My friend Peter Smith, who has died aged 84, was one of Britain’s most innovative ceramicists of the modern era. His work blurred the line between art and craft. He combined and developed his interest in clay as a sculptural material from its origins in domestic pottery. His latter work combined work thrown on the potter’s wheel and hand construction.
Peter also held a lifelong interest in music, particularly jazz. As a drummer he provided the rhythmic foundation for traditional jazz bands and in particular for Acker Bilk. His love for the music developed from the trad bands of his youth to the abstract expressionism of Ornette Coleman.
