prise 4
Svend Bayer, from pg. |

appears u magical ritual which is repeated
hundreds of times in the privacy of his
studio. We were granted a privileged
wudicnce to witness this process.

The art and craft of Svend Bayer is from an
informal three and a half year
apprenticeship with Michael Cardew,
tempered by production work in a faceory,
and a crip to South Korea, He was mewel
and influenced by the production potters
who toiled in obscurity producing “pots
which are alive". While ac the production
factory, Svend concluded that usually it is
the lithe guys who make the big pors and
wete regaled with stories of a brilliantined,
minuscule gentleman, 3’ 3", who looked
like a dancer, but whe was able co center 60
pounds of clay in owo deft moves. “You
won't see thar here today” declared Svend.
A penny placed in the first mound of clay
was later retrieved and indicated the proper
depth when opening.

Svend confessed thar when he went to the
Orient, he was incredibly arrogant but was
quickly humbled by the mastery of che
South Korean pacters and the cbscurity of
their lives in a sociery which does not hold
potters in high esteem. We viewed slides of
a diminutive Seuth Korean porter who
daily produces 40 enermeous pors, chrown at
one sitting. These are used to store
kimehee, a pickled cabbage. These huge
pots were fired in an eight chamber
anagama kiln approximately [20 feer in
length, The kiln fires for nine continuous
days, is chen disgorged, and the process
starts all over again, While chere, Svend
made sketches of che kilns and studied their
construction.

We were treated te anecdotes abour the
legendary Michael Cardew, who continued
to make large pots at che age of seventy, but
complained co his physiotherapist thar he
couldn't de this anymore. Cardew had a
volcanic temper, didn’t like to make bodily
contact with anyone and frequently
commented “You don't have to be a nice
man to make good pots", Of che perennial
question -is it art or a it craft?. Cardew's
distinceion was "it is craft until pou piss on
it, then it’s art." There flows a warm
affection for Cardew from Svend.

Svend loves to build big kilns. He has built
numerous anagama kilns, Some, of

MeNStrOUs propurtiogs, on his own property

were dismantled due co a shortage uf space,
Me felt ic necessary to save the shed,
implying chat it is easier to build a kiln, |
would look for other motivation. At one
time, Svend simultaneously fired a 300, a
600 and 2 900 cubic foor kilm, He has 20
tons of wood around him ac all ites. His
rest kiln is 150 cubse teet! All this is done

without hired help. The larest kiln creation

is an astounding work of are and is the
culmination of years of building and
studying wood burning kilns. In was
inspited by an efficiene kiln studied in
Thailand, and takes the shape of a pear
sliced in half, the chimney being at the
bortom wide end. Some describe it as an
upside down brick beat with ports for
stoking and a herring-bone brick spine.

Svend’s father-in-law was a vicar, As
Svend was building a kiln in Cornwall
Beidge, Connecticut, his wife Jane had a
dream that her farher, the vicar, was
standing in che firebox of a thundering kiln
glowing in white heat, preaching hell and
damnation. Apparendy it still concinues to
be a working kiln, having breathed fire
without noticeable damnation since 1974,

Svend Bayer seems justifiably pleased with
his life, his craft,and his art. He produces
and fire his work regularly and makes a
bread line of wares. He glazes only the
inside of the “domestic scuff", and it

receives the same treatment in the kiln, che

only concession is that the big pote are
placed in the middle to deflect the beat off
the sides. Apparently, he thoroughly loves
the process of potting, building kilns and
firing, but he too has to sell the stuff, and
there is story of an order for 150 gigantic
plancer pots which was placed by a Kuwaiti

businesswoman. These were produced then

precariously stacked ourdoors in a held
waiting to be packed. One day Svend
heard a commetion from a herd of cows
poking amongst che pots burt, miraculously,
both che pou and the cows survived and
the pots were used to store provisions

during the Gulf War.

The workshop was a rare treat and

demonstrated a dimension of potting which

is Remy linked to che past bur remains
unique to the personage and legacy of

Svend Bayer.

Frank Turco

Maureen Wright Scholarship

I would like co chank the North West
Ceramics Foundation for granting me the
Maureen Wright Scholarship to attend
Svend Bayer’s workshop.

Upon entering the Shadbolt Centre on
Saturday we were greeted by several large
planters already in progress. Svend began
working by effortlessly centering a very
large amount of clay with rhythmic
paddling and slapping. He quickly threw a
large base and moved on to the next piece
that was already drying on the table.

By adding three large coils Svend was able
to add about six inches onto a planter. At
each sitting, the coils were applied with
speci care to achieve an even thickness.
Once attached, the coils were smoothed
and thrown into shape. Throughout the
weekend Svend diligently added sections
onto three planters which seemed to take
life with each step.

To finish one of these three-foot tall
planters, large handles were added to
compliment their generous rims. A slight
texture was added by impressing the braid
ofa rope, The rest would be left to the
kiln, relying wpon ash deposits to form
natural glazes and flashing effects.
Although the skill Svend demonstrated
with the size was impressive, we were all
shocked at the ease with which Svend
created several pitchers. One quick blink
was enough to miss Svend alter ing the lip
of a pot as the crowd murmured, “that's the
quickest spout in the west."

Presently he is using a 300 square foot
anagama kiln which he side stokes, placing
wood directly on top of pieces in order to
create unique results. His approach to
firing has become more experimental.
This change in Svend’s work came about
with a reduction in kiln size. Svend's
previous kiln took about four months to
fill. With only four firings a year Svend
was hesitant to chance a misfiring.

_ The workshop was quite inspining as Svend

portrayed all the romantic qualities of
being a potter, From the use of local
matertals to the glowing embers of a
woodkiln, Svend's works are objects of
beauty and represent all that is good about
pottery.

Jamie Gubbins