Saturday

The feeding frenzy around Jackson Li's brushes- they are worth it!

Tania Rollond showed the crowd how to use things you will find in any art supplies store , conte crayons, oil pastels and chinese brush pens to create line and volumeon a two dimensional surface.

There was a big trade display, Max Walker from Walkers clay, Northcote pottery and Clayworks were all there to talk technology and new tools!
Vicki Grima editor of the Journal of Australian Ceramics a dynamic exciting woman and wonderful artists has created the edition to end all editions with her latest issue of The Journal of Australian Ceramics. For those who are attending the conference and those who can't come it is full of articles relating to and written by the presenters ....and double the usual size!

Takeshi Yasuda
Takeshi has a new website..........
Look here for a treat

The Many Facets of Woodfiring Academic Owen Rye

Owen Rye is an Australian ceramicist and has worked in many aspects of ceramics including archaeology, teaching postgraduate students, making and exhibiting woodfired work internationally, delivering workshops in Australia and the USA on woodfiring, curating Australian survey exhibitions, organising conferences, and writing books and articles for many ceramics magazines in Australia, England, Germany, and USA. His work is in the ANG and most state collections and many regional collections in Australia, as well as public collections in USA, China, Korea, Germany, and Japan. He is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics.

He sent me this lovely photo of a woodstack for the blog as he happens to like them very much. The woodstack combined with Owen Rye's favourite pot are sure to get wood firer's hearts racing!

To get to know the surreal facts of Owen Rye's illustrious career you can read from a chinese website that he.....
"He covered the creation of history from the 1960s to the 21st century a long time, is still using an independent creators of the gesture, to continue in his studio in the text, the ceramic creation."
And
"Owen Rye can persist for decades creation, to herein is aware of the fun!"
Rye has also been described as:
"....one of the very few ceramists who is equally articulate about clay as he is with it. He seems especially fascinated by an ongoing conundrum: information about his art and craft continually leads him to simultaneous states of understanding and mystification – a condition he perceives as delight. "
Jack Troy, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA June 9, 2007

Owen Rye is moderating what promises to be a lively discussion on education at the Australian Ceramics Triennale, featuring Janet Deboos, Bruce McWhinney and Shannon Garson from Australia, and Elaine Henry and Kim Dickie from the USA, this panel will examine issues such as the past and future of Australian ceramics; a comparison of the current state of ceramics in the USA and Australia; the role of institutions in ceramic education, workshops, residencies, apprenticeships and other ways of learning, and new methods of communication and their role in education.
Panel members will not give talks as such – discussion will focus on questions they consider important, and on questions raised by audience participants.
Education panel: Monday the 20th July

Meet the Speakers- Simone Fraser

"I want my work to have a beauty that speaks for itself. I want the viewer to experience the mystery within the surface, the balance and proportion of the form and the harmony that each piece engenders." from Simone Fraser's website

Australian ceramicist Simone Fraser will be speaking at the Australian Ceramics Triennale. Fraser's vessels encompass both the delicate and the muscular with their strongly thrown forms and intricate, sometimes gold encrusted surfaces. References to history, nature and a material sensuality combine in these intriguing vessels where examination draws you into the surface, across the the form revealing layers of colour and texture, the sense of hidden mystery about to be revealled nagging at the edge of conciousness, then slipping away through sheer delight in the object.


"While viewing her work it is too simplistic to attribute the artist's motivation to the mimicking of age-encrusted surfaces. Her surfaces - colour and texture - are new; a deliberate refinement based on the artist's unique aesthetic judgement. Her colours and textures have no reference point, no equivalent in ancient ceramics. In this sense her work is contemporary. At the same time she has chosen to develop forms that are referential to the vessel. "
"Simone Fraser's Vessels Forms" by Alan Peascod
Article from: Ceramics Art and Perception No. 60 2005 pp 47-49

Meet the Speakers- Kim Won Seok

Kim Won Seok is a professor at Kongju National University,(actually he is not a professor at the kongju university see here) South Korea, and will be speaking at the Australian Ceramics Triennale on contemporary Korean ceramics.

Kim Won Seok's gestural contempoary vessels reference tradition korean Punchong ware.
"In conversation with Kim it becomes apparent that an understanding of Korean ceramic history is fundamental to understanding his work. It provides the keys to its meaning. He has chosen, using a modern context, to draw upon his cultural traditions, rich with historical resonance, to provide the meaning in his own work and to build up artifacts that function on many levels. Won Seok Kim uses the dark claybody and celadon glazes that characterised Korean wares of the 15th century and, in particular, his work makes its strongest reference to the style of work called punch'ong. In doing this he has taken the turning point in Korea's history, a crossroad between two dynasties, two religions and two approaches to the potters' art as his starting point. "
(From an article by Gale Leake "Won Seok Kim's Australian Punch'ong Ware" published in Ceramics Art and Perception")


Kim Won Seok will be speaking at the Australian Ceramics Triennale on Saturday July the 18th.

