Moments in the Day: ceramics by Greg Daly at Nancy Sever Gallery are beautiful

Greg Daly noted in 2013 that from the very beginning I have had a passion for glaze (catalogue introduction to his exhibition 40 Years in the Making – Pots I Kept). Daly's early introduction to ceramics came when he elected to do pottery at high school. After graduating from RMIT in Melbourne, he has devoted his professional life to making and studying ceramics. He has written several books on glazing techniques and participated in the professional arena of ceramics by teaching, mentoring young potters and serving as a board member for many craft organisations, including as president of the Craft Council from 1992-1995. In recent years he has been head of the ceramic workshop at the ANU School of Art. However, he is retiring from this position at the end of this year and will devote himself full time to his art practice.

In July last year, to coincide with Stepping Up – the Australian Ceramic Triennale, Daly had a very successful exhibition of his lustre glazed ceramics at the Nancy Sever Gallery. In this current exhibition at the same gallery it is a pleasure to be able to see more of the work of this very mature and skilled artist and, while this exhibition is smaller than the previous one, there is still a notable group of very beautiful pots to admire.

The forms of the pots remain simple – globular forms, open bowls and dishes as well as several platters. They are without unnecessary elaboration of lip, neck or foot. Daley sees the form, glaze and decoration of the pot as democratically interrelated. In these works, however, it is hard to argue against the fact that the glowing, colourful and iridescent glazes take centre stage.

The ceramic forms are so sympathetic to the effects of the glazes that they seem to become a mirror for a changing continuum of a stunning and painterly kaleidoscope of colour and light. The artist notes that the colour changes with the quality of the natural light as well as being transformed yet again in artificial light. There is, needless to say, a great temptation to pick up these pots and turn them slowly in one's hands to experience every subtle and dramatic nuance of light and colour.

Lustreware is an age old technique of using metallic oxides to produce a metallic and iridescent glaze. The pots are over-glazed then refired in a "muffle" kiln where oxygen is excluded. Ancient potters who used this technique thought of the process as a form of alchemy as a gold and silver-like appearance on the surface of the pot emerged after the firings. Indeed, during the centuries that lustre glazes were used, their metallic-like appearance was heralded – as in tiles in Islamic mosques and in high status eating and drinking vessels. In the 19th century, lustreware's ability to glow and reflect light in gaslight meant it was highly prized in domestic interior settings.

This ability of lustreware to respond and reflect light is key to the interest Daly has had in experimenting with its glazing techniques. In some of his early pots, the glaze is painted on as patterns and decoration in an oriental manner. It was a contained and controlled way of working. In 2007, Daley was experimenting with letting the glaze flow more freely.

In recent years, Daly has continued his experiments with lustre glazes to capture the changing light and landscapes from his studio at Cowra. These glazes are beautiful and iridescent changing from the soft cool silvery blues of dawn and dusk to the more vibrant warm tones seen in sunsets and the heat of the day. The particular selection of pots in this exhibition takes on the aspect of the light of day turning from oranges to the dark warm glow of sunset. The oxblood reds may hark back to the Shades of Red exhibition of 2007 but they seem more mellow and painterly.

In a series of pots called respectively Sunset Storm no.6, Sunset Haze no.4, Red Sunset no.7 and Red Sky Warning no.2, the glowing pink red glaze creates a mood of warmth and golden light heightened by a flash of blue. A cooler palette is found in other works such as First Light no. 22, Full Moon Mist no.1 and the delicate Mist at First Light no.5.

The globular forms of Daly's bigger works (310mm high) provide a sympathetic canvas for the effects of light as the light slides down the neck of the pot to dance its swelling form. Daly has been experimenting with other forms of pots that are at a slight angle on their foot "to follow the light". In this exhibition, as well as the return of the warm tones after the predominance of the cooler moods of the previous exhibition, Daly has brought together a small suite of four pots that he calls Weather Patterns no. 18. In this work the use of a number of pots with related images enables the narrative to continue across their surfaces and may be an indication of some new ideas for the future.