THE MAKER'S LUNCH JOAN AND JACK HARDIE 4 MAY 2019

I remember when we began this monthly programme of Makers Lunches, I had some concern that we might find successive discussions about ceramicists and their work somewhat repetitive. What these entertaining lunches have demonstrated is that the creative drive and approach to making pots is underpinned by the personality of the maker and their perception of the world around them and everyone is very different. Joan and Jack Hardie, whom we were delighted to have with us this month, epitomise that.

Joan and Jack  aim to make ceramics that are inspired by natural forms and have a sense of life and movement. 3D printing with clay makes it possible to create ceramic forms that embrace these aspirations which are not achievable by other means.

They started making pots together nearly 50 years ago and unusually for mature makers have become heavily committed to using technology to develop their making and thinking about pot design. This time with them gave us the opportunity to explore the path which  led to their adopting computer printing as their preferred approach.

The two hours of discussion were truly revelatory. Few of us have a detailed insight into the amount of intellectual effort as well as ceramic skills required to produce original and interesting computer printed pots. Five years ago they became aware of the potentialities of computer aided design and printing and spent a long time exploring and experimenting – to some extent their journey still continues as new ideas are developed and implemented. It was certainly evident that the notion that the use of the computer was simply a matter of pressing the start button and lo and behold  you have a pot, is naïve and simply wrong, It is the ceramic skills that the Hardies clearly have and their earlier technical backgrounds combined that serve them well.

They made their own printing equipment and they brought with them fascinating illustrations and a video which demonstrated the making process. Although their work is exhibited under their joint names, in fact Joan emphasised that individual pots were identifiable to one or the other – at least to them!!

They were aware of the controversy that computer printing generates  - perceived by some as not craft – that is, not emerging directly from the hands of the maker. Their view is that printing is no more than another process as is casting from moulds, slab making, coiling or throwing for that matter. Underpinning the process is a detailed understanding of the properties of clay and decisions about the use of specific clay types, design skills both in terms of creativity and the technical ability to use and manipulate design software to produce vessels that would be impossible to produce by hand.

During the course of discussion, it was increasingly evident that Joan and Jack had a high level of intellectual curiosity that could only be appeased by their exploration of the technical challenges presented by 3D printing. If you would like to know more about the processes do look at their website – www.printedpots.co.uk

This was a highly enjoyable Makers Lunch providing open and frank exchanges which confirmed for everyone, including Joan and Jack, the value of engaging and open discussion over an excellent lunch.

Thank you to everyone.

Stuart Dickens

Ceramic Curator

06/5/2019

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MAY & JUNE IN THE GALLERY 2019

This is the major feature exhibition which marks the start of summer. Let us hope that the weather supports this.  In the event of a lack of sunshine, then for sure this group of featured makers will bring light, colour and creative energy into our lives.

I am really pleased to have two South African potters, who have not shown at Bevere for some time, back in the Gallery. Clementina van der Walt is based in Cape Town Her aesthetic inspiration is drawn from the patterns, colours and textures in the urban African and rural landscapes – applying techniques of press moulding, casting and throwing. She sees her pots as an antidote to the pressures of a digital age and so do I. Her work adds a lot to the pleasure of sitting and eating at the table.

 Hennie Meyer works in Durbanville and his ceramics  are made predominantly in earthenware, creating highly individual pieces. Hennie enjoys the challenge of making composite shapes, experimenting continually with the expressive qualities of clay and glaze. Having Hennie and Clementina together in the same exhibition is a real pleasure.

James and Tilla Waters partnership combines James’s making skills with Tilla’s love of colour and design. Their practice is rooted in the production of thrown tableware, using both stoneware and porcelain clay bodies. They think it’s important that each piece feels nice in the hand, works well and looks great. Good to have their fine work back at Bevere again been absent for too long.

Joan and Jack Hardie aim to make ceramics that are inspired by natural forms and have a sense of life and movement. 3D printing with clay makes it possible to create ceramic forms that are not achievable by other means. They combine art, craft and technology to explore fascinating new possibilities. We have shown the Hardie’s pieces here for some time and they are a constant source of interest.

