Eurozone crisis

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A month ago I convinced myself the worst was behind the eurozone and finally invested some money into the stock market. I bought into three sectors; banking, oil and mining. The reasoning was fairly simple – if worst was behind us banks really are cheap at the minute, with oil it looks more and more like we at at or past Peak Oil meaning supply will continue to drop while demand increases and on the prospoect of growth miners should do well as their product becomes more in demand.

I think it is fair to say 3 weeks later I made a monumental mistake in buying when I did. Just sell then I here you say! Well working for a bank I can’t as my employer has strict rules saying you have to hold a position for a minimum of 30 days. Doh! I have another week of pain ahead of me and if I get out with an average loss of 15% across all the names I bought i will consider myself lucky.

What this has made me though is very interested in whats going on in the eurozone. A few things seem abundantly clear:

  • Top of the list is the fact we have no born leader who is stepping up to the plate and providing the leadership the situation desperately needs. The two most obvious people who could change things are Obama and Merkel. Obama however seems more and more like a one term president, incapable of balancing the books of the USA and thereby having any political clout to wield effectively against Germany, while Merkel is behaving more and more like the ostrich who sticks her head in the sand hoping the problem will just go away. No that isn’t quite fair – she is doing just enough, just before (she thinks) it is about to get out of control. Unfortunately this tactic means she is always behind the market which is relentlessly picking off country after country. I suspect her grand plan here is that she is trying to use the crisis to speed up the formation of a much bigger and cohesive eurozone through treaty changes and only when she has done that will she release the monster that is the ECB to calm things down. She will argue at this point as, effectively, all countries are in it together then on the basis they either all stand or all fall printing is better than not. The other problem with this plan is it needs the one thing she really doesn’t have – time.
  • Time is the real enemy here. Time not only makes the debt grow bigger every day that passes it also gives the market more and more opportunities to pick off the weak and escalate the crisis further.
  • Finally any policy that doesn’t restore growth to countries has no chance of succeeding in the medium or long term. Greece I think is the ultimate proof that crippling austerity is not the way forward.

How do we get out of this then? Well I agree with what most people are now saying that we are close to a crossroads here. On the left hand side we have eurozone collapse with Germany, and possibly the other stronger euro countries such as Holland and France creating a top tier eurozone, the rest forming a second block and probably the UK, as always, out on its own. To the right we have the ECB becoming a true lender of last resort and proving the funding Italy, Spain and others need on an unlimited basis. Now which do I think we should choose to do? Well the latter for two reasons.

Firstly breakup would be horrendous. We are talking financial collapse of nations and governments, bank runs, unemployment soaring, and deep long lasting depression. The states should be particularly concerned about a breakup as if I was the market and I’d watched my safe haven of German bunds go up in smoke I wonder if there was anywhere else that could go the same way and I would probably think of a particularly indebted country over a particular ocean who’s books are in _far_ worse shape with equally poor political leadership.

Secondly because allowing the ECB to become lender of last resort may actually buy you the one thing you really need – time to sort out the structural problems at hand in a stable fashion without rioters on your streets every day. Oh but it will cause inflation I hear Germany say. Well maybe. It may – but equally it may not. To be so afraid of something that hasn’t happened is no way to live a life or to make sensible decisions from. Far better to give it a try, use the time to change treaties and generally get the monkey that is the market off your back.

Most of all I wish eurozone leaders would stop thinking that kicking the can down the road is a strategy in itself and provide a clear message to everybody about what is actually going on about how we fix this. Give the market hope, give them a plan and whatever you do – GIVE CREDIBLE DETAILS.

Fukami Sueharu

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I have been fascinated by Fukami since I first came across him about four years ago when visiting Collect. It coincided with my realisation that I enjoyed the work coming out of Japan more than I was enjoying the work I was collecting from contemporary British artists. The first time I saw a Nagae I wanted to know how it was made, the first time a Mihara I wanted to touch it to feel the surface but it was Fukami who really took my breath away.

What caught my eye here was first the surface – a completely smooth just off white signature glaze catching the light making it stand out next to the dark background it has been set against. Just as striking was the form itself – to me a wing plucked from a bird – or maybe a bird in itself? Indeed to my eye it was as if the work was just about to flap its wings and indeed fly off into the crowd. A truely wonderful and humbling experience. I had to have it. I could not afford it.

