John Parker: Handmade PrecisionJohn Parker: He Toki Ngao Matariki
John Parker is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive ceramic artists. Simple lines, clean edges, and industry-inspired forms feature throughout his 50-year career.
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Toi Art, Level 6
Free with museum entry
All ages
I am not interested in the random and the spontaneous. I want to be better than a lathe, more plastic than plastic. – John Parker, 1987
Parker is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive ceramic artists. Throughout his 50-year career, he has favoured the simple lines and clean edges of modernism. Industrial forms, Crown Lynn pottery, and opera are among the influences on his work.
A 2007 residency in China inspired Parker to explore different techniques, including decorating with decals – like the goldfish on this bottle. In China, Parker experienced the epiphany that his work was playing ‘a small part in the continuum of ceramic history.’
Interview with John Parker
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