Reeve, John
Item
Maker Name
Reeve, John
Studio name
Leach Pottery
Marks
Biography
John Reeve has become a mythic figure in BC ceramic history, and has left a large footprint. He lived an unpredictable, unsettled life, driven by contemporary trends - the Avant Garde, Back to the Land, eastern spirituality, and the Beat movements. He was seeking a creative lifestyle and one that the Leach / Mingei philosophy and aesthetic could serve. Alex Lambley noted in her 2019 Dissertation that Gerry Gilbert, Vancouver poet who spent time at the Leach Pottery in the 1960s, called Reeve a Super Peasant, a working contradiction of peasant and sophistication. Norah Vaillant referred to John in her book 'John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic', as a Gypsy Potter, wandering, teaching and working at many studios in England, Canada and the USA. (over 19 studios) He was a man of great charm, and a poetic artist. His pots are admired for their wonky and lyrical fluidity and have become vastly desirable.
The following is a bare outline.
Reeve was born in Barrie, Ontario 1929 and by 1953 moved to Vancouver, leaving behind a wife and child. He attended the VSA 1954 - 56, taking painting but was much affected by his studies in pottery with Reg Dixon and their travels to Mexico.
He unsuccessfully tried to set up a pottery in Ontario.
In 1958 he had traveled to England and worked at a studio in Aylesford, Kent, managed by Colin Pearson. He moved on to the Leach Pottery and after several applications was accepted. He is the first Canadian, and BC apprentice, at the Leach, 1958 – 61. According to Tim Andrews, David Leach’s apprentice and later a studio partner for many years; Bernard Leach's comment about John Reeve (whom he considered one of his most talented apprentices) was that he had “ceramically sensitive nostrils.”
In 1961 John was invited to return to Vancouver and replace Hamada, unable to come, and taught at the UBC Ceramic Hut, for the UBC Extension Department. He even taught some early raku during that summer.
In 1963, he returned to England to establish the Longlands Pottery in Dartmoor, Devon with his wife, Donna Balma and family, Glenn Lewis, the second BC Leach apprentice, and Warren Mackenzie, an American Leach apprentice .
(John had become a close friend of Warren’s, and throughout his life would come by to work at Stillwater - Warren’s studio in Minnesota.)
John worked at Longlands until 1968 (Longlands survived until 1972). His pots were unconventional and not easily understood, and he could not make a living solely as a potter. While at Longlands he also did some teaching at Farnham School of Art from 1966-71 in Surrey, England and as Norah Vaillant noted in her book,'Some Hidden Magic', had some affect on the revival of crafts in the UK.
In 1971-72 he returned to Vancouver to as visiting artist to teach at the VSA. His return coincided with his solo show in 1972 at the Vancouver Art Gallery curated by Doris Shadbolt. He had another show at Hiro Urakami’s House of Ceramics in 1973. It is hard to explain the excitement generated around these exhibitions and John’s presence at VSA. He also wrote two extensive manuals on ceramic technology. However, Leach issued an invitation to John in late 1973 to return to Leach Pottery, as his successor. To the disappointment of students and potters in Vancouver, John left in 1974 with his family. Martin Peters also left for St Ives to start a apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery. John was thinking he would be managing the Leach Pottery, but ended clashing with Janet Darnell Leach who had her own ideas. He sadly left the Leach later in 1974, never to return. John and his family, and Martin Peters, who halted his own apprenticeship, all returned to BC. (Martin is the 5th BC potter to have studied with Bernard Leach)
Once back in BC Martin and John planned to establish what Mick Henry called a ‘mythical invention’ - the Cold Mountain Pottery - which came into being in Roberts Creek for only a short time. The gas kiln was never built, and bisqued pots were loaded and ferried to Tam Irving's in West Vancouver to be gas-fired. It was not sustainable, the primitive lifestyle was too hard and the venture was financially untenable and John left for the United States.
Note; Tam Irving took over John’s teaching position at the VSA in 1973, and led an excellent ceramics program, alongside Sally Michener until 1996.
Note, Donna Balma still has a home in Roberts Creek and has maintained a painting practice.
