Page 100 - Constructing Craft

The Generation Divide

Graeme Storm and Debbie Pointon

The studio craft movement of the mid to late twentieth century spanned two

generations and each generation developed their own concept of the connection
between craft and art. First were the craftspeople of the 1950s and 1960s who were

defined by their pioneering approach to their craft. Most were self-taught and often
constructed their own equipment. Many travelled overseas in the pursuit of

knowledge that was not available in New Zealand. A second generation, who were

familiar with the work of their predecessors, emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. They
had the advantage of a pool of knowledge and skills that they could call on and, in

addition, an infrastructure of shops, galleries, organisations and awards that could
assist them gain recognition. Therefore, the period in which a person learned their

craft (or art) and the type of instruction they received could decide if they were

perceived as craftspeople or craft artists.

In 1984 Jenny Pattrick wrote an article comparing two craftspeople/craft artists. She
detected a clear difference between the generations they represented. ‘In almost

every aspect of their potting lives they differ,’ she wrote, adding, ‘[b]ut each is, in
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part, a product of the times in which they trained.’ Graeme Storm’s training was
like many other craftspeople who began their career in the late 1950s and 1960s.

He was introduced to clay at Auckland Teachers’ College and Dunedin Teachers’
College. Although equipment for making pottery was available the staff at these

institutions could not teach pottery as none had any experience in the craft. Storm

therefore largely taught himself. Storm travelled to Canada and Finland where the
blue/green glazes at the Arabia pottery factory attracted his attention. On his return

he became the leader of a new direction in pottery in New Zealand where the
natural earth colours inspired by Japanese pottery and the writings of Bernard

Leach had dominated since the 1950s.

Debbie Pointon’s career was more focussed on aspects of design from the start and

she had institutions available that could support her. On leaving school in the late
1960s she was accepted for the graphic art course at Wellington Polytechnic School

Constructing Craft