COLUMBIA

Astur, Continued from Page 4

of the form. The potter then paddles the clay
into place while walking round and round the
form backwards, paddling as he goes, in a very
rhythmic motion. Again, huge outdoor kilns,
with dried palm fronds often used as kiln fuel.
Once formed, the giant urns (four or five feet
tall) are left in the sun to dry. With no plastic
sheeting available to prevent rapid drying, the
pots are coated in ash to minimise the harsh
effects of the sun’s rays.

Women are conspicuous by their absence.
I asked Hussein, our local guide, if
women ever make pottery. He answered.
that “they have to keep their hands clean for
making couscous...and for when they get
married.” Sensing my western values, Hussein
hastened to explain that the division of labour
is “complementary rather than equal.”

The next day we visited another pottery production facility in
Tamegroute. Tamegroute is renowned for its characteristic green
pottery—heavy, almost crude looking pieces. For the first time, we
also saw some decorative glazing work; intricate designs are applied by
hand with a fine syringe. There's a large retail store, also very obviously
aimed at tourists rather than locals, though Tamegroute is not exactly
a tourist destination.

The pottery industry there operates as a kind of collective, with
several pockets of production, mostly family based. Again, kilns are
fuelled with whatever comes to hand, no matter how noxious the
fumes. During our visit, the kiln was re-fuelled, and clouds of jet
black, impenetrable smoke billowed everywhere. The locals barely
cleared their throats, while we were coughing, spluttering, choking,
and fleeing for cover. The smoke was almost tangible; you couldn't
see someone standing two paces ahead of you. We were told that
some organisation from Germany had provided gas-fired kilns for the
collective in the interests of respiratory health. However, the locals
reverted to their traditional production methods because locally-
procured, organic kiln fuel was less costly.

Several days later we found ourselves in a village called Seifa, near
the town of Erfoud (where we were fortunate enough to see the king
of Morocco—he even waved at me from his convoy—SO exciting!)
As was the case in Agdz, the production was done by mostly one-man
operations. Of significance here was the large pile of tires: kiln fuel.
I'm glad we werent there on a firing day. I would NOT be keen to
breathe in the fumes as the kiln is stoked. There was some outdoor
brick making, and the first above ground kick wheel and the first
concrete floor we'd seen.

At this point, we were invited to make something with clay that
was provided. It was interesting how our Western sensibilities came
through. We clearly emphasise artistry, embellishment and detail to
a far greater extent than the Moroccans do. Every member of our
group introduced some kind of esoteric flourish or detail, and these
are qualities totally absent from Moroccan pottery.

Our very last pottery stop was at Skoura, between Dades and
Ourzazate. Again, it was a small, individual or family-based operation,
pretty much in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, at this stage I

was a bit potteried out and preferred to watch the very low-tech olive

harvest, which involved beating the upper
reaches of the olive tree with a long stick and
then gathering up the fallen olives in a large
plastic sheet on the ground.

Denys had attempted to locate more
decorative or sculptural work for us to see but,
despite extensive enquiries and research, he
was unsuccessful. I wonder if the lack of art is
necessity-based or economically determined?
Morocco is not a wealthy country. Could it
be that art is a luxury that falls by the wayside
in the face of economic hardship? Or is there
a religious component? Is the conservative
Muslim culture in some way a deterrent to
creative or personal expression? I don’t know.
Food for thought and perhaps a good excuse
to go back to Morocco again to try and find

out.

Noxious kiln fumes, Tamegroute.

SarahLawle

KSA ‘Alum

Sarah graduated from Kootenay School of the Arts
(KSA) in 2006 and is a 2008 BC Creative Achievement
Award winner. She has her own studio practice and is
presently selling her work in the Gallery of BC Ceramics
in Vancouver.

KSA offers a 2-year diploma in Art Craft & Design with
a Major in Clay. The program focuses on hands-on
training with an emphasis on studio practice and is
transferable.

APPLY NOW for 1st year or direct entry into 2nd year.
Applications accepted for September or January entry.

Selkirk [@] College

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter - February 2010 5