A Film on Bernard Leach

"This is the only complete film available on the world-renowned artist potter Bernard Leach, one of the most influential craftsmen of the 20th century. The resulting documentary film is a charming presentation of the daily activities at The Leach Pottery.

This locally-made film, now restored and released for the first time on DVD with the cooperation of the late Janet Darnell Leach, and narrated commentary by Warren Mackenzie, provides an especially intimate look at The Leach Pottery."

http://www.amazon.com/The-Leach-Pottery-1952-Edition/dp/B003835PAQ

Now out the 2nd edition with the original narration by Bernard Leach

http://www.martygrossfilms.com/films/leach/leach.html

A Film on Bernard Leach

Akiko Hirai at The New Craftsman

Akiko Hirai

A Collection of New Ceramics

28th May to 16th July 2011

NEW CRAFTSMAN GALLERY ,
24 Fore Street, St. Ives, Cornwall
info@newcraftsmanstives.com

La Cornovaglia offre molto agli amanti della ceramica, diventata mito grazie a Bernard Leach e alla presenza sotto il suolo della Cornwall Stone, una roccia felspatica che rende bellissimi gli smalti. St. Ives dagli anni '20 è il luogo degli artisti, famosi scultori e ceramisti hanno abitato le sue splendide coste con spiagge bianche che sembrano ( se non fate caso alla temperatura) caraibiche. Tante gallerie e addiritura un distaccamento della mitica Tate Gallery testimoniano la presenza di una forte comunità di artisti St.Ives e la vivacità della sua vita culturale.

St. Ives

La New Craftsman Gallery è la più vecchia galleria di St Ives, nasce nel 1948 per volontà di Janet Leach, moglie di Bernard e ceramista anche lei. Negli anni ha ospitato importanti pittori (come Patrick Henron), scultori e membri della Studio Pottery, ma anche artigiani locali.
In questo periodo la galleria espone le bellissime ceramiche di Akiko Hirai, le avevo già incontrate tra gli espositori di Origin, ma trovo che la qualità dei suoi pezzi sia migliorata. Mi piacciono moltissimo, sembrano dei sofisticati reperti, ceramiche dal sapore etereo.











wonderful moon


Cornwall is a wonderful place, with white sandy beaches and breathtaking views. Cornwall is especially wonderful for ceramist thanks to cornwall stone (or cornish stone, a feldspar used in clay and glazes) and to Bernard Leach who set up his pottery in the lovely St.Ives. St.Ives is rich of natural beauty and of cultural life, this little village has been since the '20 the place where many famous artists took their residency. The spirit of St.Ives is still alive with plenty of great gallery and a special museum, Tate St. Ives. The oldest gallery in St.Ives New Craftsman Gallery, was created in 1960 by Janet Leach, wife of Bernard and an acclaimed ceramist herself. The gallery has hosted many great artists from painters and sculptors to members of the studio pottery and talented craft makers. Until the 16th of July, the gallery is inhabited by the mysterious presence of Akiko Hirai's ceramics. I discovered her work through Origin, and I am deeply taken by her new pieces. Enchanting !

Akiko Hirai at The New Craftsman

Yunomi

Yunomi è un bellissimo libro che documenta una collezione di più di 500 pezzi.

Una yunomi è una tazza, solitamente in ceramica, più alta che larga e con un piedino. La yunomi, diversamente dalla più formale tazza chawan usata nella cerimonia del te, è una per cosumo del tè quotidiano.

Ogni pezzo è differenta e porta in se lo spirito del suo creatore, sul sito potete trovare informazioni sui ceramisti che fanno parte della collezione, ecco alcuni nomi:
Shoji Hamada, Kanjiro Kawai, Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Peter Voulkos, Toshiko Takaezu, Ken Ferguson, Warren MacKenzie, Randy Johnston, Ken Price, Akio Takamori, Laura Andreson, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, John Ward, Ian Godfrey, Shiro Otani, Kakurezaki Ryuichi, John Glick, Karen Karnes and Beatrice Wood
http://www.myteabowls.com/
http://www.yunomibook.com/

A beautiful book that documents a collection with over 500 pieces.
Introduction by Warren MacKenzie and Jeffrey Spahn.

