Wedgewood: Celebrating 250 Years NGV Melbourne

I seem to like to like small exhibitions rather than the big block busters. I didn't see Dali for instance (Salvador Dali, LIquid Desire), but in the past week I have seen not one but four smaller exhibitions.

Today I spent a hot afternoon in the cool of the NGV at the exhibition; Wedgwood: Celebrating 250 Years. The beautiful and diverse pottery objects are from the NGV's own collection mostly thanks to the bequest by Keith and Norma Deutsher.

The display is in the hallway on the upper balcony of the Great Hall, so between the display cases you can admire the gorgeous great hall ceiling and enjoy the shafts of light coming through. Of course we are all familiar with the "japser ware", the matt finihsed coloured pottery, usually in blue, green or pink, with snow white grecian neoclassical images set in relief.

Everyone has a piece of jasper Wedgwood or if they don't, their mother, grandmother, sister, or best friend does. I have an oval broach purchased in London in the 80's. My friend Kerry collects the jasper mantel ornaments for instance and my mothers one piece of Wedgwood is a trinket holder, green jasper ware in which she keeps her jewelry. The familiarity of this pottery is comforting, relatable and thoroughly enjoyable in the context of the NGV.

The scope of diversity in the styles and designs of the pieces however is the lovely surprise of the exhibition. (You can see the scope across the photos of the exhibition released for the media kit. .)

The labels to the wall cases give very good historical points about the developement and social history context to the designs. For me, the history is the aspect that brings the objects and people behind them to life, telling their stories and giving context, even though, yes, they do stand as beautiful objects on their own sans information.

 Three lovely pieces are the pie pots made to look like pastry, a design which became very popular in the late eitghteenth century despite Joseph initially dessiting from the style as his kids didn't really like it when he asked what they thought. Another lovely short story told is about the family insignia placed on commissioned pieces which Joseph didn't like doing. He then recognised he could "make a lot or very little" from the trend and stepped in line with what the aristocracy wanted. He was indeed an astute businessman. In fact one regular patron of the pottery was Catherine the Great of Russia who had a whole dinner service commissioned picturing remote English castles in the gothic style. If you see the exhibition check out the "frog" stamp and history of that on her set.

The Melbourne connection also comes as a surprise. Apparently John Flaxman, one of the Wedgwood designers and modellers had a mate called Tulk.  Henry Tulk was one of the founders of the university of Melbourne, one of the more enlightened leaders in the colony and also librarian at the State Library. He in fact lobbied for a state art gallery which in time led to the later establishment of the NGV. Upon reading that I looked up and gave the building a wave on his behalf. His sons widow sold one of the pieces to the NGV (perhpas it came from father from friend?) shrinking the world remarkably and creating only one degree of separation between the NGV and the Wedgwood studio.

My favourite piece is not pictured. Its a lidded jar in "lilac jasper with green fashioned in the way of a building". Or to me, in the fashion of a roman- style- garden- pavillion- with- white- fluted -columns- and corinthian capitols. The chequered background pattern with green leaf decoration has a name I can't remember, but the detail of how this recedes on the lid to give shrinking perspective is just breathtakingly delicate and beautiful. I don't usually like squares or chequered patterns but I'll make an exception for this. Its just amazing. Looking at the smae object with a more contemporary eye, it would be a lidded coffee mug if it had a handle. Or even as is, without.

My other favourite piece was a tea set of "caneware". this is a technique where the inside of the pieces are glazed but the outside are not; they're left as matt surface "biscuit" pottery with decoration. I really liked it. I later realised the the pie dishes as well as the decorated tea set were all caneware.

All in all it was a lovely and informative exhibit. If you take the time to read the rather dark labels there is a lot of information there. Its a shame there is not more interpretation beyond the labels and the introductory wall panel but for the history boffins like me you can glean quite a lot. For those whol love pretty objects you too will enjoy the celebration of 250 years of Wedgwood. Big thanks to Keith and Norma Deutsher for their foresight in leaving this collection to a public institution.