The Potter’s Guild of South Australia was founded in 1978. Among its aims was the intention to establish a public collection of contemporary South Australian ceramics. The South Australian Ceramics Award has been an important part of this initiative serving, via funding from the Guild, to ensure the acquisition of current works by South Australian ceramic artists for both the Guild’s collection and that of the Art Gallery of South Australia. A condition of the award is that all participating artists be resident and working in the state, and entry is juried by a changing panel.

Thirty one artists are represented in this year’s exhibition, curated by Jan Twyerould of the Potter’s Guild. As would be expected the work is diverse, ranging from finely executed studio ware to innovative sculptural work. Judge Bruce Nuske spoke in his opening speech of the difficulties inherent in choosing only one of so many fine works, making the quip that he fully expected to be shot on leaving the building. Happily, this was not the case, Nuske’s choice being warmly appreciated by all present.



The winning piece, Moire, by Leo Neuhofer is a large, impressive, coiled paper clay structure. Neuhofer has exploited fully the strength and flexibility of this hybrid medium to create a sculpture of deceptive simplicity. The open grid work of the piece offered a delightful sense of movement as I walked around it – reminiscent of an exceptionally loose piece of weaving. The negative spaces keep changing as the view itself changes, the openness of the piece offering limitless patterns and shapes. In complete contrast is the work acquired for the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia, Arcadian Still Life, by Gerry Wedd. This was one of a number of ‘still life’ pieces – an increasingly popular way of exhibiting production ware via a means that intends a shift of perception by the viewer from that of the strictly utilitarian to that of art pottery. Wedd’s work carries a firm narrative quality, in this case extolling the South Australian beach lifestyle. Each piece within this group of ten varied vessel forms carries a beachscape with a figure, one wider bowl in particular with the pleasing placement of a sleeping figure curled around its interior.



Also in the still life collection was the whimsical work of Philip Hart, This is handmade, it is craft, a pointed commentary on the incursion of imported, mass-produced ware from overseas, particularly from South East Asia. These are truly delightful, blatantly handmade vessels, each one slightly off-centre, with visible finger marks in the pinched edges. One carries the slogan ‘hand painted badly’ – alluding more to the apparent randomness of the decoration rather than the actual execution which is finely and intricately done. Shelf Life, on the other hand is typical of Angela Valamanesh’s exquisitely perfect, elegant simple shapes accentuated by a subtle range of glossy green glazes. The high gloss adds an unexpected extra dimension via the reflections of the white shelf upon which the line of vessels are placed, which shows in a range of curved paler shapes on the surfaces of the various pieces. Robin Best’s cast coloured porcelain work, Still Life With Wiraku, shows a move away from her more familiar white coral inspired porcelain work. These vessels are deceptively simple, being formed by successive layers of coloured porcelain slip being cast into the one mould. The complexity only becomes evident when looking at the lip of each piece where the different layers can be seen. Added interest is incorporated into one of the pieces with the addition of a black glaze Wira pattern by Nyukana Baker of Ernabella, the complex patterning producing an interesting counterpoint to the simplicity of the shapes of the individual pieces.



Interestingly, the one work displayed as a still life which is available for purchase as separate pieces is the one I would have thought most important to keep intact. Clementine Underdown’s Forms of the Forest is an assembly of narrow four-sided, slab built, vessel forms with oxides, slips and glazes brushed on then rubbed and scraped back, creating a complex range of patterns and textures. As I walked around the exhibition, this work kept coming back into view through the other plinths, each time in a different configuration, inviting me to look closer at new pathways opening up through the multiple elements of the piece. The honesty of this work is striking, the exposed clay body being as much a part of the decoration as the slips and oxides. Similarly, Heather Clegg’s Autumn Pot, is just a big pot – but such a satisfying piece of work with its utter lack of pretension. This robust, paper clay piece is a fabulous re-visit of those marvelous runny glazes from the seventies, but re-interpreted with stunning control over a squat round piece with the dimensions of a medicine ball. Close inspection of the surface reveals layers of bubbling ash glazes, scarred and pitted with crusty dry chunks resembling leaf fragments and bits of bark. This is another one of those times when gallery injunctions against touching the art works is terribly frustrating!

