Ian Calder McKay was Here: A Legacy of Beauty in Pottery

Yet in time to come the individual will fade into oblivion, andthe work will stand or fall by its abstract power or its lack of it.— Ian McKay In 1983, more or less mid-career as it turned out to be in the light of his earlydeath, Ian McKay summarised his intentions as a potter:I try to make simple pots that people will enjoy using. The traditionsI draw on for inspiration are mainly Japanese and what could looselybe called ‘the Cardew’ tradition. In practice for me this amounts toforms that are a clear statement of the pot's function, and very simpleglaze recipes using the maximum of hand collected local materials – sothat the pots may speak for themselves and give pleasure unspoiledby too much intrusion of the potter's own personality.