Ethical pot
Encyclopedia
The ethical pot is a style of pottery and an associated theory. The name ethical pot was first coined by Oliver Watson in his book Studio Pottery: Twentieth Century British Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum for a 20th century, back-to-basics pottery
movement that endorsed plainer utilitarian styles over fine art. Other names for pots in this style are the ego-less pot or utilitarian pot. The ethical pot theory was conceptualized and championed by potter Bernard Leach
and a more controversial subset of the Arts and Crafts movement
of post-war potters. The proponents were theoretically opposed to the expressive pots or fine art pots of other post-war potters such as William Staite Murray
, Lucie Rie
and Hans Coper
.
The ethical pot theory and style was popularized by Bernard Leach
in his book A Potter's Book published in 1940. He expanded the theories that ethical pots should be utilitarian
, "naturally shaped" and originally as conceived should derive from "Oriental forms that transcended mere good looks." Leach had previously spent considerable time in Japan studying eastern crafts and mingei
. His ethical pot idea was a rough interpretation of mingei
for the western world; he exonerated simplicity (ideally the best pots are so quick to make that they could be "thrown before breakfast"), and pots made to look natural and hand crafted.
According to ceramic art critics of today, this pot style was intended to be modernist, useful, and "democratic in usage" as opposed to the fine art pot. and also opposed to industrial art.
include: Michael Cardew
, Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie
, Nora Braden, David Leach
and Michael Leach (his sons), Janet Darnell
(whom Leach married, 1956), William Marshall
, Kenneth Quick and Richard Batterham. His American apprentices included: Warren MacKenzie
, Byron Temple, Clary Illian and Jeff Oestrich. He was a major influence on the leading New Zealand
potter Len Castle
, and they had worked together in the mid-1950s.
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
movement that endorsed plainer utilitarian styles over fine art. Other names for pots in this style are the ego-less pot or utilitarian pot. The ethical pot theory was conceptualized and championed by potter Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
and a more controversial subset of the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
of post-war potters. The proponents were theoretically opposed to the expressive pots or fine art pots of other post-war potters such as William Staite Murray
William Staite Murray
William Staite Murray was an English studio potter.He was born in Deptford, London and attended pottery classes at Camberwell College of Arts from 1909 - 1912. He worked with Cuthbert Hamilton, a member of the Vorticist group, at the Yeoman Pottery in Kensington before joining the army in 1915...
, Lucie Rie
Lucie Rie
Dame Lucie Rie, DBE was an Austrian-born British studio potter.-Early life:Lucie Rie was born as Lucie Gomperz in Vienna, Lower Austria, Austria-Hungary the youngest child of Benjamin Gomperz, a Jewish medical doctor who was a consultant to Sigmund Freud. She had two brothers, Paul and Teddy...
and Hans Coper
Hans Coper
Hans Coper , was an influential German-born British studio potter. His work is often coupled with that of Lucie Rie due to their close association, even though their best known work differs dramatically, with Rie's being more functional and traditional, while Coper's was much more abstract and...
.
The ethical pot theory and style was popularized by Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
in his book A Potter's Book published in 1940. He expanded the theories that ethical pots should be utilitarian
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
, "naturally shaped" and originally as conceived should derive from "Oriental forms that transcended mere good looks." Leach had previously spent considerable time in Japan studying eastern crafts and mingei
Mingei
', the Japanese folk art movement, was developed in the late 1920s and 1930s in Japan. Its founding father was Yanagi Sōetsu .-Origins:In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of a curiosity for Korean crafts...
. His ethical pot idea was a rough interpretation of mingei
Mingei
', the Japanese folk art movement, was developed in the late 1920s and 1930s in Japan. Its founding father was Yanagi Sōetsu .-Origins:In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of a curiosity for Korean crafts...
for the western world; he exonerated simplicity (ideally the best pots are so quick to make that they could be "thrown before breakfast"), and pots made to look natural and hand crafted.
According to ceramic art critics of today, this pot style was intended to be modernist, useful, and "democratic in usage" as opposed to the fine art pot. and also opposed to industrial art.
Potters in the movement
The potters apprenticed to Bernard LeachBernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
include: Michael Cardew
Michael Cardew
Michael Cardew, OBE, was an English studio potter who worked in West Africa for twenty years.Cardew was the fourth child of Arthur Cardew, a civil servant, and Alexandra Kitchin, the eldest daughter of G.W.Kitchin, the first Chancellor of Durham University...
, Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie
Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie
Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie was a pioneer in modern English Studio pottery....
, Nora Braden, David Leach
David Leach (potter)
David Andrew Leach was an English studio potter and the eldest son of Bernard Leach and Muriel Hoyle Leach, Bernard's first wife....
and Michael Leach (his sons), Janet Darnell
Janet Leach
Janet Darnell Leach, , was an American studio potter working in later life at St Ives, Cornwall in England. She was married in 1956 to Bernard Leach, the famous British studio potter.-Biography & Work:...
(whom Leach married, 1956), William Marshall
William Marshall (potter)
William Marshall was an English studio potter.William Marshall was born in St Ives, Cornwall, and joined the Leach Pottery in the town as its first apprentice in 1938when he was only 14. In 1942 he was conscripted and served in the Royal Artillery...
, Kenneth Quick and Richard Batterham. His American apprentices included: Warren MacKenzie
Warren MacKenzie
Warren MacKenzie is a North American craft potter. He grew up in Evanston, Illinois the second oldest of five children including his brothers, Fred and Gordon and sisters, Marge and Marilyn. His high school days were spent at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.MacKenzie studied with...
, Byron Temple, Clary Illian and Jeff Oestrich. He was a major influence on the leading New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
potter Len Castle
Len Castle
Leonard Ramsay "Len" Castle, DCNZM, CBE was a renowned New Zealand potter.Born in Auckland in 1924, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1946 from University of Auckland and trained as a secondary school teacher, eventually taking a lecturing position at the Auckland College of Education...
, and they had worked together in the mid-1950s.
Sources
- Britt, John. Critical Ceramics: The "Unknown Craftsmen" is Dead. File retrieved February 10, 2007.
- de Waal, Edmund. A Ceramic History: Pioneering Definitions 1900-1940 The Studio Pot. File retrieved February 10, 2007.
- Leach, Bernard. A Potter’s Book, Faber and Faber, 1988. ISBN 0-5710-4927-3
- Watson, Oliver. Studio Pottery: Twentieth Century British Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum.