Stewart Scambler is a leading authority and teacher in ceramics and one of Western Australia’s most prominent wood-firers.
His ceramic forms are an exploration of his response to the land, the underlying presence rather than the landscape. They are about the emotional and spiritual effect that the land has on the people within it and the stillness that it generates within.
Each ceramic form is unique, not only in its making, but in the materials used for its making. The clay comes from Beverly in the Western Australian wheat belt. He hand-makes the clay blend to give him the properties that are necessary for his work.
The wood that he burns comes from his property in York, The surfaces on his work come from the fusion of wood ash (from the fuel) and the clay the work is made from. These surface effects are only possible at the high temperature that he works (1320 oC ) over 2-3 days firing. Ultimately the surfaces build up by having the fire throwing ash and carbon onto them. The works carry the marks of their making and their fiery birth, with neither the form nor the surface dominating.
The work in this exhibition is a continuation of his exploration into his response to the land—specifically the Western Australian arid areas-and how that influences identity.
For further information, please contact David Forrest on 0405 698 799