NARRATIVE PLATES

'HANDS UP!','BEGGING BASKET' 'COURTING''STEADFAST PILLAR' 'CHOPPING WOOD, CARRYING WOOD' ' JITTERY' 'WHO KNOWS?'

A wall of my plates on show at the Impromptu exhibition at the US Art Gallery in Stellenbosch, on until the 19th June 2010...a narrative of daily life.

Other artists on the exhibition: Christina Bryer, Charles Biggs, Chris Diedericks, Hennie Meyer, Eric Palmer, Nicole Palmer, Mila Reyneke, Anton Smit, Lionel Smit, and Diane Victor

WORLD SOCCER CUP ANECDOTES

TROPHY FOR PICKLES

The first world soccer cup, named the Jules Rimet cup, was stolen in Westminster, UK in 1966 and then found under a hedge in South London by a dog named Pickles...later it was stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 and believed to have been melted down. The Fifa World Cup was first presented in 1974 made of solid 18 carat gold. This remains a floating trophy.

ALL THAT MONEY

'OH FOR THOSE MILLIONS...' - WHEEL THROWN EARTHENWARE TROPHY

WINNERS GET R227 MILLION...

"In a world where is so much poverty it is criminal for individuals to earn so much money" - Referring to the upcoming world soccer cup event this was stated by the South African poet, painter and activist Breyten Breytenbach at a talk last night held at the Institute for a Democratic South Africa(Idasa) in Cape Town .

OF WORLD CUPS, PLANTS AND IDENTITIES

LET'S CELEBRATE!

SAT 5TH JUNE FROM 11AM - 2 PM

AT OUR JOINT STUDIO

501 TOLLGATE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE, 12 RAVENSCRAIG ROAD, WOODSTOCK, CAPE TOWN. TEL 021 448 3203

WORLD CUPS, PLANTS AND IDENTITIES.. AND A POP-UP SHOP OF ALL SORTS OF THINGS...

CERAMICS - Clementina van der Walt, Lisa Firer, Andile Dyalvane, Hennie Meyer Studio

CROCHET WORK - Peta Becker

EMBROIDERY - Margaret Woermann

PHOTOGRAPHY - Albie Bailey

TEXTILES - Jane Solomon

THE EXHIBITION WILL BE ON SHOW(WEEKDAYS 9 - 5) FOR DURATION OF THE EVENT THAT CAN'T BE NAMED...

MORE OF SOCCER...

It has been rumored here in Cape Town, that the Fifa president has insisted that he be served ice cubes made of Avian mineral water (we have excellent tap water here!) when he arrives for the forthcoming soccer world cup..so herewith, a trophy dedicated to Mr.Blatter..

FOOTBALL TROPHIES

OSCAR WILDE TROPHY - wheel thrown earthenware with majolica glaze

I am working on a series of trophies themed on the soon-to-happen in South Africa soccer world cup. These will be exhibited along with work by other artists on 5th June at our studio in Woodstock. Details will follow soon..

TREADING WATER

Detail from vase 'Underwater Journey'

I live my life in growing orbits

which move out over the things of the world.

Perhaps I can never achieve the last,

but that will be my attempt.

I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,

and I have been circling for a thousand years.

And I still don't know if I am a falcon,

Or a storm, or a great song.

Rainer Maria Rilke 1875 - 1926

NARRATIVE VESSELS

Just taken hot out of the kiln!

CULTURE IN FRANSCHHOEK

A NEW BOOK ABOUT THE WORK OF ANDREW WALFORD

POT BY ANDREW WALFORD

SUNSET ON THE ROAD OUT OF FRANSCHHOEK

EARLY MORNING IN THE FRANSCHHOEK VALLEY VINYARDS

This past weekend was spent in Franschhoek, which is a village in the winelands about 80 kilometres out of Cape Town. The weekend of the Literary Festival - lectures, panel discussions and lots of red wine - also the Andrew Walford exhibition at David Walters Studio, and the launch of a new book called A POTTER'S TALE IN AFRICA which is about Walford's work. Both Walford and Walters , stalwarts, are of the school which celebrates Leach and Anglo-oriental ceramics..a rare occurrence these days in South Africa, when by now the local masters, Hymie Rabinowitz and Esias Bosch have passed on, and most youngsters might assume 'reduction' to be a kind of balsamic vinegar!

SOCCER FRENZY

The general hype around the forthcoming soccer world cup must surely be rubbing off on me...inspired by what I made last week for the Isonke exhibition, I have now done a range of plates depicting soccer players in action..I find it quite exciting entering this world which is completely alien to me..

A SOMEWHAT WHACKY SOCCER CELEBRATION!

PETA BECKER - CROCHETED POT PLANTS; CLEMENTINA VAN DER WALT CUPS WITH CACTI

We are currently all working furiously making work for an exhibition to be held here at our studio on the 5th June. 'OF WORLD CUPS, PLANTS AND IDENTITIES' is to be a celebratory exhibition as part of the line-up to the 2010 World Cup Soccer event to be hosted in South Africa in June/July. Several artists are taking part, some serious and some slightly tongue in cheek...oh and the inclusion of plants in the theme is merely part of the eccentricity!

