John Reeve: The Unknown Craftsman

摘要

Bernard Leach (1887-1979), acknowledging Canadian potter John Reeve's place alongside North America's ceramic greats in Beyond East and West (Faber and Faber, first published 1978), described Reeve as being 'so different from [American] Warren MacKenzie in temperament, yet I think of them almost together.' Concurring with Leach, MacKenzie was asked, while delivering a masterclass at the Leach Pottery in September 2013, who his 'favourite potter' was; his answer was 'John Reeve'. In addition, MacKenzie not only confessed to borrowing Reeve's bent spout for his teapots, he also referred to him as 'a great potter' whose 'pots were elemental but powerful.' Reeve was scheduled to give the masterclass with MacKenzie but sadly died in 2012.