We are thrilled to have received a NAN futuristic Bursary to visit the North Wales Potters’ smokeless wood-fired kiln in Wales. We are hoping to build a similar kiln in Sheffield in a smokefree zone – we believe that we may be the first group to build a smokeless kiln in the middle of a city. The kiln will be built at the Green Estate facility in the Manor in Sheffield.
It was a great pleasure to eventually meet the two exchange artists from our partner organisation in Hungary: Ruziska Tunde and Eniko Kontor. They had responded quickly to our invitation and we were to find their enthusiasm and focus typical of the priority that they give to their work as artists. They are also charmingly friendly with a contagious bubbly sense of humour.
Tunde and Eniko met at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest – Department of Silicate Design (http://www.mie.hu/en). From where they graduated in 2010 with Designer in Silicate Art Master’s Degrees. Last year they set up a studio in Budapest with two other ceramic artists. This involved ‘renovations, insulations, concrete retaining wall that we rebuilt together because it is an earth-house, where there is a plaster room, kiln room, and a large open studio with a bright, small bathroom and kitchen and inside a beautifull garden:)’
The artist group’s website is: http://cerativegroup.blogspot.com/
Eniko is a sensitive thrower and hand builder in porcelain and white earthenware. Her work has an architectural quality that balances materials and forms with negative space, light with shadow. Recent work results in wall pieces, which explore the negative space of vessels. For these pieces Eniko has incorporated cement and plaster into her toolbox of materials expertise.
Tunde is an accomplished thrower, making simple bottle and bowl shapes that bear the subtle imprint of their creation. She displays these thrown pieces in still life groups, the combining of forms and negative space create harmonious compositions. Her hand-built, sculptural work takes a different direction, focussing on uncomfortable, balloon-like enclosed spaces that seem to want to burst. She calls them ‘Water Towers’. They are reminiscent of utilitarian plumbing components: tanks, pipes and valves. For Tunde they also explore human biological functions.
During Eniko and Tunde’s visit we worked on the building of our Wood Kiln in Sheffield. Both young artists worked hard, with purpose and accuracy. They were occasionally persuaded to break and made several lovely, small tea bowls for the kiln’s first test firing. They had a day out in York where they had an inspiring visit to the exhibition of Gordon Baldwin’s ‘Objects for a Landscape’ at York City Art Gallery (www.yorkartgallery.org.uk) and a day at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where they found much to be admired in Miro’s musical paintings and where Tunde found her favourite – an Anthony Gormley sculpture.
The sun shone on Tunde and Eniko’s visit and our kiln-building week. When they left typical March weather resumed. They were much admired by our building team for their teamwork, accuracy and steady dedication to the project. We learned a lot from their visit. We referred often to their vital technical memories of the kiln building at Keschemet with Masakazu Kusakabi, and we are now exchanging glaze recipes over the email. Sarah and I hope to do a return visit this summer, which will involve a visit to their studios and a firing in the original kiln at Kecskemet. And so the partnership develops…….
Penny Withers
The kiln-building course is in three weeks…today we visited the site to see how things are progressing. Bit of a scare when we were told there was not a hope that the “Welfare Facilities” would be ready in time, but – phew- we sorted it! The “facilities” might be a bit basic but there will be some! The kiln foundations – ie concrete base – are not yet laid, but are on schedule. The iron work will be fabricated offsite prior to building and brought in – so that adds an interesting twist – we will be bricklaying INSIDE the iron framework which means that will be our “former” in a way, so less margin for error – a good thing – I think! The chimney will be built after the kiln-building course and will consist of one metre of brickwork and then a metal flue. This is the only change to the original design and we’re hoping it won’t affect the heatwork through the kiln, though it may not last as long as a brick chimney.
We’re currently working on the Health and Safety and Risk Assessment for the course – luckily the H& S officer will be on site throughout. We also need to kit out the workshop space with tables, chairs, wheels, kiln(s), shelving and a sink.
We’re praying for good weather and that March will indeed go out like a lamb but who knows with this variable and unpredictable weather we are having at the moment!
SMOKELESS KILN BUILDING COURSE
The 18th Century remains of Manor Farm form the last part of the historic Sheffield Manor Lodge site to be restored. An important part of the redevelopment will be the construction of the first urban smokeless wood-fired kiln intended for community use. This kiln will be at the heart of the new Ceramics Centre at Manor Lodge which consists of a ceramics trail celebrating the historical and archeological heritage of the site, the development of a ceramic ware production line based on 18thC Manor Ware produced on site by local potter John Fox as well as contemporary studios for ceramicists managed by Yorkshire Artspace together with their programme of start-up and residency schemes.
Sheffield Manor Lodge is managed by the social enterprise, Green Estate and in keeping with their ethos of environmental sustainability, community involvement and education we are offering the opportunity to participate in the building of this unique kiln as designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese master of wood-fired kiln building: Masakazu Kusakabe.
Experience in kiln building is not required but a keen interest in ceramics and wood-firing is. You will have the opportunity to test fire the kiln and there are facilities on site for making and glazing.
The course will be run by established Yorkshire Artspace artists Penny Withers and Sarah Villeneau, both previous Chairs of the Rufford Wood-firing Society and highly experienced workshop leaders and wood-firers. Sarah recently participated in a smokeless kiln-building Masterclass with Masakazu Kusakabe in Hungary and brings this first-hand experience to the course.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn, through application, the basics of kiln design and construction, as well as the specific plan for the Manor Oaks kiln. They will learn the theory and practice of firing and specific glazes for wood-firing. Penny and Sarah will give demonstrations on throwing and hand-building in the pottery workshop and individual tuition as necessary. The approach is one of practical hands-on application of skills.
Course fee £270 for 9 days 24th March – 1st April plus optional (no fee) test firing (date to be announced)
OR £ 30 per day, minimum 4 days
Price includes:
1 12.5 Kg bag clay per person – additional clay available at cost
Oxides and glazes as necessary for decoration
1 biscuit firing – additional firings available at cost
1 glaze firing in completed kiln (post course – see above)
Free camping and barbecue facilities, washrooms and toilets available on site
BOOKING ESSENTIAL. For a booking form please contact –
Sarah Villeneau; [email protected]
Penny Withers; [email protected]
Manor Oaks is situated 10 minutes from Sheffield train station by car, 20 – 30 minutes by foot or is accessible by bus.
Two potters from our Hungarian exchange group are now set to come to England for the duration of the kiln building week. Tunde Ruzicska and Eniko from the artists group ‘Cerative’ have booked their flights and will arrive at Manchester airport on March22nd. Both artists took part in the inspirational Kusakabi kiln building course with Sarah in Keschemet, so we welcome their experienced presence.
Fortunately the structural engineer has now given the plans his approval, So we have a lot of serious planning and preparation to complete before the 24th March which will be the first day of our kiln building course.
