Pluralality and Necessity: Antipodean Case Study

In this article Janet Mansfield pretty much gives us the run down on how craft was introduced to Australia and New Zealand, followed by a list of Australian artists, what they make and how it relates to the European or Japanese history of ceramics. I found this article to be for the most part a case study about a ceramics culture that has no history of its own. One could say the same about American ceramics. It makes sense when one tries to explain the diversity within the field in each country. Mansfield cites artist after artist and their European or Asian influence followed by a brief description of their work. Other than a role call of Australian ceramics and a list of their influences, I'm not sure what the point of the article is.