Some Odds and Ends

For those interested in writing on ceramics, Objectspace has put online their recent publication, ‘EMPIRE of DIRT’- a collection of essays and poems around the subject, from very short to a couple of thousand words …a mixed lot but most very well worth the read, and the re-read. Or you can send to Objectspace to buy the compendium of assembled words – it’s a brown folder containing the essays, each on a separate page. You’ll find everything from a Greg O’Brien piece ruminating on a Tony Fomison clay cat’s face, Yvonne Rust and the Springbok Tour of ’81, to lists, two of them, from artist/ceramists Martin Poppelwell and Denis O’Connor, both revelatory, both worth ruminating on. There’s a bunch of history you almost certainly don’t know about Lucie Rie’s connection with (then) NZ based architect Ernst Plischke and even some you don’t know about the very busy factory that made those uranium glazed, bright orange, matt, hot-selling pots back in the ‘70s and some even Edmund de Waal may not know about Rococo revival ware from 19thC Paris that it ends up in a Mangere studio as ‘Punk’. There is much, much more and you can see all sixteen essays and/or poems at www.http://objectspace.org.nz/Downloads/Assets/5273/Empire+of+Dirt+Writing+about+Ceramics.pdf

For an alternative way to catch stuff on ceramics, you might try the podcasts of Ben CARTER and his ‘Tales of a Red Clay Rambler’ He interviews and comments on a range of topics. Latest one is an interview with Jacques Kaufmann on ceramics and bioactive architecture that reduces greenhouse gases. Carter is American so there is a bunch of advertising in there particularly for his on-line course on how to be a successful (or more successful) ceramics business owner. I gather there is advice of all sorts covering areas we could not even dream about back in the ‘70s but very possibly all essential knowledge today. Anyway, to listen to a recording (and there is a huge list) go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-red-clay-rambler-podcast/id523651655 To receive as podcasts on your whatever device you need to subscribe. Instructions on site.

 Finally…

Here is a piece on Hans Coper’s work taken from a British site….

The valuable haul of Hans Coper pottery found in a Leeds Bungalow.

The desirability of collecting pottery was also highlighted last week, when an extraordinary haul, worth nearly £1 million, was unearthed in the humble Leeds bungalow of Alan Firth following his death. Frith and his late wife Pat amassed the fine collection of studio pottery over a number of years, spending a total of £27,000 on pieces by the likes of Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, often buying directly from the artists themselves. Not a bad return on their investment, then.

Wonder where that collection is now?

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Thai/Australian-based ceramist, Vipoo Srivilasa,  has a crowd-funding venture in train. Do you fancy a mini, blue/white, porcelain portrait of you to hang on your wall and help him get his ClayLAB project up and running so that he can host his new studio warehouse space for community projects? He’d like support for this.  I have no further information so contact Vipoo directly… vipoo@vipoo.com or vipoo.srivilasa@gmail.com will evoke you a swift response.