You have an exhibition, one hundred pots and one hundred people buy them… and you only meet one or two. The other ninety eight are gone forever and the pots with them, They may be broken and that worries me… particularly if it’s a pot that I really have put some time into… a lot of time and an excess of effort.
(Bernard Sahm, Nine Artist Potters, 1973, p.27).
As collectors of Australian contemporary pottery based for many years in Canberra but now living in Bemboka on the NSW south coast, David and I have been amongst those people and we now buy pottery that used to belong to some of them. Matching names with marks is an ongoing challenge. I started this blog with the idea of getting help from a wider community. In practice, it has become a way of documenting what we are both learning as we try to understand better the pots that pass through our hands.
Pictures on this blog are hosted on flickr. They are all pictures of pots that we own unless otherwise indicated. Sometimes I have used pictures from auction listings. If you recognise them and want them removed please let me know.
My current avatar is a detail from a mug by the South Australian potter Lincoln Kirby Bell who signs his work with his full name. The bottle on the left in the banner image was made by the Queensland potter Nina Bierman. She signs her work ‘Nina’. The bottle on the right is by the mystery potter ‘Kirkpatrick’.
For more about us and our Bemboka venture, see Judith Pearce and David Rofe, “New ways of downsizing,” Journal of Austalian Ceramics, 47/1, April 2008, pp. 86-87.
May 18, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I have just read a blunder in the text saying that Harold Hughan met his wife Bobby a nurse at Concord Hospital. The late Denis Colsey a very close friend was being assisted by Peter Rushforth with occupational therapy when he was in hospital(he was an English war veteran demobilised here in Australia. Peter Rushforth met his wife Bobby across the bed of Denis Colsey,while he was recovering. Concord hospital is in Sydney and I am sure that there cannot be two wives called Bobby and that they were both nurses.
May 21, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for this correction and for taking the time to let me know.
October 1, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I have just completed a PhD dealing with the development of post war Australian studio pottery. I am also a second generation potter - my father is Milton Moon. Glad to see this blog started - feel free to contact me if you wish. Always nice to see pottery being collected and discussed.
Damon Moon
Willunga, SA
08 8556 2716
October 1, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Hi Damon, I was really pleased to see that you had found my blog. I’ve read some of your articles and hope to read your PhD when it is made available online.
October 21, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Would you like to see a photo of a very cool piece of australian ceramics from the 1960’s, a black , small three legged centrepiece bowl ? regards, glen
October 22, 2007 at 6:53 am
Hi Glen, yes, I would like to see this piece and to try and help with its identification (unless you already know the maker?). Some really interesting modernist pieces were made in the 1960s. Can you take a picture of it and its base and put it up on a photosharing service? I use flickr (http://www.flickr.com) but there are other services, eg Image Cave (http://imagecave.com). When the pictures are online just put the link in another reply.
December 28, 2007 at 5:58 am
I have been trying to locate information on an old and long unseen friend, John Gilbert, who I met in the mid 60s and then lost track of. I met him while in Australia, 66-67. He came to the states in 1969, stayed with us for a few weeks in upstate NY, had a show at the university at which I taught, and left with us many pots and wonderful memories. I would like to find out something of his history since then, particularly if he is still around and where he might be.
Thanks.
January 10, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Just to let readers know that I’ve been able to put Jonathan in touch with John Gilbert.
May 11, 2008 at 1:58 am
Hi Judith,
just did what I think they call an “ego search” to see if my new web site came up in the results and found your new site which was great to see.Was also most amused and chuffed to see a picture of one of my sprigged,slip trailed,stoneware frog mugs.One of the many dozens of my production designs I have made in the last 25 years.Thanks,lincoln
May 11, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Hi Lincoln, I’m glad you don’t mind me using your frog as an avatar. I love your mugs and also enjoyed looking at the gallery on your new website. I hope some of these pieces make it back to Australia. - Judith
May 23, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Great site Judith. What a wonderful retirement plan. Bemboka is beautiful - will pop by one day (after 2009!). I might ask you one day too about a couple of marks I have in my very small collection. In the meantime, all the best to you and David with your venture. Cheers, Sue