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Jane Sawyer - Potter
by Sabrina Talarico, 2016
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Jane is interviewed by Ben Carter on Tales Of A Red Clay Rambler:
Episode 130: Jane Sawyer on developing and individual sense of touch after apprenticeship training
Jane introduces her piece "Touch The Flow" which was selected as a finalist in the Victorian Ceramic Awards at Manningham Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2018
Jane Sawyer, Contemporary Studio Potter
by Mark Newbound, 2018
"When Mark asked to film me making something from start to finish I decided on a humble cup that I make in multiple numbers rather than a single more expressive piece. I wanted to somehow communicate the meditative flow that happens when I get in the zone of repetitious work. I think most people feel it’s somehow demeaning to humanity to make something repeatedly, but I feel the opposite. Designing and learning the choreography to make a particular form is just the start. But to make it repeatedly allows one to tweak the finest details and therefore to imbue it with character, signature and breath. I didn’t realise that Mark would actually stay and film the whole batch of 50 cups! I expected him to just film two or three. (He must have had a lot to edit out!) The whole process made me think about the secret things that would only be noticed by other potters: the tools I use, the way I glaze, etc. One thing I wanted to convey was the ease of the electric kiln—so frowned upon by some potters as not “real” fire. But now with green, clean energy electric kilns are probably the most sensible, especially for an urban potter. It was a strange experience to be filmed in my studio where I am usually alone, belting out a song to music or the radio blaring in the background. Mark wanted just the sounds of the making to come through—a good decision!"