Monday, 1 October 2012

THE CURATOR’S VIEW – OCTOBER 2012



October sustains the Bevere Gallery reputation for quality and diversity. Our leading featured makers  Chris Carter

 and Adam Buick
 - share similar interests. Both have deep roots in the landscape and a life-long interest in archaeology and the influence of man on his environment.  However, the similarity ends there as their work is strikingly different.
Chris has been making for over forty years and, in my view, is one of the most underrated of British studio potters.  His craftsmanship, the attention to detail and the elegance of his designs are the hallmarks of a master potter. I have admired – and owned – Chris’s work for many years and they have a timeless quality which sits comfortably in any context.
Adam has not shown here before and we are delighted to be exhibiting a group of his work which will show why his reputation has grown in recent years. His pots are beautifully thrown and redolent of the landscape in South-West Wales where he lives and works.  Adam’s vessels are made for reflection and for me they generate a calming presence and a mirror on the world he sees from his window.
Three other featured makers – Sian van Driel,

 Thrown pots by Sian van Driel












Barbara Phelps

 and Kay Waite
 – add further diversity and interest to this month’s offerings.  Sian’s raku and smoked fired vessels are thrown on an old kick wheel. The thrown vessel is such an iconic element of ceramic history it continues to bring so much pleasure to the aficionado as well as those who simply enjoy looking at beautiful objects. Raku and smoke firing bring an additional unpredictable quality to Sian’s work.
I have known and respected Barbara for a number of years. Her creative energy is remarkable in a maker who has already spent a professional lifetime teaching. She continues to explore and develop her work and we are delighted to be showing a new body of her decorative pieces.
Whilst much of the work which we are showing this month has robust qualities, Kay Waite’s work which is elegant and delicate, is influenced by her concerns for the fragility and preciousness of life. Whilst Kay is new to Bevere, we are confident that she will bring a new dimension to our rapidly expanding portfolio of makers.

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