John's last institutional teaching position was at the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design, 1977-79. He did write several long-researched treatises on Porcelain and published 'More Notes on Porcelain', in 1978. He left organized teaching and instead traveled about teaching at various universities and studios and working now and then at Mackenzie’s Stillwater studio. He was an inspired teacher and affected many young potters. By the late 80s he settled more peacefully in New Mexico with his third wife. He did return to Vancouver a few times in 2007/08 and worked at the Dunbar Pottery with Ron Vallis and Martin Peters. He died in New Mexico in 2012.
Included are only six marks. John used different to indicate which studio the pot was made;
- Acadia Campus, UBC 1962/63
- Stillwater, Minnesota 1963 (Warren McKenzie)
- Matsqui , BC 1972/73 (Herman Venema Kiln)
- Cold Mountain, BC 1975/76 (Tam Irving)
- Denver Colorado 1978
- New Mexico 2000s
More marks can be found in the Thrown publication
- For a tidy summary see Allan Collier's - bio for the VAG exhibition – ‘Modern in the Making.’
- For insights and John's own words, read, 'John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic', a biography and catalogue with excellent images, by Norah Vaillant.
- For a very detailed explanation of each of the BC Leach apprentices and other BC potters influenced by the Leach diaspora, read; Alex Lambley’s excellent 2019 dissertation; "Translation and Appropriation, Mingei Theory, Bernard Leach and his Vancouver Apprentices."
The following is a bare outline.
Reeve was born in Barrie, Ontario 1929 and by 1953 moved to Vancouver, leaving behind a wife and child. He attended the VSA 1954 - 56, taking painting but was much affected by his studies in pottery with Reg Dixon and their travels to Mexico.
He unsuccessfully tried to set up a pottery in Ontario.
In 1958 he had traveled to England and worked at a studio in Aylesford, Kent, managed by Colin Pearson. He moved on to the Leach Pottery and after several applications was accepted. He is the first Canadian, and BC apprentice, at the Leach, 1958 – 61. According to Tim Andrews, David Leach’s apprentice and later a studio partner for many years; Bernard Leach's comment about John Reeve (whom he considered one of his most talented apprentices) was that he had “ceramically sensitive nostrils.”
In 1961 John was invited to return to Vancouver and replace Hamada, unable to come, and taught at the UBC Ceramic Hut, for the UBC Extension Department. He even taught some early raku during that summer.
In 1963, he returned to England to establish the Longlands Pottery in Dartmoor, Devon with his wife, Donna Balma and family, Glenn Lewis, the second BC Leach apprentice, and Warren Mackenzie, an American Leach apprentice .
(John had become a close friend of Warren’s, and throughout his life would come by to work at Stillwater - Warren’s studio in Minnesota.)
John worked at Longlands until 1968 (Longlands survived until 1972). His pots were unconventional and not easily understood, and he could not make a living solely as a potter. While at Longlands he also did some teaching at Farnham School of Art from 1966-71 in Surrey, England and as Norah Vaillant noted in her book,'Some Hidden Magic', had some affect on the revival of crafts in the UK.
In 1971-72 he returned to Vancouver to as visiting artist to teach at the VSA. His return coincided with his solo show in 1972 at the Vancouver Art Gallery curated by Doris Shadbolt. He had another show at Hiro Urakami’s House of Ceramics in 1973. It is hard to explain the excitement generated around these exhibitions and John’s presence at VSA. He also wrote two extensive manuals on ceramic technology. However, Leach issued an invitation to John in late 1973 to return to Leach Pottery, as his successor. To the disappointment of students and potters in Vancouver, John left in 1974 with his family. Martin Peters also left for St Ives to start a apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery. John was thinking he would be managing the Leach Pottery, but ended clashing with Janet Darnell Leach who had her own ideas. He sadly left the Leach later in 1974, never to return. John and his family, and Martin Peters, who halted his own apprenticeship, all returned to BC. (Martin is the 5th BC potter to have studied with Bernard Leach)
Once back in BC Martin and John planned to establish what Mick Henry called a ‘mythical invention’ - the Cold Mountain Pottery - which came into being in Roberts Creek for only a short time. The gas kiln was never built, and bisqued pots were loaded and ferried to Tam Irving's in West Vancouver to be gas-fired. It was not sustainable, the primitive lifestyle was too hard and the venture was financially untenable and John left for the United States.
Note; Tam Irving took over John’s teaching position at the VSA in 1973, and led an excellent ceramics program, alongside Sally Michener until 1996.
