ROBERT BARRON

Informed by a rich history, responding to current ideas and excited by future prospects, the piece exhibited in this show reflects a contemporary approach to wood firing. During the extended firing I find myself diving into the embers and moving work around, creating my own individual expression out of the fire itself. The process has evolved into an aesthetic tool and the division between technique and idea has become blurred.

Born England. Initial training, Croydon Victoria 1976. Travelled, worked, made pots, skied, surfed, lived in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Influenced and trained in the Leach/Cardew paradigm. Inspired by craftspeople working within a tradition and liberated by those that walk their own path. Since 1985, fires twice a year in five chamber Nabori Gama wood fire kiln. Represented in public galleries and private collections throughout Australia, USA, Italy, France, UK and Japan. Exhibitions include; Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Canada; Surroundings Gallery, New York; Sale Regional Art Gallery; Westpac Private Bank Exhibition, Melbourne. Australian Woodfire Survey 1996 (8th National Conference, Canberra); Sidney Myer Fund - Shepparton Art Gallery; Internationale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy; Mashiko, Japan; Northern Arizona University. Chemeketa College, Oregon, USA; Moretonhampstead, Devon, UK; Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Portland, Oregon; The Art of Woodfire, Gulgong; Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Award. Melbourne; Woodfire Collection, Kristiansand, Norway. Rob continues to develop ideas and techniques, exploring intricacies of wood firing.