In the 1960s, pottery was regarded by most as a hobby rather than an artistic pursuit. Accordingly, Eunice Bates’ pots were mainly functional domestic and decorative items made with terracotta or white clay, fired at earthenware temperatures. She made them at a time when people were looking for handcrafted alternatives to mass-produced homewares and instinctively recognized and understood this local market and began to offer her pots for sale, first from her back garden in Northbridge, then at the Kirribilli market.
Eunice’s pots quickly moved from hand-built ashtrays and sugar bowls to heavy, organic-shaped vessels, demonstrating her proficiency in construction, form and firing. These developed into more refined symmetrical forms, often with decorative stamps embossed in their surfaces. Countless designs for circular wall plaques were inspired by the work of ceramicist Peter Travis and trips to Peru and Mexico with the Ceramic Study Group in 1975. From 1968 to 1995 Eunice produced a huge range of domestic artifacts, each item had its own point of interest but always retained good shape and design.
From the money Eunice earned selling ceramics in her backyard and at the Kirribilli market, she was able to visit China and Mongolia, Southeast and Central Asia, the UK, Russia, Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Africa, Bhutan and more, each place introducing her to fresh possibilities for craft and design.
All of these new influences were subtly integrated into her life and work back home at Northbridge. A basketry workshop she attended provided further dimension for her interest in detail, patterning and precision.
Eunice began weaving large, sculptural baskets, hats and autonomous forms, sourcing many of her materials from the backyards, parks and gardens of Willoughby and Northbridge.
In the 80s and 90s, Nece used to visit our home in Willoughby to gather bits and pieces for her basket-making. She’d pinch bits of jasmine vine, palm fronds hanging off the trees over our fence from the neighbours, in particular she used the stems of the ornamental dates. She had a sculptural eye… she’d just see a particular frond or fern and know it had a form she could utilize. Laurie Grundy (Willoughby resident, historian and family friend).
She drew what she learned from her first love, ceramics, and took that into basketry. And what she learned in basketry she transferred to papermaking. She was so enthusiastic. Ruth Lyons (Family member)
