Upcoming shows....

On September 6th there are two great events. The first is the 4th annual Potters Market Invitational at the Mint Museum in Charlotte. This is a great show with great potters. All of NC's best will be there including my former boss man Matt Jones and his new apprentice Alex Haworth. More information on the event can be found here.


Daniel Johnston will be having an opening on the same date at the Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville NC. Daniel was one of Mark Hewitt's apprentices who afterwards spent some time in Thailand learning how to turn very large pots utilizing a completely different method of construction. His forms are very strong and his surfaces very fluid with the help of a really nice ash glaze and 200 lbs of salt. I got to help him fire his kiln down near Seagrove a few weeks ago and it was a blast. If you can't make it up to the gallery in person all the pots will be cataloged and listed online the day the show opens.

Kutahya Part 2

Mehmets' workshop is another humble affair. The main atelier sits in the basement of a large building. It is an unassuming space for a person who has commanded such respect and admiration from his countrymen. It is small for the size of the operation but work is made at an astonishing rate and it seems to be sold almost as soon as it is made. There are two main areas. The first is in the back where his materials man works.

The names of Mehmets' employees have escaped me. We will just call him the materials man as that is how Mehmet introduced him to me. All of the work that is painted is made by this man. The vases are throw and then trimmed to their final shape and the plates and flatware is all jiggered (pictured above). For the flatware a high quartz body is used that rings like a bell when fired. The hollow ware is made with a slightly more forgiving body. In the front room is where the women (when I was visiting there were only women painting at this atelier) paint the wares.
The first step is to take a stencil and pounce the outline of the design onto the bisqued ware. This is no follow that dots of your childhood. The outline is just a starting point and to be able to command the brush with any competency takes months and months of practice. I was told that it usually takes someone about 6 months of practice before they are good enough to save a piece for the kiln. What you see above is a piece of tracing paper with tiny dots pierced in it with a needle. Charcoal is then rubbed over the paper and a series of dots are left on the wares to then follow with an outline brush.
Here the head of this workshop works with a fine brush on the outline. She has worked for Mehmet for around twelve years and is a master of her craft.
Mehemt inspects a large platter and then offers his suggestions to the woman who's piece it is. Watching these small interactions was very interesting. He has a gentle way about him and offers his advice with a kind cadence. I am judging all this without actually having any idea of what is being exchanged. It was just a feeling.

Kutahya Part 1

Its been some time since I've posted. It is one of those thing that the longer you put it off the more of a chore it becomes and the harder it is to sit down and write. I suppose it is a bit like cleaning your room as small child. Since my last post I've moved into a new house and started the new apprenticeship with Mark Hewitt. We have fired his kiln and are now in the cleaning process as we prepare for the sale this weekend. This is all worthy of a post or two but I have no pictures to accompany the work we have done. My second camera (a generous gift from my brother Robin) met another early demise in a body of water when Ben dropped it in a creek. Since I returned from Turkey I have been meaning to post these pictures of Mehmet Gursoys' atelier.

We arrived in Kutahya in the afternoon. It is, from an outside perspective, a humble town. When we would tell someone that we were headed for Kutahya the unanimous reaction is one one of confusion. We would get a puzzled look followed immediately by "Why? There is nothing in Kutahya." I can see why the town has that reputation. On the outskirts it is quite industrial. Mostly large ceramic facilities. Kutahya is also know for its large production of toilet bowls as well as other porcelain products. The town does not have much that your run of the mill western tourist would find terribly interesting. It doesn't cater the rigorous demands of a seasoned American traveler who believes that English should be spoken anywhere his feet or visa card can take him. From the moment you arrive an the bus stop or Çini Gar (auto gar is what the bus station is usually called.) you are reminded of what this city has behind its closed doors. Tucked away in small rooms are men and women working slowly and methodicaly to produce some of the most amazing wares in the world. Part 2 to follow......