New Zealand Potter Volume 12 Number 1 Autumn 1970
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NEW ZEALAND I I NEW ZEALAN contents VOLUME 12/1 AUTUMN 1970 13th exhibition 2 The :: _ potter 7 About the guest artists 1 Potters symposium 1 1 3 :.__.-_.:.4. Entrainment 16 Domestic ware: scope for discipline and imagination 20 Ceramic murals ,_._—. 23 Hall of Asian art 28 A or P? A question of status 34 Newcomers _ . 39 editorial . After the 13th 46 News of people, pots and events 53 12 Year Itch! English studio pottery today it will be obvious from articles in this issue of the Potter that some conflicting opinions are held as to how the potter's association should NEW ZEALAND POTTER is a non-profit-making be shaped to meet the needs of all New Zealand potters. twice annually in Autumn and magazine published There will be some changes. This year no annual exhibition will be Spring. held. The New Zealand Society of Potters will be considering other rates: Subscription ways of admitting new members and other ways of showing Zealand: $2 per annum, post free. Within New their work. Australia: $2.20 Canada, U.S.A.: $U82.4O United Kingdom: 22/- A. strong plea is heard for a change of emphasis within the Other countries: $US 2.40 Socrety to lay greater stress on the work of 'professional potters'. Some potters even want a separate association to promote their interests: In this issue some of these people express their views. Harris Editor Margaret By examining their requirements of a potter’s association it will be Lay-out and Juliet Peter clear what they object to in the present Society. But who Editorial advisers Roy Cowan is the professional potter? Doreen Blumhardt That there should be conflicting ideas concerning the direction Administration David Carson-Parker Esme Marris of New Zealand pottery now—about twelve years since pottery really got under way in this country is to be expected as a healthy Advertising John Stackhouse sign of growth. Examination of ideals and constructive criticism design Margaret Harris Cover in the appropriate quarter can do nothing but good; so long as we correspondence recognise the stage when talk must cease so that we can Editorial/subscription/advertising Potter should be addressed to New Zealand get back to the essential task of making better pots. Wellington North New Zealand P.O. Box 12-162 1 THE 13th EXHIBITION by Margaret Milne This year for the 13th exhibition of the New These new entries were pre-selected by Zealand Society of Potters for the first time a Marjorie Leighton and Neil Grant, executive guest selector was invited to be sole selector. members of the NZ. Society. Those which There were also two guest exhibitors from showed an overall standard of competence Australia. went forward for general selection by Ivan McMeekin. In this way a change was made in The guest selector was Ivan McMeekin, a the method of admitting new members to the well known Sydney potter, who trained with society. We consider that the system worked Michael Leach and Michael Cardew, then well and justified the experiment. Wherever returned to Australia to found the Sturt Pottery possible Marjorie and Neil sent written com- at Mittagong. He now lectures in ceramic tech- ments to the unsuccessful applicants which they nology at the University of New South Wales. hoped might be helpful. His selection was made over a period of two Entries from 116 potters came from all over days and the pots chosen made up a representa— the country—83 of these were accepted. Out of tive exhibition of what he considered expressed the total 682 entries, 231 were shown. the character of work being done in New This display which was dramatically designed Zealand today. architecturally and well carried out by a capable Two hundred and fifty pots were taken as a team, was the work of Chester Nealie. His use good number to make up an exhibition, give or of fibrolite modules in natural grey with some take a little; in fact less than two hundred and faces and the inside of the modules painted fifty were finally selected. The first hundred pots brilliant red, was striking and unusual. It could were easily separated by their quality. The rest be said that the scale and the impact of the Photo: Barry McKay followed the limitless possibilities for experimenting with by careful consideration of the unity of design overshadowed some of the pots, but this should be so. The need to retain clay which is a basic their best the generally there was considerable appeal of the present day pieces design and execution, the functional design, interest in this for the nucleus of their personal shows, pottery movement. It aplication of techniques used and the visual and contemporary approach to display. also reveals the restless the unity of their work not being realised by tactile qualities. The urge for potters to create a masterpiece. selector was surprised at the Between 1200 and 1400 people viewed the the few entries permitted and the scattering The selector, Ivan McMeekin of number of entries submitted and commented exhibition which indicates its wide general commented on their pieces, and the the selection system, being favourably on the quality of the new predominance of the sculptural over the some entries. appeal. E] of them. The need to bring the experienced functional idiom. Many potters now seem to be potters into the exhibition has avoiding been frequently the discipline and experience required stated, but how could every potter be adequately for really satisfactory domestic ware. Or do they represented? feel that there is a shorter way to exhibition The finish of the pots and the glaze quality success if they submit startling or precious have certainly Critical comment by Dennis Hanna improved over the years but objects to which the selector will a apply fewer number of the pots looked tired traditional and overworked. Main impressions standards? But the risk is that a Few of the large of this bigger than ever show The diversity of work on view will be pots were successful. The were: despairing selector will reject them as downright initial success too many exhibitors, diversity defeating emphasised by naming some of the items. There of the large raw piece may not ugly. Perhaps they find this type of Work more be realised unity, and the future of this annual exhibition in was a chess set, a tiled table, a large bas—relief in the finished pot —- personally satisfying shrinkage, doubt. and more applicable to decoration and and mosaic comic strip, many objects for con- glaze failure take their toll, and their limited involvement in pottery. Perhaps the In very round terms there were nearly 700 templation and shelf filling and some domestic final form is often out of proportion. they feel that the traditional views are out of entries. Two thirds of the entries were rejected. ware (some pieces bearing With great care and thought a utility label will see date. Ivan McMeekin Of selected 20 over 80 exhibitors, one quarter qualified as no such use.) Only ceramic jewelry was missing pieces to form the core of the exhibi- As usual the exhibition failed to attract entries tion new members of the Society and one quarter (Not eligible). To present all this in a satisfying and his personal choice would from a number of provoke displayed well known established little argument. one entry only. Two guest exhibitors exhibition is impossible. All the same, it must A few pots are chosen for potters, and there are a number com- from Australia added fairly of reasons why ment. The finish, large group displays. be admitted that this range in exhibits reveals glaze quality and decoration of the pots of Harry and May Davis was not sur- more. The problem of dealing with rejects alone passed. These potters have established a per— is formidable, aside from dealing with the At the 13th Exhibition sonal tradition without need for change of style. selected pots. A change of policy is inevitable. Estelle Martin's was the best bowl-elegant, per- So many objects can be made of clay it would fectly proportioned, of even glaze with accent on seem necessary to retain some classification for the rim. Len Castle's bottle with orange—red exhibition purposes and to impose some restric- shino~type glaze was a particularly fine piece. tions. But definitions are difficult. Sculpture and Neil Grant showed a carefully designed slab pottery are really impossible to define. The sug« Harry and May Davis. bottle, though the base and top were not quite gestion that any fired clay object should qualify in balance, and Richard Cadness a tall elegant for acceptance, would turn the National Exhibi- vase with fluted top and dark, subdued glaze. tion into a jumble sale. Solutions to these prob— David Carson-Parker's casserole was a good lems must be found. I] domestic work. The two Australian guest exhibitors, Marea Gazzard and Milton Moon, had large uniform groups. Gazzard's pots were large free sculp— tural forms, mainly bowl or gourd shaped, unglazed outside, asking for a terrace and bright sun. Moon showed an interesting thin iron and ash glaze from his gas kiln, which is unlike our glazes. An experienced and travelled potter he is searching for ideas. His technique of tearing at the wet clay and ramming it together again drew reactions of excitement or violent dis- approval. It could appeal more to those potters whose own work is in a state of indigestion. The method of display chosen should serve the pots.