Clay Alchemy

摘要

Fourteen days in Thailand on a study tour led by Vipoo Srivilasa and in the company of esteemed Australian ceramic artists was a privilege that I did not take for granted. The Australian artists - PrueVenables, Simon Lloyd, Sony Manning, Sue Kneebone, Vipoo himself and myself - comprised a group that covered a number of ceramic styles. We are all experienced clay workers: Prue's fine and refined domestic wares in porcelain, Simon's explorations in ceramic design, Sony's coloured day inlays on formal shapes, Sue's conceptual installations that involve ceramics, Vipoo's whimsical figures and blue and white decorated wares, and my wood-fired stoneware jars and objects, brought a wide range of techniques and aesthetic approaches to the talks both between ourselves and to the students who attended our demonstrations. Vipoo had prepared PowerPoint demonstrations of our work, our studios and lifestyle to augment our demonstrations and these served as introductions to our Thai counterparts and the students at the different universities that we visited.