Last month, after twenty years of developing his artistry as a potter and at the peak of his mastery working in clay, the National Gallery confirmed the acquisition of a wide, low profile, pierced flanged bowl in Capon’s signature Teeming Series. The vessel donated by the Hon Ashley Dawson-Darner was purchased on her visit to KI earlier this year.

Mark’s pursuit of the ideal form and finish to his decorated ceramics drives him to strive for perfection with every piece he creates, yet he is rarely satisfied that he has achieved this high standard.

The piece that is now in Canberra in the Australasian Collection at the National Gallery is rare. It is an exquisite example of Capon’s hand piercing technique and rare in that he himself credits it as “perfect in form, shape, and decoration all coming together beautifully”. The glaze, derived from years decorating with a majolica technique glows softy, is lush and lovely to touch.

The low profile was very difficult to form. Capon working with new clay found it a challenge to throw such a delicate object. He is often happiest at the first stage of his creations when the clay, an organic material, is undecorated and in its unfired form. He is also much happier creating figurative, quirky humorous pieces but achieves greater professional satisfaction with the struggle to perfect his decorative ceramics.

The processes involved are complex with three firings and cooling in one of his two kilns. Temperature ranges and times have to be perfect to produce perfect pieces.

It has taken Mark twenty years to get to this stage. The genesis of his artistic development commenced with art studies in the 1960s in the UK but then lay dormant until a return to study in late 1980s when Adelaide Gallery Director Paul Greenaway asked him why he was wasting his time working in a Seafood Factory and tinkering with his art part time. Then followed a life changing moment. He resigned his day job to pursue his art as a professional career with the full blessing of life partner Gail spending two years working as a tenant at the Jam Factory in Adelaide in preparation for working solo in his own studio.

He hasn’t looked back. A committed ceramic artist he draws inspirations from his sketch books filled over the years with hundreds of cartoon like drawings.