Lucie Rie was one of the first female potters I knew about when I began throwing. I had a friend who was enamored with her bowls and glazes and he also was the person who first introduced me to throwing.This film is great because I'm sure Lucie is in her 80's, in this film, still throwing and making all her glazes ( no gloves or mask which makes me laugh after we read so much about toxic materials in our field and she messed with many!)
Lucie forms seem so simple but when you watch her open up a lip and a bowl with a feddling knife you realise that her own way of doing this works just for her and would be impossible for most other to do. Her wheel sounds like a mack truck coming down the road and you have to wonder if it fueled by diesel! If you have been one of the lucky one's to see this film you'll have to tell me what you thought about her comments about Bernard Leach. Interesting how when he first saw her pots he didn't like them but than, after he got to know Lucie, he told everyone to buy her work. Makes you kind of wonder if all those folks who have be come really famous are really great potters..or just in the right place at the right time!
http://www.csc.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=19531
http://www.csc.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=19531
11 comments:
I'd love to see that film. When I visited Warren Mackenzie several years ago his wife Nancy told me to take a look around while lunch was being made. I spied 3 or 4 of Lucie's bowls stacked in a corner cabinet. I took one out and just held it. It was so light and had the beautiful iron on the rim. It was a pretty cool moment.
She died at 93. About 10 years ago...pretty long life though for all of that glaze mixing!
( true for most my posts...)
Judy, that was a typo. I knew Lucie had died at 93. I was amazed at her age in the film. I do know she had a stroke and died about ( I think ) four years after this happened. Pretty great life she had..
All fixed in my post!
Jen
Excellent link. I hope to catch that film someday.
great post jen. i think we can be a bit too worried about safety too sometimes. the comment about leach not liking her work til he got to know her was great to hear, only because it goes along with one of my pet theories and it is that we are much more critical when looking at others' works if we have never met them and hardly able to really dislike work by the people we are really close to. very unpopular opinion tho.
Oh I think the same thing, Jim!
how brilliant, i haven't seen that one do you know the title of the film?
Sounds like a great film; interesting comment Leach made about her work.
You know, I'm not sure of the title. It was on a VHS that Jim ( Connell) had at school and it just said Lucie Rie. I have seen this film before years ago and just remembered that it was produced by the BBC. Perhapse someone else has the info. for it!
Hi just to let you know, that I too watched that interview when I was in university and have been looking for it ever since. Last Sunday, I went to the new Ceramics gallery in the V &A and Lucie Rie's study has been recreated behind a glass case. Just in front of the exhibit is a tv screen, showing the exact interview. Love it when she leans into the top loader kiln and David Attenborough has to hold on to her feet to stop her falling in!! Great stuff and hope you guys get to see it too
Last comment should have said, Lucie Rie's studio not study
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