The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Exhibition


22 October to 6 November 2011 Woollahra Council Chambers 536 New South Head Road, Double Bay. Free Entry Now in its 11th year, the prestigious Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize attracted 542 entries from Australia and around the world Come and see our 40 finalists and cast your vote for the Viewer’s Choice Award. The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize totals $13,000 across three categories: · The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: an acquisitive award of $10,000; · The Special Commendation: a non-acquisitive award of $2,000 · The Viewers’ Choice: a non-acquisitive award of $1,000. Exhibition: 22 October to 6 November 9am-6pm weekdays, 10am-4pm weekends Woollahra Council’s historic Redleaf building, 536 New South Head Road, Double Bay. Free Entry Artist Floor Talks: Saturday 22 October 2pm – 4pm A selection of 2011 finalists will be conducting free community floor talks at the exhibition.
Free Entry Kid’s Day Out: Sunday 23 October 10am-2pm. Free family cultural event featuring the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize and Environmental Schools Sculpture Prize. Sculpture Tea Topic: Friday 28 October 10am-11am. A guided tour of the exhibition and High Tea (bookings essential) Free The prize is held in conjunction with the Environmental Schools Sculpture Prize which is open to all schools in the municipality. For more information please visit: http://sculptureprize.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/ . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: TEL: 02 9391 7135 EMAIL: [email protected]

BBC 4 – Handmade In Britain – Ceramics: A Fragile History. 10 October 2011 at 9.00pm

Ceramics: A Fragile History There are three episodes to this one hour BBC4 programme: on Mondays 10, 17 and 24 October 2011. Episode 1 is looking at domestic pottery from the Tudor period onwards. It traces the evolution of different techniques and styles involved in the art of pottery and examines in intimate detail what British pots can tell us about how generations before us lived and how they saw themselves. Episode 2. Focuses on Stoke on Trent including those responsible for the dominance of British Ceramics from Josiah Wedgewood and Josiah Spode to Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper. Episode 3. From the mass produced pots of the industrial revolution to the Arts and Crafts Movement to the rebirth of handmade pots by Bernard Leach to the imaginative and exciting ceramics of the current period. See more detail on the BBC site: www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/09_september/30/handmade2.shtml If you are interested in the story of British Ceramics this is a series not to be missed.via StudioPottery.co.uk

Ceramics Monthly – Ceramic Artist of the Year


I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the title of Ceramic Artist of the Year than Ayumi Horie. An amazing artist, a generous humanitarian and activist. Many congrats to you Ayumi! I’ll raise my cup (made by you of course!) to you today.

Read all about Ayumi and the award here.
And please check out Ayumi’s website here.
And last but not least check out the Ceramic raffle to support Japan – ends on October 9th

Robin Hopper workshop @ Sheridan


This will be Robin’s final Ontario workshop. Don’t miss this chance to see one of Canada’s clay legends. Robin Hopper is an internationally known potter, educator, author, gardener, designer and arts activist who has taught and exhibited worldwide. He was the first recipient of the Bronfman Award, Canada’s most prestigious annual award in craft. Join us in the Ceramics Studio after Saturday’s workshop for Robin’s Book Signing. A selection of his books will be availabe for purchase. On Sunday, there will be a Silent Auction of work produced by Robin during the workshop. Parking on campus is free on weekends.
AGENDA Saturday, October 29 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Slide Lecture: Decoration, Design & Surface Enrichment Throwing Demo: Variety of functional & one‐of‐a-kind forms for later trimming and decorating including fluting, faceting, agate ware, coloured clay work, brushwork, etc. Objects will include teapot, large pitcher, goblet, holy grail, coffee mug, beer mug, tri‐foot plate, parabolic bottle, phoenix bowl, squared bowls and plates. Lunch: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. DVD Presentation: Making Marks #3 Throwing Demo: working with coloured clays – thrown agateware or Neriage, Nerikomi block making and Zougan. Book Signing at 4 p.m. in the Ceramics Studio. Robin’s books for sale and refreshments provided.
Sunday, October 30 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Demo: Trimming, assemblage and decoration of thrown work from previous day
Slide and DVD Presentations interspersed throughout demonstrations Lunch: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Silent Auction at 4 p.m. in the theatre. Robin’s work made during the workshop.

http://hopperworkshop.eventbrite.com/

Vicki Grima: 87 spoons






Sitting on a bamboo stool in a quiet corner of Gaya Ceramic Arts Centre I pinched small balls of clay into forms that fitted my hands, as we played, created and explored with clay. It was July 2010 and a group of seven joined me in Ubud, Bali for two weeks of indulgence – Culinary Clay – a remarkable workshop where we considered the intimate relationship between food and the vessel in which it is presented. Since returning I have been exploring the spoon form, one of the most sculptural forms of the humble everyday objects we use on the table.

I returned to over 2000 images I took of the landscapes around Ubud and the vegetables, spices and herbs with which regional recipes are made. Layered hillside terraces, repetitive rows of planted rice, the rhizome forms of galangal and ginger, intricate woven offerings made from palm leaves, coconut shell segments used to scoop flesh from fresh coconuts and old twisting vines and trees became a rich source from which to draw inspiration for this body of work, 87 spoons.

I enjoy the intuitive process of pinching, allowing forms to evolve as they nestle into my hand during the making. The spoon form is an extension of the hand, a utensil with which to scoop food to the mouth or into a bowl. A spoon also needs to rest, and so the rough, gritty, yet delicate brown bowls came about as places for the spoons to settle.

My spoons are made to be used and handled.
Please pick them up.


These works will be on exhibition as part of :


Find out more at Kerrie Lowe Gallery
or visit Vicki’s website.