28-602: The Leach Pottery was founded in 1920 by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada in St Ives, Cornwall , in the United Kingdom . The buildings grew from an old cow / tin-ore shed in the 19th century to a pottery in the 1920s with the addition of a two-storey cottage added on to the lower end of the pottery, followed by a completely separate cottage at the top of the site added by Leach in 1927. In 1922 Tsuronosuke Matsubayashi came from Japan to rebuild an unsuccessful climbing kiln for
56-422: A combination of art, philosophy, design and craft – even as a greater lifestyle. A Potter's Book (1940) defined Leach's craft philosophy and techniques; it went through many editions and was his breakthrough to recognition. Leach advocated simple and utilitarian forms. His ethical pots stand in opposition to what he called fine art pots , which promoted aesthetic concerns rather than function. Popularized in
84-874: The Baháʼí Faith in 1940 after being introduced to it by Mark Tobey, who was himself a Baháʼí. A pilgrimage to the Baháʼí shrines in Haifa , Israel, during 1954 intensified his feeling that he should do more to unite the East and West by returning to the Orient "to try more honestly to do my work there as a Baháʼí and as an artist..." Leach promoted pottery as a combination of Western and Eastern arts and philosophies. His work focused on traditional Korean, Japanese and Chinese pottery, in combination with traditional techniques from England and Germany, such as slipware and salt glaze ware. He saw pottery as
112-535: The literary magazine Shirakaba , from 1910 to 1923. In 1910, a loose association of alumni of the prestigious Gakushuin Peer’s School in Tokyo began a literary society . Members included writers, artists, literary critics and others who rejected Confucianism and the strictures of traditional Japanese literary and artistic styles. In particular, the group emphasized idealism , humanism and individualism , over
140-554: The naturalism that had been the dominant trend in Japanese literature of the Taishō period . The Shirakaba-ha thought highly of Western aesthetics (particularly Expressionism and Post-Impressionism ), and considered their mission to spread the ideas of Western art and Western literature into Japan. Unlike many other literary circles, The Shirakaba-ha did not limit their interest to literature, but also delved into other art forms. However,
168-435: The " Shirakaba -Group", who were trying to introduce western art to Japan after 250 years of seclusion. About 1911 he attended a Raku-yaki pottery party which was his first introduction to ceramics, and through introduction by Ishii Hakutei , he began to study under Urano Shigekichi 浦野繁吉 (1851–1923), who stood as Kenzan 6th in the tradition of potter Ogata Kenzan (1663–1743). Assisting as interpreter for technical terms
196-783: The 1940s after the publication of A Potter's Book , his style had lasting influence on counter-culture and modern design in North America during the 1950s and 1960s. Leach's pottery produced a range of "standard ware" handmade pottery for the general public. He continued to produce pots which were exhibited as works of art. Many potters from all over the world were apprenticed at the Leach Pottery , and spread Leach's style and beliefs. His British associates and trainees include Michael Cardew , Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie , David Leach (his son), Janet Darnell (whom Leach married in 1956) and William Marshall . Another of his students at St Ives
224-474: The Cube Gallery with a changing exhibition. The Leach Pottery's director is Libby Buckley and the lead potter is Roelof Uys. [REDACTED] Media related to Leach Pottery at Wikimedia Commons Bernard Leach Bernard Howell Leach CH CBE (5 January 1887 – 6 May 1979) was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery ". Leach
252-607: The Mingei Film Archive and the Crafts Study Centre , Farnham. The book acknowledges Leach's strength as an artist, his sophisticated mark-making and sensitivity to the surface qualities of the clay, while providing an examination of the Orientalism in his thinking and making. Shirakaba The Shirakaba-ha ( 白樺派 , literally " White Birch Society") was an influential Japanese literary coterie, which published
280-432: The circumstances of his grounding in Japanese culture, he pointed out that Leach could "barely speak" Japanese at the time of his training with Kenzan VI. De Waal also notes that poetry used in the tradition of Kenzan I would not be legible to Leach, who would straightforwardly say that he could not read Japanese texts. Leach did learn to speak the language to a conversational standard, however; recordings of this are held by
308-479: The first critical monograph on Leach, was published in 1998. He described it as "the first 'de-mystifying' study of Leach", writing in the last chapter: "In the West, Leach has been seen as 'a natural child of the East', someone who 'understood' Japan by birthright and in an almost mystical way. In the East, he has been credited with seeing deeper into the culture of Japan than any Westerner since Lafcadio Hearn". Studying
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#1732845009237336-469: The group remained deeply interested in Japanese culture , particularly in folk art , which had previously been disparaged by traditional art critics. Early members included Shiga Naoya (1883-1971), Mushanokōji Saneatsu (1885-1976), Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961), Satomi Ton (1888-1983), Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) and Nagayo Yoshirō (1888-1961). Their literature was typically of the ‘ I novel ’ genre, and
364-513: The invitation of Frances Horne. Horne was establishing a Guild of Handicrafts within the existing artist colony of St Ives in Cornwall. On the recommendation of a family friend, Edgar Skinner, she contacted Leach to suggest that he become the potter within this group. Leach and his wife Muriel were accompanied by the young Hamada Shoji and, having identified a suitable site next to the Stennack river on
392-542: The mid-1950s. Another apprentice was an Indian potter Nirmala Patwardhan who developed the so-called Nirmala glaze based on an 11th-century Chinese technique. His four Canadian apprentices, John Reeve , Glenn Lewis , Michael Henry and Ian Steele helped to shape the pottery scene in Vancouver and the Canadian west coast during the 1960 and 1970s. The Cypriot potter Valentinos Charalambous trained with Leach in 1950-51. Leach
