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| Susie McMeekin |
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It is 29 years since I started potting with my father in his work shop at Woronora River near Sydney. He was ill at the time and I had a throwing lesson more to appease some family friends rather than a deep seated interest myself. Obviously I enjoyed the lesson because I have continued to make pots and I find that I become more involved and passionately interested the older I become. I think that is because as with many things the skill level becomes more and more refined and so the tasks become more and more enjoyable.
I still believe very strongly in the simplicity and beauty of pots. I have recently been experimenting with what I view as loud and flashy. I do enjoy the splash of these pots but it is not the deep lasting enjoyment that I get from the quieter pieces. The oriental flavor of the work remains solidly embedded in my psyche. This year I had the wonderful experience of not only going to China but also working there. It was a fabulous trip and even better in hind sight. When you have had time to sit and digest not only the workshop experience but also the feelings that you experienced while being removed completely from your comfort zone. An inner strength has developed about my work and possibly a little more risk taking is going ahead, a freeing of the spirit in some ways.
My work is a combination of gas fired ware and of wood fired pots. The combination runs at about 90:10 as I do not as yet have a wood burning kiln of my own. I am privileged to be invited to fire with others and therefore produce quite a few one off pieces from these kilns. It is interesting to note that with an experienced eye one can tell quite clearly which kiln the pots have come out of as the firing styles of each kiln master is very peculiar to each of them alone.
This show is a combination of 2 years work and has a large variation in content. The space that the gallery allows for a large variety of the styles of my work and enables me to include pots that may appear the same but have subtle differences about them. It may be shape or some tiny but wonderful imperfection that I feel often makes a piece special.
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