasera is confronted with the 

same few overriding issues which remain constant in any 

creative field or artistic undertaking. "Making money and 

keeping integrity. Australia is a sophisticated market but a 

small one, and this is an incredibly labour-intensive process. 

How do you generate a realistic income without completely 

abandoning your beliefs in order to make money)" he asks 

rhetorically. "In a much larger market like Europe, J think they 

tread the line more comfortably in terms of it being easier to 

survive within the limitations imposed by this type of handmade 

manufacturing." Bonasera has chosen not to outsource 

his production to regional neighbours like Indonesia and, 

with a keen eye to quality control, it remains his priority to be 

'Made in Australia'. 

Gregory Bonasera studio shot 

Photo: Paul Barbera 

wwvy.wheretheycreate.com 

Opposite page: Gregory Bona5era 

Clemence Luminaire. porcelain, stainless 

steel, Corian, glass beads; medium, h.40cm, 

diam.20cm Photo: courtesy artist 

Talking to Bonasera about his dedication to his craft and commitment to exacting standards, the 

notion of art 'unsullied' by commerce, which seems both irrelevant and counterproductive today, is 

touched on. "I'm interested in why we seem to have a question or concern about earning money [in 

this fieldl. It implies you're not passionate, your motivation is questioned ... but I adore what I do, and 

why can't we as practitioners be commercially savvy as well? " he ponders. "With Porcelain Bear, 

that arose because a lot of my ideas had nowhere to go; they were being wasted. I didn't want to 

confuse my retailers or market, so this is my 'diffusion' line, and why can't a ceramics practitioner have 

more than one enterprise?" Why indeed? And it seems abundantly clear that Gregory Bonasera will be 

leading by example. 

www.bonasera.com.au 

Product photography; Adam Cleave, www.adamcleave.com.au 

Computer rendering (lighting and 'Segmenta Bowl'); Hayden Martis 

www.haydenmartisdesign.com. 

The evocative studio images are kindly supplied by Paul Barbera, His forthcoming book on 

artists and 'creatives' in their workspaces, Where They Create, will be published in September 

by Frame Publishers, The Netherlands; www.framemag.com/allbooks. 

See also www.wheretheycreate,com and www,paulbarbera.com. 

Inga Walton is a Melbourne-based writer and arts consultant who contributes to numerous 

Australian and international publications. 



Flat Out 

1 Oee Taylor-Graham 

2 Aleida Pullar 

3 Meredith Stewart 

4 Denise McDonald 

5 Dee Taylor-Graham 

6 Kaye Stephens 

7 Janetta Kerr-Grant 

8 Jann Kesby 

9 Ursula Burgoyne 

10 Adriana Christianson 

t t Angela Walford 

12 Jennifer Bult 

13 Rhoda Karpin 



14 Mieke van Sambeeck 

15 Lindy R Smith 

16 Christopher Plum ridge 

17 Kyong Hoe Kim 

18 Sue Jones & 

David Middlebrook 

19 Jill Symes 

20 Stewart Scambler 

21 Trish Scam bier 

22 Lyn Bat.s 

23 Judy Pierce 

24 Naoko Coghlan 

25 Nicky Coady 

26 Ingrid Tufts 

THE IOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 47


In the Kitchen with 

MasterChef Adam Liaw 

Janetta Kerr-Grant on celebrating the hand-made 

Late last year I was approached by a food stylist who wanted to use my ceramic vessels in the second 

MasterChef cookbook, Two Asian Kitchens. She had been working with the MasterChef winner Adam 

Liaw who had expressed a strong desire for the tableware to reflect the Japanese aesthetic of 'wabisabi', 

or 'imperfect beauty', as he felt this would match the spirit of his recipes. 

Food stylist Lisa La Barbera arrived at my house and I showed her my current, fairly limited number 

of loose platters, bowls and plates. However, she was keen to see what other pieces of my work I 

had stashed away in the kitchen cupboards and throughout the house. Small ornamental vessels were 

quickly reappraised as being suitable for dipping sauces or rice or pickles. Platters were overturned and 

the unglazed base became a textured stand for displaying dishes. Dainty plates were seen as an unusual 

foil for the book 's many meat dishes . Several hours later she departed with around seventy items and I 

was left with a kitchen devoid of tableware. 

My family needed plates to eat on so I resorted to resurrecting an old Maxwell W illiams dinner set 

that had been retired several years ago. Returning to using perfect white china was strangely deflating. 

I have long thought that table settings are akin to daily domestic installations. Setting a table is a 

wonderful excuse to create a tableau where pattern contrasts against plain, matt differentiates against 

shiny, and texture is set off against smooth. The white uniformity of my Maxwell Williams tableware 

meant that this daily pleasure was rendered somewhat redundant as everything matched and everything 

tended to look the same . 

In the catalogue for the recent 'Vitrify' ceram ic award, writer and art critic Peter Timms mentions how 

most plates and bowls are now designed by a computer and consequently they are cheap, flawless and 

easily replaced. However, he too finds such tableware dispiriting: "Sadly though, they are completely 

lifeless. They lack heart, that indefinable quality that only the mastery of craft skills can impart." But he 

also notes that in an age where computers provide instant gratification, " the joy of doing has lost out to 

the efficiency of getting things done" . 

I am of the belief that there will always be people who delight in vessels, functional or otherwise, that 

cause them to pa use and wonder. Lisa returned my work after shooting up to eight dishes a day for 

several weeks . She told me that after using mainly hand-crafted ceramics on the shoot, she had been 

seduced. She said from now on she too would celebrate the handmade. 

Two Asian Kitchens by Adam Liaw was published by Random House Australia in April 2011 . 



1 Seven Lucky Gods, Jan@tta Kerr-Grant, six gingham 

plates (old marble dish in centre of image belongs to the 

stylist) 

2 Pearl Pudding, Jan@tta Kerr-Grant, white and black 

gingham plate, 2010, d,am.1 Scm 

3 Prawn and Cheese Okonomiyaki, Janetta Kerr-Grant. 

green and black gingham plate, 2010, diam.26cm 

4 Tofu and Camembert Skewers, Janetta K@rr-Grant, 

green and black gingham plate


Tony Bllsan and Sally Gordon in Bilsan's 

restaurant in the Radisson Hotel. Sydney 

Photo: Greg Piper 

On the Table 

at Bilson's 

Jules Skovgaard gives a short report on how Sally Gordon's celadon 

porcelain made it to the table at Bilson's in Sydney. 

For as long as she can remember. Sally has enjoyed making things. She studied ceramics at school 

and later at the National Art School at East Sydney Technical College. During her school days, Sally was 

influenced by Les Blakebrough, who was in charge of the pottery and director of SlUrt Workshops at 

Mittagong. Words from Les remain her benchmark: "A potter's standard is only as high as the worst 

piece in his exhibition". 

At school Sally learned how to throw functional domestic ware in the times when the Japanese 

influence was very strong amongst Western potters, This instilled in her the discipline that 'in order to 

achieve one must continually strive'. To this end she works to design and make pieces that look good, 

work well, and are comfortable to handle and a pleasure to use. 

The introduction of blue celadon came after Sally saw it used by some modern potters - the beauty 

of it took her breath away. She has now developed her own style of a blue celadon glaze which is 

reminiscent of the aqua tones in the waters around the Great Barrier Reef. 

Last year, on a visit to the central west of New South Wales, Tony Bilson called at Sally's strawbale 

studio near Millthorpe to see her work. He wanted to introduce a serving plate that would catch the eye 

as people walked into his restaurant. On seeing the blue celadon ware he decided this was just the look 

he wanted, so Sally created a special range for Bilson's that included ten dozen serving plates. six dozen 

small casserole dishes, and two different styles of small cups. 

Sally says: "After the last delivery I emailed Tony to ask if he was happy with the quality." He replied: 

"Love them, Sally; they have lifted the restaurant." 

www.bilsons.com.au 

so THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011


Above: Sally Gordon, pasta/soup bowl, casserole and dinner plate, 20 11, Southern Ice, wheel-thrown. blue celadon glaze 

Below: Sally Gordon, pla tter; egg cup and butter dish , 2011, Southern Ice, various techniques, blue celadon glaze 

Photos: Gr"9 Piper 

THE /OURNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS /UlY 2011 

Sl

Focus: Ce ram ics + Utility 

Creating Seder Plates 

Ede Horton writes about her collaboration with Christopher Plumridge 

Glass informs and transforms the Judaica (Jewish ritual objects) 

I make. For the past twenty years I have enjoyed the challenge of 

designing and making limited edition Judaica. The contemporary 

ideas and discipline of designing these functional objects reference 

specific historical guidelines and a definite code of practice. I find this 

process extremely stimulating. 

A number of my Judaica pieces require components made 

from different materials. Craft Victoria has often been my starting 

point to help me find artistic collaborators. Recently I approached 

several makers to see if they were interested in working with me 

collaboratively. To my delight ceramicist Chris Plumridge was prepared 

not only to discuss my ideas, but also help me to understand the 

complexities and limitations of certain materials I wanted to use. 

Once I was able to integrate this understanding into my design 

concept and work out the practical implications, we established a 

business arrangement and the final objects quickly evolved from the 

early prototypes. 

Working with another artist always requires respect, trust and 

understanding. Chris Plum ridge is a master potter of exceptional 

talent, knowledge and skill and I respect him enormously. We 

documented all our discussions and costs via email to prevent any 

miscommunication. As well, the project period recognised other 

commitments: working towards exhibitions, teaching periods and 

firing schedules, for example. We discussed the similarities between 

the two media as well as their marketing aspects. It was always 

exciting to visit Chris's studio and see the next stage of development. 

I have always wanted to make a Seder plate for Passover, one 

which sits comfortably on a cluttered, food-laden table - a simple 

plate that could capture not only the religious order of service, but 

also the different symbols that represent our story of freedom. 

As a designer and maker of religiOUS objects, it is a privilege to know 

that my work travels and is used in Jewish ceremonies worldwide. 

Above: Seder pla te with ritual foods 

Below: Seder plate with Hebrew 

lettering, h.2cm. w.30.5cm, d.20cm 

Photos: courtesy artists 

Note: The Passover Seder Plate is a special plate containing symbolic foods eaten 

or displayed at the Passover Seder, a ritualised dinner observed during Passover. 

Ede Horton is an artist who lives in Melbourne. 

Christopher Plumridge: http://home.vicnet.net.au/- cplum/ 


Promot ion 

Contemporary Ceramics at 

Hazelhurst 

Claudia Citton, Read Between the Lines, 2010, stonevvare. clear glaze. h.2 1.Scm, w.l 1cm. d.3cm; photo: Keith Arnold 

Through a joint in itiative by Sutherland TAFE College, Gymea Campus, and Sydney College of the 

Arts (SCA), Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre w ill present the works of highly proficient artists 

including lecturers from SCA and teachers and recently established graduates from Sutherland TAFE 

College. In Clay and An Unnatural History of Nature will be on display at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery 

from 20 August to 9 October 2011. 

In Clay 

As one of the largest Sydney-based centres for ceramic practitioners, the Ceramics Design Studio 

at Sutherland TAFE College, Gymea campus, has for the past 45 years trained ceramic artists and 

designers who have gone on to become nationally and internationally recognised for their skill, creativity 

and innovation. In Clay highlights the significance of ceramics within the cultural landscape of the 

Sutherland Shire, and the diversity and evolution of Australian contemporary ceramic practice. 

The practitioners selected for the exhibition demonstrate different career paths within the ceramic 

industry; they are amongst the most successful artists, designers, teachers and academics working within 

Australia. Many have won significant awards, some have exhibited and worked in studios in China, USA, 

Japan and Europe, and a number of their works are held in significant public and private collections 

around the world. 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRAliAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 53

Promotion 

lynda Draper, Caravan, 2010, hand·built 

porcellaneous stoneware. multiple glaze 

firings. h.15cm, w.19cm, d.1 2cm 


Among the exhibiting artists is Claudia Citton, a practising ceramic artist and teacher, who has been 

involved in ceramics for twelve years. Her work Read Between the Lines attempts to interpret her view 

of a fragmented and fractured world where humanity and nature are not unified. Claudia is particularly 

interested in exploring the trajectories between mortality and immortality, creation and destruction. 

Lynda Draper, a teacher at Gymea TAFE Ceramic Design Studio, Sydney Institute for over twenty years, 

has an interest in domestic souvenirs and their psychological associations. Home Altar evolved in reply 

to the evocative nature of a group of souvenirs collected from her childhood home prior to its sale 

and demolition. The artefacts re-emerged in to her life as extraordinary, familiar yet strange, ghost-like 

memories from the past, triggering an overwhelming nostalgia that creeps into feel ings of unease. 

Aedan Harris, also from Ceramic Design Studio, has always had a fascination w ith nature and the 

extraordinary capabilities of animal and plant life. In his work Silent Rhythms he attempts to echo the 

workings of the natural world - the process of evolution and adaptation, growth and decay, diversity 

and order, mystique and power. All these elements are part of a constant cycle, a rhythm of life, each 

one with intent and purpose. Finish ing each piece in red and black expresses the essential components 

of living organisms --

Promotion 

Adam Geczy and Jan Guy, Fired Turkey Bones (detail) 

2010, inkjet on fine art paper 

Right: 

Adam Geczy and Jan Guy, Ceramic Surgery, 2009 

ceramics. wood, glass and video 

An Unnatural History of Nature 

The gallery will also feature the work of Adam Geczy and Jan Guy from Sydney College of the Arts in 

the exhibition An Unnatural History of Nature. This installation explores museology, the construction 

of nature, bioengineering and the agonistic human relationship between nature and mediation. At the 

core of this exhibition is the Ceramic Surgery suite, exotic birds made of bone china. The bones, from 

which the ceramic work is made, have been obtained from the familiar, prosaic birds that we eat: turkey, 

chicken, quail. These works speak of a transformation that can be traced from the Tales of Ovid to 

Shelley's Frankenstein: tales of the alteration of nature, a wager between humans and nature in which 

human hubris usually gets more than it bargained for. These generic birds have metamorphosed into 

ones of beauty, but at the price of their stasis: they sit entombed within glass domes. The stands and 

vitrine have been purpose-built: their style is a vaguely Art Nouveau, extracted from an era of 'art-forart's 

sake' and decadence, in which the synthetic took precedence over the natural. Other components 

of this work are photography, video and drawing. The works offer an image of unfettered nature 

but, crucially, they are intangible and transient, a foil to the inscrutable yet lovely deadness of their 

counterparts made of bone china. 

