Deborah Schaler - EHPR 2015 - Listening, Learning, Improving
Deborah Halpern · 2015. 5. 21. · Created Date: 5/11/2015 3:26:03 PM
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I PROFILE DEBORAH HALPERN Stepping out of the mainstream to catch a vision led to a larger than life career in ceramics he outsider in modern mythol- ogy is a romantic character. [n reality, it is a tricky role to play well. To revel in one's differ- onces. onemust believe in their intrinsic worth. Deborah Hal- pern, agedthirty-one. was, in a sense, born an outsider.Her parents,Mel- bourne potters Sylvia and Artur Halpern, were among those who started the Potters' Cottage in marginal Warrandyte in the fif- ties. Artur wasPolishand a trained engineer. According to his daughter,he ran his com- mercial pottery studio as he would haverun an engineering workshop. Sylvia, who has survived her husband, is a studio potter who broke free of secretarial chains. They sent their daughter into town, to the Establishment'sMethodist Ladies' Col- lege. Later, determined not to be a potter, she studied literature at university and journal- ism at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Tech- nology. But her mind resented being trimmed. Sheabandoned the mainstream and during the shake-out months established that she would never again work for anybody, never go on the dole andnever again pay rent. The mud-brick culture was in its hey- day. Halpern built a house with her boyfriend with borrowed money and agreed to become her father's apprentice to pay the bills. He 152 Vogue AustraliaSeptember 1988 firing - was working in the favouredearthy tones of the seventies, but in his cupboardshe kept multi-coloured pottery from a previous era. She took a paintbox and began to play with his throwaways. Halpern's father died and in 1978 she and her mother held a joint exhibition at the Potters' Cottage. "In all of our eyes I was a completely unknown quantity," she recalls. "What I was doing didn't fit into anybody's frame of reference." The responseto her work wasoverwhelming. But the next year she left Warrandyte to study painting and go into showbiz with Tony Edwards ("half of the Black Cat Cafe"). Their performing career culminated at the Last Laugh. Halpern learnt how to crack whips for that show, practising in a vacant lot behind her St Kilda apartment. When showbiz ceased to be fun. she put forward an "outrageous and totally improbable" application to the Australia Council's CraftsBoardfor assistance with an exhibition of life-size ceramicfurniture. That grant was probably responsible for Halpern now beingconsidered oneofAustralia'slive- liest and most ambitious exponents of ceramicsculpture. Halpern is a rampantly fertile artist. Her shopfront studio in North Melbourne seeps into her living quarters above. There are no undecorated spaces. The bathroom walls are lined with her unmatched tiles, the kitchon cupboards are sketch pads, the benchesare laden with her painterly mugs and miniature ceramic furniture all func- tional, asa matter of principle for the potters' daughter. Paintings commissionedby het dentist ("he insisted there be no teeth show- ing") lean against chairs. Whimsical cush- ions, the fruit of a .barren Chdstrnas, are stacked on couches. China, her dog, finds floor space under her trestle desk. We talk about Gaudi. the architectural artist who was given the run of Barcelona; of the maverick Hundertwasser; and the re- markablepartnershipof Niki de Saint-Phalle and Jean Tingluey, who did the water play- ground next to the PompidouCentrein Paris. These unaffiliated artists are her inspiration, Halpern'svision is not being starved of attention. Her work is soughtafter by private and public collectors, and, inevitably, it has broken out of the intimacy of home and gallery. Her most recent creation, scheduled for unveiling this month, will standin monu- mental festivity in St Kilda Road, its three ceramic-clad legs planted in the murky moat of the National Gallery of Victoria. This prestigious commission has been largely funded by the Australian Bicentennial Authority. The gallery's curator of sculpture, Geoffrey Edwards, says it exposesan art form which is amongthe freshest,mostvig- orous and most experimental in Australia. After forebodingsabout tackling such a grandiose project, Halpern persuaded her- self to "stop being such a coward, to pick it up, play with it, to make a commitment to it being the best tlring you have ever done". Perhapsit is the defence reflex of a fringe dweller which prompts her to add: 'A lot of peoplehavetrouble with my work because it is an outpouring of who I am. It is not a state- ment aboutthe world . . . But thereis some- thing in my work which touchesthe kid in people,and evenifthey disapprove ofit, they often laugh at it." She reaches again for her book on Hundertwasserand, as if searchingfor an appropriate scripture, opens it at a photo- graphof his rpiraculouslywhimsicalhouse in staid, imperial Vienna. The existence of such a house, in such an environment, feeds her resolveto let her playful imaginationhave its head. "For me, to see Hundertwasser is very strengthening,because I am alwaysan out- sider. I can't be more sophisticated. I make what I am." Her monument has two heads. Some saythat'sbetter than one. Diana Bagnall
Transcript of Deborah Halpern · 2015. 5. 21. · Created Date: 5/11/2015 3:26:03 PM
I PROFILE DEBORAH HALPERN
Steppingout of themainstreamto catcha visionled to alarger thanlife careerin ceramics
he outsider in modern mythol-ogy is a romantic character. [nreality, it is a tricky role to playwell. To revel in one's differ-onces. one must believe in theirintrinsic worth. Deborah Hal-pern, aged thirty-one. was, in
a sense, born an outsider. Her parents, Mel-bourne potters Sylvia and Artur Halpern,were among those who started the Potters'Cottage in marginal Warrandyte in the fif-ties. Artur was Polish and a trained engineer.According to his daughter, he ran his com-mercial pottery studio as he would have runan engineering workshop. Sylvia, who hassurvived her husband, is a studio potter whobroke free of secretarial chains.
