Barry Brickell: Potter

Barry Brickell is one of that small group of New Zealanders who have surrounded themselves, either by accident or by design, with the romantic aura of the artistic recluse, the 'man alone'. Many recognise and perhaps even envy a certain glamour attached to a successful potter living in a remote area of the Coromandel coast. On his property where he can dig and mix his clays, Brickell makes his pots, as well as indulging in a passion for homemade railways.

 

 

– Narrator Alan Jervis introduces Barry Brickell, at the start of this film

I chose Coromandel as a place to live for several reasons. First, it has a bit of wilderness to it — a wild backdrop. There's a back-of-beyond to it. . . . Second, it was a short trip to Auckland direct by sea, and I knew I'd be getting rid of cars one day, basing my life on boats as much as possible. And third, the geology is such that there are plenty of potters' materials.

– Barry Brickell writes about moving to Coromandel, Art New Zealand 7, August 1977

Brickell was also an early innovator in the ceramics field. His work combines whimsy and levity with complex technical knowledge and ability, and his forms developed into something completely original.

– Mary-Jane Duffy, in her backgrounder for this film