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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-08-08, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR AUGUST 8 1990 -- 3 Potters show enjoyment of life through Raku HOT, STEAMY ▪ WORK - Robert Tetu has removed the fired pottery from the Raku kiln and has put the piece into a combusting chamber filled with woodshavings. Oxford photo. BY SUSAN OXFORD One of the most beautiful of pottery is Raku, an effect that is achieved by dnunauc and coating. Visitors w the Blyth Fes- tival An Gallery will be able to see a exhibit of Raku pottery, including work by a Seaforth potter. Raku is a Japanese word mammas en,o meat and is associated with the teabowls of the lea ceremony. In the west today Raku is more associated with the pottery fling technique and is often done in a ;arty aunosphere wit to s meeting to make, glaze pottery just for fun. That are a few =dads of making Raku, but they all am some of the same steps. First, the power makes a piece of pottery and allows it to dry before glazing. There are many glazes that can be used and each one will leave a different effect. When the glaze has dried the piece is put into a Raku kiln, which differs from an ordinary potter's kiln. The Raku kiln is usually handmade by the potter with worn out bricks. The kiln is heated to temperatures of about 1,800 degrees and the high temperature tends to cut down on the life of the bricks. This makes it necessary for a potter to be constantly rebuilding a Raku kiln. Heat is obtained by sending a direct flame of propane into the kiln for a long warm-up period and once the temperature is high enough the pottery is placed inside the kiln. Through a peephole, a draft release in the kiln, the potter can watch the progress of the piece and judging by the look of the glaze can deter- mine when it is ready for the next step. CHECKING IT OUT - Looking inside the Raku kiln Robert looks for signs pottery is ready for the next step. Temperatures in the Raku kiln will reach piece is ready when the glaze begins to bubble. Oxford photo. in the glaze that the piece of about 1,800 degrees and the Usuig heavy gbves and wigs the potter removes the piece from the kiln aid drops u two a coolatnc r ut straw. woodshavings or other coaa- busuble rwaterwl. A lid is put on the container and the contents burn, allowing the pottery to transform into a piece of Raku. When the burning is complete the piece is removed, cooled for a moment and plunged into cold water or spayed with a stream of water. The shuck of tem changes crates a beau effect- Cracks appear on the surface because of thexrno shock. The cracks can be light, heavy, numnerous, raw ar refined looking. With a glaze heavy in metal salts a metallic lustre shines through. Salts of cobalt five a dark blue colour and copper gives a green -blue colour. Part of • the glaze gives a shine and protective cover to the metals to prevent tar- nish. Some Raku can be of one colour of glaze that uses the cracks as the main focal interest. A Seaforth potter taking part in the Raku exhibit at Blyth is Robert Tetu. He was born in Cambridge, Ont. and studied at the Ontario College of An, Toronto, before moving to the Seaforth area. In Toronto Robert took pottery lessons and found he wanted to work more with clay and spent time teaching himself pottery. "I discovered I had a natural affinity with din," Robert jokes. He worked in Toronto's marketing and advertising world and was becoming increasingly disillusioned with that world. He left Toronto to work more with clay and pottery. In 1975 Robert bought a historic general store near Seaforth and established Beech- wood Pottery. He produced a line of stoneware pottery and developed his own art pieces for show at galleries. Recently Robert has been working with porcelain; a medium he describes as having an "almost diabolical tendency to self-destruct at any step in the creative process." He has won awards for excellence in pottery exhibitions and given workshops to potters' groups throughout Ontario. Raku is another form of pottery that Robert has become interested in and was pleased to be invited to display some of his Raku pottery at the Blyth invitational exhibit. He has five pieces on exhibit including three jars, one vessel and bowls. Robert displays and sells most of his pottery through galleries around Ontario. He