As I mentioned in the previous post, recently I took a short trip to St. Ives to visit the fishing ports, but I also had one more objective for this trip, which was to visit Bernard Leach pottery. Even though I have always known the name, back in Japan I concentrated more on the ceramic industry of Kansai region (southern-central region of Japan includes Kyoto & Osaka) where the methods and styles of pottery are very different from the methods used by Leach pottery, hence I did not get the opportunity to study this worldly well-known ceramic artist as much as I would have liked. However I now realise, in order to pursue ceramic art in Britain, it is inevitable, I have to familiarise myself with this great artist, and that is exactly the reason for my visit.
Currently at Leach pottery, a Japanese ceramist, Ms Midori Endo, is creating pottery as a part of the team alongside her own style of works. Her originals are, in comparison to other ceramists, relatively modern and their line is very sensitive and eye-catching. I even had the pleasure to meet Mr. Jack Doherty, the chief potter at the Leach pottery and a leading figure of the British ceramic art industry, and also had the privilege to observe his extraordinary works. I could not ask for more to enrich this trip. 
セントアイビスへの小旅行には２つの目的があり、その一つは以前からの願いであったバーナード．リーチ工房を訪ねることでした。日本で陶芸を触っていた頃から名前は知っていながら関西方面の窯場ばかりと携わってきたので私自身、益子焼にはそれほど関わることのなかったためにリーチ氏のことを深く知ることもありませんでしたが、英国で陶芸を求め始めると避けては通れない方だということが分かり、ずっと興味を抱いていました。
現在そこでは遠藤みどりさんという日本人女性が作陶をされており、スタッフの一員としてリーチ工房の作品と並行してオリジナルの作品も作られていました。彼女の作品は他のスタッフと比べて意外にもモダンできれいな線のものが多く見られました。英国陶芸界の重鎮でチーフポッターであるJack Doherty氏にもお会いすることが出来、独特の銅釉をメインとした作品を見せていただきました。
No comments:
Post a Comment