Studio Pottery – Toovey’s Blog

A Connection Through a Handmade Object

A large Della Robbia Pottery two-handled vase, circa 1900, probably designed by Charles Collis and decorated by Lizzie Wilkins (broken, altered and repaired).

“There is a delight in being connected with a craftsman or woman through a handmade object”

At the heart of the Arts and Crafts Movement was a reaction against the gloriously rich interiors of the Victorian middle-classes with their machine made objects.

At the forefront of the movement was the financially independent William Morris. He was able to devote himself to art. With a reformer’s zeal he attempted to establish a new style that would restore the maker’s creative role and free them from being just a small part in repetitive manufacturing processes. A romantic socialism shared by William Morris and John Ruskin, it identified the ills of mechanised production but failed to take account of the great benefits which industrialisation brought to society. Morris and Ruskin both saw in Medieval pieces a simple beauty born out of the skilled craftsmen who made them and delighted in the aesthetic connection with the maker.

Charles Eastlake promoted designs which were more severe and emphasised the craftsman’s role in making them with obvious peg jointing and visible handmade nails.

An Edwardian Arts and Crafts oak and pollard oak side cabinet by Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple

Pieces for the domestic market often displayed little or no ornament relying on proportion and simple lines like those you see on the Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple pollard oak side cabinet illustrated. The influence of the Medieval and Art Nouveau can be seen in its large handles and the hinges placed on the outside of the doors. This example sold at Toovey’s for £1200.

Ceramics also went through a fruitful period under the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement as craftsman based production allowed labour intensive techniques such as experiments with distinctive lustre-glazes. Earthenware was hand decorated with Persian motifs and flowing, scrolling foliage by craftsmen like William De Morgan in London and the short lived Della Robbia Pottery in Birkenhead which was founded in 1894 by Harold Rathbone. The two vases shown here by William de Morgan and Della Robbia illustrate some of these stylistic qualities and made £850 and £900 respectively.

A William de Morgan pottery vase, circa 1888-1897, of urn form with narrow neck, decorated by Joe Juster with a Persian foliate design

William de Morgan’s lusterware and ‘Persian style’ pottery are recognised as outstanding examples of 19th century design. De Morgan and Morris were friends and their designs complement one another.

The Arts and Crafts style fits well with today’s restrained tastes combining function and beauty. Prices remain strong but accessible and I am looking forward to the specialist sales of Arts and Crafts furniture and Art Pottery at Toovey’s on 5th and 19th November.

After all there is a delight in being connected with a craftsman or woman through a handmade object!

Lucie Rie and the Art of Studio Ceramics

The Austrian born Jewish potter Dame Lucie Rie., DBE (1902-1995) was arguably the most influential potter of the Post–War period with an international reputation. In 1938 Lucie Rie left Nazi Austria and made London her home.

Rie was first exposed to ceramics when she attended the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule art school. She would later record that from her first encounter with the potter’s wheel she was ‘lost to it’.

Her ideas and work was rooted in the Modern Movement and she quickly arrived at the simple thrown cylindrical forms which would define her pots and bowls. Rie experimented with ‘volcanic’ glazes which she would use to beautiful effect on her later stoneware.

When Rie first arrived in England her work did not receive the critical acclaim she had enjoyed in Vienna and across Europe.

The famous British potter, Bernard Leach, was amongst her critics. He characterized her work as too thin and lacking in humanity. Despite this rocky start the two potters would become good friends and Rie would profoundly influence British and International Post-War Studio Ceramics.

Lucie Rie stoneware teapot and cover with its dark brown/black shiny glaze beneath an applied bamboo handle was purchased from Heal’s in the 1950s

After the war in 1948 Rie began working in stoneware. She adapted Bernard Leach’s porcelain recipe and added lead to his black glaze to produce a wonderful silky black mirror-like glaze. The Lucie Rie stoneware teapot you see here was made for Heal’s in the 1950s. The brown/black glaze with the white tin glazed band is typical of her tableware. These pieces are highly sought after and Toovey’s sold this example for £3800.