teaches pottery at workshops and has judged pottery exhibitions. Currently he is chair of the editorial committee for the Ontario Crafts Council and has been the Council's Southwest Regional Director. Cora deVries, Robert's wife, makes earrings of thin porcelain that are kiln fired. Their studio at their home is open by appointment and they have two open houses a year; a June spring show where new works are featured and a November Christmas show and sale. Near Walton another potter and his wife make Raku pottery. New to the area, Hock Wee and Adriane Armour have a studio workshop on their property. Hoch and Adriane met at the University of Waterloo where she was studying art and he studied music. Hoch is from Singapore and Adriane was born in Montana. Hoch became interested in pottery through his wife's interest. Before becoming a potter Hoch worke I. in a woodwork shop making `i 4A- nnonite' country crafts for ss' through stores an.' craft shops. He bacame more ince ested in pottery and joined his wife as a potter so they could work out of then home and be with their two :hildren. They lucked into a contract making production po ' 'ry pieces FINISHED RAKI, POTTERY - Robert made these three Raku pottery pieces in one firing. After ckaning off the hurnt wood - shavings from the combustion chamber the pottery k allowed to `'Irk • . cool down and he reedy for display sod sale. Potter 4 picture% reproduced with permission of the potter. Oxford photo. SECOND STAGE OF RAKU - Hoch Wee removes the burning piece of Raku pottery from the combusting chamber and will next plunge the piece into a barrel of water Oxford photo ADMIRING THE FINISHED PIECE - Adriane and Hoch admire the piece of still hot Raku pottery Hoch had just finished making. The couple regularly make Raku pottery. Oxford photo. for sale at stores owned )• , Robert Campeau, the Canadian o, fuer of Bloomingdale stores. Some c • their production pieces are bought )y a glazer who glazes them and se Ids them to Europe and the U.S.A. for sale. Although a contract can be a safe way to run a business, it can be boring and unchallenging to spend all one's time making the same pieces. When Robert Cam- peau's business luck ran out and he lost many of his businesses, Hoch and Adriane cancelled their contract and decided to only work on their own pottery. Raku is a style they had been using for some time and they had hosted Raku parties with other clay artists and friends. Unlike Robert and Cora who show their work through galleries, Hoch and Adraine mostly show their work through craft and folk festivals. They are not participating in the Blyth ex- hibit but have spent much of this summer travelling and showing at festivals. Throughout the summer the family will work at shows in Ontario and Quebec, including Mariposa Folk Festival and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Soon some of their work will be seen at stores in Huron ('aunty's tourist areas and galleries. Raku Performance in Clay is at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery until August 16. COMMUNITY CALENDAR It you're organtaks a non-profit event of Interest to other Seaforth aria residents, phone the recreation office 627-00112 or the Expositor at 627-0240, or mai the information to Community Calendar, The Huron Expositor. Box se, $Nfor h. Ontario, NOK t WO welt In advance of the scheduled data. Free Maine includes date, tome, name of event and location only. Space for the Cor min ty Calendar le denoted by The Huron Expositor. Wed., Aug. 8 1:30-4:00 p.m. — Senior Shuffleboard at Arena 1 00-4:00 p.m. — Skateboarding at the Arena 3-5 & 7-9 p. m — Horticultural Society Flower Show at the Legion 6:30-7:30 p m Minor Soccer at the Optimist Parte 7 00 p.m. -- S1. Columban Atom Soccer vs. Nalrn at the Dublin Field Thurs., Aug. 9 0:00-10:00 p.m. — Men's Sall Hockey et SOCC 0:00 p.m. — Bollersmith vs. B eachwood 9:00 p.m. — Hoge vs. Topnotch 7:00 p.m. — St Columben Squirt Soccer vs. Coldstream at the Dublin Field Fri., Aug. 10 7:00-10:00 p.m. — Seeforth Slo-Pitch Tournament at Lions and Optimist Parks Sat., Aug. 11 ALL DAY — Sio-Pitch Tournament Continues Sun., Aug. 12 ALL DAY — Slo-Pitch Tournament Continues - finals held at the Optimist Parte Wed., 1 30-4 00 p m SOCC 1:00-400 p m the Arens 6 30-7 30 p. m. — Minor Soccer at the Optimist Park Aug. 15 — Shuffleboard at - Skateboarding at