Event Details
'Burning Ground: The kilns of Bruce and Estelle Martin in conversation with Scott Brough and Holly Morgan'
Burning Ground embodies the living legacy of studio potters Bruce Martin (1925-2023) and Estelle Martin (1930-2001), alongside a new generation following in their footsteps.
Kamaka Pottery was the name the Martins gave to their iconic domestic ware – everyday pottery for the home – which they produced from the 1960s-1990s. The exhibition brings together Kamaka Pottery and contemporary work in dialogue with the setting of The Martin House – the John Scott-designed home and pottery studio built for the couple in 1970 at Bridge Pa, Hastings. Today, The Martin House is home to their granddaughter Frances Martin and her family, who are caretakers not only of the property but also of its creative legacies, including the Kamaka archive and two large, hand-built anagama (wood-fired) kilns.
Contemporary potters Holly Morgan and Scott Brough have recently revived one of the Martins’ heritage anagama kilns, firing it several times with the support of friends and fellow potters to produce new works for this exhibition. Each artist has created a new body of work that highlights the processes and joys of anagama firing.
Burning Ground also marks the 50th anniversary of the first-ever exhibition held in what is now Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga – Hastings Art Gallery, within the distinctive 1970s “honeycomb” architecture of its octagonal Main Gallery. Curated by Bruce Martin in 1975 for The N.Z. Society of Potters, that exhibition marked the beginning of a new cultural chapter. A passionate advocate for the civic importance of an art gallery in Hawke’s Bay, Bruce Martin’s vision makes this a fitting occasion to honour this legacy.
