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ANTON
BOSCH
- CERAMIC ARTIST
Anton Bosch has
lived and worked near the town of White River in South Africa for some
thirty years. In the scenic north-eastern corner of the province of
Mpumalanga - best known for it’s famous wildlife landmark, the Kruger
National Park - he has made a name for himself as a leading ceramist.
Born into an artistic household - his father is celebrated ceramist
Esias Bosch - Anton grew up playing and working with clay. After
majoring in painting and drawing at the Pretoria Art School, he returned
to ceramics. He soon established himself as a potter in whose work the
painterly aspect plays a significant role.
It is clear from the scope of Anton’s work that he is a versatile
ceramic artist. He has mastered complex techniques to produce a wide
range of ceramics which is distinguished by one common feature: the
artist’s honest expression of himself. He regards working with clay as
an experience which brings him into intimate contact with the natural
world and he attempts to offer an authentic sense of this connection in
his art. Thus the human figure, birds, trees, leaves, flowers,
butterflies, fish, chameleons, shells, stars and moons abound in his
decoration.
But underneath the decoration lies a deeper level of meaning, because
Anton often uses form and flat surface as his ‘canvas’ to ‘tell
stories.’ In this way the images he depicts are transformed into
metaphors which tell stories - personal and universal.
Anton emphasises that although his work has a narrative quality, it is
not intellectual and remote. He illustrates his point by singling out
some examples from the prolific collection of his current work: a large,
voluptuous , vivid yellow vase; a tiny, translucent porcelain bowl in
which a jewel-like butterfly nestles; the dream-like landscape of a wall
mural with its tactile, marble-like texture; a hand-built vessel which
is simultaneously primitive and sophisticated; a huge, generous platter
across which a bird sweeps in full flight; a pedestal bowl, simple and
elegant and a series of plates decorated with variations on the theme of
erotica.
‘I like to think my work is
accessible simply because everyone can find their own meaning in what I
am trying to express,’ he says.
Anton’s work has been exhibited extensively in South Africa and it is
featured in various national and international collections as well as in
the Keramion Museum in Hanover, Germany. His studio and gallery, set in
the lush garden of his beautiful home, is an informal venue where
visitors are welcomed by Anton and his wife, Hanlie.
Click here to view Chronology
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