They sent their daughter into town, tothe Establishment's Methodist Ladies' Col-lege. Later, determined not to be a potter, shestudied literature at university and journal-
ism at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Tech-nology. But her mind resented beingtrimmed. She abandoned the mainstream andduring the shake-out months established thatshe would never again work for anybody,never go on the dole and never again pay rent.
The mud-brick culture was in its hey-day. Halpern built a house with her boyfriendwith borrowed money and agreed to becomeher father's apprentice to pay the bills. He
152 Vogue AustraliaSeptember 1988
firing-
was working in the favoured earthy tones ofthe seventies, but in his cupboards he keptmulti-coloured pottery from a previous era.She took a paintbox and began to play withhis throwaways.
Halpern's father died and in 1978 sheand her mother held a joint exhibition at thePotters' Cottage. "In all of our eyes I was acompletely unknown quantity," she recalls."What I was doing didn't fit into anybody'sframe of reference." The response to herwork was overwhelming.
But the next year she left Warrandyteto study painting and go into showbiz withTony Edwards ("half of the Black CatCafe"). Their performing career culminatedat the Last Laugh. Halpern learnt how tocrack whips for that show, practising in avacant lot behind her St Kilda apartment.
When showbiz ceased to be fun. sheput forward an "outrageous and totallyimprobable" application to the AustraliaCouncil's Crafts Board for assistance with anexhibition of life-size ceramic furniture. Thatgrant was probably responsible for Halpernnow being considered one ofAustralia's live-liest and most ambitious exponents ofceramic sculpture.
Halpern is a rampantly fertile artist.Her shopfront studio in North Melbourneseeps into her living quarters above. There
are no undecorated spaces. The bathroomwalls are lined with her unmatched tiles, thekitchon cupboards are sketch pads, thebenches are laden with her painterly mugsand miniature ceramic furniture all func-tional, as a matter of principle for the potters'daughter. Paintings commissioned by hetdentist ("he insisted there be no teeth show-ing") lean against chairs. Whimsical cush-ions, the fruit of a .barren Chdstrnas, arestacked on couches. China, her dog, findsfloor space under her trestle desk.
We talk about Gaudi. the architecturalartist who was given the run of Barcelona; ofthe maverick Hundertwasser; and the re-markable partnership of Niki de Saint-Phalleand Jean Tingluey, who did the water play-ground next to the Pompidou Centre in Paris.These unaffiliated artists are her inspiration,
Halpern's vision is not being starved ofattention. Her work is sought after by privateand public collectors, and, inevitably, it hasbroken out of the intimacy of homeand gallery.
Her most recent creation, scheduledfor unveiling this month, will stand in monu-mental festivity in St Kilda Road, its threeceramic-clad legs planted in the murky moatof the National Gallery of Victoria. Thisprestigious commission has been largelyfunded by the Australian BicentennialAuthority. The gallery's curator of sculpture,Geoffrey Edwards, says it exposes an artform which is among the freshest, most vig-orous and most experimental in Australia.
After forebodings about tackling sucha grandiose project, Halpern persuaded her-self to "stop being such a coward, to pick itup, play with it, to make a commitment to itbeing the best tlring you have ever done".Perhaps it is the defence reflex of a fringedweller which prompts her to add: 'A lot ofpeople have trouble with my work because itis an outpouring of who I am. It is not a state-ment about the world . . . But there is some-thing in my work which touches the kid inpeople, and even ifthey disapprove ofit, theyoften laugh at it."
She reaches again for her book onHundertwasser and, as if searching for anappropriate scripture, opens it at a photo-graph of his rpiraculously whimsical house instaid, imperial Vienna. The existence of sucha house, in such an environment, feeds herresolve to let her playful imagination have itshead. "For me, to see Hundertwasser is verystrengthening, because I am always an out-sider. I can't be more sophisticated. I makewhat I am."
Her monument has two heads. Somesay that's better than one. Diana Bagnall
