Ceramics, pottery exhibition

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 14

Ceramics, pottery exhibition

Art ! review

Ceramic Sculpture by Rick Rudd and Gita Berzins. Pottery by Marilyn Cooper,: Rosemary Perry and Campbell Hegan, at the Courtyard Pottery, 69 Rutland Street, until March 130. Reviewed by Barry Allom. ' | Exhibitions made up from several contributing potters run the: risk of showing' too much work which does not sit well together; or the best pieces can so dominate that tiiel rest seems trite or insignificant; or the best pots can lose their impact because of crowding or the sheer diversity of the colllection accumulated. : | ' ; . This show at the Courtyard Pottery suffers from some of; these problems. Marilyn | Cooper is |a young potter from Wellington we have not seen much of here. Yet her work becomes the reference point of this exhibition. Though she uses well tried forms, each of her substantial i number; of pieces is. interesting, if not absorbing. lHer technical mastery and subtle design touches invest this exhibition with the excitement of innovation. | | No. 9 is a lovely bowl form, controlled but with an edge of spontaneity and small' explosions bf gold enhancing the dark manganese glaze which in turn contrasts with white band of porcelain body and pink glazed centre. Also intriguing ; are the deceptively ' simple snakeskin black: surfaces she | has developed bn some' of the pots. ' I Her bowls are delicate and simple with fine bevelled rims showing off; a

startling range of pink shades achieved by careful control of her oxidised chrome glaze. '-| | ■ Further evidence of her technical sleight is seen in the rich: manganese glaze where the lustre is de-, rived from the firing of the. glaze itself. Such is her attention to detail that the base of; each pot is superbly made, a work of art. I ' j | I , .. ' „ It is something of a leap to Rick | Rudd’s six sculptural pieces. In No. 20 we see his| mastery of the raku medium, the sharply cratered black clay form- i ing a uterine; shelter for ■ the cralckled j raku ball. No. 18| is -a superbly I sophisticated work of clay sculpture in which the delicately crackled sphere hangs suspended in a vortexed hole cut cleanly through the black raku i slab (see illustration). The i relationship of the two parts is, satisfyingly complete yet disarmingly portentous. I j ; By contrast the clumsy I juxtaposition of geometric I forms, colours and surfaces in No. 22 does not work. The brown earthenware hat seems attached as an afterthought. I Similar but less contrived, No. 23 succeeds better. The brown clay forms a reference point for the attached white -cone 'and black shiny ball though

frown upsets tt.e bal-: I of black arid white.' white 'slab wit! r lale is a clever pieceFull! of energy yet like part of a dream sequence, the diving| body is [caught Suspended' in the tunnel..' l | Campbell Hegan lis j well fstablished as a leader in is! craft., This gr )u|> of pots is' bflthe high standard jwe I expect — aceted Shirio work, his inc iniparhblel} [rich copper glaze, two ' simple round, crackled lidded boxes divulging 'rich! red interiors. All these typify his competent w6rk.L|:|;| - h ; j Rosemary Perry’s mixed bag is not tire [best of her ;work I have seen. In this company it looks out of- place, ii' 11 JI Gita [ Berzins’ earthy sculptural forms Hushed with richly coloured glaze: ! complete 1 the' exhibition. : Her work has a gee logical quality giving the impres- I sion jof I minimal human | [intervention. The sculptures' seein to havb been forged by natural forces. Intriguing as this njay be, I [am not sure that |is| a relationship I lik|e i the potter or sculptor to have with {their work. They appear [too! dispensable. : , |The most successful pot is'Npl. 61 which:has the natural impact oflitk boul-| ! tier form with escaping,- : ince-molten subterranean forces frozen into rigid permanence. The crac-ll kled glaze collar has a! natural icing effect. | This highly varied collection of gives ; :he buyer; the luxbrjy of I bhoosing from somje [very good pots. The range of technique and style!.is impressive: The exhibition will run until March 30. | ;