Autobiography -  Mary Gole Papua New Guinea potter

Contents Home	I was born and raised in the fairly traditional village of Kevana, on the slopes of Mt Lamington in the Oro Province. As a child I saw my mother gather and prepare the clay to make fine pots, which is something she learnt from her mother.  My mother always collected the clay from special places on the banks of the creek that ran near by the house. She collected the clay in banana leaves and worked it beside the creek by beating it with stones and pulling out any leaves or small roots that were found in it.  When she had a supply for one or two pots, she would wrap it in banana leaves and store it under the raised floor of the house. She worked outside, squatting on a mat or the open ground and worked the pit on banana leaves. She only used shaped sticks, selected stones and her hands to shape and smoothen the pot.  All her pots were incised with a design on the outside rim of the pot. I still have two of my mothers’ pots. At home the pots were used for cooking and storage of food.  We always had a few pots usually stored on a rack or shelf above the fireplace or built between the roof timbers.  I did not start potting myself until I was 35 years old and living at Brewarrina in North Western NSW.  The Barwon River, which at Brewarrina is no more than a creek, although a great place for catching yabbies, had banks that were mostly made of clay and reminded me of the clay at home.  So with no tools or kiln, I started to do what I saw my mother do as a child. I have learnt a great deal and been greatly encouraged by expatriate women potters in Port Moresby and from studying books, particularly Margaret Tuckson’s great source book on PNG pottery. All my work is hand built and nearly all are unglazed.  I get my inspiration from my traditional pottery background and use shapes and decorations that attract me. They have derived from all sources and experiences. While I have worked with clays from Popondetta and have tried clays from around Port Moresby, I find the task of preparing the clays tedious and very hard work.  I prefer to use clays prepared commercially and imported into PNG. These clays are smooth and consistent and allow me to work freely without the restrictions associated with hand prepared material.  I build my pots sometimes with coils and sometimes with slabs that I press into a plaster mould, which I have made with a ball.  Figurines are built up with a slab to start with to get a hollow body on which solid work is added. I have a collection of tools including sticks, stones, metal pieces, shells and wire. The finish I like is a polished surface achieved by rubbing a spoon or stone over the surface as it dries.  A pot or figurine is usually made over several days with work done in stages as the clay dries.  I wrap the pot in plastic between workings to maintain moisture. I have work displayed in many embassies, galleries and homes in countries all over the world.  I am a collector of beautifully made traditional hand made things and wish to share my interest and skills with all people with similar interests. I have participated in exhibitions and workshops in Townsville Pacific Arts festival, Bangladesh, Canberra, Port Moresby and Sydney.
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