ceramicsquarterly

CERAMICSQUARTERLY
SALT-GLAZED POT BY WARREN TIPPETT
volume 31 NO 1
P
O
ST ESS
PR
MARCH 2011
NEW ZEALAND POTTERS’ NEWSLETTER
The NZSP Executive and Conference committee have spoken about the tragedy in Christchurch and wish to offer potters
from the stricken city a 50% discount on conference fees and the conference dinner. President Wally Hirsh said that
everyone felt that it was the least that could be done to show support and solidarity with colleagues in Christchurch. It
would mean that Christchurch potters wishing to register for the Big Smoke event in Auckland would pay fees of $140.00
and dinner charge of $25.00.
“We hope this will be of some help to our friends in Christchurch who have had too much to bear and who may get
some real relief by taking part in the diverse events planned for the Auckland conference.” The assistance offer is limited
only to the number of places available at the conference and the dinner. Some help with billeting may also be available.
THE BIG
SMOKE
AUCKLAND 2011
www.unitec.ac.nz/unitec/conferences/the-big-smoke
ONLY A MONTH OR SO TO GO!! 1 - 3 April 2011
TREAT YOURSELF TO A SMORGASBORD OF CERAMICS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Time to relax and enjoy being looked after by your Auckland hosts with demonstrators from around the
world, entertaining talks, strange kilns, exhibitions, food.
The next three pages contain brief profiles of conference demonstrators
GUSTAVO PEREZ
During the two days of the festival, my intention is to show as much as I can
of my way of working. In my 40 years experience with clay I have developed
a number of personal techniques which I think will be interesting for the New
Zealand potters. My work has always, almost always, as a starting point a thrown
piece. I am convinced that there are infinite possibilities to develop from this
starting point. Techniques of decoration, but also techniques of form shaping:
cutting, assembling, folding, compressing, piercing through, etc.
Also, and maybe this could be even more important, I will make strong emphasis
in the system of my research, trying to convey my ideas about creativity: how
you should always try new ideas in order to get new results.
MICHAEL DOOLAN
(Australia)
In the forum: I will cover some of the ideas that underpin
my practice and also show a series of large scale works that
have derived from small ceramic maquettes, but have been
recreated in large scale via a range of materials. I will also
show and discuss examples of the non ceramic surface finishes
I apply to my ceramic works.
In the workshop:
I will be demostrating both the construction and modelling
techniques I employ to create my work. And whilst creating
a figurative work, I will be covering a range of methods of
production I have developed and arrived at through both my
studio practice and research experience.
Inside
(Mexico)
p2
The Big Smoke
Conference
p4
“Hands In The
Clay”
Mike O’Donnell
p6
“Deep Time #26”
Raewyn Atkinson
p7
“Return”
John Crawford
p8
General News
p10
Mac’s Mud
Revival
p12
5 Days in Fuping
p14
Around the Clubs
p16
From the NZSP
President
1
Newsletter Editor
LINDA CHRISTIANSON
(USA)
PETER LANGE
16 Carrick Place,
Mt Eden 1024
09 6306942
lange52@clear.net.nz
Copy and photos
always very welcome.
The opinions expressed
by contributors and
advertisers in this
newsletter do not
necessarily
reflect the views of the
New Zealand Society of
Potters.
The NZSP offers members
a chance to have their own
web page on the web-site
for free!
Info on the site:
www.nzpotters.com
Linda Christianson, one of our international guests, firing her
wood kiln in Minnesota.
“Working on a treadle wheel and hand building, I will
demonstrate making functional pottery. Altering wheel-thrown
and hand-built parts, the elements of surface, volume and form
will be emphasised and the relationship of the pot and its purpose
for use will be discussed. Included will be various handle, foot,
and spout making techniques, as well as slip decoration. Special
consideration will be given to the form and its future placement
in the wood fire. I enjoy engaging the participants in discussion as
I am working, and I will make a lot of pots!”
TAVS JORGENSEN
(UK)
Arrived in Britain in 1991 after completing
a four-year pottery apprenticeship in native
Denmark, later studied 3D ceramic design at
Cardiff Institute of Higher Education.
He has been running his own design
consultancy since 1995. Throughout this
period Jorgensen has been closely associated
with Dartington Pottery, operating as the
pottery’s main shape designer.
He continues to work as an independent
designer and researcher, frequently guest
lecturing at international universities and
colleges.
He has, throughout a twenty-year career,
been involved with numerous projects in
many diverse areas of ceramics and design,
lately focusing on research into the use of
information technology-based creative tools.
Winner of the ceramic and glass category of
the 2000 Peugeot Design Award.
Winner of the Wedgwood Tableware Award
1996.
PAUL MASEYK
(NZ) (left):
“I work primarily with red clay, slips and clear glaze
producing a range of work from tableware - cups,
bowls and plates, to large highly decorated “Grecian”
style pots. They all share the same manufacturing
technique of being wheel thrown and slip decorated
(to a greater or lesser degree), using a combination of
fine slip trailers and brushes.
During the conference I will be making and decorating
a range of tableware, throwing and assembling a
multi pieced pot, and continuing to draw on a larger
piece of work that I will be bringing with me. Most of
the content on my pots is personal to me and my life,
or what I see around me. Therefore I try to not take it
all too seriously and I inject some humour or blatant
silliness wherever possible.”
MIKE O’DONNELL (NZ)
There is an in-depth profile and interview
with Mike on pages 4 and 5
2
CARLA RUKA
(NZ)
New Zealand Society of Potters Inc.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the AGM of the NZSP
will be held at the Big Smoke Conference venue
at Unitec in Auckland
on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 at 9.00 a.m
Copies of the annual report and balance sheet
will be available online
at www.nzpotters.com from February 15th 2011
Carla Ruka is a young woman who is bringing her
cultural background to life through her passion and
talent as a clayworker.
Of Nga Puhi and Ngati Whatua descent, Carla is
the creator of the beautiful ‘Maori Angel’ series,
ceramic figures that portray an angelic serenity
combined with feminine strength and movement,
reminiscent of her Maori ancestors and their natural
environment.
“I liked the thought of having a Maori angel.”
“As a child we used to swim in the river, Tahekeroa.
There was a beautiful waterfall that we used to
shower in. Now, the river is polluted from farming. I
have tried to capture the waterfall I remember in the
hair of the angel.”
Carla has a degree in Maori Art from Tairawhiti
Polytech in Gisborne and a postgraduate degree from
Toimairangi in Hastings. Its founder, Sandy Adsett,
is Carla’s mentor and he has been instrumental in
bringing the young clayworker’s talent to the world.
Carla’s pieces have been exhibited in Kuala Lumpur,
London, and Hawaii.
Agenda for the AGM
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the AGM held in Dunedin 11/4/2010
4. Matters arising from those minutes
5. Presentation and adoption of the Annual Report
(Wally Hirsh)
6. Presentation and adoption of the Financial Report
(Anita Barlass)
7. Election of officers: (If nominations are received)
8. Remits (If any are received)
9. Transition and continuity. Where to from here?
Next Conference and exhibition? Location of the
Executive’s standing committee?
