Merric Boyd Studio Potter 1888-1959

Merric Boyd was the first notable studio potter in Australia and he began potting at a time when the idea of studio pottery was not widely known here. Despite this climate he was able to make pottery his vocation, supporting himself and a sizeable family, and by the twenties and thirties he was acclaimed for making pottery that was distinctively Australian and regarded as an artform.

Because of the influence of the Leach-Hamada Anglo-Oriental tradition in Australia and the almost exclusive acceptance by the fifties of this aesthetic for pottery, Merric Boyd’s popularity waned to the point of almost total neglect. However, his life-time passion for pottery as a serious creative endeavour, and his imaginative exploration of the rich potential of clay, relate very much to contemporary attitudes and practice in ceramics.

His work is therefore more likely to be appreciated today than at any time since the fifties. It is appropriate and timely that this exhibition provides us with an opportunity to evaluate his pottery and reflect on his career.

In this exhibition we return to the beginnings of studio pottery in Australia and the experience should give us a clearer understanding of the evolution of eighty years of functional and sculptural studio ceramics in this country.

Sourced from: Hammond, Victoria. Merric Boyd: Studio Potter, 1888–1959. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 1990.