 They will also be talking with is at the Makers Lunch to be held on Saturday 4th May

Victoria Eden is showing at Bevere for the first time. We saw her work  at Ceramic Art London 2018. Her work is highly original and demonstrates her technical skills which enable her to translate her imaginative thinking about people and their environment. I will certainly be interested to hear whether our visitors respond as we did at CAL..

Jitka Palmer has been showing at Bevere almost as long as we have been specialising in ceramics. Her painterly decoration is redolent of her Czech heritage. She is a constant observer of people and places and her many sketchbooks are translated into her pots which always draw the attention and are much admired. Here work is the epitome of three dimensional art. Delighted that she will be joining us for her Makers Lunch on 1st June. 

Stuart Dickens - Ceramic Curator

Also featured are Paintings be John Harris and Zoe Taylor

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Curator's Review April 2019

THE CURATOR'S VIEW

APRIL 2019

It is good to have the work of someone that the gallery has supported and admired for a number of years. Matt Horne 
 https://beveregallery.com/artists-makers/matt_horne/ 
 has to be amongst the very best of makers using crystalline glaze decoration. The high skill levels displayed in his thrown pieces and the often unusual colour combinations ensure a stimulating and enjoyable show of his fine pieces.

Decoration is always a major interest for ceramic enthusiasts and the crystalline process poses more questions than most. The technique was particularly popular in the Edwardian period and then, as with all decoration, tastes changed and it was not often adopted by studio ceramicists.

Makers like Matt  - and there are still only a few - have brought a strong contemporary feel to the use of crystals combined with superlative thrown vessels. They have great presence and his work has now become widely admired. Importantly this is work which really does benefit from an all round look as different elevations often surprise.

The quality of his work continues to develop and every time we get a new body of work   I sense I am looking at more sophisticated colour use and contrasts.

I am also pleased that we have new work in from Ali Tomlin who proved very popular when she first showed her work with us.
https://beveregallery.com/artists-makers/ali_tomlin/







 We also will be having some new pieces from Emily-Kriste Wilcox who has not been at Bevere for some time – we have all been much taken with the development of her decorative vessels.

All together there will be even more to enjoy on your next visit to Bevere.

Stuart Dickens

Ceramic Curator

Bevere Gallery

03 April 2019

Maker's Lunch with Peter Hayes 2nd March 2019

The Maker's Lunch is now becoming an established feature on the Bevere calendar, however each of these events is an unpredictable two hours of conversation with open and frank discourse with the invited maker. I had assumed at the outset that there would be a time when we would be hearing much the same responses from our guests each month – far from it. Each lunch has demonstrated that ceramicists are as diverse as their pots and so it proved again with a thoroughly entertaining and insightful two hours with Peter Hayes. I have known Peter for quite a few years now  and notwithstanding the advancing years his creative energy and enterprise grow rather than diminish.

Peter has been showing at Bevere for a number of years and we always have high expectation when a new group of pieces is due. We are never disappointed.  His distinctive and original work has always impressed. Whatever the scale, from small to very large, every piece has a presence and significant visual impact. By building up textured clays combined with burnishing and polishing the surface, Peter achieves opposites of rough and smooth with finishes from weathered clay to sun baked leather. 

What he revealed during his time with us, was a desire to produce work which evoked a response from people through simple, elegant design. He had always wanted to avoid over-complication which obscures the beauty of grain and texture in the clay and provokes a desire to touch and physically experience each piece.
 
Peter has a strong intellectual curiosity and his desire to travel is fired by an interest in different cultures and their approach to craft as well as making. He spent 10 years working and travelling in Africa and for the last nine years has been working in India for two months of the year helping to support craft communities. He welcomes the interactions of the relationships with Indian craftsmen which has led to him looking at new constructions and using different materials.

He emphasised the importance of Bath and his studio above the River Avon and how the context within which he works contributes to his making process – pieces left in the river for long periods, the use of clays left decades ago by the canal to repair and reinforce collapsed banking. Incidentally, having worked for his father in print making when he was young and not enjoying the experience, he was determined that his children would not work for him – his son and daughter are now key members of his team!

https://beveregallery.com/artists-makers/peter_hayes/

These reports are intended to give a brief insight into two hours of stimulating discourse and an excellent lunch – in Peter's case you will gather there is material for a lengthy essay. He sometimes feels that he may be guilty of rambling too much but in effect every aspect of his reflections on his work, ceramic practice and extensive career provides considerable insight into the life of this remarkable maker. Long may he continue.