The exhibitions can be viewed daily from lOam to 5pm at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery. 

In Clay and An Unnatural History of Nature 

20 August - 9 October 2011 

Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, 782 Kingsway, Gymea N5W 2227 

T: 02 8536 5700 E: hazelhurst@ssc.nsw.gov.au 

www.hazelhurst.com.au 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 ~5

_ I Communities 

:.:.;;:.:.:,. arts nsw 

Hazelhurst 

__ UIWI'f I MIl COITIIE 

A facility of Sutherland Shire Council 

Sutherland Shire t13\ 

COUNCIL ~

National Education Pictorial Survey 

National Education 

Pictorial Survey 2011 

Note" Due to a lack of space, 

full captlonmg of images IS not 

pOSSible. Please contact the 

editor If you would like more 

Information on any Image 

featured in thl!t survey. 

Australian National University 

School of Art 

T: 02 6125 5824 

http://soa.anu.edu.au 

1 Erin Kojai 

2 Cathy Franzi 

3 Michelle Lim 

4 Elaine Bradley 

5 Lucas Boswell 

s 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JU LY 2011 57


Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE. Townsville 

T: 0747505211 

www.barrierreel.tale.qld.gov.au 

1 Yang ok Lee 

2 Janine Jumeau 

Photos: Jenny Mulcahy 

Brisbane North Institute of TAFE. Ithaca 

T: 07 3259 3067 

www.bn.tale .qld.gov.au 

, 

1 Christine Burgess 

2 Tracey Lanesbury 

3 Katrina Woodland 

3 



Chisholm Institute of TAFE 

Dandenong 

T: 03 9212 5398 

www.chisholm.vic.edu.au 

1 Carmen Grostal 

2 Kate Stuart 

3 

Holmesglen Institute of 

TAFE, Chad stone 

T: 03 9564 1578 

www.holmesglen.vic.edu .au 

1 Helen Plesar 

2 Ulrica Trulsson 

3 Lisa Blanco 

2 

Hunter Institute of TAFE 

Newcastle Art School 

T: 02 4929 0378 

www.hunter.tafensw.edu.au 

1 Brenda Durie 

2 Frank Oakes 

Photos: Sue Stewart 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 

S9


1 Alicia Connolly 

2 Anneke Paijmans 

lIIawarra Institute of TAFE. Bega 

T: 02 6492 9700 

www.illawarra.tafenswedu.au 

1 Marg Baker 

2 Maree Anderson 

3 Tracey Mitchell 

4 Julie Penn ington 

IIlawarra Institute of TAFE 

Moss Vale 

T: 02 48680158 

www.illawarra.tafensw.edu.au 

La Trobe University. Bendigo 

T: 03 5444 7217 

www.latrobe.edu.aulvisualarts 

1 Murray Ross 

2 Janae Evans 

Photos: Ian Hill 



Mount Barker 

TAFE SA 

T: 08 8391 7333 

www.tafesa.edu.au 

1 Joy Mayberry 

2 Graham Boothby 

Photos: Merrilyn Stock 

4 

National Art School, Sydney 

T: 02 9339 8631 

www.nas.edu.au 

1 Alexandra Standen 

2 Ben Milne 

3 Nathan Turvey 

4 Joey Taouk 


National Education pictorial Survey 

North Coast Institute of TAFE 

Cofts Harbour 

T: 02 6659 3208 

www.northcoast.tafensw.edu.au 

1 Parma Keft 

2 Emma Nicholson 

Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE 

Brookvale 

T: 02 99415211 

www.nsi.tafensw.edu.au 

1 Maxine Field 

2 Karen Niblock Steward 

3 Helen Gates 

4 Ray Jackson 

5 Jing Ding 

6 John Curnoe 

Photos: Stephen Cummings 



North Coast Institute of TAFE 

lismore 

T: 02 6623 0200 

wwvv.northcoast. tafensw.edu.au 

1 Debra Gower 

2 Tali Cohen-Flantz 

Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE 

Hornsby 

T: 02 9472 1208 

wwvv. nsi. tafensw.edu.au 

1 Jae Eddison 

2 Marg Whyntie 

3 Jann Craw 

4 Izette Felthum 

5 Sandy Marker 



RMIT University, Melbourne 

T: 03 9925 3865 

www.rmit.edu.aulart 

1 Erin Murray 

2 Val issa Butterworth 

3 Mojan Habibi 

4 Qiajian He 

5 Andrei Davidoff 

6 Robyn Hosking 



Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE. Noosa 

T: 07 5459 3000 

www.sunshinecoast.tafe.qld.gov.au 

1 Glenda Stasse 

2 Mary Bulloch 

3 Sophy Blake 

Sydney Institute of TAFE. Gymea 

Ceramic Design Studio 

T: 02 9710 5048 

www.sit.nsw.edu .aulceramicslgymea 

1 Lisa Johnson 

2 laura Gant 

3 Peter Berris 

4 Ursula Burgoyne 

THE IOURNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 

6s


University of Ballarat 

Arts Academy 

T: 03 5327 8245 

www.ballarat.edu.au 

1 Rachael Negri 

2 Caitlin Lowe 

Photos: Tim Allan 

University of Newcastle 

T: 02 4921 5000 

www.newcastle.edu.au 

1 Sharon Taylor 

2 Robyn Bell 

Photos: Sharon Taylor 

University of NSW, Paddington 

College of Fine Arts 

T: 02 9385 0684 

www.cofa.unsw.edu.au 

1 Niccola Phillips 

2 Hayden Youlley 

3 Ashley McHutchison 

3 



University of South Australia 

South Australian School of Art 

T: 08 8302 9192 

www.unisa.edu.au 

1 Anh Thu Pham 

2 Sally Gibson-Dore 

3 Ayaka Sumita 

University of Southern Queensland 

T: 07 4631 1127 

www.usq.edu.au 

1 Melissa Duffy 

2 (ass Edney 

3 Daniel Qualischefski 

J 

J 

v 

2 

3 


National Education Pictoria l Survey 

University of Sydney 

Sydney College of the Arts 

T: 02 9351 1046 

www.usyd.edu.au/sca 

1 Jan Howlin 

2 Areeya Saeloy 

3 Trevor Fry 

4 Mitchell Svenson 

5 Tracey Tazewell 

6 Penny Philpott 

7 Eleni Antoniou 

8 Trang Nguyen 

4 

5 

6 



Western Institute of TAFE, Mudgee 

T: 02 6378 2646 

www.wit.tafensw.edu.au/campuses/mudgee 

1 Rosalie Swords 

2 Belle Brooks 

Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, Nepean 

T: 02 92089338 

http://wsi.tafensw.edu .au 

1 Katherine Kennedy 

3 Robert Musgrave 

2 Helen Jenner 4 Nathaniel M ickhaiel 

2 

3 4 


ACT 2012 

Australian Ceramics Triennale 

2012 

On behalf of Craftsouth and the South Australian 

ceramics community, I am pleased to introduce the 

2012 Australian Ceramics Triennale and invite you to 

join us in Adelaide from 

28 September to 1 October 2012 

South Australia will host the 13th Australian Ceramics 

Triennale and we are proud to present an exciting 

program that will bring together leading national 

and international ceramics practitioners, educators, 

collectors, critics and cultural theorists in celebrating 

diversity, plus social and cultural approaches to this field. 

Peter Johnson in his studio 

The theme for the conference is Subversive Clay and over four days we will explore clay as a 

medium capable of challenging artistic, social and cultural issues through investigating past traditions 

and invigorating future experimentation. Representing excellence in contemporary clay practice from 

around the world, the conference will consider how ceramic artists contest traditional approaches to clay 

as a medium and as an important art form, and thus its role in society. 

Supported by peak South Australian arts and tertiary education organisations, including JamFactory 

Contemporary Craft and Design, University of South Australia School of Art and Architecture and 

Adelaide College of the Arts, the Triennale will feature national and international speakers, exhibitions, 

Australian Ceramics Triennale 2012 

Call for papers and workshops 

SUBVERSIVE CLAY 

Adelaide, Australia 

28 September-1 October 2012 

The 13th Australian Ceramics Triennale is a major ceramics event presenting four days of discussions, 

debates and opportunities to exchange ideas for both local and international ceramic artists, educators, 

collectors, critics and theorists. 

We are seeking papers and workshops that explore clay as a subversive medium capable of 

challenging artistic, cultural and social norms. 


ACT 2 012 

www.australianceramicstriennale.com 

master classes and workshop programs together with a focus on Indigenous Australian ceramics. 

The 2012 Australian Ceramics Triennale will provide an ideal opportunity for the entire ceramics 

community to introduce, discuss, debate and exchange ideas. 

The conference will be held in the West End of Adelaide, a vibrant and exciting arts precinct within 

easy walking distance of the city. 

Please register your personal interest (by 30 September) in the presentation of papers and 

workshops relevant to the conference theme by email to:subversiveclay@craftsouth.org.au 

Areas of particular interest include: 

• Art and craft traditions and their interaction with contemporary practice 

• Industrial processes and alternative teChnologies 

• Hybrid practices and the development of mixed media 

• Indigenous ceramics practice 

• Critical writing and documentation 

• Exhibition practices, public and private 

Many thanks to our sponsors and The Journal of Australian Ceramics for their support of the 

conference. 

Looking forward to seeing you in Adelaide, 

Peter Johnson, Chair Steering Committee 

To register interest and receive information regarding the presentation of papers and/or workshops, 

please contact Craftsouth. 

E: subversiveclay@craftsouth.org.au; T: 08 8410 1822 

Abstracts (for papers and workshops) are due by 30 September 2011 . 

University of 

South Australia 

® 

.=.tafeSA 

Jam 

Factory 

o UTH 

5 ... 5 ~ 

To take the opportunity to sponsor this nationally and internationally significant ceramics event 

please contact Craftsouth by email. subversiveciay@craftsouth.org.au. or phone 08 8410 1822.

Sandy Lockwood 

Fifty Australian Stories at 

the Edge of the World 

Paul Campbell-Allen poses a question 

It is not often one can enter a room with examples of work from over fifty of the upper echelon 

of Australia's wood-firing ceramic artists. Openings are really only an opportunity to taste and it is 

impossible to appreciate the full depth of expression when balancing a glass of wine and engaged in 

conversation. Gems tend to be overlooked. One thing that came across clearly is that ceramic artists 

are, on the whole, hopeless at writing about their own work. Artist's statements ranged from the 

wildly metaphysical to bland technical descriptions of firing cycles - both pretty well unintelligible. I am 

reminded of Elvis Costello's remark that 'writing about music is like dancing about architecture.' The 

same could be said of writing about ceramics. 

Nevertheless, as an outsider, I am going to attempt a few off-the-cuff observations, not about the 

techniques, about which I know only a little, but about the impact of the works as they presented. 

The first issue I have is one of scale and context. After spending the previous day at the MONA, I 

cannot be surprised by big. The trouble with big, particularly in a fairly confined space, is that it just 

hits you in the face then becomes part of the background. If Robert Barron's anything-but-soft, cooked 

pillow or Graeme Wilkie's box monoliths were placed in an open field, or, conversely, in a very small 

room, the impact would be radically different. No doubt they are limited by kiln size, but in my view 

none of the large pieces were anywhere big enough to be convincing and ended up falling between 

two stools. 


View 

3 Kirk. WInter 

4 GYllYn Hanssen Pigott 

The second issue was the lack of humour and its close relation, sex appeal. With one or two 

exceptions, most of the work seemed to be taking itself extremely seriously. Peter Thompson's crazily 

esoteric Nipponese/Murri coastal deities (a piece which I renamed in my mind The Hunt for Moby 

Dick in a Red October) and Kirk Winter's Empress' New Phone were perhaps the only pieces that 

attempted irony. As far as sex appeal is concerned, very few of the pieces had that visceral effect of 

'I must have this work'. Unfortunately, one of the Australian wood-firing ceramic artists capable of 

generating that effect by the exquisite integration of form and surface was not represented. 

The third issue was the lack of real variety. Sure there were lots of statements about chance, but 

the overall palette was predictable and within a fairly limited range. It was surprising that some of the 

more flamboyant aspects of wood-firing were under represented. Grey to tan, with the occasional 

green, seemed to be the prevalent palette. Likewise, the forms were on the whole conservative, more 

akin to classical architecture than out of the box Gehry. I think this is more about finessing and refining 

than strong visual challenge. The few attempts at breaking out, such as Neil Hoffman's piece, were 

simply too constrained. The real problem with the finessing approach is the tendency towards sterility. 

The retirement village aesthetic - serene, contemplative and static - is exemplified in the timeless 

mantelpiece vessels of Gwyn Hanssen Pigott. Others are following suit. 

So, if you had to name your top five pieces what would they be? 


Owen Rye Steve Williams Malina Monks 

For what it is worth these are mine: 

*Steve Williams' robust and gutsy piece positioned near to, but by no means overshadowed by, the 

immediately recognisable works of Janet Mansfield, Chester Nealie and Owen Rye - sounds a bit like a 

triumvirate does it not? 

*Sandy Lockwood's wonderfully understated, subtle and joyous surface to a simple open form 

*Owen Rye's search for the unobtainable perfect form with an extremely seductive surface - is there a 

parable here? 

*Len Cook's corroded barbed w ire handle on an exquisite teapot - a potential new symbol for 

Amnesty International 

* Malina Monk's skewed woven cross - I was totally caught unawares by it on leaving the room. 

