A MEMORIAL

News of the death of Kybor Dancer an
February 23rd has come to us from mu
merous sources, and J thank you all, -
particularly Brian Brett from Saltspring
Island who phoned to let me know ard
who has kindly written the follouring
personal memorial to Kybor, or Freed
Owen, as he uvas kreusn to many of us.

It's not may of us who have the chance
to learn under a master, someone who
sets 05 loose on the world with technical
skills as well as a sensibility toward our
art.

[ never had a master in the world of
writing, Unough there are many writers
[ learned to respect. But I did have a
master in my other field, the art of fire
and clay. His name was Pred Owen
then, and somehow, he lured me into
his class, and gave me the clay. That
WS Sixteen years ago.

At Douglas College, Fred had developed
one of the best pottery schools in the
province, If not the country. Hundreds
attended: everyone learned their basics.
There was no chance to wander in and
just be an “artist”. You had to know your
glazes, your forms, and make sure you
didn't scratch Aunty’s table with a rough
base, before you go to be “artistic”. | can
remember entire classes devoted to how
a mug meets the mouth, or the shape of
a handle and its encounters with hu-
man fingers.

There were some disgruntled ones: -
those whe thought they should be in an
easy course to escape from the real
rigours of Math or Physics. Pottery
turned out to be one of the toughest
sessions al the College. [twas ane of the
few classea | could every enjoy failing,
which I did regularly, so that [could take
the same course again the next semes-
ter. There was so much to learn from
Fred, | couldn't assimilate it all,

Meanwhile, he was producing his own
work, sometimes rushed. sometimes
crazily, and sometimes with deep
thought. Fred could be infurtating and
dazzling at the same time, and not eve-
ryone could see through him, or recog-
nize the generosity of spirit behind his
individualism.

l loved his freedom with his glazes, both
in the way he used them and tn the way
he gave them away. He never believed
they were treasured recipes to be con-
cealed or horded. He gave them to
anyone who asked, understanding that
the potter will always shine through the
glaze, And he was right. | look back at
my own changes through the years, ancl
how those glazes have become so differ-
ent from thelr source.

Then it ali came down, He lost every-
thing. Job and home. One of the most
awesome estrangements from Lifestyle
and career | have ever witnessed. He
changed his name to Kybor Dancer, and
freed himself to rethink life and clay.
There was one last ¢reat show in Rich-
mond, All white pets, strong-shoul-
dered or faceted, some with a little co-
balt blue brushwork. He diecin't do much
for a few years; then he started to come
back. There was another white show
this year: simple, beautiful pottery.

1 could list his many achievements, his
multitudes of show, his studies in Peru
and Korea, his teaching record, his
piloting of arts organizations, bul in the
end, they are not the Kybor | remember.

lremember him being goofy or cranky or
fussy or brilliant (sometimes all at the
same time). [remember his total aplomb
as an immaculate teapot hed made few
off the wheel during final trimming and
crashed against a nearby wall. I remem-
ber the time he tried to help me with a
particularly difficult vase that was too
bigfor my simple skills, and collapsed it.
He looked at me and the mud left on the
wheel. all that remained of so much
beautiful potential. and said, “[ think we
should call that a learning experience”,
Jremember his easy joy while raku firing
in the rain. and | remember his sadness.

! wish I'd bought that white vase that I'd
always been meaning to buy from him.
I never got around to it. Now, I'd like to
look at it sometimes, and cry.

I's a sad sign of our soctety when our
crafisman potters dic, and it's nol even
mentioned in the newspapers. Kybor
was one of our best and his passing
should have been noted. Yet perhaps in
some ways he wouldn'l have apprect-
ated that. Like Hamada, he just wanted
to make beautiful pots, and pass on that
skill to others.

April, 1991

Out of respect for what he taught me, !
have decided to continue studying with
him, and perhaps, in my small way, pay
him some homage. [ll spend my next
two years of high-fire work making white
pets, maybe with a little cobajt blue
brushwork.

Brian Brett,
Fulford Harbour

Ec. Note; Kiybor’s daughters have con-
tacted many of his friends with @ wery
thoughtfid letter. A memorial service
Los hele! it Verncouveron February 259th,
and tt should be noted that his family
have established a scholarship find in
his name. To contribute, contact Lesley
Owen, 13590-24th Avenue, Surrey, V4A
2G5, or phone 531-6545.

Conference & Workshop
featuring

Clay Artists:
Suzan & Curtis Benzle
Susan & Steven Kemenyfty

_ Glass Artists:
Andy Magdanz

Susan Shapiro
May 23, 24.25 & 26, 1991
Enndaie Campus
University af Toronto
Presemed by

&GAAC

For more information call Fusion
(416) 923-7406

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