These two contrasting forms are superb examples of Ian Sprague’s stonewares, taking strong cues from the Leach pots of the 1950’s and 60’s. They will be sold as part of our 6th July sale.
Ian Sprague was born in Geelong in 1920, and attended school at the Geelong Grammar. After spending WWII in PNG, he completed an architectural degree at Melbourne University, which resulted in an unsatisfying job…
His pivotal moment came after a series car crash in Scotland required a ‘hobby’ for rehab – he discovered pottery. In England he was in the right place to learn, and from 1958-60, he attended The London Central School of Arts & Crafts, including 2 months with the Bernard Leach pottery in Devon.
Returning to Melbourne, he sought to bring the magic of the Bernard Leach design philosophy to the colonials… planning to make ‘ethical pots in the Anglo–Japanese tradition founded by Bernard Leach’.
Buying land in Upper Beaconsfield, he called it ‘Mungeribar’, meaning “red clay” in the local Aboriginal (Woiwurrung) language. He specialised in functional, beautiful pieces, developing a distinct high-fired clay mixture, often in an ash glaze, as seen in these pieces.
In 1964 he established the Craft Centre in South Yarra, “a display centre and exhibition gallery for Australia’s highest standard craft work”. This went on to become the present-day government run Meat Market Craft Center in North Melbourne.
