Ceramic Artist
From memory what was the first thing you made with your hands?
The very first things I made with my hands would have been of either mud or pastry, both malleable materials. At age 6, I was taken to a craft activity in Bendigo where I was presented with clay for the first time. I was then given a bucket of clay, from the clay pits outside of Bendigo which absorbed me for hours in the back shed at home. I can recall displaying my unfired clay pieces on the shelves. I loved the tactility and the endless possibilities whilst making. I still feel that.
Right now, I am ready to glaze and fire a large group of “horizon” raku forms while the winter is here. They were thrown and bisque fired two weeks ago. I am also working on some small pieces to coincide with the John Percival Angels exhibition at SAM for the shop in August. They will be glazed in a copper glaze and heavily reduced in the kiln to achieve a copper red glaze. I also have ideas for figurative work, in drawings and intend to start on these in the near future.
Why is the art of the handmade so important?
In museums, I gaze at ancient pottery and reflect that they retain the marks of the maker and express ideas from a different time and place. I feel that it is important to retain the skills of the artist and artisan and pass them on to the next generation. Using these skills and techniques, the practitioner can create new works that speak of the past, present and future in visual language imparted through the hands and the mind of the artist. I hope that many generations to come will choose to be makers and creators of art and craft. Our world would be impoverished without them.
Photographs
courtesy of Kaye Poulton.
Kaye can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.
Kaye can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.
Twitter:
@_c_r_a_f_t_ and @Fed_Square
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@craftvictoria
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You make me glad I'm a maker, Kaye! And also keen to play with clay.. Have you read the book that SAM was using with primary schools? It's lovely, about a Korean master potter and a boy who longs to be his apprentice. It's called A Single Shard. Looking forward to seeing your works in the shop when the Perceval exhibition opens. :) Judith
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