Putting life into something malleable
As soon as you walk through the door, you smell the texture of ceramic art in the air.
Two modest, yet robust ovens greet guests at the entrance to the studio.
The ovens are a quintessential part of the process where shaped clay mutates into organic beauty.
As Sandra Goercke leads you through her potting workshop, you can’t help but became enthralled with the magic of the place.
The raw clay, drying shapes and glaze-finished masterpieces give a figurative picture of a life cycle, feeding on the waves of daylight streaming in.
Over a career spanning 40 years, Goercke’s home-based studio has steadily grown along with her.
The latest addition to her heart’s child is home to several potting wheels, where she animates the otherwise lifeless clay.
Goercke started potting soon after she studied commercial art at the Johannesburg Art School for three years, but not before spending a year in Europe.
She attended Benoni High School, but wasn’t born in her current home town.
When she was 12, Goercke’s parents decided to leave their native Ireland and the family came to Benoni.
“I was always interested in the arts and, once I tried potting, I knew it was what I wanted to do,” she said.
She has exhibited in several galleries and is currently working on something for the Kim Sacks Gallery, in Johannesburg.
The Benoni artist belongs to Ceramics Southern Africa, a representative body of potters in Southern Africa, which organises exhibitions for its members.
The most recent in which Goercke took part was the Gauteng Regional Exhibition, at the University of Johannesburg, in October.
Beside creating her own art pieces, Goercke has been teaching the craft from her studio in Rynfield for the past 30 years, .
“My classes include beginners and experts; some of my students have been with me for 18 years,” she said.
“I like to do the classes in a block, so that I can focus on my own work for the rest of the week.”
She gave a brief summary of the complexity behind the potting process.
“First you shape the clay, then it has to dry for several days,” she explained.
“After that the pieces are bisque-fired, then glazed, then they’re fired again.”
Goercke said sometimes students leave due to unforeseen circumstances, but many return after several years.
“Once you’ve done it [pottery], you just need to refresh a bit; the potting wheel is like riding a bike,” she concluded.
If you’re looking for a hobby to take up this festive season, consider pottery, a relaxing craft where you can have full control of your creation.
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