Henry, (Michael) Mick
Item
Maker Name
Henry, (Michael) Mick
Studio name
Slug Pottery, Roberts Creek
Marks
Biography
Michael Henry, known widely as Mick, attended the Vancouver School of Art between 1957 and 1961, studying painting and graphic art. (Audrey Doray was one of his painting teachers.) In his last year he had some hands-on clay classes with Robert Weghsteen.
After casual work in the Fraser Valley in 1963 he decided to travel to St. Ives to meet up with Glenn Lewis, who upon his arrival, kindly helped him secure a living space and work at the Leach Pottery, originally as a clay mixer and eventually as an apprentice. While at St.Ives, he met Leach, Shoji Hamada, Clary Illian, Warren MacKenzie, John Reeve, Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott, Vancouver poet Gerry Gilbert, and others associated with the Leach pottery.
Mick returned to Canada in 1965, living first in Vancouver. He was inspired when he visited Hornby Island and saw the rural practices of Heinz Laffin and Gerhard Kozel, and of Wayne Ngan’s. By 1972 he has opened Slug Pottery in Roberts Creek. Martin Peters turned up and wanted to apprentice. After two years, Martin departed in 1974, and accompanied by John Reeve and Donna Balma, he traveled to St Ives to apprentice at the Leach Pottery.
Mick's intention was to run a 'back to the land' self-sufficient practice, using a kick wheel and selling locally. (His property had no electricity.) He sought advice from Ian Steele on salt glaze. (Steele himself had been advised by Janet Darnell Leach about the economic and ecological practice of single firing only for salt glaze. He was also advised by Gwyn Hansson-Pigott.)
In late 1974 Mick was awarded a grant to travel and research potteries in England. In 1975 he arrived at St Ives and assisted Charmian Johnson in cataloguing and recording Leach’s Asian collection. He and Charmain visited Michael Cardew’s pottery in Devon and Lucie Rie in London. He returned home via MacKenzie’s Stillwater studio in Minnesota.
During the life span of Slug Pottery, 1972-79 , there was much cross fertilization with the 'Back to the Land' crowd, ecologists and post-modernists escaping Vancouver to find work space and inspiration.
Mick operated the Slug Pottery until the grueling labour entailed in a gas-lit, kickwheel, back-to -the-land pottery, operated by one person, became too onerous and back issues stopped his production. He returned to Vancouver in 1980 and spent some time with David Lambert as he worked in the public schools supporting ceramic programs.
Mick started working (graphics) with Victor Doray, who was in charge of medical illustration for the Vancouver General Hospital. (Fred Hertzog was the medical photographer.) In 1982 Mick returned to medical illustration with Victor Doray at UBC, until 1987.
Mick’s work was often shown at the House of Ceramics during the 1970s. It is highly collectable and has a mystic all of its own. His pots are direct, made with fluid throwing skill - a fresh energetic take on traditional forms. They are prized for rarity and for how they reflect the unworldly principles that drove those Leachian / Mingei practices in the backwoods of BC.
After casual work in the Fraser Valley in 1963 he decided to travel to St. Ives to meet up with Glenn Lewis, who upon his arrival, kindly helped him secure a living space and work at the Leach Pottery, originally as a clay mixer and eventually as an apprentice. While at St.Ives, he met Leach, Shoji Hamada, Clary Illian, Warren MacKenzie, John Reeve, Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott, Vancouver poet Gerry Gilbert, and others associated with the Leach pottery.
Mick returned to Canada in 1965, living first in Vancouver. He was inspired when he visited Hornby Island and saw the rural practices of Heinz Laffin and Gerhard Kozel, and of Wayne Ngan’s. By 1972 he has opened Slug Pottery in Roberts Creek. Martin Peters turned up and wanted to apprentice. After two years, Martin departed in 1974, and accompanied by John Reeve and Donna Balma, he traveled to St Ives to apprentice at the Leach Pottery.
Mick's intention was to run a 'back to the land' self-sufficient practice, using a kick wheel and selling locally. (His property had no electricity.) He sought advice from Ian Steele on salt glaze. (Steele himself had been advised by Janet Darnell Leach about the economic and ecological practice of single firing only for salt glaze. He was also advised by Gwyn Hansson-Pigott.)
In late 1974 Mick was awarded a grant to travel and research potteries in England. In 1975 he arrived at St Ives and assisted Charmian Johnson in cataloguing and recording Leach’s Asian collection. He and Charmain visited Michael Cardew’s pottery in Devon and Lucie Rie in London. He returned home via MacKenzie’s Stillwater studio in Minnesota.
During the life span of Slug Pottery, 1972-79 , there was much cross fertilization with the 'Back to the Land' crowd, ecologists and post-modernists escaping Vancouver to find work space and inspiration.
Mick operated the Slug Pottery until the grueling labour entailed in a gas-lit, kickwheel, back-to -the-land pottery, operated by one person, became too onerous and back issues stopped his production. He returned to Vancouver in 1980 and spent some time with David Lambert as he worked in the public schools supporting ceramic programs.
Mick started working (graphics) with Victor Doray, who was in charge of medical illustration for the Vancouver General Hospital. (Fred Hertzog was the medical photographer.) In 1982 Mick returned to medical illustration with Victor Doray at UBC, until 1987.
Mick’s work was often shown at the House of Ceramics during the 1970s. It is highly collectable and has a mystic all of its own. His pots are direct, made with fluid throwing skill - a fresh energetic take on traditional forms. They are prized for rarity and for how they reflect the unworldly principles that drove those Leachian / Mingei practices in the backwoods of BC.
First name
Mick (Michael)
Last name
Henry
Career dates (start and end)
1963
1979
Date of Birth
1939
Place of Birth
New Westminster, British Columbia
Studio location
Formal Education
Apprenticeships
1963 -65 Bernard Leach, Leach Pottery , St Ives.UK
Major Exhibitions
2004 'Thrown, British Columbian Apprentices of Bernard Leach and Their Contemporaries' , Watson,Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery, UBC, curated by Scotte Watson, Lee Plested and Charmian Johnson
Collections
Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery, UBC
Affiliated organizations
Tag
Links to Further Resources
2019– Translation and Appropriation Mingei Theory, Bernard Leach and his Vancouver Apprentices, PhD Alexandra Lambley Clark, Falmouth University. UK
2009 " Thrown – British Columbia’s Apprentices of Bernard Leach and their Contemporaries," Naomi Sawada, Scott Watson, UBC, Morris and Helen Gallery
https://www.martygrossfilms.com/films/leach/leach_on-bernard-leach.html
Source
Debra Sloan
Linked resources
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