Steve Harrison
Untitled 2004
H: 8 cm
W: 8.5 cm
$650
A pair of wood-fired unglazed native porcelain bowls
Maker's statement: This work is, in general, the result of many years of consistent research in the use of local materials. Specifically, these bowls are of wood-fired porcelain made from the native porcelain stone (pai-tun-ze) of the old Mittagong Shire. The bowls went into the kiln perfectly round; I did not distort them myself. All the distortion occurred in the kiln during the firing.
The nature of these pieces is such that they represent the geology of the Southern Highlands. They are not the most translucent or the whitest of porcelains. However, they are entirely local and the product of my interaction with my locality.
During the development of this work it has been my intention to make a 100% local product. In this regard I have to admit that I have failed, as one of the clay bodies contains 3% of bentonite sourced from outside Mittagong. But I can live with that. Better porcelain clays can be bought from the local art supply shop. However, they are made from mostly imported ingredients. For all their faults, this work has a character imposed on it by my choices of technique and my ability to extract suitable materials from my local geology. At this point in time this is the best I can do with what I have discovered. I have used and developed some of the limitations such as the impurities in the raw material to give an exquisite surface flash that is enhanced by the wood firing. All the fuel is collected off my land or my neighbours, and I made the fire bricks for the kiln by hand, from a local refractory clay.
Contact
Steve HarrisonTel: 02 4889 8479
Email: hotnsticky@ozemail.com.au
Web: www.leggegallery.com/HARRISON/Harrison.html
