A CONTINUING DISCOURSE
A FREELAND GALLERY EXHIBITION
JULY 2006

The FREELAND GALLERY was proud to hold this thematic  exploring the dynamic discourse between Japanese art and Australian ceramics. While the focus was on the relationship between Japanese art and Australian ceramics it could not be explored without reference to the influences of Chinese, Korean and European art on Japanese art; and the influence of Japanese on European art.
The search for understanding of an Escher work of art is a useful metaphor for the analysis of the emergence and development of Australian post-war studio pottery. No matter where we start there are most likely to be numerous connected levels promising both deeper and richer understanding encompassing greater complexity. Whether we start with a focus on an individual post-1950 potter of on any particular thematic reference point, there will always be a point at which understanding is curtailed if there is no exploration of the continuing discourse with East Asian, and particularly Japanese ceramics.
This is widely accepted where the focus is on the pioneers: Hughen, McMeekin, Rushforth, Moon, McConnell, Hansen Pigott, Levy and Blakebrough. It is much less understood when we focus on the works of the Tiwi potters or Thancoupi.
The starting point has to be a consideration of the Leach/Cardew/Hamada inspired Anglo-Oriental school of pottery from around 1920 through to the end of the 1970s. Their works (ceramic and written) had a profound impact on young Australian potters drawn to the quiet and subtle strength of Chinese Song Dynasty, Japanese traditional or folk pottery, and Japanese tea ceremony aesthetics and art.
Much of the character of Japanese art comes from the Japanese capacity to adopt, absorb and synthesise outside influences with their domestic culture to create strong regional styles.
This is seen in Japanese textiles, with techniques and styles being adopted from China, India and South East Asian cultures. Similarly, the distinctive landscape woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige owe a debt to the introduction of Western perspective; and the twentieth century Shin Hanga (new print) and Sosaku Hanga (creative print) show clear debts to Western notions of exotic romantic beauty on the one hand, and of the creative artist on the other.
As well as being selected for their own aesthetic value, the textiles and woodblock prints in this exhibition have been selected to show these influences.
Similarly, Japanese traditional folk ceramics clearly shows the influence of Chinese Song dynasty and Korean pottery on the Japanese concepts of beauty. Those concepts celebrated quiet, unassuming forms and textures, and found beauty in the imperfect and objects displaying the wear and character of repeated use.
This exhibition will show a range of traditional Japanese folk pottery styles as well as a selection of works by twentieth century potters associated with the Mingei movement. They will be exhibited along side examples of work by Australian potters influenced by those regional styles. These will be complements by pieces made by Japanese potters who have worked in Australia and been influenced by its environment.
It offers a rare opportunity for curators, collectors, curators and potters to get a close-up view of and to hold pots created by the greats of twentieth century Japanese ceramics: Bernard leach, Hamada Shoji, Kawai Kanjiro, Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Nakazato Tarouemon, Fujiwara Yu, Kato Kozo and Kawai Takeichi. These pieces were supplemented by rare examples of earlier works, such as a large eighteenth century Oribe storage vessel, a Seto horse-eye plate and a large Jomon shard.
The opportunity to see and hold these works was particularly important, given the direct contacts between the Japanese potters and many of Australia’s foremost potters of the past half century.
The works were displayed alongside those by some of the Australian artists influenced by Japanese art, including: Janet Barriskill, Les Blakebrough, Paul Davis, Malcolm Greenwood, Andrew Halford, Ian Jones, Colin Levy, Carl McConnell, Philip McConnell, Ian McKay, Bruce McWhinney, Peter Rushforth, Shiga Shigeo and Kevin White.
The ceramics were accompanied by a wide range of Woodblock Prints ranging from traditional early nineteenth century floating world images, to landscape originals by Hokusai and Hiroshige, to twentieth century examples of the new print (Shin Hanga) and creative print (Sosaku Hanga) movements.
In addition to the ceramics and prints, there was a selection of traditional Japanese textiles which provided a further contextual dimension, given the links between textile patterns, print designs and the decorative elements of some ceramics.
The Exhibition set an extremely high standard for the curatorial work behind its conception and selection and the quality of works exhibited and sold. A further feature was the Exhibition Seminar addressed by Janet Barriskill,  and john Freeland, and the number of Gallery Lectures provided by John Freeland, the Director of the Gallery, to different groups of ceramic art students.
John Freeland