John Bauer Biography
John Bauer, (born 1978 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa):
“Without porcelain I would be a bow without a violin.”
Exhibitions (selection): Annual - Joint Exhibitor – David Walters and friends: William Humphreys Art Gallery
2011 - Joint Exhibitor – Pottershop, Kalk Bay: Nostalgia - Design Indaba, Cape Town International Conference Centre
2010 - Supply Tractor Home of Australia - Joint Exhibitor – John Bauer and Judy Woodborne at The Cape Gallery - Design Indaba, Cape Town International Conference Centre
2009 - Palace, Abu Dhabi: Supply framed Tiles. - Joint Exhibitor – 2010 World Cup Football Fine Art Exhibition – ‘On Top of the World’, Visitor’s Centre at new Cape Town Football Stadium - Supply Anthropologie UK and US - Art.b Gallery, Bellville, Cape Town - Design Indaba, Cape Town International Conference Centre - Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town
2008 - Joint Exhibitor – Cape Africa Platform, Cape Town - Supply Anthropologie US - Art.b Gallery, Bellville, Cape Town
2007 - De Kraal Gallery, Paarl, Western Cape
2005 - Modern Artists Gallery, Goring, England - Durbanville Cultural Society, Cape Town
2003 - Art.b Gallery, Bellville, Cape Town
2002 - Joint Exhibitor – Exhibition of Miniatures, Gothaer, Germany
CREATIVE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • Design Indaba Cape Town 2009: Named as one of the top 10 South African designers by Visi and House and Leisure magazines
• Ceramics Commission for Anthropology (Fine Crafts Franchise, USA) 2008 and 2009; and Cobalt Museum Gallery, Norway 2007
• Magazine articles with photo feature: Design Indaba magazine 2009; Art Times 2006 and 2008; ArtThrob 2008; Elle Décor, Visi, House and Leisure magazines 2007, 2008 and 2009
• South African Television: SABC 3 Lifestyle Programme (The Power Within) 2008
• Works purchased by William Humphrey National Ceramics Museum, Kimberley for the Permanent Collection – 2007 and 2008
• “Semiotic Cohesion” – graphic novel featuring ceramic characters with co-creator, Tom McNally (editions 1 and 2) – May 2007
• Ceramic works held in commercial Modern Art Galleries in South Africa, England and Scotland
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• 2011: Savour the turtle project. • 2008 onwards: Collector of Netsuke (Miniature sculptures of Japan) • 2007 onwards: Chemical orphanage project. Collecting unused chemicals from retiring and emigrating potters that would be destined to sent into the dump. Such chemicals are highly toxic for the environment in their unfired states. • 2005 onwards: Development of new technologies of laminating micro-leaves of porcelain • 1999 onwards: Collector of doilies lace and tatting.
Artist Statements:
My life is an adventure. I have a twinkle in my eye and I am always thinking. I started a project some years ago, collecting redundant chemicals relearning the old master techniques of formulating glazes from elemental equations. It is an inefficient process compared to buying a bottle of “red” in a shop, however the control over color, texture, the flow and the surfaces is mine. I am totally absorbed by detail and can examine one square inch of carpet for twelve hours and this shows in my work.
People who buy my work are merely custodians as the work will be with us for the next 10,000 years. There is ceramic from every civilisation surviving in museums and I was fortunate to have a museum by collection of my work before age of thirty. Every piece I make must stand up to the last 3,000 years of ceramic history. If it cannot be at home next to a Sung dynasty bowl, a Grecian urn or the Egyptian paste grave goods then it should not be at all. I am a servant of the future.
