Lots and lots and lots of potty things to do at York Art Gallery

Alison Britton: giving the Annual CoCA Lecture this evening

THE Centre of Ceramic Art’s annual Day of Clay is expanding into two Days of Clay this weekend at York Art Gallery.

The event involves hands-on activities, talks and workshops by experts and the launch of Gillian Lowndes’ exhibition, At The Edge.

CoCA’s Days of Clay offers the chance to watch, make and hear about the art of clay from leading figures from the world of ceramics, including working with animal sculptor Susan Hall and participating in performances from Milena Dragic and Mila Romans, while David Horbury will discuss Emmanuel Cooper’s memoirs.

This evening’s CoCA lecture will be given by potter Alison Britton OBE on the subject of being part of the emergence of a radical abstract expressionist style of ceramic work. 

The Days of Clay coincide with the opening of a display of works by Gillian Lowndes, the most radical ceramicist of the 20th century.   

Fiona Green, assistant curator at York Art Gallery, says: “This year we have extended our popular day event to a whole weekend, with fantastic opportunities to celebrate, discuss and work with clay.

“We have some incredible experts involved, who are looking forward to discussing their work and sharing experiences and techniques with visitors, and there are plenty of opportunities to get hands-on and have a go yourself.

“Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to join other experts, enthusiasts and novices who all share an appreciation of clay.”

All activities are included in admission to York Art Gallery with the exception of the CoCA Lecture. Visit yorkartgallery.org.uk for more details and tickets.

Days of Clay is being held in conjunction with York Ceramics Fair 2019, running concurrently at the Hospitium, York Museum Gardens, with support from the Craft Potters Association.

Tickets to York Ceramics Fair are on sale at yorkceramicsfair.com; tickets to York Art Gallery can be bought at a reduced rate if you hold a York Ceramics Fair ticket.

Days of Clay full programme

Saturday, November 23

10.30am to 4.30pm: Artist Susan Halls in the Studio.

Come and help fill part of the gallery with a crowd of watchful clay rabbits. Animal sculptor Susan Halls will be running a hands-on workshop showing you a quick and effective way to make a hollow rabbit that will form part of her Meadow installation.

Annual CoCA Lecture 2019: Alison Britton OBE, lecture at 6pm; Q&A, 6.45pm; drinks in Gillian Lowndes exhibition, 7pm; close, 8pm.

Alison Britton was part of a group of radical women artists graduating from the Royal College of Art’s ceramics course in the early 1970s.

In 1993, Britton co-curated The Raw And The Cooked with Martina Margetts, at the Barbican and Modern Art Oxford, which then toured in East Asia and Europe.

In her lecture, Britton will reflect on this exhibition and on being part of an emergence of a radical abstract expressionist style of ceramic work.

Sunday, November 24

In the CoCA 1 gallery:

1pm to 3pm, Clay Participatory Performance.

Joinperformers Milena Dragic and Mila Romans as “artist” and “clay” as they sculpt out clay movements and then invite you to participate in making, looking and moving clay to become part of the performance.

3.30pm to 4.30pm, Talk: Making Emmanuel Cooper.

David Horbury discusses how editing Emmanuel Cooper’s memoirs has provided fresh insights into his pots and practice. David’s book on Emmanuel will be on sale in the shop and he will be available to sign them.

In the Studio: 

11.30am to 12.30pm, The Life Of A Slipware Potter.

Join potter Doug Fitch and his wife Hannah for a talk about their lives as slipware potters, followed by a hands-on session where you can try out slip trailing yourself.

2pm to 3.30pm,Texture and carving workshop.

Learn about hand building with artist Wendy Lawrence. Take the opportunity to get hands on yourself and create a piece of carved, textured clay to take home with you.

In the CoCA 2 gallery:

11.30am to 12.30pm, Children Curate in conversation with Anthony Shaw and artist Susan Halls.

Meet the collector and the artist who helped inspire the children who curated the current Anthony Shaw Collection display.

2.30pm to 3.30pm, Alison Britton in conversation with Anthony Shaw.

Alison Britton will be talking with Anthony Shaw about the practice and work of Gillian Lowndes in CoCA’s new exhibition, Gillian Lowndes: At the Edge.

Burton Gallery: 

2pm to 3pm, Book Reading: The Ups And Downs In The Life Of The Fabulous Bernard Palissy.

Join Jane Hamlyn for a reading of a quaint little book about the 16th century French Huguenot potter Bernard Palissy and his desperate struggles to discover the lost secrets of Italian tin-glazed earthenware.

3pm to 4pm, Film Showing.

Watch a screening of Potshots, starring Johnny Vegas as Bernard Palissy. Produced by Roger Law and Anya Course. Running time: 25minutes. Jane will be available to answer any questions.

Both Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24

Installation: Recycling the Tower of Pots.

The tower of pots was created by artist Lou Gilbert Scott and visitors during the 2018 Day of Clay event. Now you are invited to watch as it slowly dissolves, returning to soft malleable clay ready for re-use.

Hands on Here.

Get hands on with York Art Gallery’s historic and contemporary ceramic collection; sessions usually run between 11am and 1pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Children’s ceramic trail available at front desk all day.

Gillian Lowndes: At the Edge

November 23 to May 2020

See the ground-breaking works of Gillian Lowndes (1936-2010), the most radical ceramicist of the 20th century, in this major new exhibition.

From the 1970s onwards, artist Gillian Lowndes was at the forefront of a new style of contemporary ceramics which explored the materiality of clay.

Her abstract expressionist way of working brought together a range of materials and found objects that she recycled to create new sculptural work she called collages. This exhibition showcases more than 40 artworks drawn from CoCA’s collection, alongside loans from Anthony Shaw’s collection, many on public display for the first time.

Accompanying the exhibition will be further displays featuring new acquisitions by artists including Kate Malone, Emmanuel Cooper and David Seeger.

York Art Gallery opening times:

Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

Last admission: 4.30pm.

Closed: December 25 and 26 and January 1.