Questioning the collection
Sergio Melim
BA Design year 1
When browsing the V&A, ceramics, and pottery always catches my eye, that's why when I came across Richard Batterham's display of pots I knew I had to learn more. When looking at the display of pots one might think they look like ordinary ceramics, but once we start to explore the history and ways of making these ceramics we might be surprised.
The everyday family life and day-to-day needs inspired the making of these pots, so they were initially born out of necessity. Some of the most successful and commercial pots such as "two sugar pots jars" were made and used at Richard Batterham's house. When we think of these pots and the care and attention to detail that was paid, we can look at the emotional attachment and value that these objects might build, maybe it was passed from generations, or it was gifted from someone special that might not be around anymore, all these questions contribute to making these ceramics so much more than pots.
When it comes to the actual process of making the pots, mixing the clay, setting up your workspace, molding the clay, choosing how to work the clay, glazing, firing and finishing touches it's impossible not to realize that these pots from the design to the physical making are extremely personal items. Through repetition and replicating may be hundreds of different pots, it can stop being a practice and start becoming part of you, a daily routine. Another interesting aspect I found when looking at pottery is the anxiety for perfection is erased, something that in painting or other practices might be a problem in pottery lots of times the mistakes end up being quite fortunate and adding to the piece. When looking close by I noticed other collections, Prehistoric potters used a range of techniques to shape and decorate their pots. Often, potters in a single village or region created a few distinct forms of pottery. Archaeologists can often relate sites in time and distance because they contain the same ceramic kinds since pots and styles were shared throughout cultures. Pottery was a form of creative expression as well as a tool for cooking, serving, and storing food.
The significance of pottery has two aspects: its place in the history of technological innovation and culture, as well as its role in telling us about the past.
The everyday family life and day-to-day needs inspired the making of these pots, so they were initially born out of necessity. Some of the most successful and commercial pots such as "two sugar pots jars" were made and used at Richard Batterham's house. When we think of these pots and the care and attention to detail that was paid, we can look at the emotional attachment and value that these objects might build, maybe it was passed from generations, or it was gifted from someone special that might not be around anymore, all these questions contribute to making these ceramics so much more than pots.
When it comes to the actual process of making the pots, mixing the clay, setting up your workspace, molding the clay, choosing how to work the clay, glazing, firing and finishing touches it's impossible not to realize that these pots from the design to the physical making are extremely personal items. Through repetition and replicating may be hundreds of different pots, it can stop being a practice and start becoming part of you, a daily routine. Another interesting aspect I found when looking at pottery is the anxiety for perfection is erased, something that in painting or other practices might be a problem in pottery lots of times the mistakes end up being quite fortunate and adding to the piece. When looking close by I noticed other collections, Prehistoric potters used a range of techniques to shape and decorate their pots. Often, potters in a single village or region created a few distinct forms of pottery. Archaeologists can often relate sites in time and distance because they contain the same ceramic kinds since pots and styles were shared throughout cultures. Pottery was a form of creative expression as well as a tool for cooking, serving, and storing food.
The significance of pottery has two aspects: its place in the history of technological innovation and culture, as well as its role in telling us about the past.
Bibliography:
Richard Batterham Master Potter (vimeo.com) (video) - Feeds V&A website 26th November 2021 to 26th September 2022
