Portrait - Thomas Benirschke
Thomas Benirschke was born in Eltville in 1954.
He learned pottery at Walburga Külz.
Later he studied ceramic design at the Fachhochschule in Wiesbaden.
Since 1981 he has had his own workshop in Kiedrich in the Rheingau. He is a freelance worker in the plastic-sculptural field.
Since 1999 he has been travelling with his “magic potter’s wheel” both at home and abroad.
He throws on the potter’s wheel with people four-handed! For this, he uses bodies from Goerg & Schneider. www.kunstaspekte.de/thomas-benirschke
Within the framework of a scholarship, Thomas Benirschke had the opportunity to build a block disc according to historical principles, a version for his mobile uses, which is easy to dismantle and assemble. An Egyptian illustration shows the disc as a solid, round block with a footboard-like jut for the foot drive, the medieval illustrations show various constructions made of wood. http://www.landschaftsmuseum.de/Seiten/Lexikon/Drehscheibe.htm
With its range of potter's wheels and its unusual tools, he takes people on a journey through cultural history.
They learn how pottery has developed from its roots in the Stone Age through Antiquity and the Middle Ages to Modern Times as a hands-on experience.
Where will this event take place? When readers are interested in taking part in this cultural journey where can they get registered?
TB: The best way is to contact me directly (see below contact details.
In his workshop he also offers courses through the Volkshochschule Rheingau-Taunus. His offers are always unusual and 'grounding' in the truest sense of the word. They collect molehills and soil from the vineyards and use it to mix their clay body to form figures and pots. When fired, the body turns from earth to stone - fired earth, that is the ceramic principle!
When is the next course? Where can one get registered?
TB: You can register for courses at the Volkshochschule Rheingau-Taunus or contact me directly for workshops and hands-on activities.
From the idea, to the surface, a drawing or sketch to the three-dimensional execution in clay, he accompanies people in their design process.
What was your most beautiful experience?
Do you mainly have courses for adults or more for children?
Would you like to say more about this?
TB: There are many wonderful experiences!
Just recently, Mascha (6 years old) invited her friends to my workshop for a birthday pottery session. She really wanted to make a 'dinosaur egg' out of clay. Just finished she put her egg under her shirt and started to keep it warm. She wanted to hatch it.
Her friends did the same and in no time at all they all had a dinosaur clay egg under their shirts. They continued to hatch diligently, even when we went to the potter's wheel to throw pots "four-handed" with each other. They took the eggs home unfired, they wanted to finish hatching them in bed.
Most of the people who come to the workshops are adults, but more children take part in the outdoor activities with the "magic potter's wheel".
I work with people as they are and as they come to me, whether they are children or adults. Everyone is welcome and everyone is taken with the abilities he has!
At the Argillà Italià in Faenza, the largest European ceramics festival, Thomas Benirschke was already well-known with his "Magic Pottery Wheel".
Magic Pottery Wheel - Zaubertöpferscheibe - Tornio Magico
https://youtu.be/nU_HpYuahco
ZAUBERTÖPFERSCHEIBE - Mitmachaktion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOxn_kOjjqM)
Benirschke's idea of throwing pots on a riding bicycle was shared with Giuseppe Olmeti, (the festival organiser at the time). Olmeti in turn asked the bicycle specialist, Davide Brini, to build the desired bicycle with a potter's wheel. Thomas Benirschke and Davide Brini got to know each other and, based on the festival name ARGILLÀ (clay/loam), their joint street action "ARGI-Bike" was born.
Davide Brini pedals hard while Thomas Benirschke throws pots on his bike and gives them away to the audience. A really great action that can be seen in these videos:
Thomas Benirschke does experimental archaeology and creates the haptic impression while throwing and above all - he arouses feelings. That is most important to him. An action of togetherness!
We wish him a continued open eye and an open ear for such projects!
We wish him a lot of jobs for his exceptional pottery actions and always a fascinated audience who will
stop and join in.
