BOOK REVIEW by Helen Harper
"NEW DESIGN IN CERAMICS" by Donald J. wilcox, pub.1970

A study of Scandinavian ceramics, of form and design in
clay. Excerpts: "Since 1963 the ceramics department at

the Ateneum has been run by Kylikki Salmenhaara, e fPugit-
ive from Arabia and undoubtedly one of the most forceful
potters Finland ever produced. ..-e«Miss Salmenhaara has a
tharough knowledge of ceramic chemstry, kiln-building anc
firing. ...5o0me of Miss Salmenhaara’s goals for student
potters:

1. Students must not be object oriented. He does not

come to class to produce form, but to learn about it. His
time For creativity will come later after he has developed
the discipline and technical competence he needs. In other
words, the pot is the END of the educational process, ot
the MEANS.

2. 4 pot develops from the inside out, and the student
should not be overly concerned about its exterior. If

the potter knows how to control the inside of his form, the
outside will develop correctly of its own accord.

3. A potter must learn the form emanates from within. when
he becomes artistically secure, he will be able to destroy
his own work without qualms, knowing that he can always
replace it by creating another that is better.

4. A potter who cannot build his own kiln and develop

and test his own clay and glaze has no right to use these
materials.

5. Only after the potter has thoroughly explored raw
materials should he tackle the problems of glaze, color
and surface texture.

6. The overall purpose of ceromics education is to expose
the student to the maximum number of artistic alternatives.
Once he knows and can handle all of these, then he is ready
to create controlled form."

*A scientific work of special value to potters on the subject
od red clay is THE MINERALOGICAL COMPOSITION OF AGRILLACEDUS
SEDIMENTS OF FINLAND by U. Soveri. This pamphlet, as well

as reports by Miss Salmenhaara on her experiments with red
clay, can be obtained by writing her at the steneum."
(Ateneum, Railway iaquare, Helsinki 10, Finland.)

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