*There is another piece that I also greatly admire, but to avoid being accused of undue bias I cannot 

mention the maker. 

What to make of the whole? There is no doubting the technical competency of the makers, nor their 

commitment to refinement of their aesthetic. Overall though, it felt a little 'closed shop', a tad insular 

and self-congratulatory, caught in a sort of self-absorbed time warp. Yet in our brave new world of 

flickering, rapidly changing visual stimuli, still pieces w ith finely refined form and surface are a sort of 

anchor - an assurance that there is value in the simple and well crafted. I will continue to surround 

myself with these objects but wonder, despite Torbj0rn's optimism, if the small band of wood-firing 

believers has reached the edge of their world. 

Inside Woodfire - Fifty Australian Stories 

Curator: Ben Richardson 

Gallery 9, Deloraine; 28 April - 1 May 2011 

Exhibitors: Ana Maria Hernandez Jensen, Andrew Bryant, Arthur Rosser, Barbara Campbell-Allen, Ben 

Richardson , Bill Brownhill, Bruce McWhinney, Carol Rosser, Cath O'Gorman, Cher Shackleton, Chester 

Nealie, Daniel Lafferty, Don Court, Geoff Crispin, Geoff Thomas, Graeme Wilkie, Grant Hodges, Greg 

Crowe, Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott, Ian Hodgson, Ian Jones, Isaac Patmore, Jann Kesby, Janet Mansfield, Judy 

Boydell, Kaye Stephens, Kirk Winter, Kwi Rak Choung, Len Cook, Lisa Edwards, Malcolm Greenwood, 

Malina Monks, Michael Stephan, Moraig McKenna, Neil Hoffmann, Owen Rye, Paul Davis, Peter 

Thompson, Peter Pilven, Peter Rushforth, Ray Cavill, Robert Barron, Roswitha Wulff, Sandy Lockwood, 

Sergei Shatrov, Steve Harrison, Steve W illiams, Stewart Scambler, Su Hanna, Sue Acheson, Suzie 

McMeekin, Tim Holmes, Ursula Burgoyne and Yuri W iedenhofer. 


Process + Meaning 

Mark Making 

Sarah O'Sullivan takes a look at an upcoming ceramic masters exhibition 

The artist mark is as individual and identifiable as ones signature and a direct link to the artist's hand. 

These marks can take many forms, from a piercing slice to a brush stroke or scratch. 

Mark-making is a drawing term, defined as a visible trace or impression on a surface, such as a line, 

spot or dent Markings on vessel forms pre-date markings on paper, and there have always been surface 

marks or embellishments on ceramic objects, whether from the process of making or from intended 

surface decoration. 

The diversity of ceramic processes is so broad that the maker'S mark can be something that develops 

during the creation of the form, through intuitive processes like hand-building or wheel-throwing, or 

from a more controlled process like slip-casting that can allow an artist to plan and prepare the form. 

All artists strive for an imagined outcome. Artists master processes over the course of their career, 

allowing them control over the outcome. But at what point does the idea of subconscious meandering 

come into play, whereby the artist is not driven by intellectual thoughts of manipulation but by the 

material and happy accidents? 

This exhibition brings together nine artists who work using a diverse range of techniques which reflect 

the underlying essence of the 'artist mark', that which is in some way linked to the subconscious, or the 

artist's aesthetic compulsions. This exhibition explores ceramic mark-making - the lines, impressions and 

patterns used on three dimensional forms. 

Sandra Black's signature mark is that made by piercing, in which she removes material from the 

surface and structure of the forms. This works well on her simple forms, not only enhancing the 

quality of the material by enabling the transmission of light, but also exemplifying the notion of a three 

dimensional drawing; the audience can simultaneously view the marks on both the exterior and the 

Sandra Black, Curved 

Vines Vessel, 2009 

thrown Southern Ice 

porcelain, h.20cm 



7S


Far left: 

Pippin Drysdale 

Burn t Blaze Ridge, 2011 

porcelain, incised with 

coloured glazes; h.31cm 

Photo: Sue Warrington 

left: 

louise B05cacci, Pilgrim 2 

(below my flightless feet) 

2010, translucent porcelain 

vitreous inlay, glaze, h.20cm 

Photo: Greg Piper 

interior. Sandra Black's forms are enhanced by intricate, yet sometimes strong, shadows, echoing her 

concept that the Australian environment is extreme, piercing and harsh, yet fragile. Black finds markmaking 

an intuitive response to a blank surface. She works with simple porcelain forms, thrown or 

slip-cast from a single piece drop mould, into which she carves and/or drills marks when the pieces are 

leather hard. 

I am consistently drawn back to these techniques for their precision, focus, and meditative qualit ies in 

the making of marks on and through the surface. 

In contrast to this process of removing material to create a mark, artist Pippin Drysdale builds up 

layers on the surface of her work. She then intricately incises with fine 'trace' lines, using a complicated 

process of layering liquitex, pigment and glaze, a technique which has taken years of experimenting 

and patience to perfect. As only a small patch of surface can be worked on at one time, a single pot 

can take several days to prepare and paint. Drysdale's marks record the horizon line, giving the surface 

a sense of infinite space as if looking out over the vast expanse of the desert. These incised lines follow 

the natural contours of the vessel, linking together the concept, the form and the mark-making. 

Bronvvyn Kemp's inlaid porcelain pieces record natural phenomena, such as the patterns of wind and 

heat waves in the distance. As she explains: 

Drawing or marking the surface is an integrated conceptual aspect of my work, ra rely separate or an 

Bronwyn Kemp, Slowly Softly, 2009, Southern Ice, inlaid black slip; h.15cms, w.46cms, d. 13cms; photo: Jasper Odgers 

76 THE IOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011

Mitsuo Shoji, Bottle, 20 II 

porcelain colour inlay, h.3Scm 

Photo: ChrIStine Shoji 

afterthought. I often think of recent objects as drawings. Often it's the drawn surface (or the cutting 

and scaping) that drives the whole work. 

Artist Louise Boscacci has been progressively exploring ceramic inlays for aesthetic and conceptual 

purposes, seeing this as a material metaphor within her work - an inlaid vessel will carry 'inlaid' or 

embodied experiences, ideas and sensory recall. The process of inlay involves a hand-drawn sgraffito line 

being filled with a ceramic material such as coloured slip. The drawn lines allow fast fluid and rhythmic 

bodily responses, whilst the actual inlay technique that follows is a more meditative, time consuming 

and exacting process. Boscacci states: 

Marking is an extension of the making in plastic or fluid clay ... the continuation and completion of 

thinking or intuitive response. 

Mitsuo Shoji also works with the inlay process in his practice. For him it is a demonstration of 

the beautiful contradiction between the quick gestural strokes of the tool marks, and the quiet 

contemplative process of scraping back the excess slip that follows. 

This time-consuming laborious process is meditative. J listen to Buddhist chants whilst J work so the 

Zen world enters my mind and manifests itself in my work, often sub-consciously. 

Shoji's work, like himself, sits somewhere culturally between Japan and Australia, just as Janet DeBoos 

combines cultures in the decoration of her work. Janet creates her work ... 

.. . in a slightly haphazard way - and [the works] speak of the place [that] I find myself, [which is] 

somewhere between Australia and China. 

For many years, Janet DeBoos' work displayed only the throwing lines and marks derived from the act 

of making on the potter's wheel. Like Kemp, De Boos finds that "most of the time it is driven by process 

rather than any real sense of planned design". More recently, DeBoos has been exploring Australian 


Process + Mean ing 

Left: Janet DeBoos, Garniture Series, 2010. porcelain 

decals glazed, h.2Scm; photo: ANU photography 

Above: Gerry Wedd. Poppy Plate, 2011, porcelain, glazed 

w35cm; photo: courtesy artist 

flora, dividing the surface of her vessels into sections, then applying stylised drawings of Australian flora 

using the sgraffito technique,. 

I have the decorative motifs cross borders in the same way that I consider my practice crosses borders. 

Alison (Milyika) Carroll and Carol (Anilyuru) Williams of Ernabella Arts use surface marks to tell their 

stories, in a similar manner to 'milpatjunanyi' - the Anangu practice of telling stories in the sand . 

Founded in 1948, Ernabella Arts is Australia's oldest Indigenous art centre. The women use the lost wax 

technique derived from earlier batik work on fabric. Initially they continued the decoration and patterns 

they would have done on silk, but, as manager Ruth McMillan explains: 

... the work has developed; it is changing from decorative work, in the manner of the batik, to work 

which tells 'tjukurrpa' (law, story). 

Carol (Anilyuru) Williams concentrates on ceramics as a medium, dividing her time between the art 

centre and being an Anangu worker at the Ernabella Anangu School. Her main story is Piltati, a water 

snake story. Alison (Milyika) Carroll has a multi-disciplinary practice working with ceramics, paint, batik 

and tjanpi (basket weaving). Milyika's tjukurrpa (story) is Minyma Kutjara, a story about two women 

travelling. McMillan says: 

As we are in the desert, it is no good doing ceramics here all year - things dry too quickly over 

summer so we work according to the seasons. 

Gerry Wedd uses marks to tell stories from documenting local surfing legends, objecting to current 

political issues, to studies on social phenomena : 

I feel like interesting work comes from an instinctive urge tempered by a little conceptual rigour. 



Alison (Milyika ) Carroll. M inyma Kutjara. 2011 

terracotta form, terra siglliata, slips and sgraHito, h.7Ocm 

Photo: ANU photography 

Carol (Anilyuru) Willia ms. Piltati #3.2011 

terracotta form, terra sigillata, slips and sgraffno h.745cm 

Photo: ANU photography 

Predominately blue and white, and largely based on historical narrative models such as the Willow 

Pattern, Wedd 's work often employs cobalt brush work or alternatively, the sgraffito technique to tell 

these stories. Wedd describes the process as "both effective in terms of graphic outcome and enjoyable 

on a sensual level". 

Each of these artists has their own interpretation of what mark-making means to them, and how to 

manipulate each gesture within their own ceramic technique, whether it's as simple as a brush mark 

made on a pot in an intuitive sense, or as complicated as a sgraffito pattern or commentary on social 

and cultural issues. As humans, we live to express, and the measure of a mark on a three-dimensional 

surface can never be rendered insignificant. These nine talented ceramic artists will attest to that. 

Sarah O'Sullivan is a practising artist from Sydney. She is currently completing her Masters 

of Fine Art (Ceramics) at National Art SchooL She has been the recipient of numerous awards 

including most recently the NAS Aboriginal Art Centre Internship Program, 2010, 

Mark Making; 20 July - 13 August 2011 

Artists: Sandra Black, Bronwyn Kemp, Pippin Drysdale, Louise Boscacci, Janet DeBoos, 

Gerry Wedd, Mitsuo Shoji, Alison (Milyika) Carroll and Carol (Anilyuru) Williams 

Sabbia Gallery; 120 Glenmore Road, Paddington NSW 2021 

T: 02 9361 6448, www.sabbiagallery.com 


Getting to Know Woodfire 

Ash ley McHutchison and Joey Burns share their recent encounter with wood-fi re 

Immersed in bushland and dwarfed by tree canopies, driving down to Reedy Marsh Pottery stirred 

fee lings of anticipation and excitement as we embarked on a journey that was worlds apart from the 

fa st-paced rat race of the city. These two novice wood-firers were more than willing for the adventure to 

unfold! 

As a pre-conference event to Woodfire TAS 2011, Neil Hoffman organised the 'Getting to Know 

Wood fire' workshop at Reedy Marsh Pottery. Aimed at people who had little or no experience firing 

with wood, it was an opportunity to get hands-on experience under the guidance of four highly 

regarded members of the international wood-fire community - Jack Troy (USA), Owen Rye (AUS), Malina 

Monks (AUS), and Tara Wilson (USA). The goal was to glaze our pots and pack and fire four kilns over 

four days. With this line up, it's no wonder that come the first even ing, Neil had eighteen fired-up 

students from all over the world sprawled out in tents around his Reedy Marsh property. W ith special 

thanks to the local leeches, our wood-firing quest was off to a good start. Being 'leeched' was a right of 

passage; if we leh unscathed we hadn't had the true Reedy Marsh experience. 

Aher an early morning walk down the bush track to the self-stoked warm bush shower and a thronelike 

drop toilet. the day was off to a great start. Getting back to nature had its perks - no mobile 

coverage, no interruptions . . complete immersion in the wood-firing experience. 

Participants had been told to bring up to thirty bisqued pots around the size of a mug or bowl. Day 


Works hop 

left: Malina explaining glaze surface to Anthra 

Above: Joey Burns choosing glazes 

Photos: Alana Blanch 

one started with a quick introduction to some suitable glazes and glazing techniques. By late morning 

our pots were glazed and by late afternoon they were packed into four different kilns - two phoenix 

fast-fire and two bourry box train kilns. With teams assigned, the hows and whys of packing a woodburning 

kiln were discussed. Mentors explained how to pack a kiln to 'persuade' the flame path and 

transfer heat, the pros and cons of loose and tight packing, and, possibly the most important process of 

all, wadding! We had to ensure that every pot was standing on little balls of a fireclay and sand mix to 

keep it up off the shelf and avoid potential sticking with melted fly ash ... while, of course, also add ing 

aesthetic value. lead by mentors Jack and Tara, participants ignited the first two long-throat bourry box 

kilns. Having two pairs of almost identical kilns allowed the teams to try out different firing techniques, 

which couldn't have been more perfect for the bunch of eager stokers. As sunlight faded, dusk fell 

with a brisk autumn chill. It was hard to move away from the warmth of the campfire and the heat 

beginning to radiate from the kilns. 

left: Luke packing 

Below: Marco. Cila, lise, Jack, Maddy and Ashwini 

Photos: Ashley McHutchison 


Works hop 

Left: Unpacking along the human 

chain · Julie, Arti. Use, Merrilyn and 

Jack; photo: Ashley McHutchison 

Below: Ash, lisa, Tara, Ashwini 

and Anthra are all smiles with their 

results; photo: Alana Blanch 

On the second day, lead by mentors Malina Monks and Owen Rye, the two phoenix fast-fire kilns 

were lit and all four firings were underway. Malina's kiln was fired in a light reduction atmosphere while 

Owen's kiln was fired with slightly heavier reduction (that quickly became known as Rye's reduction), 

producing enough smoke to make you think the kiln shed had caught fire ... surely not! Had it not been 

for Julie's alerting shouts, one of the kiln sheds would have burnt to ashes after a timber beam caught 

alight via the chimney, not once but several times. These two kilns were fired for around fifteen hours 

and, as with the other two kilns, a firing roster was made and teams of stokers changed every few 

hours. 

