This month the Box Gallery features work by three potters who make “functional Ceramics”

Ian Morrison

Ian’s work is a contemporary look a country pottery. He focuses on line, surface, and balance. Ian wants his pots to convey an honesty about why and how they were made and for him the salt glazing process is a perfect application to achieve this. The pots, heavily salt glazed become incredibly tactile as well as showing Ian’s hand at work, as the maker, not hiding but instead highlighting the subtle marks, fingerprints from handling, and attachments in a tasteful way.

Sophie Olivant

Inspired by the Oxcombe landscape and historic farmstead, Sophie has developed glazes that not only reflect the colour palette of the environment but literally incorporate wood ash from trees on the estate. Made on site, the work is wheel-thrown by Sophie in a traditional way, with ergonomics and functionality in mind. Carved decorative surfaces, pulled handles and splashes of Oxcombe blue add the final touches. After bisque firing, the work is glazed in a range of Shino, Wood Ash, and other glazes and fired in our large gas kiln in a reduction atmosphere, which brings out the warm tones of the iron-rich clay body and mineral elements in the glazes. The Oxcombe range is high fired making it hard wearing, perfect for everyday use and suitable for use in the dishwasher.

Josie Walter

Josie taught for four years before she began working with clay. Starting out at with evening classes this became a real passion, and in 1976 she enrolled on the Studio Ceramics course at Chesterfield College of Art. After three years being immersed in pottery, Josie opened a workshop in Matlock with a fellow student. Needing to further her experience she applied for a job working at the Poterie du Don in the Auvergne, France. Josie worked at Le Don as an apprentice for 6 months in 1980 making salt glazed domestic ware, then returned to the workshop in Matlock where she made once fired decorated earthenware pottery. Now Josie is happily installed in a workshop that she had built in the garden at home.