(The
cover of the book features a leopard and elephant tureen thrown by Sabelo
Khoza, sculpted by Thabo Mbhele and painted by Jabu Nene, 2009)
Richly illustrated publication
with each photograph
deserving full attention for the imaginative and free-thinking artistry in the
ceramic work’s design and execution. (Review by Caroline Smart)
If you know about Ardmore Ceramics, Fée Halstead’s
book charts the fascinating journey of the 20 or so years of its existence, from
its early days in an old stone stable on the Ardmore Farm at the foot of the
Drakensberg to its current spacious and impressive studio opposite the
Caversham Mill in Lion’s River.
The Caversham studio also houses the Bonnie
Ntshalintshali Museum, named after an especially visionary crafter who worked closely
with Fée Halstead in the early days. A polio – and later AIDS – victim, she
died in 1999. Fée describes Bonnie as having “set the benchmark for originality,
quality and artistry” at Ardmore.
Their work together generated major
accolades. They were joint winners of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for
Visual Arts in 1990, the first time this award had been given either to a
ceramist or a black artist or to two people working collectively. Coinciding
with South Africa’s move into democracy, this award meant that life would never
be the same for either Fée or Bonnie.
Fée Halstead’s strong link with ceramics started
30 years ago, teaching a talented group of rural people. Her personal story
explains her good horsemanship in that her grandmother worked with the Cooke
Family equestrian circus in the late 1800’s. She talks about her training as a
ceramic artist under American sculptor David Middlebrook, who recognised her
unique capacity and set her on the road to a successful future, describing her
as “a raw power just waiting to have someone push her forwards.”
More guidance and support came from
ceramist David Walters who ran a successful ceramic pottery studio at Caversham
Mill. He asked Fée to take care of his studio while he was away on an overseas
extended visit. Little did they know that Ardmore would eventually move to a
neighbouring property. Sculptor Andries “Boet” Botha encouraged her to apply
for a teaching post at the then Technikon Natal (now the Durban University of
Technology) which is when Fée realised that teaching was her vocation.
With pride, Fée features many of
the people she has trained and who have worked at Ardmore. We feel her pain and
helplessness when too many die of AIDS- related diseases. In 2010, she was deservedly
honoured by Women’s Campaign International in Philadelphia, USA, for her work
at Ardmore and her efforts to empower women and uplift the lives of their
families.
Originally excluded from major exhibitions
by the ceramic purists because they used paint and glue, Ardmore went on to
confound the critics and is now a major success story. While Ardmore has gone
through tough times, it has survived and its multiple achievements are due to
Fee’s own extended family as well as to those who make up the Ardmore ceramics
family.
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of the
Ardmore experience, this book will thrill and delight anyone with a creative
mind. The leopard and elephant tureen on the cover (pictured) gives an idea of
the highly individual nature of each work, each one fairly shouting the joy of
its creative process.
In his foreword, Brendon Bell (Director of
the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg) rightly says that Ardmore “is an
artistic tour de force, represented
in some of the world’s finest galleries and collections.” It has also formed
strong links with Christie’s and the top jewellery brand, Charles Greig.
This is a richly illustrated publication
with most of the 300 photographs taken by Roger de la Harpe. Each photograph
deserves full attention for the imaginative and free-thinking artistry in the
ceramic work’s design and execution.
Ardmore
- We Are Because of Others is published by Fernwood
Press in hardcover with dustjacket. ISBN: 9781431701117. Recommended Retail Price
R395. – Caroline Smart
Posts
