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HISTORY
OF THE LEACH POTTERY
St Ives, Cornwall
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Bernard
Leach (1887-1979)
Widely considered the
most important and influential artist-potter of
the 20th century, Bernard Leach pioneered the
revival of the English studio pottery movement,
setting up the St Ives pottery, with the help of
his friend Shoji Hamada, in 1920.
Having trained in Japan under the master potter
Kenzan, Bernard Leach brought to the pottery a
heady mixture of idealism, aesthetics and a
radical workshop concept resulting in a continuing
struggle for survival.
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| David
Leach (1911- 2005)
It
was Bernard’s elder son David who brought
stability to the pottery by introducing a range of
hand-thrown standard ware. He also engaged
students and apprentices who helped to produce the
range. Amongst them was John, Bernard’s
eldest grandson who was an apprentice from
1960-1963.
David and his brother Michael both
worked with their father until 1955 when they left
to set up their own potteries in Devon. |
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Pottery re-opened on
March 8, 2008
after £1.7million
restoration |
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The
Leach Pottery re-opened to the public on March 8, 2008 following major restoration and is set to become once again an international centre for the study, creation and exhibition of pottery. |
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The
redevelopment of the
site has restored
the pottery cottage
and the old pottery,
both Grade II listed
buildings. The
climbing kiln, a
scheduled monument,
is now fully
protected from the
elements by a
carefully restored
roof and the
original workshops
have been preserved. |
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An
exhibition of pots,
drawings, etchings,
paintings,
photographs, books &
videos telling the
story of Bernard
Leach and the Leach
Pottery also opens
on March 8 for one
year. The exhibition
includes examples of
original Leach
Pottery standard
ware and Bernard
Leach individual
pots in stoneware
and porcelain. |
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In
the new Gallery at
the Pottery, from
March 8 to April 12,
John Leach, eldest
grandson of Bernard
Leach, is having an
exhibition of his
signed individual
pots and his
designed standard
kitchenware which is
largely handthrown
by Nick Rees and
Mark Melbourne at
Muchelney Pottery in
Somerset. |
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Both exhibitions and
the Leach Pottery
will be open
Monday to Saturday
10-5, Sunday 11-4 |
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The Leach Pottery
Higher Stennack | St
Ives | Cornwall TR26
2HE
01736 799703 |
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NEW APPOINTMENTS AT
THE POTTERY |
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The newly-appointed
Director of the
Leach Pottery is
Julia Twomlow,
formerly Director of
the Acorn Theatre in
Penzance. In 2004
she was awarded a
fellowship with the
Clore Leadership
Programme, aimed at
developing a new
generation of
cultural leaders for
the UK, which led to
secondments to
Edinburgh
International
Festival and to the
British Council’s
office in Armenia.
Joining Julia as
lead potter is Jack
Doherty, well-known
in ceramic circles
and currently chair
of the Craft Potters
Association of Great
Britain. |
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