Jug
Artist
Rosser, Carol
Production date
Circa 1976
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Object Detail
Title
Jug
Production date
Circa 1976
Medium
wheel-thrown, comb decoration, natural ash and salt glaze, wood fired
Measurements
30.7 x 17 x 13 cm
Object type
Interpretive text
Arthur and Carol Rosser were a husband and wife duo who practised in North Queensland (Townsville and Mackay), dedicating their careers to the production of wood fired pottery. Masters of their medium, they are recognised as part of the dispersed community of artists that contributed to the revival of stoneware pottery in Australia, a movement that slowly gained momentum from the late 1950s.
Over forty years the Rossers’ created a prolific body of work. Often self-sourcing and mixing clay bodies from local deposits, they built and experimented with their own kilns suitable for salt and later, long wood firings. This included an Anagama kiln (from Japanese for cave kiln) and their hybrid design Oztrain kiln. Over their careers they mastered salt glazing and developed their own natural ash glazes. Earthy red, brown and subtle green dribbles, minimal decoration, and robust, functional forms became the signature aesthetic of their oeuvre. In their later years they pursued pure wood firing—exploiting the natural, random effects of ash in the kiln to allow for unexpected decorative effects.
This jug was created during early part of Carol Rosser's career after the artists had built their first salt kiln at their Mackay hinterland property. It has incised comb decoration, applied green ash glaze and fine salt stipling showing indicating an early confidence in the production of salt glazed functional ware.
Artspace Mackay 2023
Over forty years the Rossers’ created a prolific body of work. Often self-sourcing and mixing clay bodies from local deposits, they built and experimented with their own kilns suitable for salt and later, long wood firings. This included an Anagama kiln (from Japanese for cave kiln) and their hybrid design Oztrain kiln. Over their careers they mastered salt glazing and developed their own natural ash glazes. Earthy red, brown and subtle green dribbles, minimal decoration, and robust, functional forms became the signature aesthetic of their oeuvre. In their later years they pursued pure wood firing—exploiting the natural, random effects of ash in the kiln to allow for unexpected decorative effects.
This jug was created during early part of Carol Rosser's career after the artists had built their first salt kiln at their Mackay hinterland property. It has incised comb decoration, applied green ash glaze and fine salt stipling showing indicating an early confidence in the production of salt glazed functional ware.
Artspace Mackay 2023
Credit line
Mackay Regional Council Art Collection, gift of Lorraine and Simon McConnell 2023.
Accession number
2023.83
