Degustation bowls 2006

Abstract

Within the area of ceramics, there is very little work that explores the investigation of the relationship between the hand made and the industrial. Due to expense and access, the application of conventional high end manufacturing techniques and equipment to developed small scale design works has been prohibitive.

However, due to a serendipitous turn of events, Jacqueline Clayton has been afforded access to purchase and utilise industrial equipment designed for producing multiples in a manufacturing setting for her small scale, designer work. Clayton’s Degustation Bowls were produced in a studio like environment with a focus on sustainable practice. This involved local design, materials, manufacture and market, and extended to the development of a particularly sturdy ‘unbreakable’ bowl in order to decrease the need for replacement. Although designed for a restaurant setting, where crockery is frequently broken and replaced, the Degustation Bowl champions sustainability by enduring tough working conditions.

The significance of Degustation Bowls is attested to by their inclusion in the exhibition Smartworks: design and the handmade at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and their use and commission by the Quay Restaurant, Sydney.