Anton and Vale van der Merwe : reinterpreting Afro-Oriental studio ceramics traditions in South Africa

Growing awareness of ancient Chinese Song and Yuan ceramics, amongst other Oriental traditions, by people with western connections such as Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew, in conjunction with influences from Japanese associates such as Soyetsu Yanagi, Kenkichi Tomimoto, and Shoji Hamada, has had many consequences. It spread a consciousness idealizing self-sufficient pottery studios where potters were in touch with all aspects of creating utilityware, largely from local materials for local use. Out of this emerged an Anglo-Oriental studio ceramic philosophy of form and practice, associated mainly with hand-made high temperature reduction fired ceramics. These ideas spread to South Africa in the late 1950s, and by the early 1960s local studios were being established along these lines. This studio ceramics movement grew exponentially in South Africa, initiating a phase of Afro-Oriental ceramics that remains a powerful way of life and visual arts influence. This paper seeks to explore aspects of Afro-Oriental studio ceramics in South Africa, with particular reference to the Leach/Hamada/Cardew to Rabinowitz, and Van der Merwe lineage. Anton en Vale van der Merwe : die herinterpretasie van Afro-Oosterse ateljeekeramiektradisies in Suid-Afrika Die groeiende bewussyn van antieke keramiektradisies soos Chinese Sung deur mense met Westerse verbintenisse, soos byvoorbeeld Bernard Leach en Japanese medewerkers, Soyetsu Yanagi en Shoji Hamada het verskeie gevolge gehad. Dit het 'n bewustelike geidealiseerde selfonderhoudende pottebakkerstudios versprei, waar pottebakers in voeling was met alle aspekte van gebruikswareskepping, grotendeels van plaaslike materiaal vir plaaslike gebruik. Hieruit het die Anglo-Oosterse ateljeekeramiekfilosofie van vorm en praktyk ontstaan, wat hoofsaaklik met handgemaakte en hoe temperatuur reduksie gebakte keramiek geassosieer word. Hierdie idees het na Suid-Afrika versprei in die laat vyftigerjare en teen die vroee sestigerjare is plaaslike ateljees op hierdie wyse gevestig. Hierdie ateljeekeramiek beweging het eksponensiaal gegroei in Suid-Afrika en het 'n fase van Afro-Oosterse keramiek ingelui wat steeds 'n kragtige lewenstyl en visuele kunste invloed is. Hierdie artikel poog om aspekte van Afro-Oosterse keramiek in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek, met spesifieke verwying na die Leach/Hamada/Cardew tot Rabinowitz en Van der Merwe afkoms.