Surface

An exhibition showing how potters evoke ‘Surface’.

Artist-potter Bernard Leach created an aesthetic from the practice, cultures, and histories of East & West. His wide-ranging interests encompassed the ‘arts’ and ‘crafts’ – spheres often, and sometimes still, viewed as separate. From drawing and painting, to etching, Leach’s artistic interests led him to clay where he made pots and, in essence, created three-dimensional canvasses; pots that bridged art and craft.

This exhibition shows how potters evoke ‘Surface’ through a rich display of historic and contemporary pots. Individually beautiful and inspiring, each pot helps to build the story of how the surface has been explored and expressed in pottery for more than a century. In the display cases, you will find pots by iconic historic and contemporary potters and alongside works by the next generation of makers.

This exhibition also features an installation of an area of Sarah Dunstan’s studio – a potter who works in St Ives in a way that places surfaces and pattern at the heart of her work. Newly-released film footage of Shoji Hamada, decorating in Japan, will give you the opportunity to see one of the last century’s most iconic potters working with the surface.

Not only is there plenty to see, there are also things to do – visitors have the opportunity to create their own pottery-inspired artworks in the gallery and share them with friends, family, and other visitors.