Stuart trades at the South Molton Pannier Market on Saturdays. We have asked him the usual four questions and to answer them, we were given a copy of the book “Collecting Stuart Bass Pie Funnels” written by June Tyler, published in 2010.
“Stuart was the youngest of four children born to a Scottish father and Irish mother. One of his two brothers became a well-known clock restorer in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The boys inherited their artistic genes from their paternal grandmother, who composed music and painted in watercolours. During the early part of World War II the family was forced to leave their home due to the relentless bombing of the Royal Naval Dockyard in Plymouth and settled in South Molton in North Devonshire, where Stuart and Mary now live.”
After graduating from Bideford School of art in Devon in 1951, Stuart undertook extensive course in work with silver, copper and clay, creating stained glass and painting.
“Subsequently he spent time at Buckfast Abbey making pottery for the monks and was commissioned to make and 18” x 12” terracotta plaque of ‘Christ in Majesty’ for Mariansleigh Church in North Devon. On completion of his 4-years course he gained the National Diploma in Design for Pottery.”
Pausing his art work for two years due to mandatory National Service (spent in Germany – “the most boring two years of my life” as Stuart says), when returned to England Stuart continued to follow the dream of having his own pottery studio – The Exmoor Art Pottery (1959 – 1974). The business increased rapidly in the late 70s when Stuart and his family moved to South Molton. It was at this time Stuart’s famous pie funnels started to make it to the American market.
“The dealer told Stuart that the pie funnels would need to be unmarked as the Americans preferred this. But Stuart always marked his work, although he agreed after a lengthy discussion that ‘SB’ would be the only mark.”
It took the art collectors eight years to trace the artist to the abbreviated mark, distinguishing his genuine work from copycats. Stuart was invited to the USA and asked to create the 1996 Pie Bird Convention pie bird (the US term for a pie funnel) and has made more to this date. For a while, the Bass family moved to George Nympton, retaining the South Molton shop till 1996. Stuart then stopped supplying UK shops in order to concentrate on the more lucrative and steady American market. Now retired, he still produces art for enjoyment, trading and talking to anyone interested in his many adventures at our Saturday market.
