Documentary | Mike Dodd | His Final Firings

mike dodd feat his final firings Documentary | Mike Dodd | His Final Firings Mike Dodd

After over 60 years of making pots Mike has decided to hang up his apron and begin a new stage of his journey. His Mike seventh major ceramics exhibition at Goldmark, opened on Saturday 18th May 2024. While the forthcoming exhibition is an exciting event, it’s also tinged with sadness as it marks Mike’s transition into retirement.

Mike Dodd: His Final Firings features Mike at home and in his Glastonbury studio, footage of his exhibition and conversation with Mike Goldmark, and stand-out examples of the pots that he has made over the last 3 years, including waisted and faceted jars, handled bottles, jugs, his well-known ‘expanded’ vase forms, whose geological surfaces have become something of a Dodd signature (an example is now part of the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum) and his self-titled Dumpy, Tidy, Stanley and Vinny forms.

‘I can think of few potters as thoughtful, sensitive, and committed to their craft as Mike Dodd,’ Mike Goldmark.

A philosophy of honesty, mindfulness and aesthetic integrity has informed Dodd’s career. He is perhaps best known among the ceramics community for his use of, and dedication to, local materials.

‘Clay is vulnerable and innocent,’ he says, ‘and will therefore show us the slightest mark when handled. The potter needs to stand back and respectively learn to allow plasticity to show itself, to be mindfully unfussy. With practice, feeling and respect, vitality can emerge.’

Exhibition | Mike Dodd

wlc slate mike dodd exhibition walkthrough jpg Exhibition | Mike Dodd Mike Dodd

Join Max Waterhouse at Goldmark as he takes us on a guided tour around Mike Dodd: His Final Firings. This exhibition opened on 18th May 2024 and features stand-out examples of the pots that he has made over the last 3 years, including waisted and faceted jars, handled bottles, jugs, his well-known ‘expanded’ vase forms, … Read more

Ashes to Ashes: How the lowliest of materials became the height of taste

ashes to ashes slate jpg Ashes to Ashes: How the lowliest of materials became the height of taste Mike Dodd

For the ancient Chinese, the discovery that wood ash could be made into glazes brought them the exquisite colours of imperial bronze and majesterial jade in a plastic medium. For Bernard Leach and his disciples (chief among them Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie) these pots were a revelation. With their own trials in ash they looked to a … Read more

One of British Ceramics’ Greats

richard batterham featured image 2 jpg webp One of British Ceramics' Greats Mike Dodd

Richard Batterham was an exceptional potter whose like only comes along very occasionally. In 1981, Crafts magazine (No. 33) published an article by Richard Batterham, one of the few times he put pen to paper, at least as far as pottery is concerned. He wrote: ‘I am asked to write about my work, and am … Read more

Art Enables us to Find Ourselves

mike dodd potter feature 1 jpg webp Art Enables us to Find Ourselves Mike Dodd

Art enables us to find ourselves and to lose ourselves at the same time. Thomas Merton When E.M. Forster wrote the prescient words ‘only connect’ in the early years of the 20th century, he foresaw the ways in which a technological revolution would happen at the expense of a deeper human connection. Modern communi-cation has … Read more

The Glow of Life | Mike Dodd

the glow of life jpg webp The Glow of Life | Mike Dodd Mike Dodd

I was sufficiently moved to make the radical change from the worthy study of medicine to the making of pots. I’ve always had an interest in words: where they come from, how they are used and so on. So, back in the ‘80s, whilst driving into Carlisle to start my days teaching at the Art … Read more

In Conversation | Mike Dodd

in conversation mike dodd slate jpg webp In Conversation | Mike Dodd Mike Dodd

Join gallery owner Mike Goldmark in conversation with celebrated British potter Mike Dodd. Broadcasting live from his pottery in Somerset, Mike Dodd discusses his lifelong passion for protecting the environment, the epiphany that led to him becoming a potter rather than a doctor, his teaching and his travels to India and Africa.

Mike was born in Sutton, Surrey in 1943. He attended Bryanston School, Dorset, from the age of fourteen and studied pottery under Donald Potter who in turn was a student of Eric Gill. He left Cambridge University in 1965 with an honours degree, and took a post-graduate course in Ceramics at Hammersmith College of Art in London. He has taught and travelled all over the world. His work is in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Craft Council, Bath Study Centre, the Clevedon Craft collection and Ulster Museum.

Documentary | Mike Dodd | The Spirit of Making

mike dodd tb jpg webp Documentary | Mike Dodd | The Spirit of Making Mike Dodd

This film provides a unique insight into the working life of Mike Dodd, one of Britain’s most prestigious potters. Dodd lives and works in the beautifully rural surroundings of Glastonbury, Somerset. Here he discusses his love of pots and shares some of his personal philosophies, talking about the importance of using local materials and hand made tools in the making of his work. Watch him unpack his kiln and throw a large textured vase on his kick wheel.

Masterclass | Mike Dodd | Teapots Part 1

masterclass mike dodd part 2 jpg webp Masterclass | Mike Dodd | Teapots Part 1 Mike Dodd

Mike Dodd makes a standard teapot from start to finish. Filmed working in his Somerset studio he demonstrates every aspect of the making process including throwing a lid and spout, pulling a handle, attaching a spout and decorating.

This is a fascinating insight into the making process for the collector and amateur potter and is full of useful advice and top tips for anyone who wants to have a go.

In Focus | Time for Tea: the Humble Joy of a Handmade Mug

Tea Ceramics Lisa Hammond Teapot 1024x597 jpg webp In Focus | Time for Tea: the Humble Joy of a Handmade Mug Mike Dodd

In his seminal 1975 publication The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, Warhol wrote of Coca-Cola as an icon of consumer egalitarianism: ‘What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that … Read more