| DAVID
LEACH was a highly respected figure within the studio pottery
world, Leach was a champion of the burgeoning Craftsmen Potters
Association (now Craft Potters Association), serving for a time
as its chairman. He was a knowledgeable advocate and helped
establish the studio pottery course at Harrow School of Art
in the mid-Sixties, and later the Dartington Pottery Training
Workshop, both based on the atelier system of teaching. Students
were taken at his pottery, and these at different times included
his three sons, Johnny, Jeremy and Simon. In 1987 he was appointed
OBE.
At
their best David Leach's pots are fresh, clear and bold, the
decoration, whether brushed or incised, articulate and animate
the form. Some of his finest pieces were porcelain tea sets
with delicate fluted decoration and a pale blue celadon glaze,
which combine elegance and finesse with a sound understanding
of his chosen material.
Emmanuel
Cooper
|