Lucie Rie exercised great control in the making of her pots. Throwing rings were smoothed away and glaze applied with a brush and gum arabic to help it bond so that its subtlety and thickness could be precisely judged.

Despite Rie’s approach her pots never appear mechanical, rather there is a fluidity, a poetry to their form and decoration. The wide rims and flowing forms of her bowls and pots are a testament to the precision of her throwing.

Lucie Rie studio pottery stoneware bottle with flared asymmetrical rim and ovalled neck, covered in a pink and blue volcanic glaze

The Lucie Rie pot illustrated gains life from its dramatically flared asymmetrical rim as she departs from the round with an ovalled neck. Here she employs her deeply pitted volcanic glaze with a subtle and exquisite range of colour variations. This pot carries a pre-sale estimate of £5000-8000 and is one of a number of pieces by some of Britain’s leading studio ceramicists already entered for Toovey’s specialist Studio Pottery sale. The auction will be held on Friday 22nd March 2019 and further entries are still being invited.

Lucie Rie would exhibit internationally including the 1951 Festival of Britain, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and at Bonniers in New York.

The importance and influence of her work is unquestionable. Lucie Rie transformed modern ceramics. She is arguably the most important ceramicist of the Post-War period and her ceramics still command the attention of international connoisseurs.

By Rupert Toovey, a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington. Originally published in the West Sussex Gazette.

The Perfect Bank Holiday Destination

‘Gazer’ the raku rabbit with a herd of bouncing bunnies

The 2017 Arundel Gallery Trail coincides with the Arundel Festival. More than 150 artists are exhibiting this August Bank Holiday weekend in over 65 venues in and around Arundel.

The opening of ceramic artist Josse Davis’ exhibition has, for me, become synonymous with the start of the Arundel Gallery Trail.

A stoneware jug titled ‘The Art Class’ by Josse Davis

I catch up with Josse and his partner, Melissa Alers Hankey, in the Duff Gallery as they put the finishing touches to the exhibition. My eye is immediately taken by a large blue and white stoneware jug by Josse Davis. Its beautiful baluster form bears testimony to the skill of this talented potter. Titled ‘The Art Class’ it is wittily decorated with a nude surrounded by artists and their canvases. Josse shows me how he has painted the nude on each of the artist’s canvases from its own perspective. I comment on how these vignettes add to the scene’s playful narrative. Josse responds saying “I like to think my work makes people smile.”

Ceramic artist, Josse Davis, in the Duff Gallery, Tarrant Street, Arundel

Josse Davis has exhibited at the Arundel Gallery Trail every year since it began. He comments “I notice how people who came more than twenty-five years ago are now returning with their own young families talking about when they bought their first figure or pot as children”.

A display of raku ware running rabbits is sure to be a favourite with children and adults alike. With prices ranging between £15 and £50 they are an accessible way to start to collect Josse’s ceramics. Each rabbit is individually modelled with its own name. Josse says “I add the eyes last – it gives them such life.” Melissa says “Their character isn’t fully revealed until they come out of the kiln.” Raku ware acquires its crazed appearance as the molten glaze cools suddenly and it shatters.

Josse’s father, the artist Derek Davis, started The Arundel Gallery Trail with a small group of other artists. Each year the Derek Davis Prize is given in his memory. The recipient is voted for by their fellow artists exhibiting in the gallery trail. In 2016 the prize was awarded to Josse Davis.

Josse Davis’ reputation as a ceramic artist is in the ascendancy and his prices are rising with his signature pieces selling for between £400 and £800.

The Arundel Gallery Trail is open 2.00pm to 5.30pm during the week and 12 noon to 5.30pm this Bank Holiday weekend. It provides art lovers with direct access to leading Sussex artists like Josse Davis and their work. For more information on exhibiting artists and this celebration of Sussex as a centre of art go to www.arundelgallerytrail.co.uk.

By Rupert Toovey, a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington. Originally published in the West Sussex Gazette.

