5 September 2016

Hans Coper’s pottery wheel, which he made himself in 1959 and used to create many of his world-renowned ceramic works, is on display at York Art Gallery in the Centre of Ceramic Art.

The German-born British studio potter was one of the most influential ceramic artists of the Century. Starting his career under the guidance of Lucie Rie, he began experimenting with Modernist forms, which he referred to as “these odd things I make”.

He threw pieces on the pottery wheel, then cut and reassembled to create unusual sculptural vessels. He was the first potter whose work reached over £1,000 at auction and his work is now highly sought after.

The wheel, which is still in working order, is on display in the Centre of Ceramic Art until August 2017.

Helen Walsh, curator of ceramics, said,

“We are thrilled that Hans Coper’s family has agreed to loan us the pottery wheel that Coper made himself. It was on that wheel that he made many of the pieces that are now in our collection.”

“He was one of the most important, enigmatic potters of the twentieth century and his work became synonymous with the British Studio Pottery movement. He was a source of inspiration to many other artists such as Gordon Baldwin, Alison Britton and Elizabeth Fritsch.”

“We invite people to come and see the pottery wheel alongside some of the objects Coper made on it and hope it will inspire future generations of artists.”

York Art Gallery has a case dedicated to Hans Coper, recognising him as one of the top ten artists in the Hall of Fame exhibition in the CoCA gallery.

The display showcases nine pieces of Hans Coper’s work, including a rare Cycladic vase which was one of the last pieces he made, as well as an early bowl he made jointly with Lucie Rie whom he trained under.

 

Hans Coper (1920 – 1981)

Coper called himself a potter and referred to his work as pots, not sculpture, though that is how they are seen by many today. He used a limited number of forms and a restricted monochrome palette of colours and textures, but explored them thoroughly.

His usual technique was to combine sections first thrown on a wheel, then cut and reassemble them, creating what were seen at that time as startlingly modern shapes with subtle decoration that emphasised the form.

Coper was born in Germany but left in 1939 and came to UK as a refugee. Lucie Rie hired Coper in 1946 to help her make buttons. Recognising his talent, she encouraged him to produce his own style of work. Though their work has little in common visually, they have been inextricably linked together.

After Britain’s recovery following the Second World War, a new spirit of optimism infused society. Many potters rejected the Anglo-oriental and traditional style of ceramics and began exploring Modernism in their work. Émigré artists like Hans Coper introduced a new European style that offered fresh new possibilities. Form began to predominate over decoration and monochrome colours and graphic surface markings described shapes.

Hans Coper remains one of the most influential and celebrated potters to date.

The pottery wheel will be on display at York Art Gallery until August 2017.