A yunomi (Japanese: 湯のみ) is a form of teacup, typically made from a ceramic material, being taller than wide, with a trimmed or turned foot. Unlike the more formal chawan tea bowl which is used during the Japanese tea ceremony, the yunomi is made for daily (or informal) tea drinking.

"The connection between ceramics and tea-drinking has a rich, evolved culture. The qualities of handmade ceramic vessels have much in common with the virtues revered by the Japanese tea ceremony, or chanoyu, which developed into an art form after the ninth century when tea was introduced to Japan from China. Much like the ceramics it used, the simple act of tea drinking became symbolic in Japan of an appreciation of nature, simplicity and imperfection, and later a high art advocating harmony and balance.Tea bowls are never perfectly round, for they must fit the hands comfortably. A chawan is like a person. It has its own character and given time its own stories to tell, if one would listen. Most of its spirit comes directly from its maker, therefore looking at the creation one can get a sense of what kind of person the creator is, even without having met her or him."
The beautiful collection is made of very diverse pieces, each one trying to reflects each potter's style.
Artists include Shoji Hamada, Kanjiro Kawai, Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Peter Voulkos, Toshiko Takaezu, Ken Ferguson, Warren MacKenzie, Randy Johnston, Ken Price, Akio Takamori, Laura Andreson, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, John Ward, Ian Godfrey, Shiro Otani, Kakurezaki Ryuichi, John Glick, Karen Karnes and Beatrice Wood. Includes works by all ceramic Living National Treasures of Japan.http://www.myteabowls.com/
http://www.yunomibook.com/

Yunomi

Mashiko Pottery Village

Bernard Leach e Shoji Hamada









Mashiko è un villaggio situato a 60 km a nord di Tokyo, purtroppo è stato colpito duramente dal terremoto. Mashiko è conosciuto nel mondo per la sua ceramica, qui convivono 380 stili diversi di ceramiche tra cui il 'Mashiko ware'.

Nel 1923 Shoji Hamada, co-fondatore della St. Ives Pottery insieme a Bernard Leach, ritorna in Giappone e si stabilisce a Mashiko dove mette in piedi un laboratorio di ceramica (... che strano non sia la traduzione per 'pottery' ), ora di proprietà e gestione da suo nipote Tomoo Hamada. Shoji Hamada ha anche creato un museo l'Hamada Reference Museum che ospita un'incredibile collezione di artigianato e ceramica e insieme al Mashiko Ceramic Museum, sono un'importante fonte di turismo.
Mashiko ospita più di 400 laboratori e forni,seriamente compromessi, che sono il principale mezzo di sostentamento del paese.

Nel 2008 la popolazione di Mashiko e i membrio dell'associazione Mingei avevano raccolto 40,000 sterline per la ricostruzione della Leach Pottery di St.Ives in Cornovaglia, e ora
quest'ultima sente il bisogno di ricambiare. Per donare basta mettersi in contatto con la Leach Pottery http://www.leachpottery.com/

E' stata creata la Mashiko Pottery Foundation per raccogliere aiuti per la ricostruzione

The Leach Pottery launches earthquake appeal for Mashiko Village

Mashiko is located in the southeastern part of Tochigi, and belongs to the Prefectural Nature Park which is situated in the northernmost part of the Kanto Plain, and is located about 60 miles north of Tokyo. The town is known as a production center of pottery in Japan and also in the world.
Mashiko has over 400 studios and kilns, providing the main livelihood of the village, and the recent quake has caused considerable damage to both kilns and buildings.
Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko Ceramics Museum and the Hamada Reference Museum have also been badly hit by the earthquake.

In 1923 Shoji Hamada national treasure and co-founder of the Leach Pottery in St Ives with Bernard Leach, returned to Japan following the Tokyo earthquake of 1923. He settled in Mashiko with his family where he set up his own pottery, now owned and run by his potter grandson Tomoo Hamada, who attended the reopening of the Leach Pottery following its restoration in March 2008. Shoji Hamada also established the Hamada Reference Museum in Mashiko to display his stunning and internationally acclaimed collection of crafts and ceramics.