As the firing progressed, the crackling flames on the newly stoked wood were sounds we became 

attuned to as the kiln became notably hungrier. Listening to, and learning to read, the fires behaviour 

were deeply engaging experiences. With all going to plan, the firings finished after dinner on day two. It 

was a rare opportunity to wood-fire four kilns in one location at one time. 

The two bourry box kilns were fired for 30-35 hours, one with an extended reduced cooling period 

over a number of hours, while the other was simply closed up. They were also fired for a longer time 

period than the other two due to their ability to build up fly ash on the surface of the pots and create 

natural ash glaze. 

On the third day, while the kilns cooled, we engaged in artist talks with Jack Troy, Owen Rye, Ashwini 

Bhat and Tara Wilson. But there's nothing like a bit of crash cooling to get everyone excited. Late on day 


Workshop 

three, as the two phoenix fast-fire kilns were opened, the 

pinging of pots was music to our ears. Glove-clad helpers 

unloaded the kilns and the pots were put out on display. A 

brief discussion as the sun was setting helped relieve some 

excitement and anxiety about the unpacking of the final 

two kilns first thing the next morning. 

Day four was like Christmas morning. The build up of 

excitement as we cracked open the final two kilns was 

almost unbearable. There were many gasps of joy and 

smiling faces as the pots were passed along a human chain 

and displayed in the order they came from the kiln - and, 

considering the relatively short firings, lots of great results 

were achieved. Post-fire discussion at each of the four kilns 

involved comparing the two different kiln styles and four 

different firing methods. 

Owen Rye's phoenix fast·fire kiln after the firing 

Food was central to the wood firing adventure. We were fed 

like royalty, all-you-could-eat nourishing food. Thank you Anne, Alana, Adam and co!!! Eating around 

the campfire was a notable part of the communion, akin to firing the kilns, as participants, mentors and 

various visitors swapped stories, tips and techniques. 

Immense thanks to Neil Hoffman and family, Michael Stephan, Steve Williams and everyone 

who made the pre-conference workshop and Woodfire TAS 2011 come alive. It was everything we 

anticipated and so much more! People, pots, bush, wood, food, flame and even the leeches, all made 

for a memorable adventure. 

A word from Neil: 

I was keen for several small kilns [to be fired] rather than one big firing ... [offering a) greater 

opportunity for participants to be involved with each stage, and I wanted people to see that woodfiring 

doesn't always mean very long firings in very big kilns made of many thousands of bricks .. . [to 

experience] the possibility of solo practice, not always needing a big team or a big kiln to make good 

work. The different kilns made for valuable comparisons between works being fired in differing 'kiln 

weather'. I was also keen to have more than one mentor so participants could appreciate a number of 

approaches to firing and hear a whole range of stories from those who've 

been wood-firers for some time. 

Importantly, others helped greatly to bring this vision to fruition, in 

particular Michael Stephan who came up from Hobart on a regular basis 

to help build and rebuild kilns. His youthful energy (compared to that of 

my aging body) was a godsend. Others who gave their time to help in the 

lead up to the workshop were Luke, Cilia, and Jilly. I had a great team! 

24-27 April 2011 

Reedy Marsh Pottery, Tasmania 

Ashley McHutchison is a ceramic artist who lives in Sydney. 

Joey Burns is currently enrolled in the Diploma of Ceramics 

at Brookvale TAFE, Sydney, with his main focus being 

wood-fired functional pots. 

Adam 'leeched' 

Photo: Alana Blanch 

THE JOURNAL Of AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 83

Inside My Studio 

In Conversation with 

Katherine Mahoney 

Vicki Grima: When did you first use clay and what did you make? 

Katherine M ahoney: Other than the experience of squishing clay from the garden into pinch pots, it 

would have been at high school. Banned from the wheel because I was too messy and noisy, I made a 

vase out of square slabs with a circular hole in the middle. 

VG: Where is your current studio? 

KM : In a quiet corner at the end of my garden. 

VG : Do you work alone or with others? 

KM: Mostly alone, but often with the assistance of a friend or neighbour when I need inspiration or an 

extra pair of arms. 

VG : How long have you been working in your current studio? 

KM : Fourteen years, since we moved from Hong Kong to Sydney. 

VG: What are the essential features a studio of yours has to have? 

KM: Other than the obvious equipment - good karma, a view, calm and a good sound system. 

VG : Describe your work pattern - hours / days / week etc. 

KM: Making and turning Monday to Wednesday, then catching up with galleries later in the week. 

Finally, firing as fast as the weather permits. 

84 THE 10URNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011

Katherine's garden studio; work in progress 

VG: Describe the work you make in your studio. 

KM : Mostly thrown porcelain and stoneware with delightful occasional deviations into sculpture. 

VG: What is the most satisfying part of your work? 

KM : Currently I'm working in collaboration with artists / galleries creating work that fits their aesthetic 

and mine. This is such a hard question: the escape to my own little space, throwing on a good day, clay 

in perfect condition, glaze strokes that just sing, opening the kiln. It's still a thrill after all these years! 

VG: Why is clay your chosen medium) 

KM: Too many artists in the family chose paint. 

VG : Type of clay? 

KM : Walkers Superior White porcelain and stoneware. 

VG: Type of glaze? 

KM: I make my own glazes and have liberated my palette after a superb glaze course with Greg Daly. 

VG: Type of kiln/firing? 

KM: Woodrow 10 cubic feet electric kiln with a whiz-bang controller. 



Katherine's kiln full of bisque ware 

Below: Katherine's stoneware and porcelain bowls 

VG: list your 3 favourite things that you listen to 

while working. 

KM: Audio books, a compilation of modern 

Spanish music, quiet. 

VG: Your favourite tool? 

KM: A screwdriver cleverly fashioned into an 

under-cutter/turning tool made by an old friend. 

VG : How do you identify your work? 

KM: A chop with my initials KM . 

VG : How do you sell your work? 

KM: Through galleries and exhibitions in 

Australia and overseas. 

VG : Do you teach or sell from your studio? 

KM: J used to teach a lot, but now I teach 

privately when I have time. 

VG : Who do you admire most in the Australian 

ceramics world? 

KM: Judith Buckeridge for having the 

commitment and dedication to open Potier, a 

first class retail space in Melbourne dedicated 

solely to ceramics . 

VG: What other jobs, paid or unpaid, fit around 

your ceramic practice? 

KM : The family, the cat, the washing - the usual 

stuff. 

VG : What is your favourite part of the ceramic 

process? 

KM: Everything I think ... except cleaning up. 

VG : If you could change one thing about your 

studio, what would that be? 

KM: A bit bigger with more shelves. 



Katherine's stoneware and porcelain bowls 

VG: Which single piece of ceramics would you most like to own? 

KM: A Hans Coper sculptural piece or one of Phil Elson's whacking great bowls. 

VG: What would you do if you won the lottery? 

KM: Buy the above; open a school; offer scholarships in excellence; provide time for potters to expand 

into areas they would like to venture into; award prizes of trips around the world visiting potteries. 

VG: What are you working on now? Exhibitions I workshops coming up? 

KM: There 's the collaboration with the AGNSW to produce a range to complement The Mad Square 

exhibition in August 20 11; pursuing new ideas for anthropomorphic works to go with Julie Paterson 's 

fabulous designs at Cloth; and new works for Potier in Melbourne. 

E: kamahoney@optusnet.com.au 

www.katherinemahoney.id.au 


Education 

Recovering the Skills of 

Potters in Vanuatu 

Alistair Whyte reports on the Vanuatu Pottery Project 

This project focuses on South West Say 

Malakula in Vanuatu, where my parents were 

missionaries over 50 years ago, and has been 

driven by the local desire to rediscover a skill 

lost in the past. The villagers want to recover 

the skills of the potter and esta blish a local 

pottery cottage industry that potentially will 

generate some income for the community. 

My involvement began last year after an 

invitation from Massing Venivil, a retired elder 

in Lolow village. I travelled there with my 

wife to determine if there was suitable clay 

to make pottery. This was quite an adventure 

as the local airstrip was out of action and the only way in was by boat. I had sent ahead a kick wheel in 

pieces (on a yacht going that way), which I assembled when we arrived. 

It proved to be a successful trip in many regards and I determined that the elders and leaders in 

the area were keen to send one villager to me for a month in Australia, so they could learn pottery 

techniques in my studio where I have facilities and equipment not available in Vanuatu. Our biggest 

barrier proved to be the funding of a ticket and ongoing costs while in Australia, and the second 

biggest difficulty was basic communication with a place that does not even have regular mail ( .. oh 

for an email link ...). A breakthrough came at Christmas when an organisation called Live & Learn 

Environmental Education offered to pay for the return ticket. Soon after, I received confirmation that 

the Church elders and leaders had selected Ken Naki to come and stay with me. I had not met Ken 

until he arrived in Melbourne, so I had to trust they had made a wise decision. It took time for Ken to 

organise his passport and visa for Australia, waiting for a month in Port Vila with relatives. During this 

time the Uniting Church in Point Lonsdale raised funds to cover the costs of materials while Ken was in 

Victoria, while others generously donated books and materials. Special support also enabled us to build 

Alistair Whyte demonstrating in Vanuatu, then the locals give it a try and the young ones proudly show their pots 


Education 

a prototype fibre kiln using a 44 gallon drum and 

to fire it while Ken was here. Mark Brabham, a 

kiln-burner maker, donated a raku burner for the 

kiln and it has subsequently begun its journey to 

Vanuatu on another yacht. 

We hope to repeat the drum kiln idea in 

Vanuatu, as it is a low cost simple kiln that will 

largely fire on wood with the gas burner as a 

backup. We visited Ric and Judy Pierce at One 

Tree Hill Pottery in Beechworth in Central Vidoria 

where we learnt many more useful techniques 

and were introduced to a clay extruder, and 

though it may be a while before we can get 

one out to Vanuatu, Ken was able to appreciate 

the pradical applications of the machine. Ken 

returned to Vanuatu after a month of intensive 

study, full of ideas and new skills, and with the 

prosped of some ongoing support from Live & 

Learn. He proved to be a very suitable, skilled, 

dedicated, hardworking student. 

Stage three of the plan is now to find enough 

interested potters to take a small group to 

Vanuatu in winter 2012 for workshops and 

kiln building. Ken has already applied for grant 

assistance in Vanuatu but the project still needs 

support and training from potters in Austral ia to 

keep it fired up. I believe it has every chance of 

success. One only has to look at the history of 

Lapita pottery in Vanuatu to see that there is a 

rich historical past of pottery to build on. 

I have just sent off ceramic fibre, books, 

mOUlds, kiln shelves and props via another yacht 

sailing from the Gold Coast to Vanuatu. 

I would love to hear from potters interested in 

this project. 

E: ajwhyte@iprimu5.com.au 

Top: Construction of the drum kiln 

Centre: Firing of the drum kiln 

Above: Ken Naki in Alistair's studio near Melbourne 

THE 10URNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011 89

Events: Woodfire Tasmania 2011 

1 Deloraine 2 Torbj0rn Kvasb0 3 Graeme Wilkie 4 Steve Williams demonstrating in the main 

hall 5 Inside Woodfire: Fifty Australian Stories exhibition 6 ShIro Otani 7 Neil Hoffmann 

8 Owen Rye and Jack Troy; 'E-Shouts' panel 9 Robert Sanderson, Michael Stephan, Geoff 

Thomas, Sue Acheson, Gyan Wall at the presentation of The Log Book Emerging Woodfirer 

Award 2011 and the Woodfire Exposed Award 10 Tara Wilson and Ashley MCHutchison 11 

Maddy Ghosh, Ashwini Bhat, Antra Sinha, Aarti Vir and Janet Mansfield, 'Continental Drift: 

Anagama in South India' 12 Steve Williams. Owen Rye, Chester Nealie; Janet Mansfield above 

(from image 5) 13 Steve Williams bowl 14 Yuri Wiedenhofer vessel (from image 5) 

90 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAM ICS JULY 2011

Events: Woodfire Ta smania 2011 

Reedy Marsh Pottery Sunday 1 May 2011 1S Danny Crocco and Gyan Wall 

building a kiln 16 Stewart Scambler talking about his work 17 The Bauhaus Puja 

wood stack 18 Yuri Wiedenhofer's team: Sue Acheson, Yuri, Torbj0rn Kvasbt21, 

Ursula Burgoyne, Merrilyn Stock, Toni Warburton and Peter Thompson 19 Josh 

Copus and the Bauhaus Puja team 20 The beer garden, Gyan Walls' double-walled 

kiln and Danny Crocco stoking 21 Building Yuri's kiln: Peter Thompson and a bloody 

big leech 22 Owen Rye, Paul Davis, Gail Nichols, Barbara Campbell-Allen and 

Jacquie Clayton 23 Indian feast 24 Rob Sanderson 25 Jack Troy and Steve Williams 

26 Kiln food 27 Judges: Andrew Bryant, Elaine 0 Henry and Vicki Grima 28 Rob 

Barron 29 Vintage Tasmanian Woodfire 30 Neil Hoffmann and partner Anne 

THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011 9 1

Commun ity 

Are you in 2011? 

