Panel Discussion; The Power of Clay and the Creative Process
Saturday, October 15, 7:30 pm
Free admission, open to public
The Salt Spring Island Ceramic Awards (SSICA) and The Salt Spring Arts Council is pleased to announce this panel discussion with SSICA's jurors and special guest, Bruce Cochrane, in association with the SSICA Exhibition and Awards show.
Discussion Points;
The tactile nature of clay as a material challenges us artistically, emotionally and intellectually as makers and collectors. The processes employed in working with clay can contribute to the meaning of the work and share our experience of making. Do we have an obligation to teach good craftsmanship? What is the value of using hand-made objects in our daily life?
Please join us with the following panelists - Bruce Cochrane (Potter and Teacher), Laura Carey (BC Gallery of Ceramics), David Lloyd (Potter and Teacher), and Diane Carr (Art historian and Curator)
Moderator: Julie MacKinnon (Salt Spring Island Potter)
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Panelist Bio's;
Laura Carey
Laura Carey is an arts administrator, collector and curator specializing in Canadian ceramics. Laura began her journey at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery (Ontario) in 2009, learning about curation under the tutelage of Christian Bernard Singer. After moving to Vancouver in 2012, Laura began managing the Gallery of BC Ceramics. She has been involved in the curation of over 50 ceramic exhibitions in Ontario and British Columbia. Laura now sits on the Board of Directors for the Potters Guild of BC/ Gallery of BC Ceramics.
Diane Carr
Diane Carr is an art historian and retired arts administrator. She owned the Potters Wheel Gallery in Victoria in the 1970s and in 1980 became the founding director/curator of Canada's first public gallery for the crafts, the Cartwright Street Gallery (subsequently known as the Canadian Craft Museum) in Vancouver. She has curated numerous exhibitions of ceramics and other contemporary and traditional crafts, including Back to the Land: Ceramics from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands 1970-1985 for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
David Lloyd
David Lloyd is an accomplished Burnaby Potter who has studied extensively the Japanese language as well as that of Korea and Cuba. He possesses a particular expertise as an educator having taught students at many levels throughout his long career while simultaneously working as a studio potter and exhibiting his work. David is widely recognized as a master in wood-firing techniques.
Bruce Cochrane
Bruce Cochrane is an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist and recently retired Professor Emeritus of Ceramics at Sheridan College. He has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award seven times. In 2004 Bruce was honoured by the Ontario Crafts Council with the John Mather Award for his outstanding contribution to craft in Ontario. Throughout his career Bruce has remained devoted to his practice and the development of Canadian craft through teaching, exhibitions and publications. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa to name a few.
Bruce states;
"After 30 years of working in clay, utility continues to serve as the foundation for my ideas. The pots I make, no matter how simple or complex, are meant to be experienced on a physical and contemplative level. The way an object carries, lifts, cradles, pours and contains are properties which I strive to make engaging for the user, offering more than just convenience. Pottery has the potential to affect peoples lives in a very real way. The challenge is to go beyond the mundane and purely technical solutions which only compete with a vast industrial market. The pottery I find most compelling in terms of its vitality and its reflection of the maker are those who reach back into the traditions of vessel making not simply in reproduction but rather how these historical models are reinterpreted and revitalized to have more relevance to contemporary society.”
Moderator Julie MacKinnon states:
"Clay has long lured me away from my first career, Architectural Design. My work in clay is still dictated by the design elements of line, space and balance. I strive to create mechanically organic vessels that reflect strong ergonomic and functional design. My work often references an historical period. Elements of my pots suggest an aesthetic sentiment or values of an era or culture. These visual references create an emotional familiarity through personal or cultural memory.
The significance I find in working with clay is the opportunity to tell a story that relates directly to life and ritual. A simple mug can represent tangible beauty and intimacy in our busy lives; reminding us to contemplate and observe."