I have been to the odd conference and seen a few demo’s. Its enlightening to see makers doing their thing but for me, what these events sometimes lack is a sense of theatre and a perception of risk, after all pottery is a risky business. 

What I would like to do for my demonstration at the ‘Subversive clay’ Australian Ceramics Triennale would be something that would fit in with the idea of the conference and showcase my skills and challenge me as a maker.  I intend to construct an ephemeral work using wheel throwing as a basis to employ graffiti –esque, stencil art techniques using different coloured clays (dark, buff, white) The final product being a floor-piece rendered image of a selected giant of the ceramics ouvre.

The real value of these events is being able to observe idiosyncratic approaches to making. With this in mind I will be hand building and decorating objects of a figurative (and perhaps functional) nature using under glaze and slips. 

 I may even subvert them!

Often interpreted as being marine inspired, he describes his work as “a futile attempt to illustrate a dynamic sociological perspective of the Arts and Crafts”.  Much of his inspiration comes from a childhood spent herding animals, working as a professional political lobbyist, observing closely unique Western Australian native plants, and maintaining a 10,000 artist and craftspeople database for two decades.  

A search for simplicity and quietness, an essential stillness, motivates my work. The making of functional pots, the exploration of objects to be held and used, alongside a search for new and innovative forms, provides a lifetime of challenge and excitement. I enjoy the contradictory nature of these pieces - where the sprung tension of the throwing remains clear, but the origins of forms are uncertain. I have a particular interest in the making of functional objects. The work contains references to 18th and 19th century English industrial pottery as well as to more contemporary and familiar metal and plastic vessels. 

Mark will demonstrate his remarkable skill and technique and provide a glimpse into the world he inhabits. ‘‘Terra Villa Pottery ‘ is situated in the heart of Adelaide and is a magical discovery. It is the result of a life committed to acquiring knowledge and understanding in order to make beautiful pots, finely crafted and well designed. Many of them made for outdoor, impressive in their scale and beautiful in their form suggesting a careful and very personal understanding of the rich history of form that exists in the clay tradition.

For me, working with clay is something like my mother cooking in the kitchen, she has spent her life time repeating the same tasks, shopping and preparing, using different produce and spices from the local market and putting them together in her own special way. Just like myself working with clay materials, oxides and glazes. She has passed on her knowledge and love, so that we can enjoy the best meals!

Andrew will demonstrate various influences and techniques that have informed his work.  Large platters and spirals deconstructed and re-joined, terracotta coil pots, unglazed textured surface baring marks and irregularities.

I tend to work intuitively allowing the clay to determine the forms as I coil rather than start with a pre-determined concept.  I like to challenge my skill in building forms that push my clay to new possibilities sometimes the coils of clay feel thread like and akin to knitting… variable tensions either tight or loose… I like the clay as a tactile and responsive material… it has therapeutic qualities for me. I have always collected objects, now I make my own.

In order to realize my art form I have come to terms with hybrid or cross disciplinary practices using quasi industrial processes that are still within the economic reach of ceramists. I have married modern technologies with an ancient craft by incorporating the use of the computer, vinyl cutter and sandblaster to facilitate an experimental approach to my work through layering. As well as this I have added over glaze as just another layer in the ceramic continuum.

Throughout the day, Laura will demonstrate a variety of image transfer methods, from simple techniques like hand drawn transfers and monoprints, to more complex photopolymer texture plates. The majority of the day will look at various silkscreen methods including screen exposure and how to easily set this up an exposure unit in your own studio. She will demonstrate direct printing (with slips and underglazes), tissue transfer prints and basic acrylic decal printing.  A detailed timetable will be made available at the conference.

The fluid material qualities of clay are essential to my work. I work with a language of rich raw textures, rhythms and tactile sensation. An essential foundation to this is wood firing and salt glazing. I work at the edge of my medium in search of that elusive nuance or essence that hovers provocatively at the edge of my consciousness.

As a twenty first century ceramic artist I am continually reflecting and using the wealth of ceramic history to create my own ceramic language. Once you stop looking you often find what you are looking for. When I started potting I was an unconscious potter striving to be conscious once conscious I now strive to be unconscious.

I am currently a tenant in the JamFactory (Adelaide) Ceramics studio 2011-2012. I have been a practicing visual artist exhibiting since 1979 after I emerged from South Australian School of Art (Adelaide) as a painter. I have pursued an erratic career free falling across art disciplines from painting/photography/installation/assemblage etc.  Exhausted in 2009/10, I joined a suburban pottery class and was instructed to make pinch pots and rolled my first coils of clay which is now the basis of my current studio practice.   I see my wonky forms as 3D blank surfaces on which I chose to paint with underglaze, oxides and porcelain slip.  I am more concerned at challenging the clay to build with and to creatively explore new forms than to be bound up with technical perfection… I am enjoying the process rather than having considered outcome of product… I am on my own journey at this point and I am keen to learn more about the clay as I proceed… as John Cage said “Out of the work comes the work".

Pots and stuff, art, “Dylan Thomas was a Buddhist”, my new tag.

I’m completely addicted to watching Pina Bausch videos on Youtube thanks to Wim

Growing potatoes, keeping them in the dark, wrapping things in clay, setting fire to stuff, burning things including the toast.

Sometimes they are about the same ideas or processes or materials or spaces or drawings, and other times ,more to do with play or grandiose ideas that engage the political and philosophical brain

Moving through time and space.

Wonder

Ceramics is an art form that has become an integral part of Ernabella Arts activities. Whilst only a relatively recent activity (4-5 years), the 2005 conversion of the old screen printing studio has meant that Ceramics has evolved quickly from sporadic workshops, painting pots that others have made to the formation of a complete studio of making, decorating and firing all undertaken by local people.