10. Discussion on:
Membership
NZPotters’ Collection and the Archives
Life Membership
11. General Business
Notes on the relevant documents
The agenda and notice of this meeting, the annual
report and annual accounts have been available on
the website since 15/2/2011
The minutes of the previous AGM have been
available since 1/3/2011
A few hard copies of these documents will be
available at the AGM
NZ SOCIETY of
POTTERS Inc
MISSION
STATEMENT
“To promote excellence in
ceramics in New Zealand”
NZSP operates in three key
strategic areas:
Membership Aim
To provide an
umbrella organisation for
potters, pottery clubs and
associations in New Zealand.
Promotion Aim
To encourage and promote
awareness and appreciation
of New Zealand ceramics
nationally and internationally.
History Aim
To keep historical records
of New Zealand Potters,
National Exhibitions,
National and Regional
publications and other
nationally significant events.
Definition
Potters are all people
involved in the production of
fired works
produced from clay.
Bus Tours
Friday’s Big Bus Tour Only $20
All aboard ‘Doris’ the double decker bus for our
Friday gallery tour ....
The tour will stop at ‘Pah Homestead’ where you can
have lunch (BYO or use their cafe) while perusing the
Wallace Arts Trust collection.
Then to Auckland City to visit Gus Fisher Gallery,
Masterworks, Whitespace, Objectspace and Art
Station. All galleries are working in conjunction with
Big Smoke 2011 Pottery Conference.
Monday’s Big Bus Tour Only $30
Heading up north to Warkworth and Matakana.
Highlights include Morris and James, Matakana
galleries and Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. Food,
beverages and park entry fees are not included, but
food can be bought at any of the gourmet cafes on
the way.
3
Suzy Dunser is in her final year of
the DCA course based at
the Auckland Studio Potters.
Mike
at the
entrance
to his herb
garden
Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship)
4
Hands in the Clay:
Mike O’Donnell
Suzy Dunser
Spending a few hours with Mike O’Donnell is anything but a
detached and objective experience; if it is, you’re doing it wrong.
I came to my visit at Tarariki Pottery knowing only a little bit about
Mike. A few years ago I bought a pot of his from the Coromandel
Easter Show, and saw some of his functional work in that show. Later
I heard from Erik Omundson the profound effect working with Mike
had had on him when he came to New Zealand, from a very huntin’
and fishin’ part of the US. Much more recently I learned about his
other identity as “The Water Man,” his activism to try to preserve the
Coromandel from environmental abuse, his efforts to raise awareness
about the value of heirloom seeds, and other contributions he had
made to his community, particularly with children and youth. I also
found out that in addition to throwing wonderful vessels, Mike is a
talented handbuilder of both figures and vessels. You’d think all this
wouldn’t leave time for much else, but there is one more thing to
care for. The last piece to the puzzle, which I learned about on the
day, is the connection between the land and the pots: the garden.
Tarariki Pottery is located on the edge of Paeroa, on a piece of land
Mike reclaimed almost 30 years ago from being a paddock. Most
of it has been encouraged to return to bush, but the area around
the house has been used for vegetable and herb gardens. Walking
from the carpark towards the house, you pass through an arch made
by the grown trees, and then make your way through the garden
towards the house and studio. When I found Mike, the first thing
he did was to take me back into the garden, his connection point
to the world. He showed me the piece that was his first venture
into figurative sculpture, created in response to losing a significant
environmental legal battle. At a point of despair, he was encouraged
by women in his life – Maori elders, friends, and his wife – to
channel the strength of his emotions into something positive, rather
than let it destroy him. Out of this effort emerged Kaitiakitanga, or
Guardianship – four figures, one with face turned to the sky, one
turned to the earth in a lament, and one looking straight ahead,
listening to the water. The fourth figure in the group is the kereru,
which carries the seeds of the trees and ensures the continuation
of life. “It was my reply when I was lost for words to talk to and
from a world that I could feel, but the system wasn’t listening to.”
But it was not enough to have made this work for himself; Mike
was challenged by these women to “allow the pieces to walk,” to
accompany them as they travelled, and talk to and from this world.
In the end, Kaitiakitanga travelled for 11 years, a seemingly random
journey that nonetheless took the pieces where they needed to go
– to wharetaonga, museums, and schools. Mike had applied for a
grant to fund the travelling exhibition, but was turned down. He was
grateful later for this, because it was financed instead by koha, with
the pieces travelling in a truck that was lent to him, packed in hay
or mattresses donated by people who were happy to contribute and
participate in sharing this vision with the world.
Other figures were placed around the garden, a total of 12 that
Mike had made, as well a few others by potters who had come and
worked with him at Tarariki. But it was the garden itself that Mike
was most keen to talk about, and how growing food connects us to
the earth. Making the vessels that will be used to cook and serve
the food form a part of the continuum for him as well, something
all of us who make functional work can relate to. After we’d walked
around the garden, we went down to the stream to get water to
make the tea. I wondered if Mike didn’t have water plumbed to the
house, but he does. The ritual is an acknowledgement of the water as
a teacher, holding the memory of the origins of life. Using the water
directly from the stream also reinforces the importance of keeping
it in a drinkable state. Mike plays a role in conservation of Tarariki
Stream by educating people though workshops and leading groups
in planting trees along the banks of the stream. He also brings water
from the stream to other places, even other countries, in “water jars”
that he has thrown, and this forms part of his story about the place
he comes from.
We brought the water back up to the house (in two plastic jugs
– I was happy to see there was some concession to the practical
concern of weight), where it was poured into two large stoneware
jars for storage. We had lemon verbena and ginger tea, made from
herbs grown in Mike’s garden.
Water jar and water bowl
After morning tea we went into the studio to look at pots
– thrown, slab-built, and coiled, all made out of Mike’s
clay of choice of the moment, which is Nelson Slab White
(the only bit of technical information he touched on in
three hours). Along with the pots, a large figure was lying
in the studio waiting to be fired. “Song of the Fish People”
is the 13th figure of those that began in the garden, and
is for Mike the culmination of the series he has done over
the years. It is planned to be the focal point of his entry
at the National Exhibition in April. It will be fired in his
“new” kiln – one that has taken 28 years to complete, but
which at the time of my visit was awaiting only the steel to
hold it together before he could fire it. Mike described the
kiln as a mongrel: anagama at the bottom, noborigama in
the middle, and “American-Kiwiana” with a Phoenix-type
sleeve chimney at the top. The kiln was inspired by Chester
Nealie’s kilns, which reflect who we are as clay workers
of the Pacific rim, inspired by and drawing influence from
different places. Mike anticipates it will take 2½ days to
fire - the first firing will be slow, and besides his sculpture
will have single pieces from other potters in it, to share in
the experience of bringing the kiln to life.
We walked around the house, and I got to see some
more of his work: tile panels and icons in niches that tell
stories about who he is, and how he has reconciled the
different parts of his nature.
All the work speaks of the
balance of forces in life, the
connections between things
in the world, and the ability
we have to understand all
of this at a deeper level by
listening with our hearts.
