STEVE HARRISON

 

Born 1952, U.K.  Arrived in Australia 1956

 

Training

 

1971-72            East Sydney Technical College, Ceramics Certificate

1973                 Apprenticeship with Japanese Potter Shiga Shigeo

1979                 East Sydney Technical College, Ceramics Post Certificate, Research Strand

1988-95            Master of Arts, Hons. (M.A. Hons. Research - woodfiring), Wollongong University

1998                 PhD candidature, University of Western Sydney

 

Solo Exhibitions

 

1991     Woodfired Pots  Legge Gallery

1992     Little White Lies  Legge Gallery

1993     Axe man ... Spare that tree  Legge Gallery

1994     We have seen the enemy  Legge Gallery

1995     You arrogant French Bastard  Legge Gallery

1996     Side by Side & Back to Back  Back to Back Gallery, Newcastle

            Self Knowledge through Guan and High Water  Legge Gallery

1997     Leave the window open  Legge Gallery

1998     From a Point of Singularity to a Position of Sharing  Legge Gallery

2000     Another Senseless Act of Beauty  Legge Gallery

2004     From the Ground Up Legge Gallery

2006     Dirty Little Secrets Legge Gallery

 

Group Exhibitions

 

1972     Graduate Show  Cell Block, East Sydney Technical College

1973     Patana Gallery, Manly Vale

1978     Potters Society Gallery, Sydney

            Fishers Ghost Festival, Campbelltown City Gallery

            Macquarie Gallery, Sydney

1979     First National Ceramics Conference, Speakers' Exhibition

            Port Hacking Potters Group

1980     Dozen Different Ways  Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and Crafts Board,

Australia Council travelling show

1981     Blaxland Gallery, Sydney

            National Ceramics Conference, Speakers' Exhibition

1982     Exhibition with Peter Rushforth and Janine King, Le-Var, Shipley

1983     Ceramic Staff Show  Cell Block Theatre, East Sydney Technical College

            National Ceramics Conference, Speakers' Exhibition

1985     Ceramic Staff Show  Cell Block Theatre, East Sydney Technical College

            National Ceramics Conference, Speakers' Exhibition

1986     Port Hacking Potters Group

            National Ceramic Award Exhibition  Canberra

            Clay Statements  Toowoomba

            National Woodfire Conference, Speakers exhibition  La Trobe Valley Arts Centre

1987     Australian touring show, Canada and U.S.A.

            National Ceramic Award Exhibition  Centre Gallery, Surfers Paradise

1988     National Ceramic Award Exhibition  Canberra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1989     Jan Jones Contemporary Art, Moss Vale

            Q.P.A. Woodfire Show, Brisbane

            Woodfire '89  Three Ways Gallery, Gulgong; Orange; Potters Society

            Butterflies Gallery, Pokolbin

1990     Campbelltown Art Gallery

1991     Group Show of Five  Legge Gallery

            When Love Blooms  Legge Gallery

1992     Goulburn Regional Art Gallery

            The Environment Show  The Long Gallery, Wollongong University

            Thisness  Legge Gallery

1993     Tempest  Legge Gallery

            Fire up Gulgong  Mudgee Art Gallery

            Clay at Cache  Potters Society Group Show, Mosman

1994     Fourth Australian Contemporary Art Fair  Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            Three small precious bowls  Ceramic Study Group, Sydney

            Works in Clay  Southern Highlands Regional Gallery, Moss Vale

            Artists Don't Believe In Sanity Clause  Legge Gallery

1995     Juggling the Elements  Manly Art Gallery

            Christmas Exhibition  Legge Gallery

1996     The Poetic Table: a ceramic celebration  Jan Taylor Gallery, North Sydney

            The Vessel  ANU Art School Gallery, Canberra

            Woodfire Survey Show  8th National Ceramics Conference

            Post Pak  Llewellyn Theatre, ANU, Canberra

            Sentinel  Manly Art Gallery

            Fifth Australian Contemporary Art Fair  Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            Ceramics Purchase Prize  Fishers Ghost Festival, Campbelltown City Gallery

            Mellow Down Easy  Legge Gallery

1997     Sanguine Valediction  Legge Gallery

            Teawares  Distelfink, Melbourne

            Local Matter  Campbelltown City Gallery

            New Work: Vivienne Ferguson, Julie Harris, Steve Harrison, Kathryn Orton  Legge Gallery