Pots to make you smile on the Arundel Gallery Trail

Each dog is individually modelled with its own character — 'A Parliament of Dogs' by Josse Davis, each dog is individually modelled with its own character

What could be a better August Bank Holiday weekend treat than visiting potter, Josse Davis, at the Duff Gallery, Tarrant Street, Arundel, as part of the 2016 Arundel Gallery Trail.

Potter, Josse Davis with Stanley the dog and his ceramic sculpture ‘Parliament of Dogs’

The Arundel Gallery Trail is now in its 28th year and coincides with the Arundel Festival. More than 150 artists will be exhibiting in over 60 venues in and around Arundel.

Josse Davis has exhibited every year.

This talented potter feels a great connection with the countryside around Arundel. He explains that walking with his dog, Stanley, gives him time to imagine, away from the everyday.

As I approach the Duff Gallery I catch sight of Josse and Stanley beside his ceramic sculpture ‘Parliament of Dogs’. Wit and storytelling are at the heart of his work. He describes his pleasure in making the dogs. Each dog is individually modelled with its own character. Josse says “I add the eyes last – it gives them such life. These Raku ware dogs come out of the kiln when the glaze is still molten. The glaze cools suddenly and it shatters giving a crazed appearance.”

My eye is taken by a beautiful stoneware charger decorated with a shoal of Mullet. Josse smiles and describes how Stanley enjoys a morning swim. Sometimes they find shoals of Mullet in the Arun “You see them, hundreds thick, on a hot day as they swim up river. They light up the muddy river with their shades of blue, silver and greys.” The translucence of the scene he describes is perfectly represented in the dish. ‘Mullets’ has long been a term used for those born in Arundel.

A stoneware charger titled ‘Mullet’ by Josse Davis

I comment that his exceptional work is that of a potter, an artist, working at the height of his powers. Josse responds “I’ve reached a point in my work in which I’m comfortable not to have to keep searching for new glazes. My Raku and Stoneware glazes don’t let me down, which allows me to concentrate purely on the design and gives my craftsmanship a fresh confidence.” He concludes “I like to think my work makes people smile.” I agree. Josse Davis’ ideas always have a hint of wit about them.

There are bowls and dishes painted with witty scenes and individual dogs too. Prices range from £30 to £4500.

Exhibiting print maker, Melissa Alers Hankey in the Duff Gallery

Josse Davis is exhibiting with his partner, Melissa Alers Hankey and Victor Stuart Graham.

The Arundel Gallery Trail is open 2.00pm to 5.30pm during the week and 12 noon to 5.30pm this Bank Holiday weekend. It provides an exciting opportunity to enjoy and buy art from leading Sussex artists like Josse Davis. For more information on exhibiting artists and this celebration of Sussex as a centre of art go to www.arundelgallerytrail.co.uk.

By Rupert Toovey, a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington. Originally published in the West Sussex Gazette.

POTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE ON THE ARUNDEL GALLERY TRAIL

What could be a better August Bank Holiday weekend treat than visiting potter, Josse Davis, at the Duff Gallery, Tarrant Street, Arundel, as part of the 2016 Arundel Gallery Trail.

The Arundel Gallery Trail is now in its 28th year and coincides with the Arundel Festival. More than 150 artists will be exhibiting in over 60 venues in and around Arundel.

Josse Davis has exhibited every year.

This talented potter feels a great connection with the countryside around Arundel. He explains that walking with his dog, Stanley, gives him time to imagine, away from the everyday.

There are bowls and dishes painted with witty scenes and individual dogs too. Prices range from £30 to £4500.

Josse Davis is exhibiting with his partner, Melissa Alers Hankey and Victor Stuart Graham.

Rupert Toovey is a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington – www.tooveys.com – and a priest in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.

Image 1: Potter, Josse Davis with Stanley the dog and his ceramic sculpture ‘Parliament of Dogs’.

Image 2: Each dog is individually modelled with its own character.

Image 3: A stoneware charger titled ‘Mullet’ by Josse Davis.

Image 4: Exhibiting print maker, Melissa Alers Hankey in the Duff Gallery.

POTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE ON THE ARUNDEL GALLERY TRAIL

What could be a better August Bank Holiday weekend treat than visiting potter, Josse Davis, at the Duff Gallery, Tarrant Street, Arundel, as part of the 2016 Arundel Gallery Trail.