Come and see.....Penny Byrne (and your eyes will pop out of your head!)

Artist: Penny Byrne
Title: If only Gay Sex caused Global Warming mused Mother Earth
Date: 2007
Materials: vintage ceramic figure group, tacks, lead, metal nails, epoxy resin, epoxy putty, plastic, re-touching medium, powder pigments.
Size: 80 x 40 x 40cm
Photographer: Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf Fine Art
Private Collection.

This eye-popping piece is created by Australian artist Penny Byrne. Mild mannered art conservator by day Penny becomes destroyer/creator of Dresden figurines, myths, ballerinas and governments by night as she uses the tools of her trade to create these wicked, funny sculptures.


Penny Byrne, George and Laura simply adore the War on Terror

Byrne uses originals beyond repair but her conservation background kicks in when it comes to her creations "I won't destroy important decorative art," she says. "But the vintage ones, which are poor copies of the original, I think they're just asking for trouble." (from an article by Joyce Morgan in the Sydney Morning Herald, March 6, 2007)
I couldn't agree more!

Penny Byrne is part of the "White Heat" exhibition at the Australian Ceramics Triennale.

Curated by Julie Bartholemew "White Heat" explores
"Transformative practices that move beyond the object of utility, often take risks that propel the maker and viewer into unfamiliar territory. The exhibition titled White Heat offers a space for discourses of social, political and cultural concern."

White Heat - Australian Ceramics Association Exhibition
When:
12.06.2009 - 19.07.2009
Where:
Manly Art Gallery & Museum - Manly

Meet the Speakers- Kim Dickey

Kim Dickey is an American ceramicist. Her playful assemblages and installations explore "Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting, Performance art, mixed media and post-medium theory, Installation art, film and video, culinary and food history, wunderkammern, botany." (from the University of Colorado website where Dickey is an associate professor.)

Dickey's work evokes a sense of wonder and playfulness seen in the best of post-modernism. Her sculptural gardens engage the viewer on many levels from pure, aesthetic pleasure through to the metaphysical, religous and social semiotics of gardens and food. Dickey says "I've always been intrigued by the language of objects, by their aspects of intimacy in everyday life. (Clay) is the stuff of the earth. Once it is fired, it becomes a cultural object. We interpret cultures through their ceramic objects. It's permanent and impermanent, and that also could be the garden we're talking about."(from "The Rocky Mountain News" June 14 2007)

She says:
“As an artist I want to be a role model in believing in what you do and working hard at it,” she says. It is a message she hopes to send not only to her students but also her own children. “That’s what we should all be doing in life: Finding moments of great joy.”
This is from an interesting article written on Dickey for "Denver Woman "magazine.



Kim Dickey speaking at the Australian Ceramics Triennale on Friday the 17th of July, during the morning session.

A view from the studio with- Simon Reece

here's a little baby one two three,
stands at the backdoor what does he see?
PEEPO!
he see his daddy making cups,
very few leaves on the tree,wondering what we'll do together once the clock strikes three.

apologies to the Ahlbergs'

Simon Reece is an Australian ceramicist based in the Blue Mountains behind Sydney. Simon claims to be primarily a vessel maker however in recent years his "vessels" have moved from the domestic sphere into a metaphorical, philosophical sphere.



Simon says of this work:
"My aim is to reflect the essence of this place (the Blue Mountains) by creating objects that are representations of these rocks and looking into the breath or soul of these forms. That is, moving towards anthropomorphising them with consideration to animism. I intend to explore the idea that all things in nature, including mountains and rocks, inanimate objects and natural phenomena are imbued with a living soul. People are becoming more isolated as the global community spreads wider and the search for spiritual connections with living and non-living natural phenomena seems to be prevalent in our secular society."
from Simon's website



See new work from Simon Reece at "on the table too" and exhibition at Planet during the Australian Ceramics Triennale.
Title:
on the table too
When:
09.07.2009 - 22.07.2009
Where:
planet - Surry Hills, Sydney
When:
09.07.2009 - 22.07.2009
Where:
planet - Surry Hills, Sydney

my favourite pots...with Gerry Wedd

South Australian artist Gerry Wedd describes himself as "a potter producing functional pots,though occasionally my practice straddles design and the visual arts."

This is an extremely modest description of a practice that has ranged from producing teacups and domestic ware to.......

designing t-shirts and surfboards for iconic Australian brand Mambo, to recontextualizing blue willow ware into an incisive protest against the Howard goverment's treatment of refugees.


Gerry writes a great blog here
This is what he writes about his favourite pots.......


