JOHN NEELY on tue 12 aug 97
OWEN RYE NEWS RELEASE
August 8, 1997
Contact: John Neely (801) 797-3340
Writer: Patrick Williams (801) 797-1354
INTERNATIONAL CERAMICIST PRESENTS WORKSHOP AND EXHIBIT AT USU
LOGAN, UT -- Owen Rye, a ceramicist and educator from Australia, is an
international expert on wood firing techniques and has been a guest at Utah
State University offering a summer art workshop. In addition to his time in
the classroom and ceramics studio at USU, Rye has a sample of his ceramic work
featured in exhibition at USU's Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. "Mark of
the Fire: The Work of Australian Potter Owen Rye" may be seen at the museum
August 17-31. Additionally, Rye will present an autobiographical slide show
and gallery talk at the museum August 21 at 7 p.m. The event is free and the
public is invited. Rye's work may be seen in the museum's foyer. Owen R. Rye
is a senior lecturer at the Gippsland campus of Monash University near
Melbourne, Australia. He is among Australia's best known ceramic artists and
is the author of numerous books and articles on ceramic art and technology. In
the long history of ceramics, wood was the only fuel available in many parts
of the world, the brochure for Rye's summer workshop states. "This situation
has changed with the advent of petroleum fuels and the development of electric
power," the brochure continues. "Nonetheless, wood remains the fuel of choice
for a significant number of the world's top ceramic artists."
Not only is Rye an expert in wood firing techniques but he is a proponent of
anagama, an ancient style of kiln originating in China and later refined in
Japan. The shape of this kiln (a sloping tunnel) influences interior air flow
and as a result, the finish of the fired ceramics. Although it has ancient
roots, there has been a resurgence of interest in anagama, and it is becoming
one of the "hot new things" in the world of ceramics. According to
biographical materials, Rye has been a potter since 1961, and has taught
ceramics since 1980. He was an archaeologist for 10 years and holds a Ph.D. in
ceramics from the University of New South Wales. In an article in "Ceramics
Technical," Rye discussed the form of his vessels. "The best forms seem to be
derived from a mixture of intent and accident," he said. "Because all my work
is wheel-thrown, the clay usually dictates details of form; a clay with coarse
inclusions will produce a rugged, eccentric form while a fine clay calls for
delicacy of detail. In large part, the form is dictated by the processes to
come, particularly stacking in the kiln which is the most important part of
the whole anagama process and which, more than any other, determines the final
character of the work. Whereas the form always has a man-made character, the
surface produced in the anagama has a natural quality, the feel of an event
beyond human control. "Ceramics Monthly" states the way the kiln is packed
largely determines what the finished works look like. "Effects are created
from protected markings where pots lie adjacent to one another, by the way the
wood ash accumulates on the 'ash wind' side and by the way flames move around
pieces in the kiln."
The endless complexity of surface fascinates Rye, "Ceramics Technical" states.
"Patches of shiny wet transparent glass sit beside dry sandy areas parched by
the heat," the publication states in its Rye profile. "Soft colours, greys and
hints of green play against glowing pinks and oranges. Rounded craters as from
a photograph of the moon sit beside jagged scars where the fusion has glued
pot to pots and the action of smashing them apart permanently grafts a piece
of one to the whole of another. Inside, where protection from the heat has
provided a kinder atmosphere, there is a softer, quieter range of colours." In
its overview of Rye's work, the publication goes on to say that the potter
follows a firing with more work, adding glazes or modifying the surface. By
doing so, the potter "is building up a richer complexity, more layers of
surface, trying to establish more evocation of age and meaning." "Ceramics
Technical" also says that the ceramicist is "not too concerned about whether
or not his work receives popular approval or whether it will suit someone's
lounge room. His work has little or no connection to current themes in design,
and only a metaphorical connection to useful vessels. It is intended to evoke
rather than please." Working with Rye in the USU workshop is John Neely, head
of the ceramics program in USU's Department of Art. He is also an
internationally known ceramic artist who has built and fired wood kilns in
North America, Asia and Australia. The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is
open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday from
10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends 2-5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and
holidays. All exhibits are free and open to the public.
8/8/97
Patrick Williams
Fine Arts Writer
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-0500
patrickw@relations.usu.edu
(801) 797-1354
(801) 797-1250 (FAX)
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