Secret Histories

摘要

Svend Bayer has lived in his north Devon cottage long enough to see his rows of saplings become a proper English wood. Tall columns of birch, oak and poplar shelter his home and the adjacent workshop, a self-built long wooden structure painted blue and topped with a metal chimney. Inside, with its low ceiling and central wood-burner, it looks a cosy place to be - and right now it is especially so: the current batch of pots - vast garden jars - threaten to crowd out all else. These gigantic forms squeeze onto broad shelves running along the walls, nearly obscuring the windows and filling the air with their strong presence. It is hard not to feel awed. The pots are destined for Bayer's solo exhibition at Rufford, and although the forms are not new to him, there is still a phenomenal amount of work involved in their making and firing. Bayer's kiln is based on a traditional South East Asian design and is fired anagama-style using wood. It is an an intensive procedure and one that necessitates much planning and hard physical work, but it is not a point that Bayer likes to dwell on. 'One thing people pick up on in articles about me is the amount of work that's required, and it all sounds a bit grim and boring. There is a lot of work involved, and it's really important to say this, but it's a necessary part of it if you work in this way. I quite enjoy it actually!' Used to working alone, he has recently taken on an assistant for three months who is outside stacking wood as we speak. 'It really helps having her, you know what it's like when you have a deadline, you think you've got bags and bags of time but really there isn't that much time. I probably spend more time splitting and stacking wood than I do making pots. When you see pots in an exhibition that's actually just the tip of the iceberg.'