Mike sent me on my way
with a slightly spinning
head, along with a bag
of vegetables, three herb
cuttings in a pot, and, lest
I forget I’d been to see a
master potter, a beautiful
tea bowl. Before I left, I
stood in the garden and
looked at Kaitiakitanga again. The figures are powerful,
but peaceful, and they have the added quality that their
expressions seem to change with the weather and the
angle from which you view them. As much as I admire
and relate to Mike’s work as a fellow thrower (and that
is very much), these are the pieces I will remember most
when I think of him.
Mike O’Donnell will be one of the demonstrators at The
Big Smoke, the national ceramics conference in Auckland
this April. Along with throwing and other making
demonstrations, he will be telling the stories that place
his work into its larger context – an inspiring experience
for anyone who works with clay.
Navigator
stone Hekakano
a rangi atea
(seed of
divinity)
NZ POTTERS Inc
CONTACT DETAILS
President:
Wally Hirsh
09 521 5714
027 23 05028
wandahirsh@orcon.net.nz
Vice President:
Anneke Borren
04 233 2047
annekeborren@gmail.com
Secretary/Treasurer:
Anita Barlass
PO Box 12-1182
Henderson 0560, Auckland
027 2430486
anitaj.barlass@xtra.co.nz
Immediate Past President:
Janet Smith
07-827 1888
oakford@xtra.co.nz
REGIONAL COUNCIL
MEMBERS
Auckland:
Jo-Anne Raill
021 1271833
mraill@ihug.co.nz
Central:
Duncan Shearer
07 843 3706
duncan@duncanshearer.co.nz
Northland:
Joyce Fischer
09 439 5469
dojofish@ww.co.nz
Wellington:
Mal Sole
04 479 4145
jan.mal@xtra.co.nz
The new kiln
(seen from the
anagama end),
awaiting steel
reinforcements
Nelson/Marlborough:
Paul Laird
03 548 5162
laird@xtra.co.nz
Canterbury/Westland:
Anu Pratap
03 3543514
harsh@xtra.co.nz
Otago/Southland:
Josephine Waring
03 482 1316
dj.paintpot@xtra.co.nz
Steering Committee Members:
Peter Scott
peter.scott3@gmail.co.nz
Linda Holloway
1.holloway@xtra.co.nz
5
Deep Time #26 Raewyn Atkinson
Above:
Raewyn next to her
giant porcelain work
Deep Time #26
during construction
Below:
The work heads into
Peter Volkous’s
old car kiln at Berkeley
Right:
Deep Time #26
on display at the
RH Gallery
6
Peter Gibbs
Take a tonne of clay and a lifetime of skill and experience and the result can be
astonishing.
The RH Gallery at Woollaston Estates is dominated by a 780-kilogram construction of
porcelain. Like all works of art, its genesis is not just one idea.
Wellington artist Raewyn Atkinson has travelled many paths since she began as a potter
35 years ago. Glaze study in Canada 20 years ago, developing large-scale clay works
with the help of an arts council grant in 1993, a three-month residency in Japan in
1998, and a trip to the Ice in 2000 as an Arts to Antarctica fellow are some of the major
landmarks in her career. It has been notable for the development of personal images
which convey a feeling of New Zealand and other places.
Images of the Ice have stayed with her – like the distinctive Antarctic light glimpsed
through blocks of ice in a snow cave. Not unlike the translucency of porcelain seen
through a pale-blue celadon glaze.
Last year she found herself at the University of California, Berkeley. She was working
in the space once occupied by Peter Voulkos, an almost legendary figure on the West
Coast ceramics scene last century.
A large car kiln built by Voulkos and fallen into disrepair became the vehicle for a
concept – to rebuild the kiln and use it to fire a mammoth porcelain sculpture which
would fill the entire kiln space.
The inspiration for the work was the Deep Time drilling project at Cape Roberts, headed
by New Zealander Peter Barrett, where core samples from more than a kilometre below
the Antarctic seabed are brought to the surface and studied to reveal details of climatic changes over the centuries.
Atkinson had mined this idea in previous work, but always in a more portable scale. This time she aimed to test the limits
of the material. She used a tonne of porcelain to create a huge clay cylinder, 1900mm in diameter and pierced by a
honeycomb of holes like the core samples taken by the Deep Time team.
With the help of her husband, Shaun Cornelius, Atkinson rebuilt the kiln and hoisted the work on to the kiln trolley with
the aid of a purpose-built block and tackle. It was expected that during the firing the porcelain would soften and deform
as the glaze melted at the high temperatures.
One can only imagine the tension during the firing process as the huge piece began to shrink, sag and buckle.
Would it hold up to the end, or would it collapse under its own weight, taking with it months of work and preparation?
The finished work, “Deep Time #26”, has been on show until recently at the Woollaston gallery.
Its allusions to a world under pressure from changing climate are clear, supported by other works on show.
As well as many smaller pieces in the Deep Time series are others that might represent panaceas for the world’s woes.
“Rosary”, made from porcelain forms in the shape of low energy light bulbs, represents some hope that solutions can
be found.
If all else fails, “Mandala”, a
collection of anti-depressant pills
suggest that science may indeed have
some answers.
It is the search for answers that
provides the exhibition with its title,
Fiat Lux (let there be light).
John Crawford
Peter Gibbs
After growing up on the West Coast, John Crawford trained as a potter at Waimea
Pottery in Nelson, later settling on the Coast, where he set up a pottery studio with his
wife Anne on the narrow coastal strip at Hector, near Ngakawau, north of Westport.
Over the years Crawford has widened the scope of his work. The pottery has become
more sculptural, drawing and painting have been added to his repertoire, and he’s
become an observer and collector.
A typical day might start with a walk on the beach or along the road. “Drawing is
the factory from where things come. Every morning I’ll go down to the beach and I’ll
pick up two objects and I’ll come back and draw them.”
From those drawings and the accumulated mental images come the paintings and
ceramic forms in his exhibition “Return” at the Suter Gallery in Nelson.
“This green painting. It’s called Sign – its initial conception was as a road sign. The
Green Zero – it’s the zero in the “Hector” sign.”
Crawford’s work is full of humour. He tells the story of the painting “Ten”: “On our
walk is a 1941 state house which has the world’s most broken-down letterbox. They keep painting it a series
of barn reds, but then they decided to put a number on it. They got an appallingly bad brush, stirred a tin of
cream paint with it – it’s so wonderfully unselfconscious and I wish I could paint like that. So I thought I’d
come home and paint a No 10. But, of course, I was more self-conscious than that, so what we’ve ended up
with is this white zero floating down into a raspberry ground and a one at the side.”
Ripples left in the sand by the outgoing tide form patterns on the side of large ceramic vessels.
“These are all hand-coiled. The idea is that when you run your hand down here it should be like running your
hand down the back of your leg. It’s got a sort of human feel.
“They have what I call a maker and sculptural integrity because they’re not made on a wheel. So they go
oval to round, round to oval, which you can’t do on a wheel. They also have the mark of the maker.” That’s
important to Crawford. Just as he could pick up a shard of pottery on an island off the coast of Italy and know
how the maker’s hand had formed it, he hopes the same may happen to his clay vessels.