In 2008 the people of Mashiko pottery village and members of the Mingei Association donated over £40,000 towards rebuilding of Leach Pottery in St Ives and now is time to offer them back the hand of friendship. Leach Pottery had launched an appeal for Mashiko Village to donate contact the pottery.
By phone – call with you credit or debit card details on 01736 799703
By post – send a cheque to the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust Ltd. (marking the back of the cheque ‘Mashiko Appeal’. Send to Mashiko Earthquake Appeal, The Leach Pottery, Higher Stennack, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2HE
By internet – donate through your Paypal account julia@leachpottery.com – please add a note clearly stating ‘Mashiko Earthquake Appeal’

The trustees and staff of the Leach Pottery would like to express our great sadness at the recent catastrophe that has beset Japan. The Leach Pottery’s historic and current links to Japan, dating back over a century, are of great importance to us and the friendship we have received from the Japanese people over the years has been unwavering. We have not forgotten the support we received from the people of Mashiko pottery village and members of the Mingei Association in 2008 when individuals collectively donated over £40,000 towards rebuilding our pottery in St Ives and we would like to offer them back the hand of friendship now.

We are launching an appeal to raise funds for Mashiko which has been badly hit by the earthquake. Mashiko has over 400 studios and kilns, providing the main livelihood of the village, and the recent quake has caused considerable damage to both kilns and buildings.
Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko Ceramics Museum and the Hamada Reference Museum have also been badly hit.Mashiko Town in Tochigi prefecture is located about 60 miles north of Tokyo. In 1923 Shoji Hamada, co-founder of the Leach Pottery in St Ives with Bernard Leach, returned to Japan following the Tokyo earthquake of 1923.

The Mashiko Pottery Foundation has been created to help raising funds.

Mashiko Pottery Village

A Potter's Book by Bernard Leach

"...la sincerità è la cosa importante, e secondo il grado di forza vitale del ceramista e della sua cultura che fluisce attraverso di lui nel processo creativo, il vaso risultante avrà vita in esso o no"

Queste sono le parole di Bernard Leach, maestro ceramista e padre della ceramica inglese moderna. leach era nato in Cina, era stato educato in Inghilterra e successivamente era tornato in estremo oriente per insegnare tecniche di incisione. Nel 1911, ad una festa in un giardino a Tokyo vide gli ospiti decorare e cuocere vasi con la tecnica Raku. Questa esperienza lo segnò e presto trovò un maestro ceramista Kenzan VI e studiò duramente presso di lui fino alla morte di quest'ultimo. Leach e Tomimoto, un altro studente esplorarono la fusione tra la ceramica inglese e le tecniche raku. Negli anni '20 tornò in Inghilterra dove cominciò il suo sodalizio con il maestro giapponese Shoji Hamada e nacque la celebre Leach Pottery. Bernard Leach ha fatto più di qualunche altro per la ceramica moderna non solo in termini di tecniche, la sua attenzione dava alla ceramica un'aspetto in più, non solo artigianato ma anche filosofia.
Questo e il suo testo più famoso, parla di tecniche ma sopretutto ci racconta la sua visione della ceramica.
Su Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Potters-Book-Bernard-Leach/dp/057110973X
http://www.leachpottery.com/

"… sincerity is what matters, and according to the degree in which the vital force of the potter and that of his culture behind him flow through the processes of making, the resulting pot will have life in it or not."

Bernard Leach was born in Hong Kong, he was educated in England and later returned to Japan as a teacher of etching techniques. In 1911, at a garden party in Tokyo, he saw guests decorating raku pots and fired them, this experience had a great impact on him. Leach studyied under the direction of Shigekichi Urano (Kenzan VI), there he met Tomimoto, another of Kenzan’s students, together they explored the fusion of English pottery traditions with Raku. When he returned to England in 1920 he established the famous Leach Pottery with another Japanese artist and potter, Shoji Hamada. Leach’s fame spread over the years, and now he is recognized as the major influence in modern pottery all over the world.
This is his most famous book, with plenty of technical information, but most importantly with his vision on ceramics.

on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Potters-Book-Bernard-Leach/dp/057110973X
http://www.leachpottery.com/

A Potter's Book by Bernard Leach