"The Daily Grind (the gift that keeps on giving)

These are my favourite cups. They were made by Phil Hart, ex- workshop head at the Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre. They don't get used every day but certainly most days. They are never taken for granted.
Maybe it's because I throw pots but every time I use these cups I imagine the making of them.The exaggerated throwing rings are imbued with the making;throwing that is confident, fluid and a little playful. They are nicely weighted and the perfect size for a double expresso. Phil weighs out the clay in equal proportions but gives in to the process resulting in quite a bit of variation in the rim profiles.I think he was probably listening to John Coltrane while making them."



See Gerry's work at the Australian Ceramic Triennale
"White Heat - Australian Ceramics Association Exhibition"
When:
12.06.2009 - 19.07.2009
Where:
Manly Art Gallery & Museum - Manly

Meet the Speakers- Jiangsheng li

Jiansheng Li is one of the speakers at the Australian Ceramics Triennale. I have seen Jiangsheng speak a couple of times and he is an inspiring, poetic and powerful speaker. Jiangsheng is the founder of the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in Jingdezhen , China.

"Sanbao began as a dream of Jackson Li of Jingdezhen and Wayne Higby of Alfred University, USA back in the mid-1990's. They envisioned an international ceramic art center located in China, that would provide the opportunity to the international arts and crafts community to explore and exchange the culture, arts and crafts of China.

The concept of a first international ceramic art center in China led to the search for a suitable site on the outskirts of Jingdezhen, long the world center of porcelain production and the origin of the best porcelain artifacts in history.

The Sanbao Valley had for countless centuries been the source of Chinastone for the studios of Jingdezhen and was dotted with numerous old water-powered hammer mills for crushing the stone. A group of farm houses and an adobe building were chosen as the site for the future art center."
From the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute Website.


Jiangsheng Li (also known as Jackson Li) is also a renowned brush maker and will be doing a brushmaking demonstration at the Triennale. I have one of Jackson's brushes and the quality of the line it produces would make any ceramic decorator swoon. These brushes are just a small sample of the wonderful brushes for sale on the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute website.




Opening

On Friday the 17th of July there will be a screening of the international award winning film titled 'Potter and Dragon Kiln Village' by Jiansheng Li (Jackson Li)at COFA

(COFA is an easy 5 minute walk from the National Art School)

Come and see.........Pru Morrison's work at the Manly Gallery

“It’s Wednesday, the morning after Waynes big budget and the kiln’s firing.
Today I’ll have a go at constructing treasurer Swan in a pond with the body of a swan and the head of Wayne. I wonder if he’s a married swan, a gay swan, a promiscuous or chaste swan, or a busy swan with no time for swan love. The image is looking out of the studio onto the side street which leads onto the main road that goes over the story bridge into town. It looks quiet in this pic but its noisy always which makes a good soundscape for making a swan in a pond bearing gifts of flowers and a song for his beloved, whose identity needs researched. “
Pru Morrison's words and view..... May 2009

This is an image from Pru Morrison's studio. Pru is known for her skill in slip-casting and her wonderful (and sharp) sense of humour. Her work is a detailed melange of slip-casting, with incised and carved decoration incorporating funny and subversive images and text. See Pru Morrison's latest works as part of the "White Heat" exhibition at the Manly Gallery during the Australian Ceramics Triennale.



Titlee:
White Heat - Australian Ceramics Association Exhibition
When:
12.06.2009 - 19.07.2009
Where:
Manly Art Gallery & Museum - Manly

Come and see.......

There is a wonderful "Exhibitions" page on the Triennale website.
The Triennale is co-ordinating with galleries throughout Sydney and around Australia to create a wide ranging survey of Australian and international contemporary ceramics.

"You will experience a visionary range of exhibitions showcasing the country’s most respected and innovative object makers. The diversity of shows will heighten awareness of the capacity of ceramics to embrace contentious issues, materiality, utility, hybrid practice and creative thinking. Some exhibitions will highlight the work of established practitioners while others will represent the dynamic talent of young emerging artists. Invited international ceramic artists from China, Taiwan, Korea and America will also be represented.

For up-to-date information about all the shows, visit the Australian Ceramics Triennale website’s EXHIBITIONS section."
All information on exhibitions has been compiled by Julie Bartholemew.


