Potter Daniel Johnston At The Collectors Gallery

photo courtesy of The Collectors Gallery
Seagrove area potter Daniel Johnston will talk about his work at 3 pm this Sunday, March 8th at The Collectors Gallery as part of his ongoing exhibit running March 6-31, 2009.

Daniel Johnston has quickly gained notoriety amongst ceramicist and collectors since he constructed his kiln in 2003, although there was a long road of apprenticeships and production pottery that led to the establishment of his own shop. Having apprenticed for Pittsboro-based artist Mark Hewitt for four years and having traveled to England to study with Clive Bowen and Thailand to study with Mr. Sawein Silakhom, Daniel brings a depth of experience and perspective to his work.

I have been trained in the Leach, Cardew, and Hewitt school of making pots.  For nearly fifteen years I have devoted my time to understanding the many traditions that have inspired this school of thought.  The drive to look closely at traditions using local materials and firing large wood-burning kilns has taken me from England to Thailand.  The better I understand the idea behind these traditions the more relevant my pots will become in my own tradition and culture.  I enjoy mining local clays and minerals for making and glazing pots.  These raw materials can be far superior to most commercial materials if one invests the time to understanding their unique properties.  Moreover I value my close relationship to the medium far more then the uniqueness of the materials themselves.  It is this deep understanding of the craft that attracts me to the traditions of southeast Asia and the southeastern United States. It is my goal over a long career to make pots that reflect the culture and times in which I live.

You can view more of his current work here.
photo by Tim Ayers

Forthcoming website at danieljohnstonpottery.com