February 29th, 2024Artists of the Central Highlands

With Eve Lamb

Sarah Koschak’s fascination with pottery began as a small child and never really left. For several decades, though, it was a passion that lay dormant as, in adulthood Koschak travelled the world, working as a photographer in some amazing places. These days the childhood fascination is made manifest as this talented local devotes herself to creating objects of beauty and functionality at her studio/gallery at Newstead.

Eve: Hi Sarah. Can you tell us a bit about your ceramics journey?

Sarah: I’ve had a connection with pottery since I was seven years old. I remember being at a craft fair and watching a potter throw pots on an old kick wheel. I was mesmerised. I can remember everything really clearly about that day. It’s just one of those pivotal moments that switches on a light.

I took classes in my early 20s, but as I was traveling and working as a photographer, it was hard to find the space and time to devote to pottery. It was only in my mid 40’s that I decided to dive in and learn the craft. In 2015 I began learning with potter Phil Elson in Castlemaine.

Eve: Sarah, I know that your prior working life as a photographer, working alongside your partner, nature sound recordist Andrew Skeoch, took you into some remarkable parts of the world. Do you think those experiences have now influenced your work as a ceramicist at all?

Sarah: I haven’t set out for it to do so consciously. I don’t think I aim to do that. We’d do these long field trips in Australia or around the world. Andrew would go off sound recording and I’d spend my time photographing. Photographing was more like a meditation. You just have to open up to where you are so you can really see.

Obviously nature was a big part of it because we were doing nature sound recordings in jungles, forests, ancient historical sites. I’m a fairly quiet, meditative person and my approach just follows through. Now I love creating beautiful shapes and glazes.

Eve: Yes, the glazes you achieve are very beautiful. Sophisticated colours. What are you aiming for with your glazes?

Sarah: I think elegance and timelessness are both in there. I’m not aiming for something that’s popping with bright colour or is in-your-face.  I make all my own glazes, and the work is fired in the shed attached to my studio. I have a two burner gas kiln.

Eve: Are there any particular ceramicists whose work you admire?

Sarah: I think the Japanese and Korean work. I really resonate with a lot of their glazes. A lot of the glazes I choose come from those traditions. But I try not to copy.  

Eve: I know you work using porcelain clay but do you also use any other types of clay as well?

Sarah: I only (wheel) throw in porcelain as my clay, but I do use other clay that I brush on to get another effects. Working with porcelain … it’s a bit of a diva!

Eve: Are you introducing anything new or making any changes to the way you work at the moment?

Sarah: I’m trying to work with bigger pieces.

Eve: This is a great little studio that you have here in Newstead. How long have you been here now?

Sarah: Coming up ten years here this year.

Eve: Are you currently preparing for any special events or exhibitions at the moment?

Sarah: Yes. I will be part of the Newstead Open Studios Art trail event that is taking place over two consecutive weekends in March. March 9, 10 and 11 and over the next weekend, March 16 and 17 as well. I love it. I love working consistently towards a big event like this. The shelves will be just heaving with work. I might have 500 people come through the studio over the weekend. It’s a really nice social time for me because I usually spend most of my time here working away on my own.

Eve: What do you find most rewarding about your work and creative practice Sarah?

Sarah: The most rewarding is to have a form in mind that I want to make and then being able to execute it. It’s just very satisfying.  I think there is timelessness in certain forms that just endure and I love the fact that people will buy my work and it will get handed down. It takes a long time for a ball of clay to end up as a bowl or a cup. There’s a lot of heart and soul that goes into making ceramics.