EXHIBITION IN STELLENBOSCH

'CHOPPING WOOD, CARRYING WOOD' - 38 CM PLATTER

'PROCESSION' - PANEL MADE UP OF CERAMIC TILE COMPOSITE

Yesterday I took a trip out in the rain to Stellenbosch(about 60 km away) to deliver work for a show called IMPROMPTU. This is a group exhibition to be held in a beautiful old church space which is now one of the university galleries. There does not appear to be a particular thread which links the artists who consist of painters, printmakers, photographers and ceramists. It opens next week on Tuesday..we will see then how it all holds together!

COLLECT CERAMICS

Something exciting...

This year COLLECT is breaking out of the confines of the Saatchi Gallery.

Glen Wild was commissioned by the Crafts Council to make four large pots which are currently on display at David Mellor design store in Sloane Square. The work will be on display from the 1st to the 18th May. If you are in this part of London, please stop by!

David Mellor, 4 Sloane Square, London SW 1 W 8EE

SOCCER CELEBRATION

MY PLATES FOR THE ISONKE/BREAD EXHIBITION CELEBRATING SOCCER

Various artists, mainly calligraphy artists, were invited to take part in a fundraising exhibition - 'Isonke/Bread Plate exhibition - in celebration of

The 2010 World Cup Soccer' - opening tomorrow, Tuesday 11th at Art b. The Arts Association of Bellville

the http://www.artb.co.za/gallery.htm

'Soccer is the world's greatest equaliser, the easiest game to play on any surface, in any clothes, in any footwear or in nothing at all.'

Jesper Strudsholm quoted from the book Soccer in Africa - A Game of Passion by Tine Harden

SOCCER PASSION

CAMEROONS AND THE NETHERLANDS HERE WE COME!

STUDIO ASSISTANTS ADONIS AND SANDILE JUMPING FOR JOY ON HEARING THAT THEY WILL GET TICKETS TO ONE OF THE LIVE MAJOR SOCCER MATCHES TO BE HELD HERE IN CAPE TOWN

The soccer world cup - known in some circles here as 'the event that can't be named'(!) - is coming up in about 34 days time. Most of South Africa is waiting in excited anticipation...there is much frenzy and last minute upgrading of roads, bridges and other facilities. 8 matches will be held here in Cape Town.

In the studio we are starting to get into it...we will be holding a group exhibition here at the end of May to celebrate...

I, in particular, who have never been very interested, yesterday came across a fabulous new book, just published:

Soccer in Africa – A Game of Passion by Photographer and Writer Tine Harden

Struik Publishers Published 1 May 2010.

The photographs are extremely moving and this has given me a whole new perception of soccer and the significance of it in most communities on the African continent.

I am also inspired to make some ceramic work around the theme.

To the photographer and writer, (Danish) Tine Harden I salute you! This book really does reveal that soccer is the most beautiful game, in a way that most visual images of it, just don't manage to accomplish.

ON BEAUTY AND USE

Just out of the kiln - a majolica bowl with carved edge

Side view of bowl

A very satisfying 'gem' out of the kiln today - a utilitarian press-moulded bowl for soup, cereal or salad..or just for contemplation!

Without using there is no complete seeing, for nothing so emphasizes the beauty of things as their right application' Soetsu Yanagi (1889-1961), one of Japan's leading writers and philosophers. He is also well-known amongst potters for his book The Unknown Craftsman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanagi_S%C5%8Detsu

VISUAL EMPATHY

RAMEKINS BEING PAINTED WITH UNDERGLAZE COLOUR

'The challenge is to produce simple forms whose economy of expression extends beyond function to gesture and visual empathy. This empathy transfers everyday ware into objects of ritual esteem.' Byron Temple (1932-2002)

http://www.craftinamerica.org/artists_clay/story_265.php?

FLAKES OF LIGHT

New panel 'FLAKES OF THE LIGHT'

Today, a misty autumn morning this panel and the poem below seem to resonate particularly for me...

A poem by the Spanish poet Juan Ramon Jimenez (24 December 1881–29 May 1958)

I have a feeling that my boat

has struck, down there in the depths,

against a great thing.

And nothing

happens! Nothing...Silence...Waves

-Nothing happens? Or has everything happened,

and we are standing now, quietly, in the new life?

POTS IN PROGRESS

Wheel thrown and distorted vase with white incised slip, still to be glazed

Wheel thrown and distorted vase with white incised slip, still to be glazed

Newly wheel-thrown mugs for an exhibition happening at our studio at the end of this month

“My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel; I know not where I am nor what I do.”

William Shakespeare 1564-1616

Well..not quite as confused as Shakespeare in the above quote... I do have a busy week ahead, many different strands of work happening and am not quite sure where to begin on a Monday morning; and besides I am regularly plagued with doubt about what I do! But...watch this space during the week...