John Leach Interview, Cont.

[ set up my pottery in 1964, I've never
gotten sick of clay. [ think the whole
business of being a potter is a gamble, We
are self-employed, without all the insurance
and cever. But I'm motivated, I'm a little
bit more in charge of my destiny

Have seu found it a challenge to create your
cn philosophy and deneity within the pomery
community, when you Geer the Leach mame?
Ed.

Have [ found it a challenge? 1 was always
told by my grandfacher that;

“We can teach you lots of things, but you've
got to go away and make your own pots.
Make pots of integrity, for you are your
pots.”

I've tried to de char. Obviausly, ['m
influenced by my father and my
grandfather, and some other influences -
early American sale-glazed ware, folk and
immigrant pottery - | love thar!

I'm still learning. You are always a studenc
lf we thought we'd arrived, ir would be a
pretty desolate situation to find yourself in.

I chink ['m lucky, because, being a third
generation potter, im quite removed trom
my grandfacher’s fame. This lets me look
with a lietle bit of objectivity, which was
perhaps difficult for my father and uncle,
heing the sons of such a famous father.

On Apprentices:

Our apprentices (we've had eighr, four
males, four females), usually come with
some training and skill. Very often they
have a degree in something, although nor
necessarily in clay. We prefer them to be
mature and absolutely committed.
They're often changing directions in life.

We like to teach them all we can in three
years; throwing, handling, firing our wood
kiln, etc. By and large, they like our pots
and our work ethic. it is a professional
business. Nobody here has any other form
of income. We are dedicated to the pevts.
We don't like to compromise om designs
and shapes, We also teach them abour
how co run a business, seeing why ic is
viable and so an. They must know all
aspects, and some of it is drudgery

Parge 9

To do nice chings is lite, ome has to mix
clay, one has ro saw wood, stack it and so
on. Burt] chink chat és right and good. In
training Our students, We try to be
realistic. Tm mot romantic, pottery is my
iob, bur | don't want that realism, that
Pragmatic view fo rule Out creaci WILY.

[am responsible for a few lives, which can
be seary. The plus is teamwork. [ like the
camaraderie of working together, ['m nor
quite sure why potters are so good at
sharing, but I'm grateful co all my teachers
and the other people who have shared
their knowledge with me.

Pots have been good to me. [ have fele ic
is hard work, bur hard work is good;
rewarding and humbling. You can get
very excited abour a pot, and thers it is
dashed in the kiln, char final criterion. A
pet is no good until it's been fred and
then you can find out it hasn't curned out
well. Bur just cceasionally, you feel
fulftiedd. That is what mouvates me to
keep going, | wouldn't be any good as
anything bur a potter

John Leach

Good Looks...Great Read!

Caradian Subscribers: Cdn $30 + $110 gst
LS. & leternationat | pear US$93

8401 Warden Awerue. Bax 54599
Purkham, OM LIA OMé

Vora or MasterCard accepoed

17800) 315-0857 of | 905 477-9418 of reach us at hetpo/iwwwe.cadvision.com/ceramics

Why, even cowpokes out on
the range stop what they're
doing when contact rolls
around. They like the
guality of imagery and
intellizent writing about
every aspect of ceramics
they find on those pages.

contact

Ceeaeicé PaGe & Can abiah Peaneactive

You will, too.