Walter Dexter : Robin Righton, 1960s pottery KSA

Walter Dexter platter and Robin Righton lidded pot, both are offered in our September online auction

Above are two ceramic pieces that illustrate how the history of pottery making in British Columbia was shaped by individuals who shared their ideas, techniques, and knowledge while  mentoring the next generation of potters. 

On the left is one of Walter Dexter’s well-known large copper-red platters. Dexter developed this  distinctive deep wine-red colour and expressive calligraphic pattern during the late 1960s and  early 1970s, while he was head of the ceramics program at the Kootenay School of Art (KSA) in  Nelson, a position he held from 1967 until about 1974. These deep-red platters proved to be both  popular and successful for Dexter and are now highly recognizable to collectors as examples of  his work. 

Robin Righton was Dexter’s student at KSA from 1968 to 1971, placing him there during this  formative period in Dexter’s development as a potter. Other students in the ceramics department  included Ted Driediger, Geoff Searle, and Linda Mackie. Righton and Mackie would go on to  establish Swan Lake Pottery near Victoria in 1972, shortly after graduating from KSA. 

At Swan Lake, Righton and Mackie initially produced utilitarian stoneware decorated with wax  resist. Righton’s early work is characterized by iron-rich red clay and high-temperature glazes  fired in Swan Lake’s gas kiln. During these early years, he was particularly partial to clear and  greenish glazes. 

The yellow-lidded vase on the right is by Righton and is dated 1973 on the bottom, making it an  early example of his work at Swan Lake Pottery. It is a particularly clear example of the qualities  associated with his early work: iron-rich clay, wax-resist decoration, and the greenish-yellow  high-fire glaze he favoured at the time. 

Together, these two pieces offer a glimpse into a developmental period in the careers of both  artists: one the teacher, the other the student. More importantly, they illustrate the way 

knowledge and techniques were passed from one generation of BC potters to the next, helping to  shape the province’s emerging studio pottery tradition. 

Both Robin Righton and Walter Dexter eventually passed away in Victoria. Righton died in 1999  at the age of 52, while Dexter died in 2015 at the age of 85. Both left behind important legacies  in the history of pottery making in British Columbia.