“Even when they’re broken, if someone knows enough about it they should be able to hold it in their hand
and say, “This was how this piece was made’. You are no longer anonymous; the vessel itself is actually
carrying forward the energy of the maker. That’s why they’re called vessels because they’re floating forward
in time.”
Above: John Crawford with
his work in the
Suter Gallery Nelson
Peter Gibbs is a former
Nelson potter and is
currently the Arts Editor
of the Nelson Mail who
have kindly allowed these
articles to be reprinted.
Paul Soldner died on January 4th. He will be remembered as a pioneer in American Ceramics, particularly
in the field of raku where he pioneered new techniques that broke away from traditional Japanese raku;
particularly his development of the popular addition of a post-firing reduction process in sawdust or leaves.
He visited this country in the 70s and impressed everyone with his vitality and good humour and enthusiasm
for getting his clothes off at the drop of a hat. A real character and an inventor of all sorts of clay machinery
and equipment. I recall seeing a design he published for a clay mixer in a trailer that he towed behind his
car. You put all the raw materials in plus the right amount of water, drove down to the supermarket to do
your shopping and drove back and by the time you got home and took your clothes off your clay was well
mixed by way of a system of chains and sprockets that ran off the trailer axle when the car was moving. (PL)
International Ceramics Festival
Aberystwyth
1st - 3rd July 2011
WE PROMISE SATISFACTION
EASY TO FIRE - CONSISTENTLY BETTER RESULTS
KILNS FOR EVERY PURPOSE from 0.6 cuft to 30 cuft
(larger kilns, top hats, shuttle kilns on request)
Guest Artists for 2011
The list of guest artists
continues to grow!
Already confirmed are:
Mark Hewitt (USA), Kate Malone
(UK), Mike Eden (UK), Higashida
Shigemasa (Japan), Oh Hyang
Jong (Korea), Ruthanne Tudball
(UK), Lowri Davies (UK), Elke
Sada (Germany), Jorgen Hansen
(Denmark), Ponimin M Hum
(Indonesia).
POTTERY, CERAMICS, RAKU, PORCELAIN DOLLS, ENAMELLING, CHINA PAINTING,
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Check out:
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WRITE FOR MORE DETAILS TO:
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PHONE: (09) 233 6690
FAX: (09) 233 6693
EMAIL: fekiln@ihug.co.nz
7
GENERAL
NEWS
Two travelling scholarships awarded
Wally Hirsh
The Executive of NZSP has announced that two scholarships to the value of $750 each have been awarded
to Nicola Dench and Aimee McLeod, both of Wellington.
Aimee plans to attend the international Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales and hopes to bring back
and share the knowledge gained from watching top ceramic artists from all over the world. She chose the
Wales festival because she wants to observe and experience a contemporary Western/European approach to
ceramics, after several years of focusing on Eastern ceramics influences. Aimee has had a long involvement
with the Wellington ceramics community and her carved wheel-thrown bowls and hand-built vessels have
been accepted into a number of NZSP National Exhibitions.
Aimee was at the frontline of organising the hugely successful NZSP Conference and exhibition in Wellington
two years ago.
The second award went to Nicola Dench of Seatoun in Wellington. Nicola won the premier award in
Ceramicus 2009 and is a published artist in “Ceramics Today” by Schiffer Books, USA. Her work explores
environmental erosion through vessels and wall pieces.
She will use the scholarship to attend the Australian Ceramics Triennale in Adelaide, which showcases
Australian contemporary ceramics as well as offering workshops and demonstrations by international
ceramicists and, through this, gain a perspective on what is happening internationally.
In announcing these two awards for 2011, President of NZSP, Wally Hirsh, wished Aimee and Nicola well
and said he looked forward to the whole ceramics community of New Zealand sharing in their trips through
their reports which will be published in this magazine after their return to New Zealand.
While the awards are not large, Wally said he was sure they would help the two awardees attend the
conference of their choice and would highlight again one of the many good reasons for belonging to the
New Zealand Society of Potters.
Richard Notkin has sent me a promotional email for an inaugural two-week mould-making workshop
he is holding at the beginning of July in Helena, Montana. He is one of the top international artists in this
technique and I would give my eye-teeth to be there.
He lives close to the Archie Bray Foundation, the legendary ceramic residential workshop and there will be
visits there and to other potters in the area. Total cost (tuition plus materials) $US975
Contact information: notkin@dishmail.net
Heart Teapot
Richard Notkin
Pot-a-thon:
Suzy Dunser
A few months ago, Joanne, our fearless Conference Oganiser, came to the conclusion that it didn’t make
sense for potters to be eating and drinking from plastic. She decided that we will all have ceramic mugs and
bowls for our morning teas and lunches during the Conference weekend, and at the end the mugs will be
given away, one to each attendee, and the bowls will be sold.
The next step was to organise a production day at ASP for these, and so the Pot-a-thon was born. For those
of us who missed the era of production pottery, the day was something of a revelation. There were wedgers,
throwers, pot transporters, and later in the day, handle pullers, turners, and spriggers. Quite a few old hands
showed up in the morning and showed us newbies how it’s done – I would finish one bowl just in time to see
another full board being carried away from a wheel to my right. There were a few Diploma students in the
mix, too, and we quietly thanked Duncan Shearer (possibly still a wee bit grudgingly) for the throwing boot
camp he put us through a couple of years ago. But the atmosphere was relaxed, with everyone just getting
on with their own work. For me it was a great way to get back into throwing after a summer of almost none,
and by the end of the day we’d done all the mugs and most of the bowls. I also learned how to sprig properly.
Although there was an initial attempt to standardise at least the bowls, each potter put their own twist on
the pots, with the result that there
are now mugs and bowls for every
aesthetic and every appetite – but
all united by the Big Smoke logo,
which will be a great memento
of the conference. It was a really
good feeling to have everyone
there working and focused on a
common goal. And of course we
had lovely morning tea and lunch
breaks; this is the ASP, after all.
SOUTH STREET GALLERY
10 Nile Street
Nelson
www.nelsonpottery.co.nz
Silver Nitrate
Alec Roy
My usual sources dried up so after
a lot of asking around I found
Regal Castings of Auckland will do
100gm lots - at reasonable cost.
FREEPHONE 0800 881 888.
Pots by Sue Newitt, Nelson
8
The most informative and entertaining book on ceramics to
be produced in this country in decades.
The Auckland Studio Potters Society has chosen to mark
its 50th birthday with a publication that celebrates, and
comments on, the studio pottery movement in this country
and Auckland in particular. It doesn’t come out completely
unscathed, there is a strong note of realism in the mix,
and some very interesting opinions in the articles, but for
the reader, by the time the last page is turned, there will
remain an overriding impression of a hugely creative, clever
and energetic culture. It is a true miscellany of words and
pictures (some of the best photographs of pots you will find
anywhere - many by Yuki Sato) in 320 pages, inside a hard
cover - a top quality production.
