Potter in the Large - Svend

Bayer

Svend Bayer waa born fifty vears age in
Ligands. Aiver graduating fom oniversin
in 1963 he apend the nest three years
apprentiscing with Michael Candew. Svend
remembers "| bid no ichea Faso hacky f wea
when [ seared work ac Wenford Bode
Pottery. | knew virtually aocking abour
pottery and all [ knew about Michael
Cardew was, that of che modem British
potter whose work appeared in Leach's A
Ponter's Book, his were the only ones which
[teed [hear by looking, listening and
doing and by becomanu totally imumetied in
life at Wentord. | realize now thar for
anyone who th remdy mind wanes co learn it is
vital to find the right teacher and

environment in which to lear.”

Cardew, when questioned abou: Svend had
tha repens, 9 “Adfection,” replied
Candew, “No, | speak of him with awe and
fear. He is more than just a potter, he is a
force of nature, Everything comes to him so
easily... Tat | ces say is thar he is easily my
bese pupal,”

Sven spene 1973 snadying pomenes and
large, wood-fired lilne in Japan, Korea arul
South-East Auda. Upon his nec oo
Engtond he set Up @ pottery in Dewan.
Using local clays and row marerials, he
designs and makes a wide range of wood:

fired stoneware, iomustic aod garden pete,

including some very large planters and
omamental pots. bn the past 20 years he
has designed and built four large wond-
fired kilns. Hee bets the ash from his firings
glace his pors.

“we never fined with anything bur wood:
having sad that, ot is the ares in my
potting lite { am beast confident about. [
you tire with wool, you mighe as well go
Whole hee, [can no longer see the point
of faat-fire kilns or in che way in which |
have been fiong, which is largely a macho
kind of ching -big lal, super coonomical,
wery fast forng, very high temiperanae.
You can fire an amagama really fast, but
whar's the point. Only Hand pots come
out, you megie aa well fire amd glaze chem

in an oil drip kiln.
=| |

Pea: 7

Sometiones | chink that mayire [1] fuse
Mite conker poo opel wel) phen cheaply,
iid | need ny bur kil tor for thar, Burl
lie TETE tex build 9 aenilher Kiba, witeere |
ean experiment with longer firings and
how pors are affected by their place in the
kil, The apportunily tis play

To me. throwing hos ahieys come fire.
Wood firing hos occupied another
Pinnacle. Deviate from these and you are
in deep trouble. Brut all chese things ane
only techniques chat are there to help
“Xpress poursely —jus processes, Wf irsa
bad por, it's wonthbess. [t doesn's matter
how you ger there. Same with a good
pot. [tts inseresting to watch someone i
who it is emimportant how o shape a
achieved. Shape ard form are all-

i portint. Kilns, glazes, de OPITbOnS Fue
ag take over. "They are only there to
1¢lp

I don’t think my poti are going to change
dramatically, just the way they ane fred.
imaking big por ib no longer a macho
thing, but a scale barrier has been broken;
it i neta bie deel anymore.”

The above és excerpted from. un interview
with Svend Bayer conducted by Lacy Bartles,
priced athe Mech 1995 gore of
(ens Monks

Svend will be giving a workshop March
7 & 8 at the Shadbolt Centre, See page
10 for full information.

Dragon Feast presented by the Tozan Cultural Society

February 7, 1998 5-30 Viewing - 6:4) Choosing - 7:30 to 10400 Dinner
Bowen Park Auditorium, 500 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, (250 / 755 - TS00)

$100 ticket includes 7 piece Japanese style dinner sec, 5 course Japanese style (cooked)
dinner, silent auction, door prizes and live entertainmenc. On presold tickets, Ind cicker
only $75. Among the porters donating sets ate Robin Hopper, Gordon Hutchens, Larry
Aguilar, Al Tennant, Vincent Massey, and Al & Meg Burgess.

We stall need donations of dinner sets. A quick reminder of what the dinner set
perimeters are: a soup bowl, preferably with a lid; a6" co 8" place; a5" to 7” plate: a
cup with no handle; a small dish for soya sauce; and optional, bu encouraged are a
small pickte dish, a chopstick holder and a saki cup. Each dinner set should be able to
fit, unstacked, on a 12° by 20" rectangular presentation tray. We hope to have-your
donations by January 10, bur will accepe chem later.

For tickets or to donate contact any of the following: Nanaimo; Jan (250) 753 - 4026
or Nanaimo Ars Council (750) 729-0094, Victoria; Steven (250) 384. 4004.
Courtenay, Kay (230) 336-8959, Lodyamich: Mo (750) 245 - 4857, Parksville: Les

(250) 468-7072, Vancouver; Cathi-{604) 929 . 9175, Gallery of BC Ceramics (604)
669 - 3645, YiWei (604) 922-0556, Email) jeorsed@direct.ca

Guild Studio

The Guild Studio is a subsichized, furnished
studio available for a period of ome year to
an emerging clay worker, “The Guild's aim
ik to ease your transition from
amateur‘student into a professional pore.
Tenancy includes a solo exhibition in the
Gallery of BC Ceramics in Apel of 1999.

The studio year runs from May 1, 1996 to
April 30 1999, Rene is $150 4 monch.
There is a wheel, shelves, a large electric
kiln, wedging table, etc. Send bio and 10
to 15 slides eo: Acen.; Guild Soudio, 1359
Lartwright Sct, Vancouver, RC WéH 3R7

Submission deadline is February 25,