Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-07-28, Page 1News Feature I Education Former Brusselite breaks through conceptual art world yesterday, today, 4 area students among Madill, St. Anne’s Ontario Scholars See page 2 See page 7 See page 10 At the Gallery Potter Robert Tetu’s exhbition Closing the Circle opened on Friday night at the Bainton Art Gallery in Blyth Memorial Hall. Featuring a Shino glaze, Tetu’s new work will be on display until August. This winter he hopes to travel to Mexico to help residents create pieces based on Mayan designs. Potter’s Circle opens at Blyth The surveys say Brussels downtown the top priority By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff When Robert Tetu discusses pot­ tery it is almost with reverence. Explaining the process, the detail, he handles the pieces with a gentle respect, similar to the wonder of new love, that what you see before you is actually yours. A well-known artisan, Tetu’s exhibit, Closing the Circle opened on Friday night at the Bainton Gallery in Blyth. It runs until Aug. 14. Though he curated an exhibit of hot glass two years ago here and has been part of group exhibitions this is his first in Blyth. For Tetu, whose studio is located in the old Beechwood General Store, east of Seaforth and north of St. Columban, Circle is a slight depar­ ture. He describes his previous art as utilitarian, pottery, stoneware and porcelain, decorative pieces based on a utilitarian design which are used more for decoration than func­ tion. “In the past my focus has always been to have an exact form, a con­ sidered balance to the shape and the glaze just to accentuate that form.” His new work, with a Shino glaze, reflects a more spontaneous approach to the form. There is more of throwing marks onto the pottery. The glaze reacts in the kiln to changes in the atmosphere, the flame and the smoke. “The interesting thing is that though it appears more primitive there is a skill to carry it off. You must have the confidence to let it happen and know when to quit.” That confidence comes only with experience. “There has to be a bunch of stuff behind you in terms of expe­ rience,” says Tetu, who has been a potter for 27 years. “You need to know what the kiln can do, the clay, the glaze.” This type of pottery is typical of the Mino region of Japan, where there is a variety of clay types suit­ able for high-temperature firing. Tetu says whole villages work as a community using huge kilns. “They take months to fill, then for seven to 10 days they stoke them to the right temperature. When they smoke the fine ash drifts through and lands on the pieces.” “What I’ve done in a gas-fired kiln is create a glaze that reacts. I also sprinkle on hardwood ash to simu­ late the wood drifting.” Of the finished product, he says, “So much happens in the kiln, you can keep turning the pottery around and find new stuff.” Some pieces people can actually see where the ash was sprinkled, causing the glaze to flow. In another piece he experimented with vermic­ ulite, which expands upon heating and formed pockets that made the glaze separate. In another example, Tetu used crushed brick that created a rough area, a “quite interesting” effect. Although Tetu’s work is fired by the Mino technique the pieces are distinctively his own. “Until recently this type of pottery was recognized primarily by pottery people.” That changed following an exhibition in Toronto where Tetu says, he received incredible response. The departure from his earlier work to simplify is a desire for change. “It’s more of an artistic stretch to experiment with new ideas and partially to shake up the public,” says Tetu. “I think that less than two per cent of the people who will see this exhibit will ever have seen this glaze before.” The “rougher” look may not appeal to everyone, a fact that does­ n’t bother Tetu in the least. “It’s fine with me if you say that glaze is ugly because it made you stop and form an opinion. Artists are always trying to generate discussion, sometimes that’s done in controversial ways.” Even the title of his exhibition challenges debate. Closing the Circle is about the process and the technique which comes full circle, taking something fine to something coarse, almost primitive in appear­ ance. “I leave it to the viewer to decide where the circle closed.” We’re taking a break The staff at The North Huron Citizen is going on holidays. The offices in Blyth and Brussels will be closed from July 30 until Aug. 8. There will be no issue of The Citizen published on Aug. 4. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff The results are in and residents and businesspeople agree, the num­ ber one priority in Brussels is to spruce up the downtown. Answers from a survey conducted by the Brussels merchants group have been compiled and according to Clerk-Treasurer Donna White, the overwhelming emphasis was on “dressing things up”. The survey was funded by a grant through Business Partnership for Job Creation. With 78 per cent of the business community responding, 52 respon- dants said storefront improvements were necessary for the downtown area. Next on the list was tree plant­ ing. Asked what the most appropriate use for vacant lots and buildings on main street, the number one answer was to refurbish with displays, murals and artwork as well as repair. Though many reported an increase in sales over the past five years they also felt that a variety of stores and services, as well as product selection took business out of town. Listowel was the number one competitor. Only 25 per cent of the residential surveys were returned, which though White said they had hoped would be more were answered well. “The quality of the responses was good. We were pleased with what people had to say.” Demographically, the largest num­ Blyth kids need place to skate The youthful fun of teenagers has once again come to the attention of Blyth councillors as they try to find a solution. At the July 20 meeting, council­ lors discussed the problem of skate­ boarders using the front steps and retaining wall in front of Memorial Hall for trick boarding. Clerk-Treasurer John Stewart said he had been approached by resi- dents and visitors to the community to see if there was something that could be done. Those involved were generally good kids and they were just look­ ing for a place to ride, noted Stewart. Planters ruined While the estimate of damage isn’t significant the level of frustra­ tion is. Brussels Road Superintendent Hugh Nichol discovered that van­ dals had been busy over the week­ end at the Homecoming Park. The worst damage, Nichol said, was to the hanging planters at the gazebo. ber of respondents were between the ages of 35-64. The majority of peo­ ple felt commercial and industrial development was needed. “Something else that was noted was a need for more awareness of community activities,” said White. “We are going to have a community calendar posted in the office and we encourage people to come in and write their event on the calendar.” The most encouraging informa­ tion was with regards to shopping. While people are lured out of town for certain items a good number indicated that they still support local merchants. “Twenty-five per cent is not the full picture,” White admits. “But it still shows that a lot of people are shopping here.” . The information is being present­ ed at the business meeting at noon on Wednesday and action plans are being discussed. These include let­ ters to industry advising of available land for any compatible businesses, the printing of placemats, flyers, let­ ters to alumni suggesting Brussels be considered as retirement living and letters to professional schools inviting graduates to establish a practice in Brussels. Also on the agenda is a downtown clean-up campaign. White said the group was pleased by the many good ideas they received. “People worked very hard on this. There is excitement. The momentum is going now. If every­ one will do their bit it can only mean good things for the village.” Though the riding is not constant, it is “ongoing in spells”. The steps may soon have to be repaired due to the damage being done. There was also concern about skateboards on the sidewalks before and after theatre performances. Council had discussed the prob­ lem at an early meeting, including the fact that there was no other place for the riders to go. There has been no serious discussion regarding an alternative. Council agreed to try public edu­ cation to encourage the boarders to skate elsewhere. These had been yanked off their hooks and completely smashed. Also a few plantings around the edge of the park had been uprooted. “It’s another slap in the face for the people who work so hard, volun­ teering their time to try and make their village look nice,” Nichol said.