A brief history of the Australian Ceramics Directory and its precursors 

by Judith Pearce 

The Australian Ceramics Directory will celebrate its 10th birthday next year. Like its printed precursors 

- the ten directories published by the Potters' Society of Australia from 1964 to 1996 - its main aim is to 

showcase the work of Australian ceramic artists and provide contact details for further communication. 

The printed directories have since become essential tools for researchers, curators, dealers and collectors. 

For some practitioners, a directory entry may be the only published record of their existence. For others, 

it is a way of tracking their development over time. This paper outlines the history of publication of the 

printed directories and the move to a more sustainable online solution, and looks at ways of continuing 

to develop the Australian Ceramics Directory as a comprehensive national resource. 

The Directories 

1964: Pottery in Australia 

In November 1964, an extra issue of Pottery in Australia, Vol 3, No 3, was dedicated to illustrating 

the work of contemporary Australian potters. It contained brief biographies of 33 potters with pictures 

of their recent work. The intention was to publish an extra issue in this form every year, but nothing 

came of this. 

1973: A Directory of Potters 

By 1973, the society had 150 exhibiting members and over 400 associates. As the number of 

members grew, so too did the need for a directory. A decision was made to publish an Index of 

Australian Potters to coincide with the members' 7th Biennial Exh ibition. This was released in Wanda 

Garnsey's last year as editor of the magazine as an adjunct to Vol 12, No 2, under the title 

A Directory of Potters, with plans to revise it at suitable intervals. The 1973 directory contained 

portrait photographs of many of the potters, together with contact details, a brief biography and a 

statement of willingness to receive visitors. 

Potters 

in 

Australia 


Community 

1977: Potters in Australia 

Assisted by a grant from the Craft Board of the Australia Council, a revision was published in 

1977, edited by Janet Mansfield who had taken over as editor of Pottery in Australia from Margot 

Staples the year before. Its new title, Potters in Australia: A directory of potters in Australia, their 

biographies, signatures or marks and photographs of recent work, reflected her desire to promote 

Australian potters as part of a larger international community, and to gain recognition for their work. 

1981 & 1982: The Potters' Directory and Information Book 

When a new directory was published to coincide with the second National Potters Conference in May 

1981, it took the form of pages in an A4 binder that could support regular updates. The aim of the new 

directory was to be fully representative of Australian pottery at a national level, by including information 

about training institutions, pottery groups, manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and materials, and 

craft shops and galleries. It was called The Potters' Directory & Information Book. A 1982 update 

was published the following year, but the loose-leaf format proved awkward to use, and no further 

updates were issued until 1985, which heralded the first of a planned series of annual volumes, each 

complete in themselves. 

1985, 1986-87 & 1988: Potters 

Potters 1985 was a small bound book of over 100 pages, with a page for each potter. On the back 

was written "Are you in 19867" This intention was honoured with two more volumes: 1986-87 and 

1988. The 1988 volume was a special edition in the year of the Fi rst Australian International Ceramics 

Symposium, and contained a number of New Zealand potters. Perhaps not totally successfully, it was 

arranged by the birthday of each potter and, for the first time since 1973, con tained no signatures or 

marks. 

1990: Ceramics: Artists/Galleries 

During this time, Pottery in Australia had been transformed under Mansfield's editorship into a 

quarterly, bound magazine with colour photographs and an outward-looking focus. In 1990, before 

leaving to launch her own magazine, Ceramics, Art and Perception, she edited a hardcover book 

entitled Ceramics: Artists/Galleries. The aim of this publication was to do justice to the professional 

status of artists working with clay, and to the progression from maker through seller to purchaser. Artist 

entries included a photograph of the artist, an artist's statement, pictures of recent work, signatures or 

marks, a brief biography and contact details. Galleries were also given a full-page entry of their own, 

with the opportunity to showcase the work of artists they represented. 


Community 

1996: The Australian Potters' Directory 

Changes in editorship, and the challenge of following a publication with such high production 

values, delayed the issue of a new directory for a number of years. In 1996, Sue Buckle returned to first 

principles with The Australian Potters' Directory, published in the same format as the magazine, and 

aimed at defining current ceramic practice in Australia. Potters' entries, colour-coded by state, included a 

black-and-white picture of the potter, a coloured picture of recent work, contact details, biographies and 

signatures or marks. Gallery entries were arranged by state, and there was an index of potters by state 

as well, reflecting the national focus. 

2002- 2011: The Australian Ceramics Directory 

After 1996, the Society waited for technology to provide a more sustainable solution. On 23 

February 2002, a new online Australian Ceramics Directory was officially launched at the Powerhouse 

Museum. The online directory contained a picture, a short paragraph describing the artist's practice, 

contact details, and an optional link to the artist's website. Entries could also be added for galleries 

and organisations. Snapshots of the directory at the Internet Archive show that it went live with 32 

entries, and that this had grown to 93 by the end of 2002. Numbers remained relatively static over the 

next five years. The cost of registration - $66 

300 

25" 

200 +------ 

1~ ~-~ __ I_----1~--il " 

100 

~ +--1H.-. 

_I 

o 

.I' .l' .:,-0 .. 0,"0 .... ... 

o,~"\. ... o,~~ ... o,~ ... ~ .... # o~~ / 

Relative sizes of the directories with breakdown by s1ate 

O NT 

• ACT 

"'''' 

O WA 

..... 

.QJ.D 

• VIC 

. NSW 

for members of the society and $94 for nonmembers 

- was a significant barrier. This had 

increased to $76 for members and $107.50 for 

non-members by 2007. 

When a new version of the directory was 

released in 2008, the business model was 

radically revised . For current members of The 

(now) Australian Ceramics Association, listings 

became free, while non-members paid $40 for a 

two-year listing. The impact of this change was 

immediate. Nearly 300 artists now have entries 

in the online directory. 

94 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011

Com mun ity 

Thoughts for the future 

The online directory has the capacity to be truly comprehensive at a national level, but there are 

now many alternative ways of getting exposure: personal websites and blogs, websites of art and 

craft associations in each state, galleries, and regional, national and international artists' networks. It is 

hard to maintain entries in multiple places, and artists will give preference to sites closest to their own 

networks of practice. 

NSW numbers are higher than might be expected. There is no competing online directory 

infrastructure for NSW artists as, for example, in Victoria, where Ceramics Victoria and Craft Victoria 

both maintain databases of members' recent work, and Potters Online provides a free listing. Perhaps 

making it more intuitive to browse by state could be a precursor to agreements with the state 

associations that allow free entries in the national directory for their members, and explore the possibility 

of sharing data between directories. 

The biggest strength of the online directory over the printed directories - the fact that it is easily 

updatable - also imposes new challenges. Entries are focused on recent work. Artists' statements take 

precedence over biographical details which, while the artist is active, may be readily available in the form 

of CVs from other websites. Entries can vanish as memberships expire. Providing an alert service for 

updated content and access to withdrawn entries through an archival interface, publishing snapshots of 

content, and encouraging contributors to include a history of their professional practice and images of 

marks, would enable the directory, like its printed precursors, to operate as an effective historical record . 

Judith Pearce is a collector and gallery owner located in Bemboka, NSW. 

www.australianpotteryatbemboka.com.au 

As part of an ongoing project to build a database of Australian contemporary potters and 

their marks, she has created a concordance of entries in the ten directories published by the 

Australian Potters' Society between 1964 and 1996, and in the Australian Ceramics Directory 

from 2002 to March 201 1. The spreadsheet identifies 867 practitioners in over 1500 separate 

entries. She reports that the prize for maintaining a consistent directory presence, with 

eight entries each, is shared between Janet Barriskill, Janet DeBoos, Ivan Englund and Janet 

Mansfield. Greg Daly, John Dermer, Victor Greenaway and Willi Michalski run a close second, 

w ith seven entries each. 

oJ n I, 'r.;. ceramu::s 

-..,. 

~-- «

Wedge 

Steve Harrison 

Smoke and Mirrors: Reflections on one aspect of the 

Woodfire TAS 2011 Conference 

I attended the recent Tasmanian wood-fire conference and it was, as I 

expected, a fantastic event. I really enjoyed it. However, I want to reflect on the 

environmental side of wood-firing and please, this is not criticism of the past 

event, rather a way of looking forward to the next one, as everyone worked so 

hard to make this one the incredible and enjoyable success that it was. 

I noticed that there wasn't a panel on the issue of susta inability, although a few 

potters mentioned it in their presentations. Paul Davis concentrated on the nonsustainable 

nature of coal mining, while Owen Rye advised wood-firers to start 

thinking about owning their own wood lot and Stewart Scambler mentioned that 

he has planted his own forest on degraded, salt-affected, former wheat country. 

Arthur Rosser has spoken on this in the past, as has Ian Jones. Instead of these 

very important issues being offered-up piecemeal and in a fragmented way, in the 

future I'd like to see a specific panel dedicated to it. 

I must say that I felt a touch of guilt in travelling all that way for such a short 

time. When I mentioned that I had purchased carbon credits to off-set my carbon 

debt created by flying to Tasmania, most didn't comment, some ho-hummed, one 

asked why and another asked "how does that work"? I realise that in the scale of 

things, it isn't much, but surely we have to start somewhere in reducing carbon 

emissions; I don't think we should leave it up to someone else. We ought to start 

at home. 

There was a conference recently on sustainability in Europe. I didn't go. 

I couldn't justify it. I offered to send a paper on sustainability accompanied 

by a short DVD presentation, so I wouldn't have to travel (which would be 

unsustainable). My offer was not accepted. I thought not going would be 

an appropriate way to support a conference on sustainability. As one of the 

presentations in the mix, it could have been a starting point for discussion 

amongst those locals who were present. But no, it wasn't to be. 

I would like to see a panel that addresses these all-important issues of how 

we are going to cope in a low-carbon future at every conference - perhaps a 

combination of personal stories, research experiments and theoretical approaches; 

even a remotely presented paper from overseas via Skype! Why noP 

I can see a time when it could be difficult to fire a smoky wood kiln, except 

in remote areas. Even travelling to conferences may become difficult when 

airfares rise due to escalating fuel costs. Shouldn't we be thinking about this and 

discussing it now before it's too late? I feel we should be preparing ourselves, 

making changes, theorising, testing ideas, experimenting and sharing the results of 

our research with each other, before change is forced on us. 

www.hotnsticky.com.au

Potters Marks 

Potters Marks 

Anne Braithwaite 

David Edmonds 

Janetta Kerr-Grant Janetta Kerr-Grant JoWood 

Gary Healey 

Katherine Mahoney 


Arc hive: Pottery in Australia. Vol 28. No 4. Dece mber 1989 

article: Peter Timms 

Teapots 

A Pedantic Epistle 

Quite frankly, I sometimes wonder how many of our 

potters are really seflOUS lea·dnnkers, the sort who 

knoYr', for example. to turn the pot three limes. an . 

clockWIse. before pounng. For while you can lind 

teapots In almost any form Imaginable these days, 

)O.ire not bkely to find one thai's SImple. well designed 

and capable of makJng a good cuppa 01 course 

many people WIll pour a mug of some weak slop from 

a highly amusing teapot In the form at a monkey's 

bum or some such thing and say, "Look allhal l 

Nothing wrong Wllh Ihal cup of tea," and of course 

they're perfectly entitled to th",r Opinion 

But a real conf"lOl:sseur's cuppa IS a different kettle 

of fish altogether and can only come from a properly 

desrgned pot 

Frrstly, the pot should be sphencal or near .pheflcal 

In form. ThiS IS SO that when you do lurn II three limes 

antl-dockwlse a sp.raJ motJOnIS set up counter to the 

fOfce created by the eanh s rotaT on rather I ke thaI 

In the bathlub whtlln you pull the plug but n lh 5 

case ffiOVlrtg upwards rather than dONn....ards 

(Presumably you would lurn lhe pot ctockW'se n the 

northern hemISphere On the eQuator smany·pa.ntS 

It'stooh~ lodnnk lea anyway) 11"5 a mflOf It not to 

say pernock Iy peon!. t know HeM''''''' ,I you lean 

toward a hlppte mental ty you III • at least enJOY 

making such ,nhmate contact w th the g ani forces 

d natUfe even II you don·, no! ce led Iferencc 

makes to the taste cJ the tea The sphere shoulC 

really be slightly squaShed so Its WIdth IS greater 

Than .ts heghl The InfUSIon process from the 

leaves althe bottom through the water IS !nus 

an ever·bfOadenlOg sPIral Th1s really does make 

a beiter-tasting cup 

fan Jones 

Photo cathy Laudenbach 

17 


Arch ive: Pottery in Australia, Vol 28, No 4. December 1989 

,he hon 10 han

Well Read 

Introducing Pottery: 

The Complete Guide 

by Dan Rhode 

Published by A&C Black Publishers, 2010 

160 pages, paperback, $45 

ISBN 9781408110065 

Now available online 

www.australianceramics.com 

or call 1300 720 124 

Dan Rhode is a potter and educator from the US who successfully ran his own pottery business in 

North Carolina for ten years and recently moved to the UK to continue running a pottery from his home 

studio. In this book his experience as a teacher comes to the fore as he comprehensively and simply 

explains the essentials of making ceram ics. 

This book covers the basics from the history of ceramics to a brief overview of wheel-forming and 

hand-building. but its value and difference to other similar how-to books lies in explaining clay bodies, 

glazes and firing in a simple and methodical way. The author has the ability to explain simply what 

clay is, what glazes are, and what kilns do, all interspersed with good photos, step-by-step practical 

information and ideas for problem solving. 

The chapter titles include an ambitious list of ceramic techn iques and methods - Clay: geology, 

chemistry and clay bodies; Glazes: components, chemistry and fired characteristics; and Mixing glazes 

and improving performance. There are also some very useful and practical Appendices, including Studio 

Safety and Environmental Health, and US and UK Ceramic Terminology equivalents. 

