Studio potter Cara Guthrie talks clay, the personal and the political

Cara Guthrie is a studio potter based in the town of Dunkeld, Perthshire. Born and raised in Scotland, she first studied Human Geography before a chance encounter with clay at a pottery taster class in London in her late 20s convinced her that this was the material she wanted to further explore and work with.

Cara went on to become an apprentice in the celebrated studio of KHWurtz in rural Denmark before returning to the UK where she worked with the Anglo-Japanese, Cumbria based potter, William Plumptre. Back in Scotland, she set up a studio in the Pentlands, a range of hills just south of Edinburgh, before moving to Dunkeld on the fringes of the Scottish Highlands.

Her thrown ceramics of simple forms and muted tones can found in restaurants such as Inver on the west coast's Loch Fyne and Edinburgh's Little Chartroom - an early commission from homeware and fashion company, Toast brought her much critical acclaim.

In this episode of DES Talks, Cara share insights into her early years, the primal joy of working with clay and her latest work, an installation entitled PRODUCTION - on show at Custom Lane gallery in Leith, Edinburgh until 5th September. It is a new brilliant new departure for Cara, it is a conceptual work comprising 1800 milk-white porcelain vessels set over 12 industrial shelving units. Each vessel represents an hour spent breast or chest feeding an infant. It is a poignantly beautiful timepiece recognising time spent feeding.

Do join Susanna and Cara as the talk about the power of the hand, the personal and the political.

Links
https://www.instagram.com/caraguthrieceramics
https://www.caraguthrieceramics.com/
@wasteclaynetwork
https://customlane.co/event/2811/

Thank you for exploring DES Talks - this is our sixth podcast - and do spread the word, share, subscribe, rave and rate. We are new to this game and keen to reach as many listeners as possible, far and wide. And huge thanks again to those who have helped make the first and now this second series happen. In particular, thanks to Malin Lewis for the music accompanying our DES Talks and Ryan Scott for production.

Design Exhibition Scotland was founded by Susanna Beaumont in 2018 to celebrate and champion making and creating through podcasts, exhibitions, conversations and commissions.

Production
Ryan Scott Film

Music
Malin Lewis