Fifty Years of Australian Ceramics

The exhibition Fifty Years of Australian Ceramics curated by Gillian McCracken showcased a half century of Australian pottery and ceramics from the mid-twentieth century. All works were selected from the extensive Newcastle collection to illustrate the development of Australian studio pottery and the diverse influences that can be traced from other cultural traditions, most notably Europe and Japan. The exhibition also illustrated how the selected works reflect and comment on social changes and attitudes in Australia during this period. As part of this exhibition, White's work engages with the development of a distinct vessel based aesthetic in contemporary Australian ceramics. The work illustrates his continuing interest in interpreting the ceramic traditions of Japan, particularly the blue and white painted decoration of Arita ceramics and the Japonisme seen in British ceramics of the late 19th century.