Jane Burn - June 26'
Q&A
1. Your creative life encompasses many disciplines and interests beyond ceramics, including drawing, gardening, knitting, coffee roasting, running a business and motherhood! There is also a strong sense of community and connection that seems to surround your practice. This exhibition feels distilled and refined, presenting a confident and focused body of work. How do you maintain balance between these many aspects of life while developing a significant exhibition such as this?
YES I have a lot going on in my life and I LOVE it that way, I'm happiest with projects on the go, an 'active relaxer' I think is the term! I'm surrounded by people in my home and at our family business Island Coffee, it's busy and I love the daily chat however I also love space, probably the main reason we came to the Island. Everyday I would take myself away to my small studio and work on these pieces, I looked forward to the quiet, the time and the practice of making and an opportunity to just be, maybe it's the balance between the two that is key.
2. You have spoken about the importance of family in your life, particularly as your family continues to grow. Living on Waiheke Island, surrounded by family and the nature, must provide a unique perspective and rhythm to daily life. How does living on the island influence both your life and your creative practice?
There are so many creative people on our Island and Island Coffee has given me the opportunity to connect with so many of them as they pop in for a coffee and a chat, I love it, so inspiring and encouraging. That our business is family owned means we can all support one another in whatever we have going on, whether it's a baby!, renovating a house or working on an exhibition, everyone helps, everyones involved, I wouldn't have it any other way...
3, What has been the most challenging aspect of developing this exhibition?
the making of the vessels themselves, they look so simple and yet these forms take time and patience to make, each layer needs to firm to hold the previous layer and hold it's shape, I love how they grow through the angle of my fingers and the strength of the clay, there were quite a few times vessels slumped and they were cut off and started again, a bit of a set back however every time I pushed the clay is telling you to slow down, don't hurry , build slowly... always good reminder for me in my daily life!
4, Recently, you have been re-visiting drawing and it has become a bit more visible part of your practice, particularly your mark-making using handmade Harakeke (flax) brushes on paper for clay. How did this exploration begin, and what role does drawing play in relation to your ceramic work?
While living and studying in Japan I was drawn to the art of calligraphy, not taught at the Uni where I attended so I went to night school once a week with a group of wonderful older Japanese... who spoke no English, they nervously took me in and I proceeded to learn through their guidance, my teacher gave me basic Kanji which I practiced in the correct brushstroke order, I was hooked the ink, the paper, the lines... black on white and the people ! I just loved those nights and was lucky enough to be included in the final exhibition of the year a large calligraphy work ENERGY that I gifted to my teacher. So it began in Japan and now I draw in graphite and ink, I have never been into colour! many sketchbooks filled with ideas , images and absolutely influencing my clay practice sometimes not the visual aspect but the physical... it is the feeling you put into the mark making that makes it successful , same with clay.
5, Looking ahead, are there any new ideas, materials, or creative challenges that you would like to explore in the future?
I want to stay with this form for a while and explore different ways of treating the surface perhaps with my mark making and local clay slips to give colour and texture... and perhaps go bigger, I'm excited.
