Auckland pollers exhibition

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32994, 14 August 1972, Page 17

Auckland pollers exhibition

t Six Auckland potters — Adrian Cotter, Andrew van ■ der Putten, Len Castle. Grai eme Storm, Richard Cadness. ; and Peter Stichbun — exi hibit 203 pieces of pottery at I the Several Arts gallery. 809 I Colombo Street I Each potter has a clearly 'distinguishable style, and ■ each makes a verbal state- ] ■ ment in support of his inten I tions I Adrian Cotter, who "thinks: i that pots should be useful," 1 exhibits nothing that is not I utilitarian among his 47 entries. He uses strong surface I I decoration based on natural: i forms applied in brown and I blacks to a grey ground. His pots, also utilitarian, which j and convey much of his own enthusiasm. Andrew van der Putten. I “who does not like using clay! which has been too purified,"! exhibits the most voluptuous] pots, also utilatarian, which, in style are similar to Barry! ] Brickell’s salt-glazed, roughly] textured ware, although they lack Brickell’s more inven-! five flair.

Len Castle’s work would be the best known to Christchurch viewers. His expressed motivation comes from “rocks, hillsides, small'

creatures, a nearness tv nai ture.” and although this may 1 be true in the variety of sur face decoration he uses (which is often suggestive of fungi), there is a controlled 'quality about what he does that indicates little is left to I chance. Graeme Storm’s pots are i the most sculptural in the I exhibition. In a series of ' “cylindrical pots.” he com i bines bright turquoise and I blue glazes with tall forms and incised surface decoration. which in his own ex- ; planation “suggests things I growing.” I Richard Cadness. who i claims to combine "colour j with a sense of ‘rightness’ j with a definite form" in his I pots, is perhaps the least con I sistent of the exhibitors. His I pot forms give the appear I ance of being contrived in I shape, at times almost ] against the natural proper ] ties of the clay. Peter Stichb'ury claims “a ] special enthusiasm for using ' New Zealand materials.” and. as is fitting, his pots ] are useful objects, pleasantlyglazed in greens, greys, browns and blacks Hie exhibition will remain open until August 18.— G.T.M.