Anne Masters

n December 2011, after graduating with a Masters of Visual Arts from the Australian National University’s School of Art (now School of Art + Design) (ANUSOAD), Anne was awarded the inaugural EASS Artist in Residence by Canberra Potters Society (CPS).

“I spent six weeks in Studio 3 feeling quite in awe of the space given it was nearly 5 times the space I had been allocated during my studies at the ANUSOAD Ceramics Workshop. 

The residency allowed me to learn new techniques and skills as well as research time to investigate ideas for new work. Fellow graduate Sylvia Marris, who was teaching at the time at CPS, provided me with guidance on slip casting small beakers. I created art deco designs, based on Canberra’s floral emblem – The Royal Bluebell – using shellac techniques to form a pattern on my beakers.

 During my time at CPS, I also took advantage of sourcing ideas from the library. I came across View from the Summit of Mount Ainslie, 1911[i] a rendering of American architect Walter Burley Griffin’s imagined Canberra by his professional partner and wife Marion Mahony Griffin.

I was quite taken by the beautiful watercolour drawing which had influences from Japan and the USA. I decided to tuck this drawing away for a potential body of new work as I knew I didn’t have enough time at CPS to develop it.

Fast forward and in January/February 2013, I was able to use this image as a basis for a six-week International Artist in Residence project which I was awarded by Guldagergaard – International Ceramic Research Centre - located in Denmark. In February 2014, a body of work resulting from this international residency was exhibited as part of a group exhibition, CeraMIX, at FORM Studio and Gallery.”