QUICKSILVER POTTERY

After graduating from Mills in 1970, I joined Chimney Potters, a group of women who had a storefront on Solano Avenue with a kiln in back. I bought a wheel and small electric kiln and made functional pottery to sell. In 1974 I rented space at Earthworks, a ceramics studio located on 8th Street in Berkeley in a block long, sawtooth warehouse. Located in the former industrial area of West Berkeley, it housed over thirty craft and performance artists. I moved to an adjacent space a year later, designed and built a gas kiln, and in 1977 took over the lease and moved in. I named my studio Quicksilver Pottery to reflect both the fluid nature of my life and my respect for the pottery tradition. In 1986 we named the building Kawneer when we formed a tenants association.

True to my roots as a studio potter, I formulated my own casting and decorating slips. I chose porcelain for its strengths and beauty using the finest English and American kaolin. I added flux to my decorating slip so it became a vitreous semi-glaze when high fired, gum to harden the surface, plus a drop of sodium silicate to make it more fluid. I built up colors by multi-firing pieces at bisque temperatures in an electric kiln. I glazed the inside for function but left the outside unglazed to preserve the color. Though delicate in appearance, pieces have the strength of traditional porcelain because the final fire was to cone 10–11 in a gas kiln.

By the early ‘80s I had professional equipment for mixing and reclaiming slip, a slip pump, a 6’ drain table, two electric kilns, plus my gas kiln.

I was a self-taught mold maker when I received an NEA grant and traveled to England. In Stoke-on-Trent I learned their method for soaping the mold to create a marble like surface: first a soap sponge, then a water sponge, repeat, and finally the soap sponge. I also developed an efficient way to make molds by using plaster rather than claying up: After drawing the release line, the object is placed level on a wad of clay and surrounded by a clay slab. Plaster is poured to a little above the release line. The object is removed. The plaster is smoothed down and keys are added. The object is repositioned so the release line is level with the plaster, and the clay slab is used to seal the edges. The second pour is the first side of the working mold.

For my production bottles, I made a case mold that I used to make my working molds. I combined plaster and hydrocal for strength, and cast the object in silicone for easier release.

When designing a piece, I didn’t start with a preconceived idea but let the act of working with the forms create the changes of proportion, movement, and humor I was after. Pieces are small in scale because they go through three firings from the initial bisque to the final high fire. Necks and bodies were cast from one mold, but spouts and handles were attached separately so that, along with color, each piece was unique. I created new work every year; not all series and pieces are included on this site.

I signed my pieces with my last name and the copyright date (date piece was designed). A number without the copyright symbol is the date the piece was made. A Roman numeral and number correspond to my record of the colors I used. I’ve reconstructed dates from my slides, publicity, photos, and memory; however, some dates are estimations. The ‘80s were pre-digital, pre-computer so it was harder to keep records with film camera and a typewriter.

Along with my teaching, I supported my studio with ACE fairs and studio sales. In 1980 I exhibited at the American Craft Council fair in San Francisco and for the first time wholesaled my bottles and connected with national galleries. In total, I exhibited at 11 ACE fairs around the country.

The mid-‘80s were a time of change. I began a series of geometric forms though still with a functional reference. I also began experimenting with a bone china casting slip and designed a line of earrings under the name Capriccio Ltd to replace my production work.

I closed my studio in 1988 when the building was sold (note to former self, take a business class). At this time, I added an “e” to the spelling of my first name. Although my legal name is Lynne Turner, my porcelain was created when I used the original spelling of my name “Lynn” Turner.

When I built my gas kiln, I made a kiln god to watch over my firings. She reminds me of the joy I experienced in 22 years working in clay.