420-490: The outskirts of St Ives , the two established the Leach Pottery in 1920. They constructed a traditional Japanese climbing kiln or ' Noborigama (登り窯) ', the first built in the West. The kiln was poorly built and was reconstructed in 1923 by Matsubayashi Tsurunosuke (1894-1932). In 1934, Leach and Mark Tobey travelled together through France and Italy, then sailed from Naples to Hong Kong and Shanghai, where they parted company, Leach heading on to Japan. Leach formally joined
448-484: The pottery. Matsubayashi built a three chambered traditional Japanese Noborigama, the first Japanese climbing kiln in the western world, and this was used until the 1970s. Bernard's son David Leach who trained at the North Staffordshire Technical College , became manager in 1937 abandoning production of earthenware, developing a new stoneware body and taking on local apprentices. Michael Cardew
476-637: The public in March 2008 as a working studio pottery, museum and gallery. The restoration cost £1.7 million which preserved the original buildings whilst adding an exhibition space and shop. It is now managed by the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust Limited, a registered UK charity founded in 2005. There are two exhibition areas, the Entrance Gallery with work by Bernard Leach, Janet Leach, David Leach, Shoji Hamada, William Marshall, Michael Cardew, and Kenneth Quick and
504-525: The ware: Celadon , Tenmoku and oatmeal with overpainting in brown and blue. After Bernard's death in 1979, his wife Janet Leach stopped production of standard ware to concentrate on her own pots until her death in 1997, after which the pottery was purchased by Alan Gillam. The property was acquired by Penwith District Council as part of the Leach Restoration Project The site was renovated and restored in 2005-08 before being reopened to
532-667: Was William Worrall who became chief craftsman at the Chalice Well crafts guild in Glastonbury and Muriel Bell , co-founder of the Lanchester Marionettes . His American apprentices include Warren MacKenzie (who likewise influenced many potters through his teaching at the University of Minnesota ), Byron Temple . He was a major influence on New Zealand potter Len Castle who travelled to London to spend time working with him in
560-491: Was Japanese aesthetician Soetsu Yanagi , author of The Unknown Craftsman . According to Brent Johnson, "The most important outcome of the conference was that it helped organize the modern studio pottery movement by giving a voice to the people who became its leaders...it gave them [Leach, Hamada and Yanagi] celebrity status...[while] Marguerite Wildenhain emerged from Dartington Hall as the most important craft potter in America." He
588-577: Was an active member of the Red Rose Guild . Leach continued to produce work until 1972 and never ended his passion for travelling. He continued to write about ceramics even after losing his eyesight. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London held a major exhibition of his art in 1977. The Leach Pottery remains in operation, accompanied by a museum displaying many pieces by Leach and his students. Edmund de Waal , British ceramic artist and writer,
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#1732845009237616-536: Was an early student and William Marshall an apprentice. Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie became an apprentice in 1924 Warren MacKenzie from the US, Charmian Johnson from Canada and Len Castle from New Zealand also worked here. The pottery's Standard Ware was first issued in 1946 and can be found in the V&;A collection. Mail order catalogues were distributed and the range was produced until 1979. Three basic glazes were used for
644-517: Was apprenticed to the potter Geoffrey Whiting, a disciple of Leach, at the King's School, Canterbury in the early 1980's. He has said that to move on, he had to address Leach directly. "It's anxiety of influence – you choose which father to kill, and in my case it was Leach." He researched Leach's papers and journals in the archive room of the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum . De Waal's book,
672-892: Was born in Hong Kong . His mother Eleanor (née Sharp) died in childbirth. He spent his first three years in Japan with his father, Andrew Leach, until he moved back to Hong Kong in 1890. Leach attended the Slade School of Fine Art and the London School of Art, where he studied etching under Frank Brangwyn . Reading books by Lafcadio Hearn , he became interested in Japan. In 1909 he returned to Japan with his young wife Muriel (née Hoyle) intending to teach etching. Satomi Ton , Kojima Kikuo , and later Ryūsei Kishida were his pupils. In Tokyo, he gave talks and attended meetings along with Mushanokōji Saneatsu , Shiga Naoya , Yanagi Sōetsu and others from
700-448: Was concerned with the life of individuals, often incorporating optimistic philosophy into their work. Some of these individuals came with wealthy families, and attempted to emulate Tolstoy in creating utopian agrarian communes in remote parts of Japan. The self-published monthly literary journal Shirakaba ("White Birch") was in circulation from April 1910 until 1923. The magazine reached its peak in popularity in 1918. However, publication
728-462: Was instrumental, with Muriel Rose , in organising the only International Conference of Potters and Weavers in July 1952 at Dartington Hall , where he had been working and teaching. It included exhibitions of British pottery and textiles since 1920, Mexican folk art, and works by conference participants, among them Shoji Hamada and US-based Bauhaus potter Marguerite Wildenhain . Another important contributor
756-623: Was the potter Tomimoto Kenkichi , whom he had met already earlier. From this time Leach wrote articles for the Shirakaba. In 1913 he also drafted covers for Shirakaba and Fyūzan . Attracted by the Prussian philosopher and art scholar Alfred Westharp , who at the time was living in Peking, Leach moved to Peking in 1915. There he took on the Name 李奇聞 (for "Leach"), but returned the following year to Japan. It
784-517: Was the year 1919, when young Hamada Shōji visited Leach for the first time. Leach received a kiln from Kenzan and built it up in Yanagi's garden and called it Tōmon-gama . Now established as a potter, he decided to move to England. In 1920, before leaving, he had an exhibition in Osaka, where he met the potter Kawai Kanjirō . In Tokyo, a farewell exhibition was organized. Leach returned to England in 1920 on
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