I have since gone to to learn a lot more about Fukami and indeed he is one of of the most highly regarded of contemporary artists working in Japan today. Born in 1947 in Kyoto he was born into a potting family. This heritage and tradition served him well although he eventually realised he wanted to create his own work and was more interested in form than function. His work therefore has evolved into more sculpture than pot. Indeed his highly evolved signature technique of using moulds into which he injects liquid porcelain under pressure is unique and is what allows him to make works in the scale he does while retaining the razor sharp edges and lines along with the milky smooth surfaces on his work. He is clearly a perfectionist – he says he doesn’t want to leave any human touch on each work – as if to make the work appear not so much constructed as evolved out of thin air. The interesting thing here for me is that for many potters its the human touch, the imprints and imperfections in the clay that make each work unique and therefore special. Why has Fukami gone down this route therefore? Well I have no idea but I’d like to think at least part of the reason is that he is saying its not important who has made his sculpture, its the form, glaze and technique that makes his work stand apart.

I think Fukami is one of the best artists I have ever seen and having tortured myself at several Collects finally bit the bullet this year and bought one to live with me. I am absolutely delighted to own one and it takes pride of place in my home.

Its a wonder to wake up to each morning.

Its a delight to fall asleep with every night.

Fukami  - thank you.


Gallerie Besson Closing

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Collect lifted my spirits as to the future of ceramics and craft in the UK. Almost as soon as I heaved a sigh of relief at seeing so many superb works of art there my breath had to be tempered by the news that Gallerie Besson is closing. I have written before on my blog about visits to the gallery, some admittedly a better experience than others, but there is no doubt Madame Besson has one of the best gallery spaces in the UK that regularly exhibits ceramics and her eye was (is) fantastic. With CAA in london showing less and less great quality ceramics and with no other gallery obviously stepping up it makes me wonder what the future of high quality ceramics is in the UK. I rather suspect a couple of things may happen. Firstly I think dealers such as Adrian Sassoon will prosper and rather corner the market in the very high end. Secondly I think (I hope) we will see more galleries adopting the same model as Robert Yellin has with his Japanese Pottery site that has taken a passion for Japanese ceramics and has converted it into a clearly viable business. Back here in the UK with every increasing business rates setting up a gallery space in London specialising in ceramics would be, I think, pretty much impossible but a half way house of a great website backed with a small space (home maybe) in which to show off potential works for sale on a prearranged basis might just be the way forward. Certainly food for though…

On that final note it is worth talking briefly about Maak. Maak has been setup by Marijke Varrell-Jones as an online auction site specialising in contemporary ceramics. In a past life Marijke  worked in the Bonhams Contemporary Ceramics department and setup her own business when that was closed a year or so back. I think she needs to learn a bit about good website design and to take decent pictures of the things she is selling (and Marijke if some of my pots truly sell for £1 as they are currently priced at in her latest auction I will never forgive you) but I really do wish her well and hope she succeds to build a viable business. As mentioned above its a small field and needs encouragement.

Collect 2011

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Collect 2011. One word. Go!!

Still need convincing? Ok. Collect 2011 is the best Collect show I’ve seen in years. Ok so I got to see it in the pre-preview session with no, or very few, crowds around, before any of the exhibitors had any chance to already be bored of the same patter, and on an evening where the light perfectly complimented the items on show. An absolute treat.

So what made it for me this year? Put simply I think the show this year is full of thing I actually would want to live with. Gone are the endless halls of abstract figurines and sculpture (yes they are still there but just on a more manageable scale and number!) and back in are pots you could comfortably put on the mantlepiece, jewellery you would be proud to wear (and make all your girlfriends jealous) and tapestries you might conceivably put on the wall. Highlights? Well Yufuku always brings great work – and this year was a nice balance of new artists as well as familar names – Katie Jones who had some superb silver and metal work and the Lesley Craze gallery who has some of the best jewellery at the show (and that really is a compliment btw). I also really enjoyed the Natasha Daintry installation of 1000 tiny pots on show at Adrian Sassoon as well as the one off Chris Keenan set piece work. The former really fun and colourful, the latter entirely new for the artists and I think a really nice progression of his work.

None of this it should probably say comes cheap however. Prices have definitely gone up this year almost certainly reflecting the cost to put on the show at the Saatchi gallery as well as the slow but sure increase in interest in serious quality craftwork around the world. Its reassuring to see that the best items had sold in literally a nano-second, pretty much regardless of price. If anyone needed any reassurance this was good work the number of red dots on work on a number of the stands before the private view at 7pm even started is testament to this is really the best one off craftwork you can get in the world. Period.

My only worry about collect? It isn’t that it will be a success for the galleries on show. No its that at £15 entry I don’t think many of the british public will think its for them and thats a real shame as this work people – its the sort of work that everyone should aspire to owning – not Habitat, Selfridges or Harrods or any other branded tat.

