During the 1970s, alchemists who painted with fire made the Northern Rivers area into a hub for woodfiring. 

Woodfiring is an ancient method of firing clay. It is a process of ceramic production that involves continuous firing, sometimes over days, feeding timber into a handmade kiln. 

So why did woodfiring in the area become so popular?

It may have had something to do with the price of land, the presence of like-minded people, and the attraction of the area to the romantic hearted. 

After 30 years of working in the local area with clay, 10 master woodfirers have emerged flourishing in their craft.

They now feature in The Alchemists - a new exhibition of ceramic work at Lismore Regional Gallery.

Pictured: Tony and Mary Nankervis c. 1972.

Their practices, though they involve the same basic combination of elements (clay, air, heat, wood, ash, and time), could not be more diverse. 

They range from the fine, controlled work of Geoff Crispin, to the baroque eccentricity of Dennis Monks, the geometry and esoteric symbolism of Malina Monks, and the sensitivity to colour and flux of Tony Nankervis.

Oil, gas and electric kilns are new in the long history of ceramics. 

These new technologies enabled clean, controlled, predictable firings. 

Pictured: Some of the ceramics on display in The Alchemists.

Woodfire artists, on the other hand, were increasingly drawn to the qualities firing with wood could bring to their work.

They were not so concerned with clean, perfect surfaces, but with marks of heat, ash and the movement of flame, described as ‘painting with fire’. 

Woodfiring became an aesthetic and philosophical choice.

It matched local ideologies around being off-grid and using materials such as wood, bricks, and clay that could be sourced easily, affordably, and often locally.

Pictured: John Stewart's first kiln in 1973.

Featuring artists in the exhibition are: Bill Brownhill (Coraki), Bob Connery (Stokers Siding), Geoff Crispin (Clarence), Suvira McDonald (Goonengerry), Dennis Monks (The Channon), Malina Monks (The Channon), Tony Nankervis (Lismore), Kerry Selwood (The Channon and Knockrow), John Stewart (Clunes) and Geoff Stirling (Lillian Rocks).

The works in the exhibition have been sourced from the collections of Lismore Regional Gallery, Grafton Regional Gallery, and private collections, including those of the artists themselves.

The Alchemists will be on display at Lismore Regional Gallery until January 26, 2020.

The official opening will be on Friday, December 6, at 6pm.

Pictured: Geoff Crispin building the first Whiteman Creek kiln in 1980.

You can also hear the Artists in Conversation on Saturday November 30, at 12pm.

A Woodfire Workshop with Suvira McDonald will also be held on January 11, 2020 at 2pm at Suvira Studio.

Admission to Lismore Regional Gallery at 11 Rural St, Lismore is a suggested $5 donation.

Gallery opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10am to 4pm (Thursdays to 6pm).

For information, visit http://www.lismoregallery.org