The ASP Turns 50
Potters and writers in the
book include:
Justin Paton, John Parker,
Richard Parker, Len Castle,
Merilyn Wiseman, Roger
Blackley, Richard Fahey,
Bronwynne Cornish, Dick
Scott, Stuart Newby, Denis
O’Connor, Peter Lange,
Christine Thacker and many
more.
Playing With Fire
will retail for $75
but for NZSP and ASP
members the price is $55!
It will be available at the
conference for that price.
For retail outlets and
galleries, there is a very
good wholesale rate for
orders over 6 (sale or
return).
If you are not coming to
the Conference but want to
order a copy please get in
touch with the ASP.
www.ceramics.co.nz
asp@ceramics.co.nz
Photos from the book:
Above: Andrew
Van Der Putten teapot
Far left: Chester Nealie
firing his kiln at Gulgong
Left: Denis O’Connor back
in his old workshop on
Waiheke
Guest Speakers
featuring at the Big Smoke
Denys Watkins - NZ
Moyra Elliot - NZ
Senior Lecturer, Elam School of Fine Art.
Practising artist in a variety of media - primarily
painting, drawing, object-constructed tableaux.
“This lecture is a brief unconstructed journey
referencing the ceramic works that have stumbled
into my oeuvre; more by chance, than research.
Also a brief history of my engagement with clay.”
Tavs Jorgensen - UK
UK based Tavs Jorgensen arrived in Britain in 1991
to work as a production thrower after completing
a four-year pottery apprenticeship in his native
Denmark. He went on to study 3D Ceramic Design
at Cardiff Institute after which he became a specialist
plaster modeller and mould-maker.
In 1995 he established his own ceramic design
consultancy, working for some of the world’s leading
tabletop companies. Jorgensen is also a tutor at the
Ceramic and Glass Department at the Royal College
of Art and frequently guest lectures at a wide range
of international universities and colleges.
Tavs’ lecture will describe recent projects which
focus on combining traditional making approaches
with new technologies such as Rapid Prototyping,
Digitising, Motion Capture and CNC milling.
“KORERO IN ASIA”
New Zealand ceramists on a world stage.
A Powerpoint presentation and talk on the 2010
Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, an internationally
curated exhibition sourced from 27 countries and
involving 43 artists, including three from New
Zealand.
This exhibition ranged in content from single works
to major installations involving many hundreds of
individual pieces and included use of video, light
and sound. Artists ranged from major established
figures through to some having their first international
exposure. Running from July to October 2010 more
than a half-million viewers eventually saw Korero:
Ceramics in Conversation in the Yingge Ceramics
Museum.
The curator, Moyra Elliott, will talk on the curatorial
processes, the tasks involved and the highs and lows
of getting this major exhibition mounted and take us
through the show with some insights into individual
works by various artists.
Jude Nye - NZ
A speaker from Artists Alliance
Corporate
Members
Silver
CCG Industries Ltd,
Decopot
Bronze
Wellington Potters,
South Street
Gallery,
Bot Pots,
Morris & James (Matakana)
Ltd
9
Ginny Lane is a
Waikato potter and
member of the WPA
Mac’s Mud Revival
Ginny Lane
Since 2007 there has been a gap in our potting lives – Mac’s Mud. It’s back and it’s here - thanks to Dave and
Wendy Gardiner of Waikato Ceramics. Dave and Wendy are now making Mac’s White with other clay bodies
to follow in production. Setting up production has been a journey for Dave who, happily, is an engineer by
profession - the machinery is huge and complex and to achieve consistency of product needs to be very
NZSP HOMEPAGE
finely tuned.
It is amazing how many people involved in the world of clay come from an engineering background or who
www.nzpotters.com
at least have a bit of the Heath Robinson gene. Dave had a career in the Natural Gas industry, but tiring of
corporate life and looking for a “lifestyle” business that both he and Wendy could share, moved to Kerikeri
e-mail address
taking over KeriBlue Ceramics– a tableware business. After 2-3 years there, and wanting to be closer to family
info@nzpotters.com
they bought Waikato Ceramics from Ed and Sue Nicholson in 2004. It is not an easy business and Dave and
Wendy have tried many different things to make it work, to grow the business into a sustainable operation.
Over the last 4 years it has been increasingly difficult to obtain good reasonably priced white clay in New
Zealand so Dave set up an association with a Chinese company and brought out the “Earthclays” brand.
Although it was good clay, it did not take well with New Zealand potters. So they began to import Australian
clays, which became difficult to manage and control – consignments are often subject to delays and hard
clay or broken bags are common. Also during this time, it became clear that a well-received white clay body
Below:
from an existing NZ manufacturer was to become limited in its availability.
Dave and Wendy Gardner
For Dave and Wendy whose business principles are founded on establishing the best service and consistent
of Mac’s Mud
availability of what their customers want, this
situation meant seeking an alternative. And they
found it in two major undertakings; buying the
equipment and recipe to make Windsor White
casting slip (an ex-Crown Lynn product via Western
Potters) and in the idle equipment of the Mac’s Mud
Company in Richmond, Nelson.
Remembering how well Mac’s Mud sold for Waikato
Ceramics in the past, Dave contacted Royce and
Trudi McGlashen who had stopped making Mac’s
clays in a reassessment of their business direction.
Here’s where being an engineer comes in handy Dave went to Nelson and dismantled the whole 18
tonnes of plant (including a 3 tonne filter press and
a massive pugmill which pushes through 1 tonne
of clay per hour) had it transported to Hamilton
and then set about putting it all together. There
followed a testing phase of course, where the clay
produced was sent out to a number of potters for
their feedback. The plant is initially producing 3
tonne every month. At this rate of production Dave
and Wendy feel they can meet customer demand as
well as their lifestyle choice, which includes being
as active as possible in their own pottery interests.
And wait, there’s more from Waikato Ceramics…
they are in the process of re-vamping their colour
stains in association with Spectrum Glazes of
Canada. This will not only bring you an increased
colour range at better prices but also a wider range
of pre-mixed glazes and some stunning new raku
glazes. And as if all this product expansion was not
Waikato Ceramics is pleased to anounce that
enough to keep them busy Dave has built a new
website which is now up and running - this will
the original Mac’s Mud pottery clay is back!
enable you to be informed and shop on-line:
www.potterysupplies.co.nz
MAC’S MUD CO LTD
Mac’s White: Firing 1150 (Cone 1) – 1280C (Cone 9)
A fine white clay that performs well as an earthenware
through to white vitrified stoneware. Good colour
response and glaze fit. Suitable for throwing, hand or
slab building.
Available from:
Waikato Ceramics
7-11 West St
Hamilton
Ph 07 856 8890, Fax 07 856 9982
Email: sales@potterysupplies.co.nz
10
further clay
bodies to follow
Gustavo Perez - some musings
from franklloydgallery.wordpress.com
Lately, I’ve been thinking of buildings. I tend to
see architecture in the ways that artists structure
their work. In the hands of Gustavo Pérez, a sandy
colored stoneware clay body has become the
basic building material, as well as the canvas for
his composition. Whether he plans to engineer
a series of lines, develops a pattern of slashes,
or chooses to insert other clay elements into the
surface of the clay, everything is integrated through
this basic medium. Like a painter emphasizing the
depth of color, Pérez will also apply glaze into the
incised areas on a work, carefully and meticulously
drawing our eye to the design.
