WHEN it comes to pottery, even a complete novice can appreciate the forms and the use of glaze and the utility of it – but truly interpreting it may remain a mystery.
That was the draw on a chilly winter afternoon, descending the stairs of Falkirk’s Callendar House for an exhibition offering insight into the artform.
On offer was Dunmore: A Conversation In Pottery – a response by ceramics artist Steph Liddle to the work of Peter Gardner of the Dunmore collection, a pottery shop that began in the 1790s and flourished around the 1860s when Gardner took over. To undertake such a task, Liddle delved into Falkirk Council’s archive to create new works in dialogue with the pottery.
And it’s fair to say she succeeded.
From rounded vases to nature-inspired ashtrays, urns to bowls, the room is chock-full of pieces, with helpful placards explaining the process and how Liddle used Gardner’s work as inspiration for her own.
Though certain parts of the display room seemed intimidating to an amateur like myself, there were pieces around the place that drew the eye and prevented fatigue.
Among all the oddly shaped vases, there were teapots that looked uncannily like modern kettles, a jug with a handle like a wicker basket, creature-shaped planters …
Four owls stand out. Liddle created a sort of ombre effect with her figures, one an olive green, one in the blue-on-white willoware style, one a pale gold and the last a dull indigo – all colours taken from her palette, a compromise between the limited colours she uses professionally with the more extensive one Gardner had.
Meanwhile, Gardner’s owls ranged from large detachable head creations to smaller ones, one of which appeared almost like a koi with its splattered blue and red on white and a gold-on-blue one. Unlike Liddle’s work, there was much more detail painted on the wings, with lines of feathers traced over the indents, and the eyes often painted in.
Though Liddle commented that the inspiration pieces were “creepy and cute” – which, given the odd way the eyes are painted, I couldn’t help but agree – her pieces were staunchly in the “cute” category.
Some of Liddle’s pieces appeared more angular than Gardner’s, with rectangular instead of curved shapes to create handles, but others were perfect replicas just in smaller forms. Particularly impressive were the vases with a sort of bubble effect, making them look bulbous yet sleek. A particularly beautiful example was a one-on-one recreation of a crocus vase.
Where Gardner’s appeared much more practical, with almost a rook chess piece look to its top, Liddle’s was much sleeker; a smoother gradient up to the head of the vase and a head much more like petals than the original piece.
And Liddle wasn’t afraid to get inventive with her pieces. One seemed to evoke the shape of a violin, while Liddle informed the audience that another broke, repairing it with the Japanese art of kintsugi. She further used a number of inventive techniques to create indents on the pieces, including wax to create a loop-de-loop and ceramic crayons for texture.
Though the craftiness of Liddle’s response and the work of Gardner were highly impressive, the exhibition’s layout left a little to be desired – though it was fairly obvious who made what based on Liddle’s descriptions, there were pieces in cabinets that didn’t match up with their interpretations, such as an owl separate from the cabinet housing the others.
Part of me also wished that Liddle had recreated more of the intricate carvings Gardner was known for.
Though her Moon/Pilgrim/Doughnut piece was beautifully made, pieces like Gardner’s toad-shaped planters, satyr-headed bowls and snake-adorned urns were particularly unique, and it would’ve been good to see Liddle’s interpretation of them.
Despite this, there’s hardly a lack of personality in Liddle’s pieces. Her use of glaze was imperfect, with her small colour palette making her pieces instantly recognisable across the room, while Gardner’s pieces weren’t quite as smooth as Liddle’s.
Artistry aside, another aspect that intrigued me was the use of glaze. Gardner would apply multiple layers of the glass to create tonal differences – exemplified perfectly in his wall pockets that adorn the walls. And Liddle’s use of glaze to create ombre effects and shading impressed me to no end.
It was a fascinating journey, bringing Edwardian pottery to the forefront and beginning a dialogue that stretched across centuries, showing just how timeless the art form truly is.
Now excuse me, I’m off to go and buy a potter’s wheel …
Dunmore: A Conversation In Pottery is on at Callendar House’s second-floor galleries until March 16, 2025.
