The invisible occupation

摘要

Fiona Hutchinson's studio - filled with tools and pots in different states of repair - is at the Harley Foundation at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire. On my visit I took a charger, made by Edward Hughes (1953-2006), to see what she might be able to do with it. The pot - now a collection of five large, broken shards - had been a victim of the firing. The glaze had got too hot and run, attaching itself firmly to the kiln shelf. As the kiln had cooled and the piece tried to shrink, the piece had torn itself apart. Hughes must have been very disappointed to lose such a distinctive work; it was a good example of the risks potters take to get dramatic results. But for the purposes of my visit to Fiona, the charger provided a means for us to discuss the possibilities of restoration - and the implications of what might be done. The charger could be treated in such a way that the restoration remained clearly visible; this is an option frequently required by museums as the most honest way to see what was original, and what was not. It could also be restored to look almost exactly as it would have appeared before breakage. This kind of invisible repair would make it more saleable, if that was an issue. Of course the time spent restoring - and subsequent cost - would have an implication on future sale value. There was much to discuss before we even began to think about the actual restoration.