Surprisingly. this is not a daunting book for a beginner, nor is it too simplistic for the more 

experienced clay worker. It provides a happy medium by encouraging artists to evolve their work in a 

step-by-step approach, giving them the tools with which to evaluate and learn. As the author points 

out, frustration can arise as work progresses but is not able to be evaluated. His aim is to provide clay 

artists with enough information to clarify but not overwhelm. 

Dan Rhode has created a book for those with a bit of experience looking to set up their own studio, 

but it will also provide the studio ceramicist or teacher with a practical, stra ightforward and very useful 

reference book. 

Review by Amanda Hale 


Well Read 

Slab Techniques 

by Ian Marsh and Jim Robison 

Ceramics Handbook 

Published by A&C Black, 2010 

128 pages, paperback, $36.99 

ISBN 9781408110065 

ceram ics 

HANDBOOK 

Slab 

Techniques 

Now available online 

www.australianceramics.com 

or call 1300 720 124 

Robison is known for his large-scale sculptural work including textured wall panels and public 

commissions . Marsh produces functional work with strong sculptural elements. Both UK artists work 

with slabs and extrusions with Marsh also working with the coil technique. Together their wealth of 

knowledge on slab forming is vast and informative and it's condensed in the book . The publication 

coincided with in a joint exhibition, Slab Techniques, in November 2010, and displayed work that was 

included in the book. 

The chapters are easy to follow with step-by-step guides to the slab-making process, including the 

importance of detail when creating large-scale work. Good advice is found throughout the chapters, 

for example, when working on the join of the interior seam, a right angle of stiff card is placed on the 

outside join as a support to keep the exterior seam crisp and undamaged. 

One unique surface treatment technique is covered by Roger Lewis. The potter lays two slabs 

together, seals up the edges leaving a small hole in one seam in which to insert a straw, he then inflates 

the slabs so a pillow of clay is formed. The hole is sealed over and wooden stencils are pressed into the 

pillow of clay, resulting in a very soft design in relief. 

Although the Ceramic Handbook series are aimed at the novice, there is much to inspire the more 

advanced ceramicist. Slab Techniques is a concise and informative book to have on your shelf for quick 

reference and as a platform for further research and exploration, with many inspiring photographs 

accompanying the text. 

Review by Natalie Velthuyzen 


Australia Wide 

act 

After many delays due to wet weather and 

other unforeseen hitches, the much anticipated 

new studios at Watson Arts Centre are at last 

underway. Concrete has been poured and the 

frames of the five new studios are a powerful 

presence overlooking the courtyard garden. 

Canberra Potters' Society has postponed the 

proposed Open Day and it is now planned to 

coincide with the official opening of the new 

studios, date to be announced, see 

www.canberrapotters.com.au for details. 

Workshops and classes at CPS continue unabated 

in spite of the building activity and the exhibition 

program at Watson Arts Centre Gallery is as full 

as ever. Fourteen members recently enjoyed a 

challenging hands-on workshop with visiting 

artist Hillary Kane, who also gave an enlightening 

evening presentation for large group of members 

and friends. Coming ceramics exhibitions include 

the 2011 EASS exhibition, 14 July to 7 August, 

featuring four 2010 graduates from ANU - Sylvia 

Marris, Elisabeth de Koke, Henrietta Norris and 

Rose Walker. The CPS Annual Selected Members 

exhibition will run 22 September to 9 October. 

From 27 October to 6 November there will be an 

exhibition of work by Greg Daly. 

Ceramicists from the Canberra region and further 

afield are anticipating an exciting month in 

August when the ANU School of Art Ceramics 

Workshop will be hosting visiting artists from 

Australia and overseas. Many Canberra galleries 

will have dedicated ceramics exhibitions and 

various presentations are proposed for the 

weekend of 20 and 21 August. For the latest 

information, visit http://soa.anu.edu.au/ceramics. 

Jane Crick, E: janecrick@dodo.com.au 

nsw 

Selected graduating students from Brookvale, 

Gymea and Hornsby TAFE colleges, Sydney 

College of the Arts, College of Fine Arts and 

National Art School recently exhibited their work 

at Kerrie Lowe Gallery. A Fresh Perspective 

illustrated the broad range of ideas and the 

development of skills taught in our education 

facilities. As an educator, it is informative to see 

what is happening in other inst itutions through 

galleries exhibiting 

graduating 

students and of 

course, this annual 

edition of JAC is of 

particular interest 

to students and 

teachers . Of 

personal note, 

among the many 

fine works at 

Carole l eigh 

Kerrie Lowe 

Gallery were 

Carole Leigh's 

skilfully executed forms, Tim Mantzouridis' 

Ambiguous Perception busts, where he sliced 

the works vertically, alluding to the complexity 

of the human mind, and Tanya Peck's kelp 

forest installation, this one being specific to the 

otter. Environmental installations appear to be 

of growing concern to ceramic artists. At White 

Rabbit Gallery, Ch ippendale, Zhou Jie has created 

a porcelain city that sits in a huge bed of rice and 

is covered in what resembles organic growths. 

This master's work concerns the burgeoning 

population growth of Beijing. 

Back to Back Galleries in Newcastle will be calling 

for entries in their Bowled Over competition in 

the second half of 2012. They will be looking at 

exceptional bowls created with the collector in 

mind; more info in the next edition of JAC. 

Outdoor sculptures are certainly becoming 

popular. The vineyards are calling for entries; 

go to www.sculptureinthevineyards.com.au for 

details. The exhibition opens 2 October 2011 and 

runs to 22 January 2012 . Another region keen 

to attract tourists interested in the arts is Nelson 

Bay. They have funding for the next few years for 

their Sculptures by the Bay exhibition and are 

also asking for submissions for workshops; 

www.sculpturesbythebay.com.au . 

Sue Stewart, E: sue@ceramicartist.com.au 

qld far north 

Cairns Potters Club (CPC) members remain busy 

making exciting and colourful artworks for our 

national ceramic exhibition, Melting Pot 2011 , 

which will be held at Cairns Regional Gallery 29 

102 THE 10URNAl OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IUlY 2011


July to 18 September 201 1. We hope to also 

display works from potters throughout Australia. 

In April, CPC organised a half-day raku-firing 

workshop, inviting non-members to participate. 

The day was such a success that the club decided 

to repeat it on a larger scale during Festival 

Cairns, 9 August to 4 September. 

The CPC is also organising a one-day workshop 

at the Cairns Regional Gallery on 14 August for 

the people of Cairns to make pots for the raku 

firing day at the club on Sunday 28 August .The 

club will be opening its doors for the locals to 

visit the clubhouse on the Sunday afternoon, buy 

a pot, decorate it with glazes provided and get 

it fired on the spot. The event is planned to go 

on well into the evening, so it should be a lot of 

fun! 

The forthcoming international conference, 

9th International Meeting of the Pacific Rim 

Ceramic Societies (PacRim 9) will be held in the 

Cairns Convention Centre, 10-13 July 2011. The 

Cairns Potters Club has been invited to set up 

an exhibition, which will be open to the public, 

at the conference. So, if you happen to be in 

Cairns, please drop in. 

Lone White, E: lone@tpg.com .au 

qld south east 

How about we delete 2011! Floods, tsunamis, 

cyclones, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires ... the list 

goes on and on. Just as well we have beloved 

clay to soothe away the ills and dramas of the 

world. 

Here on the Gold Coast we are rushing along 

with a string of events planned for 2011. 

Convener Suki Mead is working feverishly to 

make our Empty Bowl Lunch on 19 June even 

more spectacular and successful than the first 

in 2010. In early July, Helen Charles will be 

holding a workshop at our Benowa Studios on 

hand-building large pots. This workshop filled 

very quickly with much interest from Stan thorpe, 

Warwick and the Sunshine Coast, and we are 

looking forward to a weekend of manipulating 

clay into fantastically large forms. On 31 July, 

Megan Puis will be conducting a wheel-forming 

workshop, with an emphasis on recycling clay, 

throwing tall bottles, altering, adding, Southern 

Ice, non-turning bowls, throwing off the hump, 

stack throwing and goblets. 

The Gold Coast Potters' Association (GCPA) 

Annual Members' Exhibition will open on 13 

August 2011 at the Clay Art Benowa Gallery, 

with the themed section, functional domestic. 

We look forward to having new students' work 

exhibited this year. 

Di Buckland of the GCPA held a primitive firing 

workshop in April with participants coming from 

as far as Stanthorpe. An article on the workshop, 

written by June Cummings, can be viewed in the 

May edition of The Claypen. To access the article 

go to www.goldcoastpotters.com or the GCPA 

Facebook page. 

The Clay Art Benowa Gallery group held a very 

successful opening exhibition on the 27 March 

to welcome Kathryn Mitchell and Joanne McFaul 

to the Gallery. The gallery is open each weekend, 

lOam - 4pm; for viewings outside these times 

please call 07 5539 2502. 

Suncoast Clayworkers Spring Fever is on 7-11 

September, so for a registration form, please go 

to www.suncoastclayworkers.org.au. 

Happy potting, 

Lyn Rogers 

T: 07 5594 3307; F: 07 5594 3365 

E: romeo-whisky@bigpond.com 

sa 

The JamFactory Ceramics Studio welcomes David 

Pedlar as the new program manager. Together 

with creative director Prue Venables and the 

associates, David will establish new studio ranges 

and commission work for the Ceramic Studio. 

Prue Venables was one of four finalists in the 

Alcorso Foundation Vitrify Ceramics Award, a 

newly established $ 1 0,000 annual ceramics prize 

in Hobart. 

Gus Clutterbuck's solo exhibition was held at Art 

Images Gallery Norwood, 13 May - 5 June. From 

the catalogue: "Clutterbuck's work is inspired 

by objects found in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara 

Yankunytjatjara lands of South Australia. His 

work celebrates the broken, discarded and 

dysfunctional ... things that disintegrate into the 

landscape and become part of the earth." 

Susan Frost, Jane Robertson, Stephanie James 

Manttan and Maria Chatzinikolaki will take part 

in the Bowerbird Craft Fair in Adelaide on 6, 7 



and 8 May. Previous events, which feature a wide 

array of handmade and designed items, have 

been very well attended. 

In late May, Lesa Farrant and Louise Flaherty 

exhibited new work in an exh ibition w ith Chris 

De Rosa and Stephanie Raddock at Artroom, 

Henley Beach . 

Studio Potters are hosting a visiting artists 

workshop w ith Owen Rye on 9 and 10 July. 

Owen w ill demonstrate many wheel-based 

techniques. A three-day exhibition of his work 

will be runn ing concurrently at the Studio Potters 

Gallery, Klemzig. 

Planning continues for the 2012 Australian 

Ceramics Trienniale to be held in Adelaide 

from 28 September to 1 Odober; email 

subversiveclay@craftsouth.org.au or phone 

0884101822. 

Kirsten Coelho; E: kandd@chariot.net.au 

tas 

Woodfire TAS 2011 was a mixture of ta lks, 

demonstrations and gallery openings. Among 

the exhibitions were International Woodfired 

Tableware, Continental Drift: Anagama in 

South India and Early Career USA Woodfirers, 

Josh Copus and Eric Knoche amongst them. 

Inside Woodfire - Fifty Australian Stories, 

curated by Ben Richardson, included work by 

Chester Nealie, Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott. Janet 

Mansfield, Owen Rye, Peter Pilven, Graeme 

Wilkie, Neil Hoffman and 43 others. 

Malina Monks sang old Scottish songs from 

the weavers and spoke of her work inspired by 

her heritage, a piece of which was in the Fifty 

Australian Stories exhibition. 

Graeme W ilkie's talk was full of things on which 

to contemplate deeply - he spoke of the need to 

develop intuition and to be still. "What informs 

my work is emptiness," he said. 

Shiro Otani from Sh igaraki, Japan gave a very 

informative presentation of the history of 

Japanese ceramics. His own work is made with 

the red clay of Shigaraki, and he is well known 

in Japan for his beautiful glazes. Torbj0rn Kvasb0 

from Norway demonstrated and showed images 

of his amazing work, much of which is formed 

from extruded sections, enormous and very 

dynamic, often built and glazed directly on the 

kiln shelves. " The stronger the frustration the 

closer you are to a breakthrough, " he said . 

Other moments to remember (too many to 

mention all) came from Hillary Kane from Gaya 

Art Centre in Bali, Steve Williams with his large 

soft slabs from a thrown cylinder draped over a 

stacking of sticks, Chester Nealie demonstrating 

" bundle stacking " (he recommends the Auckland 

Studio Potters Playing with Fire book), and Gail 

Nichols talking of her chance discoveries when 

teaching herself soda-firing . 

Vitrify is a new ceramics award sponsored by 

the Alcorso Foundation. It attracted entries from 

several states. The judges, Les Blakebrough, Noel 

Frankham and Tetsuya Wakuda, awarded the 

$10,000 prize to Tasmanian Ben Richardson for 

his wood-fired sculptural vessels. The three other 

finalists were Belinda Winkler, Prue Venables and 

Kim-Anh Nguyen . 

Other recent exhibitions of note have been by 

Derek Smith, whose work is always inspirational, 

and another Tea for Two exhibition by members 

of the Tasman ian Ceramics Association. The 

Offcentre cooperative is currently in the throes of 

changing premises to a more accessible location. 

John Watson; E: john@dmink.net 

vic 

Once again the Manningham Victorian Ceramic 

Art Award Exhibition was a beautifully displayed 

exhibition of diverse, ma inly conceptual 

works. Christopher Headley won first prize, an 

acquisitive award with Forgotten Words 2010, 

a group of works incorporating decals and 

lustre. The Valley of the Arts Acquisitive Award 

went to Paul Wood w ith L N Fowler 2010, an 

assemblage of found ceramic and glass objects. 

Other acquisit ions were by Brian Keyte, Phi 

Triptych, Robyne Latham Strange Fruits, Tina 

Lee The Karens', and Vipoo Srivi lasa, Child's 

Play. 