Victor Greenaway's latest work on exhibition in conjunction with the Australian Ceramics Triennale
"Italy with Soul: Reflections in Form and Figure."
When:
05.06.2009 - 20.07.2009
Where:
Cudgegong Gallery, Gulgong, NSW - Gulgong

Meet the Speakers- Virginia Scotchie

"My recent work in ceramic sculpture centers around the abstraction of personal objects that have been given to me by my family members; an old pipe of my father's, a funnel from my mother's kitchen, an old bulb from the family Christmas tree and my childrens toys. A recent object is a handmade wooden tool that was fashioned by my Italian grandfather to plant in his garden. Slender and pointed with a stump of a side handle, this small tool fit the hand of my grandfather and served him well. For me it holds visual intrigue and a connection to my memory of him. The warn, crusty surfaces on many of the pieces are created to give a sense of how time acts to make and unmake a form. I so not wish for this work to be named or lableled, rather it is my intention that through the borrowing and reformation of objects the work might trigger one to look closer and find beauty and intrigue in the humble, ordinary and familiar objects that surround us."

These are the words Virginia Scotchie uses to describe her practice.



This is taken from an article Dr. Lynn Jones Ennis wrote to accompany an exhibition at the North Carolina State College in 2005.
"To be around Scotchie is to witness energy in motion. She processes information on so many levels. Her joyful home is full of color and wonderful objects. Her husband, Peter Lenzo, also is a potter and works in assemblages that are scattered throughout the house. Between them they have three children, three dogs, two cats, and several reptiles.

Scotchie pays attention, and it is this attention that allows her to transform everyday items such as funnels into works of art that invite closer inspection. Sometimes she pokes holes in objects once functional, only to render them unusable in their traditional sense.

Often when she starts a piece, Scotchie isn't sure where it will go. Although she does sketch - she has sketchbooks in every room of her house - she rarely makes something that looks exactly like what she has drawn. And she likes solitude when she is working with the clay form.

Her newly built studio in her back yard is reached by walking through a lovely garden adorned with ceramic spheres, inviting visitors to stop and look. Her former workspace was shared with Lenzo; now they each have a studio. Her sparse space is filled with light and an orderly calmness. Scotchie is a planner. For example, she cuts wooden forms into various shapes, which serve as patterns for her work.
from "Women in Clay" organized by the North Carolina State University Gallery of Art and Design, Dr. Lynn Jones Ennis, Curator of the Collection.2005

Virginia Scotchie is speaking at the Australian Ceramic Triennale on Sunday the 19th of July at 9.00

Meet the Speakers- Takeshi Yasuda

Takeshi Yasuda is speaking at the Triennale at 9.00 on Saturday the 17th of July.

In his own words here is short history of his amazing and diverse career:
"My name is Takeshi Yasuda. I am a British potter born in Japan where I trained at Mashiko for two years and stayed another eight years as a working potter until moving to the United Kingdom thirty years ago. I have taught in British colleges for over 25 years but never took a full time teaching position. At the moment, I am teaching at Alfred University for a semester. "

This precis is taken from a very interesting letter Takeshi Yasuda wrote in reply to John Britt's assertion that "The Unknown Craftsman is Dead" in April 2008. You can read the whole reply, gentle, funny and probing as it is here

Currently the Director at the Jingdezhen Pottery Workshop in China, Takeshi Yasuda is well known for his unique tableware and his critical survey of European eating habits. This beautiful bowl is typical of his gestural approach to form and throwing. Yasuda's commitment to the ritual and importance of food and vessels in our lives is illustrated in the combination of the oriental "precious" materials (porcelain and celadon) meeting the occidental "precious" of the gold. This form uses gold leaf to subvert the expectation of the formal dinner set decorated in gold set in place throughout western ceramic history. The relaxed tension of the throwing combined with the formal, historical and even religious association of gilding create a vessel that is a lyrical meditation on nexus between creation and the ritual of eating. This pot creates a dialogue between the everyday and philosophical.

Meet the Speakers- Marek Cecula

Marek Cecula is a keynote speaker at the Australian Ceramics Triennale. His diverse output ranges from playful post-modern comment on the nature of contemporary ceramics and our interaction with objects through to amazing industrial design.

"ZIG ZAG TEAPOT 1
Extreme teapot where spout and handle make the most of the form and linear decor, stretching the limits of conventional tea serving. This strongly decorative design with links to art deco and modernistic architecture will guide you in creating a stylish."(from Marek Cecula's website)

One thing that is consistent over Marek Cecula's oeuvre is his irreverent approach to ceramics as a material.


These works entitled In Dust Real (2004)
"Select(ed) forms from various porcelain manufactures (which) were “burned again” in high temperature in traditional anagama wood fire kilns to achieve totally opposite condition from conventional industrial standards.
Destruction of classic pose and twist in appearance, breaks down established values and standards of a mass-product, as we know it, long hours of wood fire leaves marks of ash and fire on the industrial forms, transforming the classic porcelain into new original artwork." (from Marek Cecula's website)




Marek Cecula also has many years as an educator at Parson's School of Design in New York and today he is a professor at KHIB National College of Art & Design in Begen Norway.

Marek Cecula will present a keynote address at 9 o'clock on Friday the 17th of July