Gwyn Hanssen Pigott (born 1935) makes hand-thrown, functional vessel forms that are usually, now, placed in particular grouped configurations. One of Australia's most highly-regarded ceramic artists, she has provided a most inspiring model for others for many decades. In 1954, when she was studying at the University of Melbourne, Hanssen Pigott became intrigued by the Chinese and Korean pottery in the National Gallery of Victoria. She worked with Ivan McMeekin at the Sturt workshops in Mittagong, then moved to England and worked with key studio potters of the time. Later, attracted by the freshness and vigour of traditional woodfired French stonewares, she set up a pottery in rural France, before returning to Australia in 1973. In the early 1970s she also saw the work of the 'still life' Italian painter Giorgio Morandi, and the groupings she makes now are very much influenced by this artist.

This group of five wheel-thrown, wood-fired porcelain vessels was made by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott at Finch Hatton, Queensland in 1993. By now she had 'started to look more closely at how pots, perfectly contained within themselves, sit with each other, changing each other'. She called the groups 'inseparable', 'still life' or 'family' groups. The space between the pots became as important to her as their shapes and colours and she is precise about the way they should be placed together.

Ceramic group, (5) 'Sombre still life', porcelain, made by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott and Finch Hatton, Queensland, Australia, 1993

Ceramic group, 'Sombre still life', a group of five wheel-thrown and wood-fired porcelain vessels (two bottles, jug, bowl and dish) which have been made to form a three-dimensional still life arrangement, each piece is glazed with a slightly different monochrome glaze with the glaze falling just short of the base (bottle -1, dark metallic grey with a glossy surface; bottle -2, bronze-brown with a low sheen to the surface; jug -3, deep steel grey exterior and pinkish tan interior and glossy surface; bowl -4, pinkish tan with a glossy surface; bowl -5, yellowish pale grey with a glossy surface). Made by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott at Finch Hatton, Queensland, Australia, 1993. NOTE: These objects exist only as a group, and must always be displayed very close together in the configuration shown in the catalogue photograph (see object file).

Made by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott and Finch Hatton, 1993

Purchased 1993

Makers impressed circular cypher marks and paper sticker on each piece: bottle -1, two impressed circular marks under the unglazed base, label reads 'Sombre Still/ Life 5pce.'; bottle -2, two impressed circular marks above the base under glaze, label reads 'Sombre Still Life/ 5pce. GHP'; jug -3, one impressed circular mark above the base under glaze, label reads 'Sombre Still/ Life 5pce.'; bowl -4, one impressed circular mark above the base under glaze, label reads 'Sombre Still/ Life 5pce.'; bowl -5, one impressed circular mark above the base under glaze, label reads 'Sombre Still/ Life 5pce.'

93/440/1

1993