John Parker pushes the boundaries of functional pottery. He says, “When working in clay, I see myself following in the traditions of being just a craft potter. Each piece is hand made and unique. I throw and turn all my work on the potter’s wheel”. But Parker purposely makes his work unstable and not always for a practical purpose. Parker’s use of the spiral form and clean lines are a shift away from the earthy hues and shapes commonly used in New Zealand pottery and are more related to European design movements of de Stijl and the Bauhaus. Parker was born in Auckland. He began potting in 1966. Having graduated from Auckland Teachers’ College in 1970, he went to the Royal College of Art in London to do a Masters degree in ceramics. In 1977 he became Director of the Auckland Studio Potters Centre. Parker was Resident Designer at Mercury Theatre from 1986 to 1989 and also designed for Theatre Corporate. He is represented in most major public collections in New Zealand.