The Alchemists: North Coast Woodfire
23 Nov 2019 - 26 Jan 2020
Gallery 3
Official Opening: 6pm Friday 6 December 2019
Featuring artists: Bill Brownhill, Bob Connery, Geoff Crispin, Suvira McDonald, Dennis Monks, Malina Monks, Tony Nankervis, Kerry Selwood, Geoff Stirling, John Stewart
During the 1970s, the Northern Rivers became known as a hub for woodfiring, a process of ceramic production that involves continuous firing, sometimes over days, feeding timber into a handmade kiln. The reason for this convergence is difficult pinpoint, but it may have had something to do with the price of land, the presence of likeminded people, and the attraction of the area to the romantic hearted. The Alchemists brings together 10 master woodfirers who came out of this flourishing. They have each spent 30 years in the area working with clay. Their practices, though they involve the same basic combination of elements (clay, air, heat, wood, ash, and time), could not be more diverse. They range from the fine, controlled work of Geoff Crispin, to the baroque eccentricity of Dennis Monks, the geometry and esoteric symbolism of Malina Monks, and the sensitivity to colour and flux of Tony Nankervis.
The exemplary works in the exhibition have been sourced from the collections of Lismore Regional Gallery, Grafton Regional Gallery, and private collections, including those of the artists themselves.
View online catalogue here
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