Design and Art Australia Online

Hungarian sculptor George Barsony was studying at the Munich Academy of Arts in July 1944 when the school was destroyed by air bombing. He was a refugee in Munich until 1949 when he arrived in Sydney in September as an assisted migrant and was naturalised in 1955.

He first worked as required as a carpenter in Sydney.In 1951 he married British immigrant Jean Harbutt Bird who worked for a Sydney pottery. Barsony was devout and had had had some success in Hungary and Munich as a sculptor of religious works. The Munich commissions were lsot during the War.A 2.2 metre bronze statue of St Francis of Assisi reputedly still survives in 32 Ferencesek street Pecs. George Barsony was highly skilled in design and mould casting. He was used to making maquettes for sculptures and had skills in kiln making and firing.

George and Jean Barsony established their own pottery Barsony Ceramics in 1955 at their home in Bankstown and in 1956 built a workshop at 24 Guernsey street Guilford, New South Wales, which operated until the 1970s. In the post war years artistic immigrants were encouraged to open small craft businesses. Studio pottery became a successful livelihood catering to a rising market for home decor.

An early products by Barsony Ceramics were small scale decor items such as ashtrays. For the 1956 Olympics market Barsony made a series of Australian Aboriginal heads as wall plaques. Black painted figure based lamps soon became a major product line. The Barsony range included wall plaques,candlesticks,figurines,lamp bases, book ends, vases, bowls and ashtrays. Most well known are the extensive variations of graceful 'black lady’ lamps. The figures were skimpily but discretely dressed negro, Hawaiian and other exotic ethnic belles as well as ballerinas, flamenco dancers, modern bathing beauties and even tennis players. Many figures were painted usually with added motifs and colours, and bright with red lips. Many had pearl drop brass earrings. Jean Barsony was responsible for much of the painting although other works also sprayed and painted the products.
A distinctive feature of Barsony lamps were the plastic ribbon lampshades in multi colour stripes and occasional patterns. These were made from cutting up rolled up shower curtains into strips.

Barsony Ceramics were prolific in the 1960s a huge range of products and motifs in the black figurines and other finishes including lustre, white, brown and even gold finish.George also made plaster plaques for various advertisements by firms such as Tintara Wines, Casben shorts Stamina Quality Clothes. These were also marketed by Mrs Mary Hodern’s company Plasto.

Stores such as David Jones were regular customers. Barsony lamps were sent all over Australia, to New Zealand and to places in the Pacific such as Vanuatu – where the lamps were being supplied to people without electricity.
Barsony Ceramics did not have a retail outlet for their own. A wholesaler, David Lyn paid for job lots which were then stored on site till the wholesaler called for their delivery.

The diversity of the Barsony range can be seen online with a number of sites devoted to providing details of the complex numbering by which to determine an original.
The 1970s saw protection of the local pottery industry undermined by tariff removals which allowed Japan mass produced ceramics to come on to the market. The 1970s also saw a move away from the rather happy hedonism and vivacity of the Barsony style. The kiln and ceramics business closed in 1970 although lampshade making by George and Jean and later son Roger, continued to 2005. Some of George’s master moulds were sold to Austral pottery in Castle Hill others were smashed.

George Barsony did one known sculpture commission for a mosaic for St Margaret Mary’s (Catholic church) Marylands road in 1967.

Barsony ceramics have an established and robust collectors market but the work of the studio is unrepresented in any fine art or applied art museums. No scholarly study, formal exhibition or recognition has celebrated this unique and highly skilled Australian ceramic art studio.

Writers:

newtog

Date written:

2021

Last updated:

2022