            Homebrand  Casula Power House

            Clouds  Southern Highlands Regional Gallery, Moss Vale

1998     The Woodfired Aesthetic  Distelfink, Melbourne

            Sixth Australian Contemporary Art Fair  Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            Group Show  Mura Clay Gallery, Sydney

            Silver  Ivan Dougherty Gallery

            Christmas Show  Legge Gallery

1999     Pre-Dinner Drinks  Mura Clay Gallery

            Evolution  Legge Gallery

            The Spirit of the Highlands  Southern Highlands Regional Gallery, Moss Vale

            A dozen small bowls  Legge Gallery

            Rice Bowls  Jam Factory, Adelaide

            10th Summer Exhibition  Legge Gallery

2000     Ceramics - The Australian Context  Campbelltown City Art Gallery

            Cerebration  Manly Art Gallery

            Locality - An Environmental Installation

            Ten Years  Legge Gallery

            10th Birthday Exhibition  Mura Clay Gallery

            Seventh Australian Contemporary Art Fair  Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            11th Summer Exhibition  Legge Gallery

2001     The Great Aussie Cuppa  Mura Clay Gallery

            The sum of disparate parts  Hazelhurst Community Gallery

            Group Show  Legge Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002     Melbourne Art Fair 2002 Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            Group Show Legge Gallery

            Group Show Southern Highlands Regional Gallery

            Summer Show Legge Gallery

2003     Future Function Manly Art Gallery and Museum

            Reflections of the Southern Highlands Southern Highlands Regional Gallery

            Ceramics- The Australian & New Zealand Context Campbelltown Art Gallery and Southern Highlands Regional Gallery

            Summer Show Legge Gallery

2004     Melbourne Art Fair 2004 Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            New Zealand National Potters Conference Invited Artist, New Zealand

            Group Show Southern Highlands Regional Gallery

2005     Summer Show Legge Gallery

            Group Show, Northern Beaches Institution of Technology

            Celebrating the Master, Skepsi Gallery, Melbourne

2006     Melbourne Art Fair 2006 Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

            Encrusted Skepsi Gallery, Melbourne

            Clay Statements, Verge conference, Brisbane

           

Collections

 

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

Manly Art Gallery

Southern Highlands Regional Gallery

Campbelltown City Gallery

Wollongong University

 

 

Other Professional Achievements

 

1973     Traineeship Grant from Crafts Board of the Australia Council

1974     Workshop Establishment Grant from Crafts Board of the Australia Council

1978     winner, thrown ceramics section, Fishers Ghost Festival, Campbelltown City Gallery

represented Australia at the Hiri-Mauli Festival in Port Moresby, New Guinea under the auspices of the Crafts Board of the Australia Council

1979     Appointed committee member of the Potters Society of Australia

1980     winner, open throwing section, Port Hacking Potters' Group

1984     wrote 'Clay and Firing Technology' subject syllabus for T.A.F.E.'s revised ceramics courses

1986     winner, open throwing section, Port Hacking Potters' Group

1987     commissioned to build a special kiln for the tile mural for the New Parliament House, Canberra

 

 

Consultancies

 

1976-2002         Consulting to industry and private individuals, artists, etc. on woodfired kiln design and

construction

1987                 Ceramic technology consultant to Oldroyd/Ramsden partners for the large tile mural for the New Parliament House, Canberra

                        Consultant to Cameron Williams of Pump & Crank Pty Ltd to produce some of the large decorative ceramics for the New Parliament House, Canberra

1988                 Consultant to Sturt Workshops on Ceramic Technology

1989                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. writing 'Clay and Firing Technology' subject syllabus for T.A.F.E.'s revised ceramics courses

1990                 Consultant to New South Wales T.A.F.E. on O.H. & S.

 

 

 

 

 

1991                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. on kiln technology

                        Consultant to University of Western Sydney, Kingswood, on ceramic technology

1992                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. on ceramic technology syllabus development

                        Consultant to Sturt Workshops on kiln technology

                        Consultant to T.A.F.E. on gas kiln installation and safety

                        Consultant to University of Western Sydney, Kingswood, on Natural Gas Conversion

                        Consultant to University of Queensland on salt kiln scrubber technology

1993                 Consultant to University of Sydney on ceramic furnace upgrade/conversion

                        Consultant to University of New South Wales on kiln technology

1994                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. on process after-burner, woodfired kiln smoke elimination technology

Consultant to Sydney Institute of Technology, East Sydney campus, on salt kiln scrubber technology

1996                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. on relocatable burner technology