Part architecture, part mathematical pattern, and part lyrical movement, Gustavo’s sleek ceramic constructions
are grounded in principles that relate to the built environment as well as sculpture. Due to their reliance
on geometric form, their symmetrical characteristics, and their construction process, Pérez’s forms seem
architectural. Perhaps this is not an accident, for Gustavo builds his work
as if logic and technology were indispensable to art. He does have a
background in mathematics and engineering, which balances his facility
with the clay. The progressive principles of cutting into modular units,
assembling another form, and integrating the design with the structure are
common to architecture and to the work of Gustavo Pérez. He is proudly
aware of the built environment of his country and especially aware of
contemporary Mexican architecture. That’s something that I really hear in
our conversations.
When Gustavo discusses his country, he talks about “the many extraordinary
contributions that this oppressed, poor, conflictive and many times neglected
part of the world has made to universal culture. And I am not only thinking
about the extraordinary ancient Pre-Columbian cultural heritage but also
about our century with the contributions of writers … or the architecture
of Luis Barragan.” While an architect may have other compositional
elements at his disposal - such as scale, light and space - there are some
similarities. It’s clear that there are affinities in architectural form, as Ignacio
Diaz Morales states: “The shape of (Barragan’s) spaces is clear and simple,
composed of spontaneous, constructive geometry, an essential condition for
all architectural form. Space is manipulated with great agility and always
aims to express the identity of the Mexican soul, without using inappropriate
exoticisms.”
Without making specific reference to Mayan culture, the works of Gustavo
Pérez are in some ways evocative of that Pre-Colombian culture. Perhaps
this is an elusive and poetic quality that Gustavo Pérez shares with his fellow
Latin American artists, writers and architects. “The ceramic art of the Maya,
the Olmec, the Zapotec as well as the Korean, the Chinese, the Islamic or
the Greek is our common heritage. We all profit from knowing it and the
aesthetics, the sensibility and the techniques this huge legacy transmits,”
Pérez has stated. I agree, of course, and Gustavo’s sensibility echoes the
respect for history that many artists posess. Knowing the legacy gives them
a foundation to build on.
Letter to NZSP Glenys Marshall-Inman
I am so happy that I joined your association again after so many years. I have
just received Vol 30 #3 Ceramics Quarterly - and have to tell you how much
I enjoyed it. I became a NZSP member in 1979 and so a large part of my
early years as a potter were spent in New Zealand, my home of birth, during
the ‘clay boom’. I remember the NZ POTTER mag fondly, and was happy to
reconnect with NZ potters.
My husband (Basil a woodworker) and I were travelling (as almost all kiwis
do) during our first years of marriage and our children were born during
an extended visit to Canada in 1969. I had taken my first pottery classes
during that time in Canada before we returned to NZ to live and continued
studying in NZ, taking classes from so many wonderful, dedicated, talented
New Zealand potters from 1969 until 1978 when we returned to Canada to
live. My life has been dedicated to working with clay and I feel so blessed
to have met and experienced so many extraordinary clay people along the
way.
I cannot believe that I could get so much pleasure from one small but
informative publication. So interesting - to read letters published from my
first ‘ceramic heros’ and photos also of them - all still passionate about
clay and the life it has given them. Peter Lange’s statement about Artspeak
and coining Thurber’s “pre-intentionalist” remark is an absolutely keeper
statement; empathy with the potters and collectors from Christchurch’s
earthquake aftermath; intrigued to learn about ‘museum glue’ something
I will pass on to potters here on the west coast of North America where
earthquakes happen so frequently; to imagine using a bath for pit firing
(wonderful Kiwi ingenuity at work) to see a new clay manufacturer being
successful; sad to realize some of my ‘masters’ have passed; to read about
international happenings with clay; shocked to think I will be in NZ for 6
weeks early 2011 and leave the day before your ‘Big Smoke Conference
and last but not least, the terribly sad and haunting “The Piper’s Tale” - this
had me crying and then laughing so loud it made me cry again. I reread it
to Bas, had me crying again (and him) and then the punch line.....!! I have
sent it off to our association up here to republish.
Just wanted to say “BRAVO” and keep up the good work.
If you are going to try crosscountry skiing, start with
a small country.
LOOK!
WHAT’S
NEW?
Fantastic NEW range of pottery supplies here in NZ now!
Great colours and great pricing.
For a pricelist and your FREE sample of stain or oxide
contact Sharon on 09-448-2337
email: pacificoriginals@gmail.com
www.pacificoriginals.co.nz
11
Five days in Fuping
Sue Scobie
In November last year, I participated in the 3rd International Ceramics Magazine Editors’ (ICMEA) Symposium
and the 3rd ICMEA International Emerging Ceramic Artists’ Competition/Exhibition held 7-12 November
2010. It was both my first time in China and first time at an international ceramics event.
The Fuping Pottery Art Village (FPAV) is in a town called Fuping in Shaanxi Province, with the nearest
major city, Xi’an, home to the terracotta warriors. FPAV is also the site of the FuLe International Ceramic Art
Museums (aka FLICAM see http://www.flicam.com) a very ambitious project which was initiated 10 years
ago and is now reaching completion of the third stage. The last pavilion was opened during the symposium
and now contains the works of 30 ceramic artists from Eastern Europe who had spent the previous month
working at FPAV. Before entering the exhibition I had never heard of Fuping, and subsequently found out that
a group of New Zealand potters had been there for a month long residency back in 2007 prior to the opening
of the Australasian pavilion. That group included: John Parker, Richard Parker, Chris Weaver, Mark Mitchell.
The symposium brought together ceramics magazine editors, artists, academics and others from around the
world, all up around 90 people. There was a very diverse range of presentations, with common themes being
the paucity of critical writing on ceramics and the plight of ceramics education at all
levels.
The initial selection of works for the emerging artist exhibition was made via images
and by a panel of six international ceramics magazine editors. To meet the ‘emerging
artist’ criterion, you had to have been within 8 years of finishing a formal ceramics
qualification, and they did check apparently. Selected works were sent to Fuping
for permanent exhibition and final judging by magazine editors in attendance at the
symposium. The top ten artists were awarded a month-long residency at FPAV and the
top three also got cash prizes – their works are now online at www.icmea2004.com. It
was great to see the diversity of work going on around the world and to meet a number
of the other emerging artists. We had the opportunity to give a somewhat impromptu
presentation of our work to the whole group. Given that the issue of lack of critical
comment was raised during the symposium, there was nothing at all in the way of
feedback on our work, which was a little disappointing. The works from the previous
two emerging artists’ exhibitions are also on permanent display in the Dome Hall,
alongside our work. The Dome Hall is open to the sky, and it does rain (and snow) in
Fuping – while the works themselves won’t get wet, the centre of the space, while it
drains to a well, certainly will.
