CLAY SYMPOSIUM IN REVIEW: PART TWO MORE THAN SKIN DEEP The Canadian Clay Symposium featured a panel discussion with four of the invited artists, moderated by Robin Hopper. The panel gave the audience an opportunity to hear from all the presenters in one room, which was a welcome relief from trying to squeeze into crowded demonstration rooms to catch isolated snippets. The premise of the panel was to discuss issues or motivating factors that drive the creative instincts of each artist, a topic taken and addressed thoughtfully by each presenter. Karen Burk, whose background 1s in psychology and literature, teaches at the College of Craft and Design in Fredericton, N.B.. She finds that her students provide her with inspiration and challenge. Addressing an issue faced by both students and professionals, she asked, “How do you notch your work up?” How do you negotiate between sanity, market forces and the constant challenge creative artists require to remain vibrant? In her own case, she often selects a favourite work and attempts to articulate exactly what it 1s that so attracts her. Her analytical, scientific mind is balanced by her love of energy, colour and pattern, which she finds particularly appealing in such works as Japanese kimonos and Iznik tiles. Her own high-fire porcelain platters and bowls are delicately painted with engobes and utilize motifs derived from such sources. Lately, she has been reassessing life by acknowledging death, designing and making her own and her partner’s funeral urns. Hopefully, these will not be called into service for some time to come! In keeping with the theme of the panel, Mark Hewitt focused more on his own roots as a son and grandson of directors of Spode, his apprenticeship with Cardew, travels in Africa and subsequent relocation to the United States. Working with a wood-fire kiln, using local clay and inspiration from local traditions, Hewitt’s large-scale potted forms have graced magazine covers and been exhibited and collected in the US, Japan and Britain. While his first pottery models, notably ash-glazed Iga ware, derived from Japan via Leach and Cardew, he has recently returned to his roots in mdustrial ceramics and the highly refined wares of the late Qing dynasty. He now admires the extravagantly decorated conceptual forms of Leopold Foulem and the elegant, refined forms of Gwen Hanson Piggott. Equally attractive to him are the indigenous North Carolina pots, which often based on quirky forms such as wig stands and traditional grave markers. Despite their low quality clays, blow-outs and drips, these indigenous pots remind him of the music of John Coltrane, whose “sheets of sound” were wild but not entirely random in their aesthetic. He has published his historical research in his co-authored book, The Potter’s Eye, where he recounts surprising connections between South Carolina alkaline glazes and Chinese ash glazes. For Hewitt, historical research married to working knowledge of actual examples generates ongoing inspiration to make pots. Jeannie Mah similarly pursues extensive historical research and travels in order to nourish her engagement with her work. She began her presentation with a nod to the theme of the conference, “surfacing,” by quoting from Margaret Atwood’s 1972 novel of that title. In her case, Mah took the opportunity to “dive” into—not a northern lake—but Portugal, with tts venerable traditions of ceramic wall decorations and mosaic patterned sidewalks. Like Burk, she 1s continued on page 8 ee MOORS ae a AS, ¢ BR . RIG a ali POTTERS GUILD «BRITISH Magdalene Odundo Karen Burk Karen Burk