In amongst all the innovative, experimental work to be found in thes exhibition, it was reassuring to find Anthony Millowick’s Tea Pots, examples of that most tricky of vessel forms to execute well. These two are effective companion pieces, their thrown and altered forms being similar, although on two different scales. I was informed by another attendee at the opening of the exhibition that Millowick had assured her that the tea pots poured perfectly – an achievement difficult to attain. With a somewhat lateral approach, Marie Littlewood, appears to be flirting with the concept of the tea set with her porcelain work, Rose Pattern. These classy, delicate little pieces are pared down elements of the traditional tea set – minus handles and fussy shapes. The porcelain is left to speak for itself with a matt glaze enhancing the silky quality of the clay. Decoration is a quirky re-interpretation of the traditional rosebud pattern, this time through the use of geometrically placed decals in blocks. The result is a simple, very contemporary effect which is entirely pleasing.

Kirsten Coehlo excels yet again with her delicate thrown porcelain with its Zen like, calculated imperfections in the forms. Likewise Alison Cooper with her untitled vase form in porcelain with its superbly carved relief decoration chasing around the piece. If there were a people’s choice option in this exhibition, the award would undoubtedly have gone to Elodie Barker for her Six Puppies.



This mad group of hand built puppies peer up from their plinth with endearing whimsy, begging to be taken home. They are a gorgeously humorous addition to this collection of work, but should be noted for their highly competent execution as well as their charm – demonstrating that this light-hearted style of sculptural work can still be of high quality. Freya Povey and Helen Doubell both approached iconic female figures, Povey with her paper clay bust, Gloriana, and Doubell with a coiled and pinched terracotta piece entitled Xixa. Povey’s piece embodies all that is to be expected of the virgin queen, her face remote and inaccessible, the features finely modeled and nicely balanced by the broad treatment of her hair. The earthenware slip is a warm and subtle treatment of the surface which is sympathetic to the character portrayed while still mimicking the later portraits with the heavily powdered face affected by Elizabeth I. Doubell’s work brings to mind the many and varied depiction of the earth mother in all her possible manifestations, from the Venus of Willendorf to the extremes of contemporary feminist interpretations.The burnished surface of the slip-brushed terracotta has a silky sheen which is very skin-like, bringing a prosaic level of reality to this figure with her crown of gum leaves. Standing on her stump of gum, she is a commanding presence in the gallery.

Other sculptural works include Honor Freeman’s, Shape of a Day, a hand built porcelain version of the corner of mattress. It is a curious piece, cleverly executed, but one I found difficult to like. More convincing, if a little predictable, were John Ferguson’s saggar fired Pebbles, sitting like three small Henry Moore- like sculptures on their plinth. Precious Precipitation, by Alison Arnold, is a strange and enigmatic assemblage of thrown, press-moulded and assembled porcelain with the addition of a doily and glass dome. This is one of those works which had me wanting very much to see the journal, for the process which arrived eventually at this piece. Helen Bowlden’s The Social Fabric is an interesting group of cast, moulded and slab built elements depicting wrapped parcels and a bag – the bag particularly impressive for its seeming fragility.

This large and varied exhibition is an ample illustration of the range of activity among South Australian ceramic artists. There is little of what is possible with the clay medium that has not made its way into this collection. All the contributing artists are to be saluted for their work and achieving a place in this years award exhibition. Commendation is due also to the Adelaide Central Gallery for its continued support for this award. As Jam Factory Director Stephen Bowers commented in his opening speech, it is unusual to be in that gallery space and be entirely surrounded by pots – as would be the case in most galleries, generally. To be in any gallery space surrounded by this many pots – using the term loosely – of this quality is not a usual experience, and one to be enjoyed on the rare occasion that it does happen.

Karen Finch is an Adelaide-based artist and writer currently completing a Masters Degree in Art History and Curating at
Adelaide University

 

Last modified 23-Mar-2005

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