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Harlequin Gallery |
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The launch
of the book Five Devon Potters and an
accompanying exhibition of work by the potters featured. 5th to 26th September
2004 |
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The book,
"Five Devon Potters", being launched at this exhibition is destined
to be a landmark publication due to the calibre of the individuals involved
in its production and the quality of the final product. It documents the work
of five individuals, who have established their homes and potteries in Devon
but who all have much wider reputations within the pottery world. Significantly
it is written not by someone from a ceramic background but by Peter Davies,
who usually writes on modern British art. One of his recent books was a
biography of the painter, John Bratby, and now
Charles Saatchi buys Bratby's work. Who knows what
might result from the publication of this book! Tanya Harrod, the art historian, has contributed a foreword and
it is illustrated with photographs by Chris Chapman, whose own work is
represented in the collections of the V&A Museum, the Arts Council of GB
and the International Center of Photography in New
York. The hardback
book will be available from the gallery for £25 but at a reduced price of £20
for those of you who buy pottery from the accompanying exhibition. Perhaps as Nic
Collins says the Harlequin Gallery is the natural place for the launch of
this book but, although both Nic's and Svend Bayer's wood fired work will be
familiar to Harlequin Gallery regulars, this will be the first time that the
other three potters have exhibited here. Of the potters included, Clive
Bowen's work is closest to the traditional pots of North Devon, being a
continuation and development of the vernacular English slipware tradition.
However, having said that the seeming spontaneity of his decoration shows a
close relationship to tachiste art of the 1950's, perhaps reminding us of
Clive's original art school training as a painter and etcher. Tim Andrews,
the only member of the quintet born in the county, was an apprentice of David
Leach in the late 1970's. However, he has gone on to make distinctive work of
his own, far removed from the Leach tradition. His smoke fired and raku ceramics are usually thrown and are either black and
white with linear decoration or burnished with coloured slips. Like the other
potters, the image on the front of this newsletter from a photograph by David
Garner is only used for illustration and at the Harlequin the 15 or so items
from each of the potters will try and show the breadth of each artist's work. Bruce Chivers
has been the driving force behind the whole project and is the final potter
included in the book. Although Bruce was born and trained in Australia, has
lived in this country nearly 20 years. He produces work in two distinct
styles, namely a range of high fired porcelain utilising carefully controlled
crazing glazes as well as his own style of raku.
His work is represented by galleries in this country, USA, Australia and
Europe and like the other potters involved in this book will no doubt have
his reputation enhanced by its publication. Please note
that the Private View will begin at 2 o'clock and many of the individuals
involved in the book plan to attend. I do hope that you can come along and
join them. |
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