During the symposium there were numerous trips around to various places including:
the Terracotta Warriors and the Chen Lu mountain pottery village - both quite some
distance away. The DingZhou kiln site was five minutes down the road from FPAV and
was first excavated in 2008 and according to the Fuping people may well overturn the
current understanding of the history of Chinese ceramics if their research holds up.
It may seem a bit far-fetched, but then again, the terracotta warriors were also found
recently in a farmer’s paddock.
The symposium included three days in Jingdezhen and a visit to San Bao village – I
think we just missed Peter Lange and Duncan Shearer who had both been at San Bao.
The goal of the owners of FPAV is to turn Fuping into an international ceramics centre,
with opportunities for residencies, exhibitions and other explorations in ceramics.
Though I do wonder how many ‘centres of the ceramics universe’ there can be!
The location itself is interesting – with a
nearby “Patriotism Education Centre’ whose
loudspeakers cranked up at about 6.00am
each morning. A feature of the county was
the 24 hour fireworks which must contribute
to the overall abysmal air quality from local
industrial activity.
The owners are now embarking on the
next stage of their vision – to open highend ceramics galleries in Beijing, Shanghai,
QUALITY POTTERS’ MATERIALS, TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Melbourne, New York, London and Paris.
USUAL AND UNUSUAL MINERALS, FRITS etc
To that end, they have already purchased a
SPECIALISTS IN ECONOMICAL BULK SUPPLIES
vineyard in the Yarra Valley as a base for their
DIRECT IMPORTERS OF SPECIAL CLAY BODIES
Australian ventures. While we were there,
TRANSLUCENT PORCELAINS, RAKU and HANDBUILDING CLAYS
they opened their first gallery, DaoArtspace,
in Xi’an with an exhibition of contemporary
LIQUID UNDERGLAZES AND POWDER STAINS etc
USA ceramics made by a couple of young
BISQUEWARE and PORCELAIN-PAINTING SUPPLIES
guys who had been working at FPAV – one
for seven months (Brian Kakas) and the
COWLEY POTTERY WHEELS, SLAB ROLLERS, EXTRUDERS
other for three months (Ryan Mitchell). The
DOLL MAKING and MOVIE INDUSTRY SUPPLIES
opening ceremony was quite an eye-opener–
NEW ZEALAND-WIDE DISTRIBUTION
it was the full ‘rent-a-crowd’ experience –
speeches by local dignitaries and politicians,
Warren & Kate Fransham
lots of TV cameras and other media, and fire
2 CASHMERE AVE, KHANDALLAH, WELLINGTON
works, followed by a banquet.
Phone 04 939 1211
I think the best thing about the whole trip
e-mail: sales@wellingtonpotterssupplies.co.nz
was seeing what other people are doing, and
Sue Scobie is a practising
Wellington potter, a scientist,
and a graduate from the
Diploma in Ceramic Art from
the School of Art at
Otago Polytechnic
12
Far left:
“Coastlines”
by Sue Scobie
Part of an exhibition
“Vessels for Life” at
Statements Gallery
in Napier
18 March-10 April
www.statementsgallery.co.nz
Sue also has a
solo show at
Academy Galleries
in Wellington
26 March – 10 April
as part of Solo31
in particular how those participating in the various
residencies did, or didn’t, reflect the influence of
China in the work they produced. Some just made
the same kind of work that they would have had
they been in their own studios, while others were
clearly pushing the local materials and reflecting
elements of Chinese history and society in their
work.
All up, it was a great experience and a chance to go
to places I didn’t know existed.
Left:
Fuping Symposium
Opening
Putting the cat among the clay pigeons. Peter Lange
The NZSP promotes a conference every year in partnership with one of the regions, who do all the organising.
Local potters throw their energy into the deal with huge amounts of vigour, dedication and excitement, and
the members of the NZSP get to see a different part of the country each year.
But there are drawbacks. The wheel is invented almost from scratch each time and that creates a few added
stresses for the local organisers - there is not much information passed on and, if it is, it often doesn’t apply to
the new set of conditions; venues, accommodation and travel arrangements all vary enormously from region
to region. I wonder how many of the organisers would ever want to do it again; it can be a burnout situation.
Another disturbing aspect is that the number of potters still keen to attend conferences has been steadily
decreasing from the heyday of the 70s when 300 or so would turn up. Very few come from outside the
country, yet the programme is often
up to international standards or
close to it.
Perhaps it is time to settle on one
location ... Coromandel, Nelson,
somewhere where there is the
added attraction of “things to do”
both as tourists and potters, before
and after; in an off-peak month, say
Potters Clay manufactures 30 specialist clays for both professional and
late April, still warmish but not too
hobby
potters. We pride ourselves on prompt delivery to anywhere in NZ.
busy.
Have it every two years, base it
around a polytech (Nelson) or
Earthenware: Rich red to pale buff pink. Seven varieties to choose from.
some institution (Driving Creek?
remember Barry’s Annual “Do”?)
Stoneware: Pale grey to cream and light browns. Sixteen to choose from.
but hand the organisation over to
a small committee paid to manage
it efficiently time after time. So it
White clays: Pure whites. Seven varieties to choose from.
will become our own Gulgong or
Aberystwyth.
It could be taken up to international
Dry powder clays and liquid casting slips.
standards using the luxury of a
consistent and predictable format,
an established name (everyone
Please contact us for a brochure or for information on our products:
knows Gulgong even if they
42 Quarantine Road, PO Box 2096, Stoke, Nelson
don’t have a clue where it is) and
by capitalising on this country’s
Phone: 03 547 3397
Fax: 03 547 5704 E-mail: pottersclay@xtra.co.nz
hospitality and tourist attractions.
Potters Clay
The Clay People
13
Around The Clubs
From Picton
Potter Sara Schotanus (pottery)
and Masterton ceramic artist
Janet Green (art) at Sara’s studio
in Essons Valley, Picton.
Vessels by Sara Schontanus
Sara Schotanus
I feel I should respond to your “roll call” in Ceramics Quarterly (December
2010), put my hand up and say ‘Yes, we are still alive, well and making pots
in the Nelson/Marlborough region’. We are perhaps a little bit more spread
out down here, but there are still plenty of us, and we can still find comfort
and succour from each other when things get a little lonely.
Being a relative newcomer to New Zealand (5 years now), I have so far been
keeping quiet, trying not to make too much of a fool of myself while I see
what colours are nailed to the mast of other potters. I have found everyone
to be encouraging, helpful and inclusive.
I love being part of NZ Potters, receiving Ceramics Quarterly (I chortled out
loud at your article about words on pots) and attending the conferences
when able. Marlborough Community Potters in Blenheim were extremely
helpful to me at the beginning, when I had no kiln and did not know where
to get materials from. Ursula Edwards, Renate von Petersdorff and, more
recently, Fran Maguire and Debs Hall, do a very good job there recruiting
and educating new members. Unfortunately, their Tuesday evening class
coincides with my own class here at Essons Valley, Picton, so I don’t get
along as often as I should, but I attend raku firings there quite often and am on their committee.
