‘Footrot Flats’ on display

Press, 26 May 1981, Page 13

‘Footrot Flats’ on display

EXHIBinOM "Footrot Flats” — Cartoons by Murray Ball, Pottery by Barry Ball at. Studio 393 until May 31. Reviewed by David Brokenshire. Even on a cold wet morning “Footrot Flats" always lightens the gloom. So it is’a special occasion to be able to see and purchase the original drawings. Apart from the wonderful sense of humour and the ability to so precisely capture the New Zealand situation the drawing on its own is a further delight. Murray Ball has a fine control of line and wonderfully balances black against white. But it is the characters Wai and Dog (with the never to be mentioned name) who enliven our early mornings. Barry Ball's pottery is also worth seeing. It is domestic ware in stoneware and sgraffito decorated earthenware. It is the decorated earthenware which takes the eye.

For many years earthenware, with only a few exceptions, has struggled blindly along in the wake of the fashionably popular stoneware pottery. So it is particularly heartening to see delicate finely executed decoration coming to the fore. These designs on jigger and jolly forms by Shirley Howell, Pru Stock, Ann Stubbs, and Anne Bannock are full of charm. The stoneware is reasonably com-

petent. but for me some of the decoration is a bit Heavy handed.

The small faceted teapot with temmoku glaze is possibly the finest piece on disP This whole exhibition is quietly enjoyable.