POTTERY SHOW

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 17

POTTERY SHOW

Work Of Barry Brick ell Barry Brickell, an exhibition of whose recent pottery will open today at Several Arts, 793 Colombo street, is one of the most original of New Zealand’s potters. At first sight, some of the work of this young potter, who now lives in Coromandel. is likely to be disconcerting. In some of his sets of mugs, for instance, the Individual pieces are not identical in size and some of his bottles are not symmetrical. But there is ample testimony in his bowls and sidehandle teapots to his technical skill. It is just that he often finds a family likeness in a set of mugs sufficient and more interesting than identical pieces. And the asymmetry is part of the interest of his bottles, some of which are really splendid He is at his best in a series of waisted jugs with curious picked lips These jugs have both the bold, heavy rhythms of medieval English pottery and a kind of baroque exhube rance Some of his other pieces have an archaic quality, like ancient artifacts. He uses a considerable variety of surface treatment and a rich purplish glaze is especially handsome His work is somewhat uneven in quality, but •at its best Mr Brickell’s bold and inventive pottery is very fine indeed. Some kitchen jars are particularly noteworthy The wares in the exhibition are all for domestic use and prices range from 15s to sgns The exhibition will close on Friday. -J.N.K