Lucie Rie, the wave
Lucie Rie (1902-1995) was one of the most important potters of the 20th century. Born Lucie Gomperz in Vienna, in 1938 she moved to Britain, where she spent the rest of her life. Though retaining conventional vase and bowl shapes, Rie created a highly expressive and original formal language, influenced by traditions ranging from prehistoric pots to Islamic fritware. Her technique was also innovative, notably for the combination of earthenware with thick stoneware glazes and the practice of decorating and glazing pots before once-firing them.
The Wave is one of four pieces by Rie at Kettle's Yard, all produced between 1970 and 1974 and acquired by Jim Ede in those same years. The title derives from the undulating shape of the rim, a feature that became one of Rie's trademarks, which she achieved by squeezing the bowl into an oval while throwing. The white surface of the bowl is animated by dark flecks: though a master in the use of coloured glazes, Rie once confessed that she favoured her white pieces.
The Wave is part of a group of objects carefully arranged by Ede with a subtle balance of light and dark. The display strongly resembles a still-life and has a distinct altar-like appearance. The objects on the slate table establish an arresting dialogue with the black and white collages by Italo Valenti hanging behind them - fittingly known as a 'triptych'. The juxtaposition of the bowl with the Cypriot jug on the floor, dating from c.700 b.C., adds a fascinating interplay between ancient and modern to Ede's composition.
material - stoneware bowl with white glaze
location - extension below slate