GERRY O'CONNOR
Gerry O'Connor was born in Monto in 1939 and initially trained as a letterpress printer and journalist on his family's newspaper, The Monto Herald. His career expanded in journalism through newspaper to radio and then television including time working on The Courier Mail (Queensland State daily paper) and 13 years with the ABC. In 1986 he became a permanent part-time lecturer and tutor in journalism at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton which allowed him time by 1990 to graduate from a 3 year certificate course in Studio Ceramics at Rockhampton TAFE. In 1993 Gerry and his wife Ann, established a joint studio and he was able to pursue a full-time career as potter and sculptor.
Gerry's main fascination is with raku - the simplicity and unpretentious nature of the medium. "….that is the branch of ceramics that fires my imagination and suits my personality. I love its directness, vigour and colour."
Most of Gerry's work is sculptural. A combination of ideas from his mind and suggestions from the medium itself allowing the viewer to interpret each piece individually; as it should be. From human and animal forms to mythology, Gerry's creativity knows no shortage of inspiration. He has even found time to channel creative energy into playwriting. Gerry has been predominantly involved in joint exhibitions with his wife over the years. Since 1990 they have held annual exhibitions, firstly at Gallery 5 , Rockhampton.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
- 'Visions of Now', Rockhampton City Gallery, 1991
- Mura Clay Gallery, Sydney, 1994
- 'Figure it Out', Vision Arts Gallery, Brisbane, 1994
- Fusions Gallery, Brisbane, 1995
- Contemporary Art and Design Gallery, Brisbane, 1995
- Arte Pordenone Art Expo, near Venice, Italy, 1996
- 'A Different Way with Clay', Artissima Gallery, Brisbane, 1996
Gerry is a member of the Society of Sculptors, Queensland and of the Queensland Potters Association. He has won several awards during his art career and is in public collections at the Rockhampton Civic Art Gallery and privately in Japan, the United States, Italy, Ireland and Holland as well as across Australia.
Gerry (www.oconnorstudio-art.com) will be holding one workshop during the festival. This is detailed below.
WORKSHOP: Raku Pottery (Code GO1)
DESCRIPTION:
Raku stresses Zen spontaneity, simplicity, and the aesthetics of irregularity and asymmetry as found in nature — as opposed to the aesthetics of regularity and balance that have dominated most Western art. This suited the Zen mood of the 1960s. It also conformed to the intellectual ideals of jazz and the major art movement of the time, Abstract Expressionism, both of which also influenced the early Western Raku potters. Like Zen, jazz and Abstract Expressionism, Raku philosophy says that art — and life — are a balance between the individual, the process and the material. Raku teaches that an artwork must grow as a tree grows, spontaneously and organically as a response to the many forces acting upon it. An artwork should not be solely a response to the dominating will of an artist seeking some predetermined result. As one potter has said: The natural, incomplete and suggestive in preference to the strictly defined and perfect.
Raku is an ancient Asian pottery process that has been adopted widely in the West in the past fifty years. In Western Raku, pieces are fired separately in a small kiln, and usually taken out when the glaze is molten for further treatment.
Western Raku potters usually starve the fired pieces of oxygen as they cool to create specific glaze effects. In my Raku pottery and sculpture, I aim for irregular form inspired by nature and for brilliant colour.
Day 1: What is Raku, Its history and its arrival in the West. What contributions Western potters have made to this ancient Japanese style of pottery. Raku glazes and how they can be used. Particiapnts mix and test fire some glazes. A start on glazing and firing pots.
Day 2: Devoted to kiln firing plus suggestions from participants. There may be time for demonstration of slab building techniques.
For me, Raku is as important and valid as any other branch of ceramics. I will adopt a serious approach – teaching proper firing techniques that will ensure full glaze maturity.
TIME AND PLACE: July 21 to July 22 (2 days), 8.30am to 4pm, Studio 2, Community Arts Centre.
WORKSHOP FEE: $140
ART MATERIALS LIST:
Download Material List. Also to be supplied on registration.