GWYN HANSSEN PIGOTT

a potters film

Filmed in Queensland

Award winner Montpellier, France 2010

A documentary about ceramic artist GWYN HANSSEN PIGOTT. Gwyn is recognised as one of the world’s leading ceramic artists and is particularly well known for her series of still life collections of porcelain vessels. The film shows GWYN making, glazing and firing her work. The film also includes sequences of a wood firing and the unpacking of the kiln.

“There is both an extraordinary energy and a mathematical intensity here, a complex process of making, glazing and firing, and we investigate the philosophy and skill of making”.

GWYN’S skill and dedication to a potters life has given her the opportunity to develop working relationships and friendships with some of the 20th century’s most significant potters including; IVAN MCMEEKIN, RAY FINCH, BERNARD LEACH, MICHAEL CARDEW, KATHARINE PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE, DAME LUCIE RIE, RAY FINCH, ALAN CAIGER-SMITH AND MICK CASSON.

GWYN is deeply connected to the development and history of contemporary ceramics in the 20th century and still retains a remarkable presence in the 21st century ceramic movement.

GWYN continues to exhibit internationally, with exhibitions since 2000 including Galerie Besson London; Tate St Ives, UK; Garth Clark, New York; The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh; Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney; Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane; Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne and a major retrospective Gwyn Hanssen Pigott: a survey, National Gallery of Victoria. Public collections include the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

Best contemporary film

A potters film won the best contemporary film award at the Ateliers d’art de France international film festival at Montpellier in 2010. The 7th edition of the Festival was held at Le Corum Conference Centre in Montpellier on 20 and 21 March 2010.

This important film festival was attended by 1,700 art and audiovisual professionals, as well as informed amateurs. There were two days of film screenings, interspersed with special events and opportunities for meetings and exchanges between festival-goers.

After a rigorous international selection process, twenty nine films from eleven countries were selected for the 2010 festival. After all the films had been screened, five prizes were awarded by the jury, which was chaired by visual artist MÂKHI XENAKIS, and spectators were also invited to vote for the public prize.

Screenings took place in the Berlioz room at Le Corum conference centre, which has a seating capacity of 2,000. PETER and ANDREA HYLANDS were invited to attend the festival and collected their award in front of a large audience of international attendees to the event.

ANNA BLIGH MP Premier of Queensland at the time (the Australian State in which the film was made) says about a potters film:

“Your short film on Ms PIGOTT’s work is fascinating viewing for anyone interested in the history of pottery or the contemporary practice of wood fired ceramics”.