Crosshatched, an exhibition and auction of 

traditional Indian mudka (water pots) was held 

at Pan Gallery in April to help raise funds to 

build an energy efficient kiln in Kumhaar Gram, 

India. Traditional Indian potters Manori Lal and 

Dharmveer visited Australia with support from 

the South Asia Foundation, Goa Handicrafts 

Rural and Small Scale Industries Development 

104 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 20U


Corporation. and Crosshatched ceramicists 

Sandra Bowkett and Ann Ferguson. Over twenty 

Melbourne ceramic artists decorated the mudka, 

made by the Indian potters, with amazing results. 

Sadly, Crosshatched was the final event for Pan 

Gallery. In response to the demand for more 

workshops and master classes, the exhibition 

space at Northcote Pottery is to be used as a 

classroom, and SMALLpieces will take over as the 

gallery space. The work in SMALLpieces, from 

emerging and established praditioners, includes 

jewellery, vessels and sculptures. 

The Studio@Flinders 7th Annual Teapot Show 

displayed a varying array of fundional, decorative 

and sculptural teapots. The judge, Chris Sanders, 

awarded the Functional Award to Julie Shaw. Jill 

Anderson received the Non-fundional Award. 

The Clayworks Encouragement Award was 

won by Lemonia Piperglou, the Walker Ceramic 

Award by Chris Harford and the GE & GE Kilns 

Award by Sue James. Marilyn Townsend 's work 

was Highly Commended. 

Coming up at Skepsi on Swanston (at The 

Malvern Artist's Society, 1297- 1299 High Street, 

Malvern) is Ceramics of Brian Keyte from 

12-28 August, and Energy, an exhibition by 

emerging artists, from 9-25 September. 

Ceramics Vidoria is organising Meet & Greet 

afternoons around Vidoria - an opportunity 

for all members to come along, meet fellow 

members and have a chat. Future events include 

a silent pot audion, tours to regional potters' 

studios, and a Christmas Party. 

Visit www.ceramicsvidoria.org.au for more 

information. 

Glenn England 

E: glennengland@optusnet.com.au 

wa 

Congratulations to Cher Shackleton who received 

an Honourable Mention at the Vasefinder 2011 

competition for her wood- and soda-fired basket. 

Th is is an international invitational competition, 

judged by Robin Hopper. Cher won the same 

award last year, the first time it had been 

awarded outside the USA. 

At Penrhos College's Easter Service, one hour 

was given to complete a sculpture with the 

theme, Being Formed. Graham Hay excelled by 

completing a 1 metre high, kneeling, paperclay 

figure. This will be given to Penrhos' chaplain. 

After more than a year's preparation by Graham, 

you can now view free educational videos on the 

use of paperclay. Get yourself a cuppa, sit back 

and have a look-see: 

http://grahamhay.com.au/paperclayvideos.html 

Sandra Black has been included in a show at 

Noble Seafood Restaurant in Shanghai, showing 

her Year of the Rabbit inspired teapots. 

A group of CAAWA members spent an enjoyable 

2 -night trip to the south west of WA. Ian 

Dowling drove them in a bus to his own studio, 

and also to the studios of Bill Meiklejohn, Myles 

and Jacquie Happ, Tova Hoffman and Rod Dilkes, 

Alison Brown, and the Busselton Pottery Group. 

They came away full of inspiration, and content 

from the food and wine consumed. 

Sheryl Chant has been busy preparing work for 

the Rockingham Castaways Sculpture Awards 

2011 and being interviewed for C hinwag, 

Community Arts Network, as well as coordinating 

an event for the Zaccaria Park Community. 

Jackie Gasson from Queensland conduded a 

two-day hands-on workshop on ceramic colour 

at the Central Institute of Technology. Robyn 

Bloom and Natalie Harrop thoroughly enjoyed 

themselves and went on to have a lesson with 

Cher Shackleton soon after. 

Canning Arts Group recently celebrated their 

40th anniversary with early members calling in 

to chat with current members. Everyone had a 

good time. 

Jane Annois from Vidoria presented a 2-day raku 

workshop at Perth Studio Potters, focussing on 

techniques and firing. 

The Study Group has had some interesting 

meetings, including Show & Tell where 

members bring ceramic works from their own 

collections. We have also watched films of classic 

English potter Michael Casson, and more modern 

surface decoration from American Ceramic artist 

Kristen Kieffer. We also enjoyed a presentation 

on Woodfire TAS 2011 , with attendees bringing 

along the pots they had brought home. 

Pauline Mann 

T: 08 9459 8140; E: pandpm@westnet.com.au 


10S

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national gallery of australia 

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sydney 

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gleebooks 

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hazelhurst regional gallery 

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keane ceramics 

177 debenham rd south somers by 

kerrie lowe gallery 

49-51 king 51 newtown 

lake macquarie art gallery 

1 a lirst st booragul 

museum of contemporary art 

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new england regional art 

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TAS 

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VIC 

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craft victoria 

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potier 

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rmit books hop 

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Call for papers 

THE JOURNAL OF 

australian ceramics 

• 

Call for Papers 

The Journal of Australian Ceramics UAC) is excited to announce a new peer review 

section to be incorporated into each issue. Our aim is to publish one article in each 

issue. 

What is 'peer review'? 

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the reader to follow up references relevant to their own practice, thus contributing to the ongoing 

development of knowledge. Sometimes this review process is called 'refereeing'. 

The JAC is calling for articles focusing on any facet of ceram ic discourse: contemporary artists and 

their works; historical perspectives on artists, art movements or time periods; glaze research; research 

papers; technical innovations; and firing research. A wide breadth of subject matter is encouraged 

and should be of interest to ceramicists, potters and sculptors, galleries and collectors, educational 

institutions and their students. 

The theme and deadline for the final issue of 2011 is: 

Issue 50/3, publication 20 November 2011 

Ceramics and Narrative: Deadline for copy - 13 August 2011 

Papers must conform to the editorial and photographic requirements available on 

www.australianceramics.com.Click on the 'Form Downloads' link. 

Papers will be blind reviewed by three qualified individuals within the ceramics field . Peer review 

methods will be employed to maintain standards, improve performance, and provide credibility. 

We look forward to receiving your submissions. 

Vicki Grima, Editor, The Journal of Australian Ceramics 

Dawn Whitehand, Peer Review Co-ordinator 


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kilns made by Woodrow. it will fir. to 1280°C. Owned by an 

amateur potter, the kiln has had very little use and is in top 

condition. Controller is a multi-stage unit with soak facilities 

at each stage; Size (out) w 755!d 780ih 905 + legs & (in) w 

4501d 4SO/h 640. For construction details go to W\o\I'W.kilns. 

com.3u; $3750 ono. 

Kazegama Kiln: Believed unique in Australia, this fully towable, 

trailer·mounted kiln is based on a design developed in 

USA (see www.kazegamas.com). The kiln was demonstrated 

at the Sturt Woodfir. 08. Built with four large end gas burn· 

ers (fires easily to 1300"C) at one end and a chimney at the 

other, ports allow wood ash (or oxides) to be blown In and 

distributed over the pots by the blast from the burners. The 

kiln with insulation by Steve Harrison at Hot and Sticky. fires 

easily to stoneware temperatures; Four 450 x 450 shelves 

are used for each pot layer; $4000 ono 

Further Info from Bill: 0418 257 330; located in the 

Southern Highlands, NSW 

GROUPS 

CERAMIC STUDY GROUP Inc 

CSG holds monthly meetings in Epping NSW and occasional 

workshOps w ith guest demonstrators from Australia and 

overseas. We maintain an up-to-date library of books, 

magazines, videos and DVDs and we publish a monthly 

newsletter. We are an ideal forum for experienced potters as 

well as beginners and stude-nts, to learn and network. 

E: csgsecretary@hotmail.com 

WWN.ceramicstudygroup.org.au 

MOULD/MODel MAKER 

SPECIALIST IN PROTOTYPE AND MOULD· MAKING for 

ceramic mass production and artworks. Ceramic design 

service also available. Contad Somchai T: 02 9703 2557 

M : 0401 359 126; E: eatandclay@gmail.com 

OPPORTUNITIES 

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES: BEAUX·ARTS 

CREATIVITYI® 

Now franch iSing in Australia. We are a South African 

Franchisor specializing in creative skills development lessons, 

with children from age 3 onwards, using pottery and craft 

lessons as a medium. We are starting in Sydney. but prospec· 

tive Franchisees in other areas may contact us. Our Franchise 

Fee has 4 Franchise Kit options: Options A, Band C indude 

different Woodrow kilns (for prospective Franchisees who 

do not have a kiln). Option 0 does not include a kiln as it is 

for Franchisees who have their own kiln. Our Franchise Kit is 

Australian and all our suppliers are Australian. Con tad linda 

or Eddy, E: info@bacreate.com; WINW.bacreate.com 

11 2 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS JULY 2011

Classifieds 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

GREG PIPER IMAGE SOLUTIONS 

Providing ceramic artists with digital and traditional 

photographic imagery. as well as graphic design to print or 

electronic media; an Associate AIPP (Australian Institute of 

Professional Photographers) with over 30 years experience 

in various advertising, corporate and government projects; 

previously (for eleven years) inaugural manager of the 

photographidmultimedia unit at the Powerhouse Museum 

in Sydney; Drummoyne NSW 2047; T: 02 9181 1188 

M: 0411 107744; E: greg@gregpiper.com.au 

www.gregpiper.com.au 

STRAIGHTSHOOTER DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY & 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 

Offering photographic. photo finishing and graphic design 

services, providing high quality images and artwork. while 

working closely with clients to provide a high level of 

personal customer service. Riverview, Sydney NSW 

T: 0432288016 

E: paul.symons@straightshooterdigital.com.au 

'WV'MJ.straightshaaterdigital.com.au 

PLINTHS 

PUNTHS MADE TO ORDER 

Affordable. designed for structural integrity. lightweight; 

also for hire. Roger Fenton, St Ives NSW 

T: 02 94888628; F: 02 9440 1212; M: 0417 443 4 14 

WORKSHOPS I SEMINARS 

HOT TO POT WORKSHOPS at Moonshill, Tarago 

(nr. Goulburn) 

4 September 2011 (Sun) - Fibre in Clay - 1 day workshop, 

construdion with additions of paper and more. S88; 1, 2 & 

3 October 2011 (Sat, Sun. Mon) - Studio Open Days, free, 

drop in; 13 November 2011 (Sun) - Paper Th in Slabs - one 

day workshop, fine porcelain slab construction, S88; this 

workshop to be repeated on 17 November (Thurs). 800kings 

are essential for workshops. 

Contact Jane TfF : 02 61610806; E: janecrick@dodo.com.au; 

lNWW.janecrick.netfirms.com 

THROWING + GLAZES + FIRING CLASSES 

Classes for beginners to advanced with Gary Healey 

day/projects chosen to suit skill levels; Balvvyn, Victoria 

TfF : 03 9816 3012; E: ashglazes@gmail.com 

WORKSHOP ARTS CENTRE WILLOUGHBY 

Ceramics classes, day & evening, Monday to Friday, weekend 

& holiday workshops; Teaching artists: Barbara Campbell-Alien, 

Kwi Rak Choung & Petra Svoboda. Beginners and 

advanced students wekome. Workshop Arts Centre, 33 

laurel Street, Willoughby NSW 2068; T: 02 9958 6540 

E: admin@Workshoparts.org.au; l/!/VIIW.warkshoparts.org.au 

INNER CITY CLAYWORKERS GALLERY CO-OP LTD 

This well established co-operative is run by a group of 

professional potters and ceramic artists. For information 

about upcoming exhibitions, membership and the hiring of 

the gallery space go to \I\MIW.clayvvorkers.com.au. 

Cnr SI Johns Rd and SI Johns Rd Glebe NSW 2037 

TfF: 02 9692 9717; >Wffl.dayworkers.com.au 

AUSTRALIAN GALLERY DIRECTORY 

SMALLpieces 

SMAlLpieces is a Melbourne retail and gallery space selling 

contemporary Australian ceramics. The work in SMALlpieces 

is from emerging and established practitioners, of high 

quality and broad price range. Items include jewellery, 

vessels and sculptures; 142 - 144 Weston St, Brunswick East 

VIC 3057; E: smallpieces@bigpond.com 

WINW.northcotepottery.com.au 

NATIONAL EDUCATION DIRECTORY 

*,"M CHISHOLM INSTITUTE, VICTORIA 

The Diploma of Ceramics is a skills-based (ourse delivered 

by specialist staff in a well resourced studio. Studies in 

all aspects of ceramic process and design. and first hand 

experience with firing a wide variety of kilns, as well as 

diverse arts business strategies, provide students with 

a solid foundation trom which they can build careers as 

independent arts practitioners. Contact Judith Roberts, 

T: 03 9212 5398; E: judllh.roberts@chisholm.edu.au 

HOLMESGLEN TAFE 

Holmesglen (hadstone Campus: Diploma of Ceramics 

The scope and vision of our Diploma of Ceramics Course at 

Holmesglen is to prepare students for a career in ceramic 

art. We provide a professional. well equipped studio environment 

and the staff are recognized, practising artists. OUf aim 

is to inspire individual development and encourage ongoing 

levels of inquiry. 

Kim Martin, Course Coordinator of Ceramics and Visual 

Arts, T: 03 9S64 1942; >Wffl.holmesglen.edu.au 

HUNTER TAFE - CREATIVE INDUSTRIES 

The Newcastle Art School campus offers DIploma and 

CertifICate IV, fuJI time and part time in Ceramics. All aspects 

of ceramics are explored (technical, practical & theoretical). 

Dedicated staff include Paul DaVIS, Helen Dunkerley and 

Sue Stewart who are all professional exhibiting ceramists. 

The ceramics department has well equipped studios and a 

gallery on site. The campus is located in the cultura! precinct 

and is within walking distance to seven galleries. 