Stuart Dickens
Ceramic  Curator
 

Our next Lunch with the Maker is with crystalline glaze ceramicist Matt Horne on 

Saturday 6th April from Noon - 2pm. Places are limited to 10 persons and cost £15 each. Contact us to book your place on 01905 754 484

THE CURATOR'S VIEW - March 2019

From the 1^st March until 2^nd April we are pleased to feature the work of eminent maker Peter Hayes.   

 Peter has been showing at Bevere for a number of years now and we always have high expectation when a new group of pieces is due and we are never disappointed.

His distinctive and original work  has always impresses. Whatever the scale, from small to very large, every piece has a presence and significant visual impact. By building up textured clays combined with burnishing and polishing the surface, Peter achieves opposites of rough and smooth with finishes from weathered clay to sun baked leather. 

Peter has been making for several decades and his creative energy has grown rather than diminished over that time as he continues to develop his work and the materials he uses. A significant indicator of his boundless energy is the initiative he has taken in creating a craft village in India which has contributed to the development of his work as well as the skills of Indian makers.

I am also delighted that this month we are showing the work of two new makers to Bevere.  

 Bronwen Grieves   https://beveregallery.com/artists-makers/bronwen_grieves/ has been quietly and prolifically developing and refining her ideas and process over a 30 year period. Her works strive to balance structure with fluidity, using organic and inorganic forms as a reference point. I have been particularly impressed with the imaginative structure of her pieces and hopefully you will be too!

Sarah Wygas has been producing ceramics for the past 18 years and has a passion for aesthetically pleasing functional pieces. In July 2018, she received a Highly Recommended award from Denby for the pieces shown at the New Designers exhibition.

MAKERS LUNCH GEOFFREY SWINDELL 9th FEBRUARY 2019

It was a great pleasure to start the Makers Lunch programme for 2019 with a most enjoyable and informative two hours with Geoffrey Swindell. All of us  - perhaps unexpectedly in some cases – were fascinated by the visual impact of his small but extraordinarily decorated vessels. It was also refreshing for a maker to show examples of failed pots demonstrating the ups and downs of the development process. It was very clear however that the only pots to emerge for public view and sale were those that met Geoffrey's exacting standards.

Perhaps one of the most revealing aspects of our time together was during a discussion about 'presence' – often associated in our minds with large imposing vessels. Geoffrey used the word 'intensity' to describe his work and it was interesting to hear his response to a question about producing some of his pieces on a larger scale when he said that if he did so they would lose their intensity. All of us who have held one of his fine pots in our hands will acknowledge this I am sure. We agreed that presence was a multifactorial phenomenon involving design, craftsmanship, decoration and context.

Geoffrey has been making over many decades and his creative drive has never declined over that long time. He described in some detail how his distinctive decorative voice emerged and developed often influenced by everyday objects including small children's toys. All of us were amazed that such small and apparently delicate pieces were hand thrown. A broken piece which he brought with him demonstrated the finesse of his potting.

We discussed at some length the changes in the ceramic market and public taste over the last two decades and in some ways the originality of the Swindell voice had maintained interest during these changes.

This lunch demonstrated the value of an intimate small group conversation which enables detailed and stimulating revelations about the rigours of design and making as well as the frustrations. Importantly, everyone is at ease and can contribute freely knowing that their views and questions will contribute to our wider experience during the two hours we spend together.

An excellent and most enjoyable start to the 2019 Lunch Programme.

Stuart Dickens

Ceramic Curator

February 2019

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Graduate Show 2019 Winner

BEVERE GALLERY
12TH ANNUAL GRADUATE SHOW 2019
THE WINNER : ABIGAIL JOHNSON
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 12th Annual Graduate Show voted by visitors to the exhibition is @ab_ramics Abigail Johnson, who graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2018. From our discussions with people who admired her work, it was evident that the quality of making, decoration and elegant design very much captured the current vogue. It has a timeless quality which will look good at any time and in any context. Abigail's reward will be continuing representation by Bevere and we look forward to seeing her work here again soon.