The Arundel Gallery Trail is now in its 28th year and coincides with the Arundel Festival. More than 150 artists will be exhibiting in over 60 venues in and around Arundel.

Josse Davis has exhibited every year.

This talented potter feels a great connection with the countryside around Arundel. He explains that walking with his dog, Stanley, gives him time to imagine, away from the everyday.

There are bowls and dishes painted with witty scenes and individual dogs too. Prices range from £30 to £4500.

Josse Davis is exhibiting with his partner, Melissa Alers Hankey and Victor Stuart Graham.

Image 1: Potter, Josse Davis with Stanley the dog and his ceramic sculpture ‘Parliament of Dogs’.

Image 2: Each dog is individually modelled with its own character.

Image 3: A stoneware charger titled ‘Mullet’ by Josse Davis.

Image 4: Exhibiting print maker, Melissa Alers Hankey in the Duff Gallery.

The Art of the Studio Potter

This week I am returning to ‘The Bishop Otter Art Collection: A Celebration’ exhibition at Chichester University to rediscover their remarkable British Studio Pottery.

The collection includes Modern British paintings as well as studio ceramics, sculpture and tapestries. Visiting professor Gill Clark explains the philosophy behind the collection “Sheila McCririck and the Bishop Otter College Principal Betty Murray founded the collection in the years after the Second World War. They both believed in the civilising influence of art and the educative value of its ability to challenge.” With this philosophy behind the collection it is un-surprising that the Bishop Otter teaching college should have also collected the work of artisan, art potters.

Britain led the world in the field of studio ceramics in the 20th century.

The British ceramics tradition is tied up with the vernacular. From medieval times its production has been widespread and diverse.

The artisan artist is at work in studio ceramics. Form, colour and decoration come together creating objects which are not only beautiful but, very often, useful as well. This is very much in the tradition of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Bernard Leach (1887-1979) is considered to be the most influential potter of the 20th century. He was born in Hong Kong and lived in Japan and Singapore. The Japanese tradition of artisan artists was fading when Leach decorated his first pot there in 1909. In 1920 he returned to England with the Japanese potter, Shoji Hamamda. Bernard Leach was persuaded to set up his workshop in St Ives. His lectures and writing would have a profound influence on a generation of British potters. Gill Clark points out that Norah Braden was the college’s first specialist pottery tutor and that she had been a pupil of Bernard Leach. His work is represented in the collection by the beautiful stoneware jug seen here.

Bernard Leach was initially critical of the work of Lucie Rie (1902-1995) but they would become great friends. In contrast to the influences of the rustic folk tradition and Chinese Sung apparent in Bernard Leach’s work Rie’s pots have a metropolitan, modernist quality. She enjoyed turning on the potter’s wheel but despite her remarkable control her pots never seem tight or mechanical. The beauty of her vases and their exceptional form cause your heart to quicken. It is readily apparent to the eye why she transformed modern ceramics.

Other studio ceramic gems in the collection and exhibition include the Sussex based ceramicist, Eric Mellon’s (1925-2014) ‘Horse and Rider’ dish. His years of research and experimentation into ash glazes brought him international recognition both as an artist, ceramicist and scientist. For Eric his art was his calling and vocation.

An Eric James Mellon ‘Horse and Rider’ dish

Alison Britton’s (b.1948) sharp-edged clay jugs seem to depict different facets of a landscape which in turn include human figures, trees, fish and insects. Their decoration has an immediacy reflecting Britton’s spontaneous method of drawing in response to the asymmetric planes of the jugs.

‘The Bishop Otter Art Collection: A Celebration’ runs until 9th October 2016 at the University of Chichester Otter Gallery and Pallant House Gallery. Gill Clarke has published an insightful accompanying book about the collection and its formation which is on sale at both venues. For more information and opening times go to www.pallant.org.uk and www.chi.ac.uk/current-exhibitions/bishop-otter-collection-celebration.

By Rupert Toovey, a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington. Originally published in the West Sussex Gazette.