"After the Fire"
Exhibition opens: 6 July 2012 at 6 pm
Exhibition runs to 29 July 2012
Fire
in its many forms has a potent and primitive place in the collective
memory.
We
recall the conflagrations that devour the countryside. Yet we are also familiar with the
hearth and stove where fire provides warmth and food.
In
this exhibition, some very different examples of the wonderful transmutative
powers of fire, flame, heat and smoke when harnessed by the ceramic artist, are
clearly evident. Each artist has an individual response to, and expectation of,
the fire.
Margaret’s
pots are simple, robust, handbuilt forms which wear the complex markings
that result from the flame and smoke of the pitfire. Surfaces come alive with
the suggestion of movement - a visual terrain across which the eye can travel.
By
contrast, Pauline's fine porcelain pieces, transformed by heat but unmarked by
it, reference the renewal of life and growth through seeds and pods, so
delicately carved and polished.
The soft, evocative qualities of smoke create the
distinctive visual effects and surface decoration on Marjo’s pieces. And Val,
significantly inspired by the forms and textures provided by nature, responds
to the red hues of earth, enhanced and enriched by the passage of flame.
Results
often prompt the imagination of the viewer, reading into the intricate matrix
of pattern created by the passage of fire, flame, smoke.
Marjo
Carter
Artist
Statement:
Currently,
my studio practice revolves around individual handbuilt pieces that feature the
softer, evocative nature of smoke firings. I have found much enjoyment
in smoke firings, using natural sources such as leaves, grasses, pine needles,
etc to create distinctive visual effects and surface decoration.
Another
unique aspect of my work is the application of hand lettered calligraphy to the
works, adding poetic meanings and depth to the pieces.
Margaret
Ling
Artist
statement:
I
am inspired by nature and the primitive - the colours, the forms and the
textures of the natural world around us.
My
pots are simple, robust, handbuilt forms which wear the complex markings
that result from the flame and smoke of the pitfire. Through this
process I am looking for surfaces that are alive with the suggestion
of movement - a visual terrain across which the eye can travel.
The
surface drama contained by the stillness of form.
Pauline Wellfare
Artist
Statement:
Making
pots has been a passion for 25 years now, and I can’t see myself doing anything
else.
Surface
treatment is an important aspect of my work. I like the work to be both a tactile experience as well as a
visual one. Pieces are carved, sanded and polished a number of times during the
firing and finishing processes in order to achieve the smooth, subtle surfaces
I desire. The major inspiration for form, colour and decoration of my work comes
from native vegetation I see in the surrounding bush, as well as the plant life
I find in my garden.
Valerie
Stuart
Artist
Statement:
My
work combines both wheel and hand building techniques. I use a variety of
surface decoration and firing techniques in order to achieve a desired effect.
My inspiration is drawn from everyday forms and textures provided by nature.
When taken out of their context these characteristics impart a feeling of
familiarity and surprise when viewed in a different framework.
