In this final instalment of our series on making hollow dishes, Anne Mette works to shape the curve on the bottom section of the dish and find the desired symmetry that makes the dish appear to float. A stable foot is formed and an air hole is added to prevent explosions in the kiln. The following day, porcelain slip is applied with added minerals for a thick textured coat before glazing. Anne Mette finally shows us two finished dishes. She talks about how the different glazes, different clays and different firing positions change the look and feel of her signature form.
Studio
Masterclass | Walter Keeler | Making Jugs Part 1
Watch British artist Walter Keeler as he begins to make one of his signature, monumental jugs. We listen as Keeler talks us through the various processes, providing us with an invaluable insight into his philosophy towards clay and making. He shows us some of his ‘special’ tools and ‘hacks’ that he has discovered over his 60 years as a potter.
Extruded forms are synonymous with Keeler’s work. In particular the strong sweeping forms of the jugs, with spouts an integral part of the body, rather than being added later. The forms are made by pushing the clay through a die of the desired size and shape using a wall mounted extruder.
Keeler is a British studio potter, born in London in 1942. He attended Harrow School of Art, London where he was trained by Michael Casson. He established his first pottery at Bledlow Bridge, Buckinghamshire in 1965 then moved to his current studio in Penallt Wales, where he lives with his potter wife Madoline. He was professor of Ceramics at the University of the West of England and in 2007 was named Welsh Artist of the Year.
Keeler makes salt glaze pottery influenced by early Staffordshire Creamware. Writer Oliver Watson described him as ‘one of the most important and influential potters of the 1980s’. Keeler’s work is held in a number of public collections including Victoria & Albert Museum, National Museum Wales, American Craft Museum, New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA and the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
Masterclass | Akiko Hirai | Making Large Dishes
Watch Japanese potter Akiko Hirai in her London studio as she throws a large dish on the wheel, trims the footrings and adds glaze. We see examples of the fired dishes at the end of the film
When Anne Mette Hjortshøj Met The Queen of Denmark | Goldmark Films
Back in 2012, the Goldmark Gallery made a film about Anne Mette Hjortshoj. Viewed on Danish national TV by the Queen, a royal visit quickly followed…
Making | Glazing Pots in the Studio with Phil Rogers
Here we take a look at Phil Rogers working with glazes in his studio. We see Phil applying Nuka, Shino and Tenmoku glazes to bisque-fired chawans, yunomis and bottles and experimenting with new glaze recipes and the peculiar behaviours and qualities of each glaze.
Profile | Clive Bowen: ‘Born, Not Made’
To coincide with the arrival of a new batch of pots from Devon, we’re featuring our feature-length ceramics film on renowned slipware potter Clive Bowen as this week’s Profile.