Those magic hands of Bruce Cochrane's

Just got an invite to a show of Bruce Cochrane’s work at David Kaye Gallery in Toronto. I have been watching the career of Bruce since 1982 and have a few signature pieces of his work in my collection.  Bruce was Head of Ceramics at Sheridan College and my boss for 15 years. It was a pleasure to work with Bruce.  I think I have said it before but in my opinion Bruce is one of the best potters in North America.

He makes me sick actually because he can change from earthenware to porcelain to stoneware, lowfire, highfire, gas, salt, wood and do them all at a level equalled by very few.

For the most part Bruce doesn’t decorate his work. There have been periods of decoration with mostly recently the use of a roulette. Bruce’s sense of form is so amazing that the pot is the decoration. Said best by Professor John Neely of Utah State University- No decoration is a form of decoration. I often look at a pot of his and find myself muttering how did he do that lid, how did he do that handle, how did he do that shape, how did, how did, how did.

Bruce has a show every two years at David Kaye Gallery and he changes his work full circle. I am going to get in to see his show of what looks like a venture into hand building with soft slabs. He truly has magic hands when it comes to our medium.