Atmospheric Light

Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery

Unit 3, 40 Douglas St Milton QLD 4064

9 May – 30 May 2015

 

A new exhibition further exploring the atmospheric qualities of lustre glazes. Throughout my day I see a most wonderful display of light, colour and movement in the land around my studio and the sky above it. It was this inspirational spectacle that a few years ago encouraged me to explore the complexities of lustre glazes.

Some 30 years ago I remember experimenting with various forms of lustre – pigment lustres, resin lustres and lustre glazes. They became very important to my work, but were often used only as decorative highlights on the main glaze surface. Lustre glazes in particular I found difficult to control, resulting in many less than satisfactory firings. So I set those recipes aside, always intending to come back to them once I had developed the knowledge and skill to control them properly.

Three decades on and I realise that lustre is not something you control, it’s something you encourage and entice into being. Every aspect of the creation of a lustre piece effects the final outcome, from the glaze recipe and the application, to the firing and even the shape of the pot – how the heat and atmosphere of the kiln interacts and plays with the surface of the piece. The complexity of this process is yet another connection to the complex atmospheric systems that produce the stunning and unique natural light shows that have inspired me for years.

30 years ago also marks the beginning of my friendship with Victor Mace and my first show at his gallery in Brisbane. And so, this show comes from 30 years of passionate exploration of the ceramic world and a 30 year long friendship.

 

Download Invite