Leach Studio Potters: 100 Years On

Leach Studio Team at the Preview of ‘100 Years On’ Image: Tobi Carver/St Ives Times & Echo

An exhibition of diverse work from the Studio team 15 February - 10 May 2020 The inaugural exhibition of Leach 100, ‘Leach Studio Potters: 100 Years On’ celebrates the rich creative talents of the potters who produce the iconic Leach Standard Ware. Working in an environment of tradition and camaraderie, the Studio team contribute their individual backgrounds to the collective experience. It is within this unique setting that ideas resonate, rebound and grow, challenging the potters to push their personal work forward.

The exhibition runs in the Leach Pottery Entrance Gallery.

All works for sale.

Prices from £26 to £345.

Roelof Uys “It remains a great honour to be leading such a creative and dynamic team. Working together towards a common goal in a creative setting is one of Bernard Leach’s most enduring legacies. He wanted to bring people, cultures and ideas together and the fact that there’s still a working pottery on this site is testament to the power of his vision.”

The Lead Potter at the Leach Pottery, Roelof supervises the training of apprentices, visiting interns and oversees the design and production of Leach Standard Ware.

For this exhibition Roelof reflects on the act of making; from raw clay through to the finish. He aims to highlight all aspects of creation within each piece and the harmony that resonates between them. He considers each body of work

as a continuous evolution, his current work emphasising the progression of his pattern making.

Ash Platter / RUC25

Squashed Vase / SOLD

Shino Bowl / RUC08

Lidded Jar / RUC06

Callum Trudgeon “Working in a studio environment has a huge influence on my personal work. When you have several other people to discuss your ideas with, it forces you to question your intentions and you get to learn from everyone’s successes and failures. I feel you progress much faster in this environment.”

A Leach Pottery Production Potter, Callum celebrates the functionality of everyday items, finding beauty in their simplicity.

For this exhibition, Callum draws on his time spent in Denmark where he developed a technique of throwing and altering forms. His current work continues this exploration of form, pushing it forwards to incorporate new experiments with pattern which utilise a combination of wax resist and Tenmoku and white glazes.

Set of Wood Fired Bowls / CTC28

Wood Fired Bottle / SOLD

Porcelain Bowl - Ash / CTC11

Tall Necked Vase / CTC04

Annabelle Smith “In the Leach Studio you have the benefit of seeing how people who are trained elsewhere reach the same goal, making the ‘same’ pot, using different techniques. Following peoples’ creative processes helps me think differently when it comes to manipulating clay effectively for the pot I want to make”

The Leach Pottery’s current Leach-Seasalt Apprentice, Annabelle’s body of work examines the tactility of pottery by working the surfaces as much as possible. Exploring a range of textures, she uses slips and scrapes the material away. Simple glazes are used to enhance her expressive, gestural mark making.

Image: Copyright Seasalt Cornwall

Formed Fluted Bottle / ASC03

White Shino Bottle / ASC08

Lidded Jar / ASC21

Jug / SOLD

Britta James “There are many factors influencing the mix in the Studio: the individual potter’s background is one, as is their source of inspiration. All these factors come together, break down, merge and form a new substrate. Ideas and inspirations are shared and often influence work and, occasionally, you see an idea rippling through the Studio, morphing, changing, spreading, and echoing back.”

A Leach Pottery Production Potter, Britta produces wheelthrown ware decorated using a variety of techniques.

For this exhibition Britta has taken the opportunity to explore new aspects in her work, presenting a range of strikingly experimental individual pieces and more sculptural forms that are explored using multiple glazes.

Shino Teapot / SOLD

Oil & Vinegar Bottles / BJC01

Red Rock Pool Bowl / SOLD

Lidded Jar / BJC17

Matthew Foster “Preparing for this exhibition, I reflect on how the creative process of the Studio enhances, and is enhanced, by the divergent thinking of a group of individuals trying to achieve a single objective in making our Standard Ware. In a group like this the constant development of each individual, fully consumed by this craft, challenges the rest of us to follow suit - pushing the work of the individual and the Studio.”

The Leach Pottery Production Manager, Matthew’s interests include form, surface and the gesture of making, with particular focus on a pot’s suitability to its function.

For this exhibition Matthew has drawn inspiration from Mizusashi Shigaraki, a traditional Japanese water container, and peasant stoneware of the Korean Yi dynasty. His current body of work presents a contemporary re-working of these traditional Eastern forms which situates them in the wider Leach aesthetic.

Rouletted Jar / MFC10

Set of Footed Bowls / SOLD

Cup / SOLD

Tenmoku Vase / MFC22

Laurence Eastwood “The Leach Pottery has taught me to work efficiently and swiftly because of the high volume of pots that we make. I am now capable of making a perfect pot in 5 to 6 stages.

Bernard Leach set high standards so I make every effort to mirror this in my work: only the best pots will make it into this exhibition.�

A Leach Pottery Production Potter, Laurence draws inspiration from the natural landscape for this exhibition: memories of rock climbing, sand ripples and geological formations are echoed in his surfaces. Playful and experimental, Laurence places emphasis on texture using moulded and pushed clay to create his forms.

Square Bottle / LEC04

Large Handled Bowl / LEC13

Shino Bowl / LEC06

Bottle & Cup / LEC02

Leach Studio Potters 100 Years on

www.leachpottery.com/leach-studio-potters-100-years-on

Enquiries: Mark Williams, Commercial Manager mark@leachpottery.com Curator: Dr Matthew Tyas matthew@leachpottery.com Leach Pottery, Higher Stennack, St Ives, TR26 2HE 01736 799703 www.leachpottery.com