Air exhibition at Strathnairn

Ceramics have always been an integral part of the Strathnairn Arts community from its inception. As part of the early ceramics program, artists were invited to make use of the Strathnairn facilities that developed to include kilns and studios. In the 1990s a number of these artists came from the Canberra School of Art encouraged by Alan Watt, then head of the ceramic workshop. In later years the net has been cast wider and now many artists-in-residence (AIR) come from overseas.

This exhibition brings together the work of twelve of the former ceramic artists-in-residence from 2005 to 2014 - Markus Bohm, Ute Bohm, Brenda Danbrook, Daniel Evans, Adam Knoche, Tony Nankervis, Lindsay Oesterritter, Sue Scobie, Ryozo Shibata, Fergus Stewart, Roslyn Vedrines and Lars Westler. The residency usually lasts one to three months with artists having an exhibition at Strathnairn.  The work in this present exhibition has come from each artist's residency period.

Peter Haynes, the curator, has done a skilful job in bringing this varied selection of work together – a selection that has been made from work that has either been donated to Strathnairn or left by the artists to be sold. The artists most likely have never met and perhaps not been aware of each other' s work separated as they are by time and geography.

However a lot of the work has a certain shared stylistic appearance and form that tends to reflect the influence of the Strathnairn landscape and the access to Strathnairn's wood fired kilns. This was true of Lars Westler who was one of the first ceramic artists-in-residence in 2005.

However Ryozo Shibata in 2006 worked in fine sometsuka ware or blue and white porcelain. He is represented by two fine tea bowls, a boat shaped tray and two platters. They are decorated with his signature fine calligraphic brushwork in a contemporary idiom. Fergus Stewart who was an active participant in Strathnairn's early history and co-founded the Strathnairn Ceramics Access Workshop in 2001 returned in 2007 as artist-in-residence.

During this period he ran very popular salt glazing workshops. His work in the exhibition is limited to a set of sturdy mugs with dark surface markings. Daniel Evans from Kentucky USA worked in the studio in the latter half of 2007.  Although only represented in the exhibition by a small bowl, during his residency he created large sculptural pieces based on his emotive response to the landscape.

Lindsay Oesterritter, (2009) an American also from Kentucky, gave talks on wood firing and suitable clays. Her collection of wood fired bowls and beakers in the exhibition illustrate her interest in individual and unique surface markings as a reflection of the process of wood firing. A process that was she felt illustrative of her interest in the weathering patterns made by the progress of time.

French potter Roseline Vedrines was in residence in 2010. Her practice involved hand building and raku firing. Her large ceramic fruit form with seeds in the exhibition reflects her interest in natural forms. Brenda Danbrook from Canada also visited in 2010. Danbrook's work has an infinity with Gwyn Hanssen Pigott (1935-2015) in that both artists engage their forms in arrangements to facilitate the development of spatial and tonal relationships between them.

Danbrook's two soda fired works of a cream vase and beaker brought together in the exhibition most probably came from a larger group arrangement. However they work together nicely as an illustration of her work practice.

Markus and Ute Bohm came from Germany in 2012. Ute Bohm's blue and green highly glazed vases in the exhibition illustrate her pre-occupation with crystalline glazes. Markus Bohm's ceramic practice mostly lay in wood firing and he was interested in the highly skilled salt glazing techniques of Australian potter Gail Nichols. He is represented in the exhibition by many pieces of wood fired ceramics most notable for their dark and earthy quality.

One exception is a traditional shaped thin-stemmed bottle with an interesting textured pale blue salt glaze.

Adam Knoche in his 2012 residency pursued his interest in functional domestic ware and sculptural wall pieces. He is represented by some nicely marked wood fired beakers, platters and bottles. Their dark areas are often illuminated with beautiful flashes of texture and colour. His dark on white speckled group of mugs have a particularly lively surface.

On his retirement from academia Tony Nankervis came to Strathnairn in 2012 to re-engage with ceramics. His simple forms glazed in white and orange textured and crackle glazes represent his interest in the landscape colours of outback Australia.

In 2014 Sue Scobie from New Zealand was in residence. Scobie spent time experimenting with different Australian clays in order to make her highly crafted and technically challenging pots. In these pots she brings stoneware and porcelain together to represent in stratified levels the geological age of the Australian landscape.

There are perhaps no outstanding works in this exhibition; a circumstance explained by the random way the pieces over time have come together. The exhibition however provides an illuminating visual and historical record of the artists-in-residence program at Strathnairn over a ten year period.

It also provides an early introduction to the forthcoming Australian Ceramic Triennial taking place in Canberra during July.

The exhibition officially ends on 15 February however a selection of the works will be displayed at Strathnairn until 15 March.