Note, Donna Balma still has a home in Roberts Creek and has maintained a painting practice.
John's last institutional teaching position was at the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design, 1977-79. He did write several long-researched treatises on Porcelain and published 'More Notes on Porcelain', in 1978. He left organized teaching and instead traveled about teaching at various universities and studios and working now and then at Mackenzie’s Stillwater studio. He was an inspired teacher and affected many young potters. By the late 80s he settled more peacefully in New Mexico with his third wife. He did return to Vancouver a few times in 2007/08 and worked at the Dunbar Pottery with Ron Vallis and Martin Peters. He died in New Mexico in 2012.
Included are only six marks. John used different to indicate which studio the pot was made;
- Acadia Campus, UBC 1962/63
- Stillwater, Minnesota 1963 (Warren McKenzie)
- Matsqui , BC 1972/73 (Herman Venema Kiln)
- Cold Mountain, BC 1975/76 (Tam Irving)
- Denver Colorado 1978
- New Mexico 2000s
More marks can be found in the Thrown publication
- For a tidy summary see Allan Collier's - bio for the VAG exhibition – ‘Modern in the Making.’
- For insights and John's own words, read, 'John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic', a biography and catalogue with excellent images, by Norah Vaillant.
- For a very detailed explanation of each of the BC Leach apprentices and other BC potters influenced by the Leach diaspora, read; Alex Lambley’s excellent 2019 dissertation; "Translation and Appropriation, Mingei Theory, Bernard Leach and his Vancouver Apprentices."
First name
John
Last name
Reeve
Date of Birth
1929
Date of Death
2012
Place of Birth
Barrie, Ontario
Place of Death
Studio location
Formal Education
Apprenticeships
1958-61 with Bernard Leach, Leach Pottery, St Ives, UK
Major Exhibitions
2021: Modern in the Making, an exhibition about the development of Modernist design practice in British Columbia, Vancouver Art Gallery, Daina Augaitis, Allan Collier, Stephanie Rebick
2017: Kindred Spirits, at the Lacoste Gallery in Concord, Massachusetts
2016 "John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic" Exhibition - Northern Clay Centre, Minneapolis, curated Norah Vaillant
2004 'Thrown , Influences and Intentions of West Coast Potters' Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery UBC, Scott Watson, Lee Plested, Charmian Johnson
1980 Retrospect Ceramics 80, 50th Anniversary of Potters Guild of BC
1973 Solo, House of Ceramics - Hiro Urakami
1972 Solo, Vancouver Art Gallery , curated Doris Shadbolt
Collections
Leach Pottery Museum
Vancouver Art Gallery
UBC Museum of Anthropology
Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery
City of Bristol's studio pottery collection, UK
York Museum, York, UK
Affiliated organizations
Links to Further Resources
2019 Translation and Appropriation, Mingei Theory, Bernard Leach and his Vancouver Apprentices. PhD Alexandra Lambley Clark, Falmouth University, England
2016 "John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic" Exhibition - Northern Clay Centre, Minneapolis, curated Norah Vaillant
2017 catalogue, 'John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic' Norah Vaillant
https://www.nwcf.ca/nora-vaillant2016
2017 catalogue, 'John Reeve, Some Hidden Magic' Norah Vaillant
https://www.nwcf.ca/nora-vaillant2016
2008 "Thrown, British Columbia's Apprentices of Bernard Leach and their Contemporaries", Naomi Sawada, Scott Watson, advised by Charmian Johnson, UBC, Belkin ( with record of Marks)
1978 "More Notes on Porcelain", later republished in Pottery Quarterly (UK) and Studio Potter
1975: The Potters Wheel. Ceramic Review - No. 33 (May / Jun 1975)
1975: Some Notes on Porcelain. (three part article) Tactile. Canadian Guild of Potters
1975: Some Notes on Porcelain. (three part article) Tactile. Canadian Guild of Potters
1972/3 Book One, "A Potter's Way to Understand Glazes (VSA)
1972/3 Book Two - "A Potter's Raw Materials, Some of their Characteristics and Composition."(VSA)
https://www.martygrossfilms.com/films/leach/leach_on-bernard-leach.html
Source
Allan Collier
Debra Sloan
Debra Sloan
Linked resources
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