Contact Sue Stewart: sue@ceramicartist.com.au or 

Christina Sykiotis: Christina .Sykiotis@tafe.nsw.edu.au 

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY BENDIGO CAMPUS 

Ceramics as a major study is offered on the Bendigo campus 

in the Bachelor of Visual Arts course at La Trobe Visual Arts 

& Design. Honours is offered to high achieving students 

wishing to develop their practice to an advanced level, 

allowing entry into post graduate Masters or PhD by 

research within ceramics. 

Contact Tony Conway, T: 03 5444 7217 

E: a.conway@latrobe.edu.au 

NATIONAL ART SCHOOL, SYDNEY 

BFA Ceramics is offered 3 years full time; BFA Honours - 1 

year part time; MFA part time or full time. Public Programs 

- Summer School 2012: 9-13 January 2012 - A Week 

on the Wheel with Cameron Williams. Semester 2 Short 

Courses: Saturdays, 1 Dam - 4pm, 6 sessions commencing 

18 July: Wheel wilh Kwi Rak Choung, Handbuilding with 

Toni Warburton. The Ceramics Dept maintains an artist in 

residence program, international exchanges and viSiting art· 

isis. Contact Merran Esson, T:02 9339 8630 

E: merran.esson@det.nsw.edu.au; WNW.nas.edu.au 

Forbes St, Darlinghurst. 


Classifieds 

RMIT UNIVERSITY, MELBOURNE 

Introducing a new course in 2012: Object Practice 

Contemporary 3D concepts in Ceramics, Gold & Silversmithing, 

and hybrid object making; SA Fine Art (full time); 

Post Graduate Studies by Research and Coursework (Fulltime 

and part-time); contact Sally Cleary, Studio 

Co-ordinator, T: 03 9925 3858; E: sally.cleary@rmit.eou.au; 

\NWIN.rmit.edu.aulart 

TAFE NSW - NORTH COAST INSTITUTE, LISMORE 

Certificate. Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses in 

Ceramics. Courses require application. 

Enquiries: John Stewart, T: 02 6623 0218 

E: john.stewart@tafensw.edu.au 

TAFE NSW - NORTHERN SYDNEY INSTITUTE 

Hornsby and Northern Beaches College offer accredited 

qualifications from Certificate to Advanced Diploma levels as 

well as short specialist programs for both the beginner and 

advanced ceramicists. For more information, 

E: nsi.ceramics@tafensw.edu.au . for general course and 

program enquiries call 131 674 or go to 

lNWVII.nsi.lafensw.edu.au 

TAFE NSW - SYDNEY INSTITUTE, GYMEA 

Certificate and Diploma courses in ceramics - full and 

part-time attendance; now offering Advanced Diploma 

online. Cnr Kingsway and Hotham Road, Gymea NSW 

T: 02 9710 5001; F: 02 9710 5026 

VoNrIW.sit.nsw.edu,aulceramic!Jgymea 

Contributions on aU aspects 

of Australian ceramics are 

welcome. 

Written ContributIono 

We prefer articles to be 

supplied digitally on a disc or 

by email. 

I'IIotog

CERAMICS 

Develop your ceramics practice at 

Australia's longest continuing art school 

with a degree or short course that will 

engage and inspire you. The Ceramics 

Department is one of the best equipped 

in Australia and maintains a vibrant 

enhancement program including artist-inresidence, 

international exchanges and 

visiting artists to provide an excellent 

environment for developing individual work 

through specialisation . 

To work creatively with clay is to play with 

the elements; earth, fire, air and water 

in combination with intellectual and 

practical skills. 

BACHELOR OF FINE ART (CER AMICS) 

Three years full-time 

BACHELOR OF FINE ART (HONOURS) 

(CERAM ICS) One year full-time 

MASTER OF FINE ART (BY RESEARCH) 

(CERAMICS) part-time or full-time 

PUBLIC PROGRAMS SHORT COURSES 

Semester Two: Commencing 18 July 2011 

Summer School: 9-13 January 2012 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Merran Esson, Subject Leader - Ceramics 

(02) 9339 8744 • enquiries@nas.edu.au 

~ ..... rS('1< FORBES STREET DARLINGHURST 

i ~' ® '6 NSW 2010 AUSTRALIA 

. ~"\. :- T (61 2) 9339 8744 www.nos .edu .ou 

'A#" CRICOS Prov ider Code 03197B

Hot to Pot 

WORKSHOPS 

Full details available at 

www.janecrlck.netflrms.com 

Or phone (02) 6161 0806 

Woodrow SK130C 6kw: Among 

the largest single phase kilns 

made by Woodrow, it will fire 

to 1280VC. Owned by an amateur potter, the kiln has 

had very little use and is in top condition. Controller is 

a mUlti-stage unit with soak facilities at each stage; Size 

(out) w 755/d 780/h 905 + legs & (in) w 450/d 450jh 

640. For construction details go to www.kilns.com.au; 

$3750 ana. 

Kazegama Kiln : Believed unique in Australia, this fully 

towable, trailer-mounted kiln is based on a design 

developed in USA (see www.kazegamas.com). The kiln 

was demonstrated at the Sturt Woodfire 08. Built with 

four large end gas burners {fires easily to 1300VC) at one 

end and a chimney at the other, ports allow wood ash 

(or oxides) to be blown in and distributed over the pots 

by the blast from the burners. The kiln with insulation 

by Steve Harrison at Hot and Sticky, fires easily to 

stoneware temperatures; Four 4S0)( 450 shelves are 

used for each pot layer; $4000 ana. Further info from 

0418257 330; located In the Southern Highla nds, NSW 

COLOURS Rockwood Pigments, Cesco, 

Walker Ceramics, Clayworks, Deco, 

Chrysanthos CLAYS Bendigo , Bennetts, 

Blackwattle, Clayworks, Feeneys, Keanes, 

Northcote, Walkers EQUIPMENT extruders, 

POTTERS 

EQUIPMENT 

PTY LTD 

wheels, slab ro liers, 

ACCESSORIES Brushes, corks, 

kiln shelves, etc MATERIALS 

and more GLAZES Powder and 

Clay tools, Kemper, Giffin Grip and UdqlsiSteor. 


Studio-based courses 

Full and part-time 

Wheelwork Tableware 

Handbuilding Sculpture 

Contemporary Installation 

Mouldmaking & Casting 

Decorating Techniques 

Glaze & Kiln Technology 

Raku & Woodfiring 

Why not enquire about our new Master Classes! 

www.sit.nsw.edu.au/ceramics/gymea 

CERAMIC 

DESIGN 

STUDIO 

Amanda Middleton, Cert III, Ceramic Design Studio 

Cnr The Kingsway & Hotham Road 

Gymea NSW 2227 

Tel: (02) 9710 5001 Fax: (02) 9710 5026 

Catherine.Fogarty@det.nsw.edu.au 

Photography: Catherine Fogarty 

TAFEl • 

Sutherland 

Colleoe 

b

quality pottery supplies and services 

Northcote Pottery Supplies Pty Ltd 

142 - 144 Weston Street 

Brunswick East 3057 

(PH) 0393873911 

www.northcotepottery.com.ou

Newcastle Art School 

Faculty of Creative Industries 

OIIering Diploma and Certificate N in Ceramics 

Full-time and Part-time options available 

Holmesglen 

Artl"t Susan Frankel 

T_ 

rCll'''''''~c::ontact 

JohnS- 

Hoed Cf88Iive 'nduslrieo F_ 

02 66230218 

john.-...o--.odu ... 

120 THE IOURNAL Of AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS IULY 2011

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sandra black 

louise boscacci 

alison (milyika) carroll 

janet deboos 

pippin drysdale 

bronwyn kemp 

mitsuo shoji 

gerry wedd 

carol williams 

sabbia gallery 

www.sobbiogollery.com 

more Rd, Poddington, NSW, 202 1, AUSTRALIA 

61 2 9361 6448 . gollery@sobbiogaliery.com 

Tuesday - Friday 110m to 6pm, Saturday 110m - 4pm 

Alison tMllyiko) Corrol!, Minyma Kutjoro (detoit). 2011, terrocotto form, with terra sigillato, 

slips and sgroffito, 69.5 h x 15.5cm d. Photo ANU Photography

NEW No.3 

full-sized er!!onomic action pedal 

I IZhp motor. 13" wheelhead 

0 ,' - 

. , 

NEW No.3 

stainless steel body option 

cliP-On work tables and seat also available 

venco 

\NVVvv _ vcnco . co~ au 


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Join The Australian Ceramics Association 

Facebook page here: 

http://tinyurl.com / tacafacebook 

i:J Like 

A CAREER 

IN FINE ART 

Choose from RMIT's wide range of fine art 

programs at degree and postgraduate level, 

including specialised and hybrid programs 

in ceramics and gold and silver-smithing. 

With a new course structure in 2012, 

you can turn your creativity into a career. 

> For further information about 2012 

programs, phone 03 9925 3858 or 

email sally.cleary@rmit.edu.au 

www.rmit.edu.au/art 


Join the Australian Ceramics Directory 

Australian ; ~ 

Cerami 

Directo 

ARTISTS . GALLERI ES . ORGANI SATION S 

For information about the Australian Ceramics Directory go to: 

http://tinyurl.com/acdirectory 

Ceramics 

photograph.t:J 

all Images taken 

are prepared for 

web and print 

Paul Symons 

0432288016 

Kiln repairs. maintenance and 

restoration by Ian Theyers. 

a licensed industrial electrician 

Sound technical advice 

Friendly personal service 

Wonderful range of clays - 

Clayworks. Walkers and Keanes 

Pottery equipment and tools 

Short pottery courses 

Regular specialist workshops 

New exhibition space- 

Potters NeedsGallery 

Delivery to your door 

Potters Needs is operated by 

Victoria and Ian Theyers 

Potters 

Needs 


Specialist ceramics 

training facilities 

TAFE NSW - Northern Sydney Institute 

Beginners and 

professional 

ceramicists 

are welcome 

Come and train in some of 

Australia's most outstanding 

ceramics training facilities 

featuring the latest 

professional equipment and 

spacious, natural light-filled 

design studios. 

Both colleges offer fast-track 

specialist programs and a full 

range of nationally accredited 

qualifications which are 

available part-time, full-time, 

day or evening. 

The facilities include: 

> Raku kilns 

> natural gas and LPG kilns 

> electric kilns 

> wood fired kilns 

> an extra large trolley kiln for sculptural work 

Courses include: 

> Nationally accredited qualifications 

Certificate level Ill, II/, Diploma and Advanced Diploma 

> NSI's open studio practice provides access to the NSI studios 

and facilities so you can improve your skills by developing 

your own work. 

Hornsby College 

205 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 

Northern Beaches College 

154 Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale NSW 2100 

For more information about the ceramics training facilities 

and services available, email: nsi.ceramics@tafensw.edu.au 

For general course and program enquiries: 

Call 131 674 or go to www.nsi.tafensw.edu.au

woodrow 

kilns 

Australian Made 

Woodrow Kilns - Producing Beautiful Ceramics and Pottery for over 40 years 

Woodrow offers a complete range 

of Electric or Gas Kilns. 

All our Kilns are Australian 

made and feature: 

• Easy to use Digital Controls 

• Abrasion Resistant Interior 

• Kanthal A 1 Elements 

• Rust Free - Aluminium frames 

• Integrated Stand 

• Low Cost Firing 

• Energy Efficient 

• 2 Year Guarantee 

SK170BC 

New MiniFire Plus 

from $1,815 

Manufacture, Sales, Service & Spares 

Digital Controllers, Kiln Furniture & Replacement Elements 

PO Box 596 Revesby NSW 2212 Showroom: 31 · 33 Hoskins Ave, Bankstown NSW 2200 

T: (021 9790 27 17 F: (02) 9708 4875 E: sales@kilns.com.au W: www kilns corn .1ll 


THE 

NARRATIVE KNOT 

stories in ceramics 

The Australian Ceramics Association's Biennial Exhibition 2011 

Man ly Art Gallery & Museum 

2 December 2011 - 22 January 2012 

Curator: Gerry Wedd 

Julie Bartholomew, Mollie Bosworth, Deborah Burdett, Barbara Campbell-Allen. Kris Coad, Steve Davies 

Terry Davies, Trisha Dean, lynda Draper, Helen Earl, Fiona Fell, Ashley Fiona, Honor Freeman, Shannon 

Garson Amanda Hale, Christopher Headley, Mary lou Hogarth. Jan Howlin, Marianne Huhn, liz low 

Janet Mansfield, Pru Morrison, Mirta Ouro, Robyn Phelan, Amanda Shelsher and Dee Taylor-Graham 


Trudie Alfred (1922 - 

2010)' was a wellknown 

Sydney potter and teacher with a great 

passion for ceramics. She struggLed 

financially to sustain a ceramic practice in 

her early years as a potter and so, to assist 

others in a similar position, she left a generous 

bequest to The AustraLian Ceramics 

Association. Trudie specified that the funds be 

used to support the work of students 

preparing to embark on a career in the field 

of ceramics. 

Valued at up to $4000 + 1 year membership of TACA . open 

to students enrolled in their second or subsequent year of a 

ceramic program' selection panel of three Australian ceramic 

artists from different states' mu st be currently enrolled at time 

of scholarship award . open to Australian citizens or those 

with permanent residency selection criteria: academic 

achievement · quality of ceramic work, rat ionale for funding 

not previously received th is scholarship written report 

required at end of scholarship period 

Successful applicants will be notified late No vember 2011 . Scholarships will be 

awarded at the c losing ceremo ny of the PROmotion exhibition, 22 January 2012 

at Manly Art Gallery and Mu seum . 

.. see the tribute to Trudie Alfred in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, 

VoL 49/3, November 2010, pages 10-11

~-~~ - --- 

---- - - - - --- 

Feeneys 

Clays 

WALKER 

~ 

Clays Glazes Colours 

Cesca 

Glazes & Colours 

Walker White Earthenware 

Greg Daly lustre-glazed vase 

WWoN gregda!y (om au 

Service and Supplies 

03 8761 6322 1800 692 529 

sales@walkerceramics.com.au

The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 50 No 2 July 2011

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