Potty about pottery

The founders

Patrick Swift (1927 -1983)

Although highly acclaimed in critical and artistic circles, the work of the Irish painter Patrick Swift has rarely been publicly exhibited in Ireland since his few early shows in the 1950s. At that time his place in the pantheon of Irish art seemed certain. The art critic of the Irish Times noted the merciless scrutiny of his style, and the way he drew from his subjects some sort of tension which is the property of their existence.
Patrick moved to London and became editor of the literary magazine X, which published reviews of such figures as Giacommetti and Francis Bacon. Patrick was a respected literary figure himself, but painting was his true calling. The vogue at the end of the 1950s for abstract painting was not to his taste, nor could he work with academic realism. He sought an expression of life and human creativity which was meaningful and accessible, inspired by emotion and the landscape. Patrick emigrated to Portugal in 1962. He set up the pottery at Porches, which lead to a revival of the regional craft.
He made a huge contribution to the popularisation of the Algarve, and the beauty of its landscape, history and culture. He virtually stopped showing his paintings, and the 1993 IMMA retrospective was a late reminder of Swift’s significance as an Irish painter.
In the tiny churchyard across the road from the church in the town centre can be found the final resting place of Patrick Swift, who died in 1983.

This month, Maureen Brindle takes a trip to Porches, the town famous for its pottery and hand painted ceramics

A must-buy on the Algarve (apart from leatherware and lace, of course) is Algarvian pottery. We have been coming to the Algarve for many years and have visited many of the potteries dotted along the main roads. We were recently taken to Porches Pottery by our friend Chris and it is definitely somewhere I would recommend. It is situated on the N125 just outside Lagoa heading towards Faro; just a step from the car park and you are transported into another age.

Established in 1968 the pottery is in a long low white building in lovely surroundings. The steps leading up are faced with tiles depicting hares, hounds and birds which lead you into a lovely walled garden with a fountain, and the perfume of the plants creates an air of tranquillity and peace. More steps take you to an archway decorated with impressive plaster mouldings; this is the entrance to the pottery which is choc-a-bloc full of gorgeous ceramics.
The pottery has a unique history. It was founded by Irish artist Patrick Swift, who with Portuguese artist Lima de Freitas revived the ancient Phoenician designs. Patrick’s two daughters Julie and Stella, both ceramic decorators in their own right, now run the pottery.

Finishing
The glazing, painting and firing is all done on site, and on weekdays you can watch the lady decorators painting their designs freehand (no two pieces are the same). All the decorators are local to the village of Porches and they have worked in the pottery for many years.
Another thing that makes the pottery a pleasure to visit apart from the warm hospitality of Julie, Stella and the lady decorators is the adjoining Café/Bar Bacchus run by Morag. The home-made soup and the selection of jacket potatoes and baguettes were a joy, and the day we visited there was a wood burning stove, making the cafe very cosy indeed. The café is decorated with two large eye catching tiled murals of Bacchus the wine God designed by Patrick Swift. There is also an outside eating area decorated with tiles designed by Patrick’s late daughter Kate.
One more thing that makes Porches Pottery different is that you can commission a piece for that special occasion, or something personal to take home such as a mug, plate or a plaque – but remember you must allow at least two weeks from order to finish. If you want a full size dinner service, this too can be done – and the good thing about this is that if you break any piece it can be replaced.
The pottery opening times are 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm Saturday, closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
There is plenty of free parking onsite.

Getting there

José Lima de Freitas (1927-1998)

Porches
The picture-postcard village of Porches is off the EN125, midway between Alcantarilha and Lagoa.
The place is distinctive for its cluster of classic white regional-style houses punctuated with striking filigreed chimneys. Life in Porches revolves around the local pottery industry, in which many of the local population are employed.
The town’s parish church has replaced an older 16th century church, from which the chancel still remains.
The nearby town of Lagoa is the centre of the Algarve’s winemaking industry. Tours of the vineyards can be arranged through the local tourist office. Lagoa isn’t really a tourist town and has more traditional Portuguese feel.
Lost in time, the sleepy village of Alcantarilha to the east of Porches is most famous for its bone chapel located to the side of the church. The entire interior is made up of the remains of some 1,500 parishioners.
A short drive to the south stands Senhora da Rocha chapel, spectacularly
situated on a rocky cliff overlooking a small beach of the same name. Traces of evidence from the Visigothic period date the chapel right back to before the Moorish occupation.

José Lima de Freitas was born in Setúbal, in 1927 and studied
architecture at art school in Lisbon. He was a neo-figurative expressionist painter and illustrator and an advertising executive.
The artist’s legacy is varied and includes – neo-realism, surrealism,
fantastic realism and post-modernism. Marked by esoterism and misticism, the painter’s work is easily recognisable.
He is above all known for his loose and imaginative illustrations in books such as Os Lusiadas and D. Quixote.
He was also distinguished for his painting of tile panels, tapestry and engraving. José defined his workmanship as “a continuous inquiry of the subject, a realism simultaneously directed toward the social one and fed by the unconscious one”.