Potter in Focus: Kevin Akhurst
I started making pottery about twenty years ago when my children left home to go to university. My focus has always been glazed stoneware and to start with I fired in gas and electric kilns. In 2015 I built a wood-fired kiln for salt and soda glazing and most of my work since then has been fired in this kiln.
I usually fire the kiln twice a year. Each firing contains some repeats of successful pieces but also a substantial number of experimental pots, in which I try out a new form or a different glaze or decorative technique. I have always focused on the vessel form, and I feel part of a continuous tradition going back fifteen thousand years or more. Almost all my work is thrown on the wheel and decorated with slips and/or glazes, depending on where in the kiln the pot will be fired.
The development of my work has been focused on three priorities:
The idea of the vessel as a container, reflected in a fullness of form and a shape which almost demands being held in the hands. A pot which is good to touch and hold is also one which is good to look at, since the eye imagines the touch as it sees.
The importance of surface complexity. A complex surface draws the eyes in and maintains interest over many viewings. This is one reason why I work in stoneware.
A sense of movement and energy. The paradox of conveying movement in a static vessel is one which interests me. A pot with a dynamic form or a surface indicating movement can look lively and energetic. This can be achieved for example through splashing, spraying or pouring slips or glazes over the pot, or it can be left to the movement of flames in the kiln to leave their marks.
I am interested in pottery from past ages as well as contemporary work and I seek inspiration from both old and modern pots. I have made several trips to China and Japan to visit contemporary potters and see old pots in museums.
For several years I have exhibited my work at group ceramics exhibitions in the South of England, but most of my sales have been from my studio at annual Open Studio events and to visitors at other times.
I am currently Chairman of West Forest Potters, a local ceramics guild based around Reading and Maidenhead.
Click to see Interview for Open Studios 2016
Click to see photos of Open Studios 2017
website:
www.kevinakhurst.com