So I guess you are wondering did I buy anything? Well yes. What? Well I missed out on it last year. I won’t probably need to elaborate.

The ones that got away: 2010

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At the end of every year a large percentage of peoples time is spent reflecting on the year gone by. Whats gone well, whats not, what can be improved upon in the coming year. My thoughts turned to this blog and to the ceramics I’ve seen in 2010. I’ve seen a lot of superb work this year and would have bought more if it wasn’t for financial and space constraints. I thought as a parting to the year I’d share the five pots I would have bought this year and why.

Number 5: Large bowl by Rupert Spira @ CAA

Rupert is probably my favourite artist. His minimalistic style and clean uncomplicated style speaks to my soul like no other. The work in question was a great example and a great price and was of a style which I don’t already have an example of. Why then didn’t I buy it? Well frankly I still might as it is still for sale. The simple reason was coming at the end of the year I had Christmas presents to buy and Christmas for others always comes first.

Number 4: Kigen Number 7 by Mihara Ken @ Gallerie Besson

Part of the show at Gallerie Besson earlier this year this was a superb example of this up and coming Japanese artist. I didn’t buy this because I was irritated by the gallery staff at the time. This was a bad reason not to buy a pot and I regret not going with my guy instinct and buying. The lesson for me here is to buy the art not the gallery and the lesson for the gallery is to treat all visitors equally and as potential buyers.

Number 3: Unnamed series by Edmund De Waal

I had the opportunity this year to buy a series of eleven Edmund De Waal jars from an American dealer. They were good examples by an artist that is extremely difficult to find work from and whose work sells well at auction already. On paper it was an easy decision but the practicality of shipping them from the US and then living with eleven fragile De Waals was just too much of a risk to take. Due to respect for the dealer I can’t post pictures.

Number 2: “Visions of Clarity” by Fukami Sueharu

Shown at Collect 2010 by Yufuku this was a magnificent work. Slipcast porcelain is notoriously hard to work with and Fukami is probably one of, if not the, expert in the world making him one of the people I would most like to add to my collection. This particular form standing over half a metre tall would have required a large space to show it in and to say it was cat unfriendly would be an understatement. That was before you even considered the cost of around £14,000 GBP. A simply amazing work which I hope has found its way to a museum somewhere.

Number 1: “Soar” by Fukami Sueharu

Another Fukami I hear you say? Well yes. For all the above reasons and more. A simply astonishing form that spoke to my soul. I regret not buying this. It wouldn’t have been sensible for so many reasons but of all the things I’ve seen this year I could have (technically) bought this is the one I regret the most.

Why are so many leading potters becoming philosophers?

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There is a worrying trend happening amongst our leading British potters. I’m not going to name names as if you don’t know who I’m talking about you don’t follow British potters closely enough (sorry!). The trend is this:

  1. Gain a reputation as a leading potter
  2. Watch your prices increase
  3. Start to dabble in philosophy and theology
  4. Give up making

Now 2 follows 1 pretty naturally. Its only pure economics that says given a finite supply of pots per year and an increasing demand for said pots leads to an increase in price. (Yes I was vaguely concentrating in my first year at uni!). 3 does not however follow 2. I think to explain it you need to start examining what drives potters in the first place. Some natural questions and things that drive a lot of potters include:

  • What is the relationship between how we use our earths resources – in potters instance clay and the energy needed to fire a pot.
  • What are the physical limits of what can be thrown or made in clay?
  • What does it mean for an object to be useful?
  • Maybe more interestingly is it a requirement of an object to be useful?

2 does lead to 4 however as if you are making (or have made) good money and if you believe you have an answer to these questions it may I think be easy to think you have found an/the answer and can consider yourself above pure pottery and recast yourself as a philosopher. I think in general this is a mistake and I think its an even worse mistake when you decide this is what you were put on the earth to do and give up potting.

Life is a journey and I can understand that you may find things that fulfill you more than what you originally set out to do. There are plenty of examples both inside and outside the potting world of this. If however you have a god given talent to be able to make things with your hands , you have honed this skill to a point people will buy enough such that you can make a good living from it, its a crime to not use it.

Sometimes its all worth it…

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My job sometimes drives me a little nuts. Long hours, politics and often feeling like your taking two steps backwards for every step forward. If there is one good thing it is it allows me to buy exceptional ceramic works when they come along and this week, after a couple of very tough working weeks, it does seem all worth it with the addition of a new ceramic work by the Japanese artist Kazuya Takahashi. Its a sublime form, perfectly smooth to the touch and remarkably delicate. I’m absolutely delighted to be giving this a good home and look forward to living with it for the rest of my days.