Mentoring a student (Sam Rodgers) from Otago Polytechnic for three years, and meeting Neil Grant through
that process, has helped me feel more connected to the centres of learning. It can be a very lonely process,
creating work in a vacuum, and those distance-learning students have a hard time of it unless based in
Nelson, Wellington or Auckland, but I did my best to give a more rounded, world view of ceramics. My own
training was at Central School of Art, London, during the 1970s, and of course I was privileged to have very
good tutors and some of the best museums in the world to refer to, all paid for by the government at that time.
So, I am getting by on the memories of my youth (having actually made my money out of gilding, not ceramics,
for 20 years). I have huge moral support from my friend Janet Green in Masterton, and tons of practical
help from Mike Rogers in South Street Gallery, Nelson. I feel I am slowly making headway, developing my
own style and way of working. This March I exhibit with the Nelson Potters at The Suter Gallery, and am
working towards an exhibition (with Janet Green,
Fran Maguire and others) at The Millennium Gallery
in Blenheim, to run concurrently with Mirek Smisek
at the end of 2012. There’s certainly enough to do
around here, pottery-wise and otherwise. In fact, I’m
so busy that I don’t even have time to look out of the
window and see what the weather is doing here, let
alone in Auckland, but it’s nice to know you are up
there, checking out the weather map, looking after
our interests and encouraging us to join in. Thanks.
Morris & James Pottery
Matakana
Established 1977
Visit our
Collection Showroom.
FREE pottery tour
everyday at 11.30am
Relax in courtyard
licensed cafe
Open 7 days
9am till 5pm
14
48 Tongue Farm Road
Matakana
P: 09 422 7116
www.morrisandjames.co.nz
Northland sculptor Dell Pryor, far right of picture, (formerly of Waiheke
Island) with her People’s Choice Award “Black Pearl”, at the Inaugural
Kaipara Arts Award ceremony. This award will now be held every year
for all of the Kaipara, an area extending from Mangawhai to West Coast
Dargaville area. Black Pearl was constructed from terracotta using Dell’s
own special effects patina, and with leather and copper band attachments.
NORTHLAND REGION
Susie Leigh Rogers
Late September a group of Northland potters fired
up Julie-Anne (our double chamber down draft
wood kiln at the Quarry Art Centre). It’s always
a staggering procedure from the stacking of the
kiln to the final stick of timber endeavouring to
reach 1300! “She’s a right old beast to tell you
the truth.” Full temperature wasn’t quite reached
but we had a kiln load of very ancient looking
pottery!
Following this firing was our Northland National
Potters Week Exhibition (8th Annual Exhibition)
curated by myself and hosted once again by
the Whangarei District Council in our Botanica
Whangarei (Fernery/conservatory). It was a well
received show by both our town and visitors to
the gardens. The W.D.C. Purchase Award was
received by Carol Robinson for her works ‘Tower
One & Tower Two’ which will remain in the
Council’s ceramic collection.
Looking forward to the ‘Big Smoke’ in April .....
wishing you all the best from the sunny north!
RECIPE
Below is the recipe for the
“Koru” bowl by Heather
Anne Atkins featured in the
last issue:
“Jade Green” Reduction,
cone 9 -11
Whiting
12%
Feldspar
59%
China Clay 6%
Silica
23%
Colourants add:
Zinc oxide
6%
Copper Carbonate 2%
Red Iron Oxoide 2%
Work from the “Julie-Anne” firing.
Final 2 photos for the CQ Photo competition
Winner of the “Playing with Fire” book to be announced at the Big Smoke Conference
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“Matt’s Legs” c1978 - sent in by his wife Kate McLean.
Loading/unloading? the Outreach wood-fired kiln. Note
the wicket by Colin McCahon.
AUCKLAND NEWS:
“Chester and Lex” c1984 - the combination that inspired
the“True Grit” movie. Sent in by Peter Lange, may not be
eligible for the prize.
There will be photos like these (above), and interesting articles full of reminiscences and history, to be found on the new blog that will be accessible through the Auckland Studio Potters
website (www.ceramics.co.nz) in the very near future. Keep an eye on this website - it is being upgraded and
it’s starting to look very smart.
The ASP Centre is very busy with classes over-full and kilns firing every day. The Diploma class is working on
porcelain with John Dawson. There are new wheels arriving and a tonne and a half of books (Playing With
Fire) has just arrived plus we’re expecting a lot of pots for the NZSP Annual Exhibition so we have had to rent
a lock-up unit across the road for a couple of months. We’ve run out of room.
We are looking forward to hosting you all in our city - we hope we can provide some relief and a bright spot
in the lives of Christchurch potters. It will be great to see you here.
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CONFERENCES
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North Southland
Ph 03-248-6068
e-mail lewing@woosh.
co.nz
15
From the NZSP President
Thanks to all of you who
sent in copy and photos
for this edition.
The next deadline is the
beginning of June.
It would be good to hear
from you.
It would be great to have
photos and impressions
of the conference as
well.
16
Our increasing excitement about the fast approaching national exhibition and Big Smoke Conference
has taken a jolt with the tragic events which have
occurred in Christchurch again.
Our thoughts and expressions of concern go to the
whole Christchurch community and in particular to
members of our society who will undoubtedly have
suffered again from the massive earthquake which
shook and destroyed much of the city yesterday.
With communications in overload it is too early to
know what has happened to individual members
and to the ceramics community institutions. We
await further news.
Meanwhile the big event of our year is just over a
month away. Ceramics Quarterly is coming to you
a couple of weeks early in March so that we can
keep you informed about our Conference. This issue
keeps you in the picture.
It is not too late to join in and I hope that more
of you will do that. The Conference planning team
lead by Jo-Anne Raill has been working so very hard
to give us a very special event. Believe me it will
be a hugely enriching and unforgettable experience. So please go to www.nzpotters.com to pick
up more details and a registration form.
The AGM of our society will be held on Sunday April
the 3rd at 9.30 a.m. Please give serious thought to
serving on our national executive committee. The
Nelson-Marlborough and Wellington regions need
new regional reps. Josephine Waring the RCM for
Otago/Southland has completed her term and will
stand down if another person becomes available in
that region. So you see we need to shore up our
regional representation. Our future depends on it!
We need a vibrant national representative body. The
Exec has published a document with 17 good reasons for our existence. Take a look at that also on
our website.
I wrote some time ago about the importance of our
national body and of the need for people to ask
themselves not what NZSP can do for them but
what they could do for NZSP. Now is the time for
more folk to step up and answer that question and a
one word answer will do. Serve.
One of the exciting events to occur in conjunction with the Conference and Exhibition will be the
launch of the Auckland Studio Potters publication
marking its 50 years of existence. It is a stunning
publication, of coffee table proportions, and will
add very handsomely to the collection of books that
all potters in this country would like to own. Details
of this publication are included in this issue of CQ.
Midst these days of tragedy: Pike River, Queensland
Cyclone, and now Christchurch’s second disastrous
earthquake, we need some brightness on our collective horizons. The national conference and exhibition will be such an event.
See you there.
Wally Hirsh