Ceramics in a time of Covid and the Anthropocene It is two years since the last Portage Ceramic Awards and much has changed in that time. We are living in the midst of a virus that is still morphing into more contagious forms, and extreme weather events signalling global warming. Entries to this year’s awards reflect these times. Covid has changed our ability to travel and to gather. This level of uncertainty made inviting an international judge too difficult. The invitation was extended to me and came out of the blue. It is not a role I coveted but I felt honoured to be asked and saw it as a way to give back to an award that has benefited me. I knew when I accepted that it would be an interesting and challenging task. I was told that fewer entries were expected, given the short notice and the award not being held last year. However, there were 226 entries (compared to 205 entries in 2018 and256 in 2019). I was asked to select a much smaller number than usual,almost half, as the exhibition was to take up a single gallery, which made for a more concise show and some very hard decisions. My first view of the entries was in the form of individual computer files and it was with a sense of anticipation that I opened each one looking first at the images and then at the title, biography and statement. The cumulative effect was a sense of being on a digital journey, visiting studios from one end of Aotearoa to the other. Although the work of some entrants was familiar, there were many surprises. There were those whose style was instantly recognisable, but there were others relatively new to ceramics entering the competition. Among them were students, recent graduates anthose moving to ceramics from other disciplines. There was conceptual photography and a time-based video, reflecting contemporary practice. Ecology and concern for the environment were notable, either overtly in the work, or in the description and statement. There seemed to be an increased awareness of the value of, and pressure on, resources, leading to the use of local and recycled clay and glaze materials. The increased interest in wood-fired surfaces possibly reflects a concern for sustainability, the values that this type of firing conveys, as well as aesthetic appeal. It was a challenge to be called on to select from a wide range of divergent styles, a heterogeneity that is testimony to a rich ceramic history. The plasticity and versatility of clay means it can be made to look like almost anything and serve many purposes. I looked for the poetic, for synchronicity of concept and process, for resonance. I looked for relevance and for fresh approaches to the exploration of materials. I could appreciate pieces that were highly finished and ones where the materials were barely manipulated. Decisions were made based on emotions and experience. First impressions matter. Without the ability to experience the physical presence of the work, the photographs had to impress. Presentation was very important, from how the work was arrange to its background. I looked to the title and the statement to provide clues and possibly additional layers to what I was seeing. I did not want the statement to tell me, however, what the object was doing. After reducing the number of entries by half, I received a box of colour print-outs which were immediately spread out on the living room floor. These were shuffled repeatedly as I considered the merits of each work, a debate that continued in my head even when I was not looking at them. I could see objects falling into thematic groupings, connections between seemingly dissimilar objects became apparent. The shape of the exhibition started to take form. Covid continued to affect plans for the Portage Ceramic Awards, with dates for the selection and the opening repeatedly put back. It was exciting to finally see the actual works, to get up close and to handle them. No matter how carefully I tried to visualise scale from the dimensions given, it was still a surprise to see them. Most of them lived up to their image or exceeded my expectations. I wondered how our closed borders affected the development of ceramics in Aotearoa without the stimulus of visiting international artists and with the opportunity for residencies overseas cut off. Interest in working with clay does not seem to have diminished. A number of ceramic residencies now exist in this country, notably Driving Creek in the Coromandel. This seems to have become a hub for facilitating the growing enthusiasm for wood firing and collaboration among artists, both reliant on the generosity of the ceramic community in the sharing of kilns, knowledge and experience. I would like to thank Andrew Clifford and the Portage Trust for inviting me to judge this year’s award. I would also like to thank Kenny Willis for making the process as smooth as possible in challenging circumstances. All who entered have shaped this exhibition. The task of making the selection was a very demanding but enriching one. I hope that the exhibition will provoke curiosity and debate as it has for me.