2005                 Consultant to T.A.F.E. on process after-burner, woodfired kiln smoke elimination technology

 

 

 

Teaching

 

1974-75, 1988-91           Part-time teacher , National Art School, ceramics department

1976-87                        Part time teacher, East Sydney Technical College, ceramics department

1975                             Tutor, Ceramic Study Group, summer school

1976                             Guest lecturer, Canberra Potters Society

1977-79                        Part time teacher, Alexander Mackie Art School, ceramics department

1977                             Tutor, University of New South Wales, summer school

                                    Guest lecturer, Potters Society technical lectures

1978                             Guest lecturer, The National Arts School, Port Moresby, New Guinea

                                    Guest lecturer, The Ceramic Study Group, Port Moresby, New Guinea

1978-79                        Tutor, 'Glenheather' Summer Schools

1979                             Part-time teacher, St. George Technical College, ceramics department

1980-87                        Part-time teacher, Sydney College of the Arts, ceramics department

1981                             Visiting lecturer, Gippsland C.A.E., ceramics department

1982                             Guest lecturer, University of Tasmania, ceramics department

                                    Visiting lecturer, Bernie Technical College, Tasmania, (twice)

                                    Guest lecturer, Launceston C.A.E.

                                    Guest lecturer, Tasmanian Potters Society, Hobart

1983                             Kiln building workshop, Kelvin Grove C.A.E., Brisbane

                                    Guest lecturer, Wollongong Ceramic Society

1983-87                        Masters Degree Supervisor, Sydney College of the Arts, ceramics department

1986                             Guest lecturer, Ceramic Study Group

                                    Speaker (major session), 1st National Woodfire Conference, Gippsland C.A.E.

1983-90                        Part-time teacher, Dapto Technical College, ceramics department

1988                             Guest lecturer, Narromine Potters Group, Narromine

1989                             Visiting lecturer, Ballarat School of Mines, ceramics department

 

 

Bibliography

 

Draper, Mark:             Accomplished Wood Fire Potter: An Exhibition of the Work of Stephen Harrison, Ceramics: Art and Perception, no.9, 1992

Harrison, Steve:          Janine Schenkel at Mura Clay Gallery, Newtown, Pottery in Australia, vol.30 no.1, 1991

Harrison, Steve:          Pottery in Australia, vol.14 no.1, vol.15 no.1, vol.15 no.2, vol.17 no.2, vol.20 no.2, vol.23 no.1, vol.24 no.1, vol.24 no.2, vol.24 no.3, vol.26 no.1, vol.26. no.2, vol.26 no.4, vol.27 no.1, vol.27 no.2, vol.28 no.3, vol.29 no.2, vol.29 no.3

Harrison, Steve:          Thoroughly Modern Milling, 1976

Harrison, Steve:          Laid Back Woodfiring, 1979, reprinted 1980

Harrison, Steve:          Proceedings of the National Ceramics Conference, 1985

Harrison, Steve:          co-author, Handbook for Australian Potters, 1985; reprinted 1986, 1989

Harrison, Steve:          Woodfire '86, Gippsland Institute, 1986

Harrison, Steve:          Gippsland C.A.E. Woodfire survey, 1986

Harrison, Steve:          Clay Statements, 1987

Harrison, Steve:          regular contributor to Potters Society Technical Bulletin, 1979-1985

Harrison, Steve:          Ceramics, Art and Perception, no.2

Harrison, Steve:          Woodfired Refectory Dishes, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1991

Harrison, Steve:          Statement, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1991

Harrison, Steve:          The Cryptic Clues, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1992

Harrison, Steve:          Little White Lies, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1992

Harrison, Steve:          Axe man ... spare that tree, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1993

Harrison, Steve:          A brief history of fission, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 1995

Harrison, Steve:          Another Senseless Act of Beauty, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 2000

Harrison, Steve:          From the Ground Up, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 2004

Harrison, Steve:          from the ground up: An exhibition at Legge Gallery, The Journal of Australian Ceramics, November 2004

Harrison, Steve:          Dirty Little Secrets, (catalogue notes) Legge Gallery, 2006

McDonald, John:        Spectrum, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21/9/96

nine TO five:                 Sydney Update, Bowled Over, Issue 505, 6/7/98

Stevens, Helen:          Steve Harrison at Legge Gallery, Pottery in Australia, vol.30 no.1, 1991

Wentworth Courier:       Surfaces lush and tactile, 18/10/00