The
following two articles should be read in tandem. They are authored by
people on opposing sides of a court case involving a particular brand
of talc.
Talc and Asbestos: What We Know and What We Don't
by Jeff Zamek
Response to Talc and Asbestos: What We Know and What We Don't
by Monona Rossol
|
Working for Others or for Yourself: It's a Choice
by Dennis W. Smith
recipes High-Fire Blues and Greens
monthly methods Wax and Water by Ryan McKerley
|
Going Green
by Jon Ellenbogen
Our
December issue focused on sustainability, and Jon Elenbogen gathered
several experts to recommend many ways we can make our studios more
earth friendly.
|
The Kachelofen: Its Time Has Come, Again
by Nadia Slawinksi
An
oven that burns just a few pounds of wood each day can keep a
house warm all through the winter. These ovens have been in use in
Europe for hundreds of years, but we just haven't caught on in
North America. Perhaps it's time.
|
| Emerging Artists 2007 Cue
the drumroll! The much-anticipated emerging artists feature is here!
This year, we are highlighting sixteen promising artists who have been
pursuing their ceramics careers for less than ten years.
|
| The Ceramic Realm of Kevin Nguyen
by Judy Seckler In just three short years, an artist turns an ambitious dream into a flourishing center for creativity.
|
| Evolution Series: The Ceramic Sculpture of Suk-Jin Choi
by Howard Risatti
A Korean sculptor explores an interest in memory and temporal themes in forms that seem at once biological and robotic.
|
King’s Point Pottery
by Gloria Hickey
monthly methods From Arrowheads to Pearls A couple makes a living selling pots on Canada’s Atlantic coast through innovative processes and public education. |
| The Manabigama
by John Theis Hoping
to give students a complete, hands-on, start-to-finish wood-firing
experience, a Maryland potter builds a compact and efficient wood kiln
that can easily be fired by one person. |
| Of Place and Purpose: Gay Smith’s Artistic Evolution
by Sue Wasserman
recipes Cone 10 slips and glazes formulated for raw glazing
With
intuition as her guide, an artist explores many paths, from producing
work for utilitarian purposes in a spiritual commune to developing her
own unique voice at artist residencies. |
| Soda with Sparkle: A Profile of Soda-Glaze Specialist Ruthanne Tudball
by Judy Adams
monthly methods Stoking for Sparkle
A hectic schedule enhances rather than hinders a potter’s development, resulting in fluid pots with active surfaces. |
Discovery in Turkey: The Ceramics of Mehmet Kutlu
by Ann Hazinedar
monthly methods Colored PorcelainUsing
habits developed in an earlier engineering career, a Turkish artist
methodically experiments in order to achieve desired results. |
| Shining the Light on Craft in America
by Judy Seckler
A
gallery-owner-turned-television-producer realizes a dream with a
three-part television series to air on PBS, as well as a traveling
exhibition and companion book on the importance of craft in America. |
| Skuja Braden: An Artistic Collaboration
by Leona Reber
Two artists deftly create collaborative works in a seamless partnership. |
| DinnerWorks
A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Celebrating
its twentieth anniversary, the Louisville Visual Art Association’s
DinnerWorks exhibition has become a public collaboration between art,
design and culinary entertainment. |
| Down to Earth
Celebrating connections between local food, pottery and community
by Lyla Kaplan
recipes Carrot Ginger Soup by Cara Graver
An
exhibition featuring locally grown-and-thrown food and pots
(respectively) highlights the importance and satisfaction of buying
these things locally. |
| Butterdishing the Ancestors
The Dress Sculptures of Kathleen Holmes
by Bruce Dehnert
recipes Cone 10 Glazes, Flashing Slip and Evelyn’s Sugar, Butter and Spice Cookies
Reflecting on family heritage, a potter elevates the ordinary butter dish into a “melting pot” that honors various cultures. |
| Barbara Harnack’s Archetypal Tribe
by Hollis Walker
monthly methods Pro-Active Raku Firing by Barbara Harnack, with Michael Lancaster
An artist uses figurative works to explore a personal mythology |
| Pam Sinnott: Memorials from the Kitchen
by Elizabeth Ashburn An
Australian artist incorporates well-worn kitchen utensils into her
ceramic works, creating “memorials” to honor the uncelebrated
sacrifices of generations of housewives. |
| Rebuilding After Katrina, Kiln by Kiln
by Shawn McCabe and Neil Tetkowski
Overwhelming generosity from the ceramics community helps a potter regain his footing after Hurricane Katrina. |
| Boy Wonder: The Ceramics of Darren Emenau
recipes MNO Lichen Glaze
by Mandy Ginson
Inspired by his surroundings, a Canadian artist works with local materials to create one-off pieces that celebrate imperfection. |
| Reinaldo Sanguino
by Wuanda Walls
An artist’s work reflects the rich urban texture and cultural diversity of New York City. |
| Bridget Chérie Harper’s Visual Diaries
by Paul Lewing
monthly methods The Low-Down on China Paints
An artist satisfies a love of painting and sculpture using a porcelain canvas. |
| Gone Fishing
by Diana Pittis
recipes Cone 05 Raku Glazes
A former potter tackles the challenge of inventing a new body of sculptural work. |
| Propaganda, Politics and Porcelain
The Work of Scott Rench
by Paul Scott
Drawing
inspiration from pop culture, Scott Rench wraps his ceramic works in
computer-generated images, mixing a very old medium with a new one. |
| 25-Year-Old Slab of Clay
A Marriage of Ceramics and Printmaking
by Lisa McVey
monthly methods Clay Monoprinting
Situating
himself between two media, Mitch Lyons is often met with strong
opinions on whether he is a clay artist or a printmaker. His response:
You can have your clay and print it too. |
| Tailor Made
The Dress Sculptures of Kathleen Holmes
by Barbara Rizza Mellin
monthly methods In the Dressmaker’s Shop
Buttons, fabric and zippers dress Kathleen Holmes’ ceramic sculptures to the nines. |
The Fusion of Clay and Dichroic Glass
by Alfred Spivack
monthly methods Firing for FusionDetermination and experimentation unlock the secrets of creating kaleidoscopic colors on clay with dichroic glass. |
The Fantastical Functional Forms of Kenny Delio
by Myra Bellin
recipes Cone 6 Slip and Glazes
A potter emphasizes handles and other points of human interaction.
|
| Actual and Allusive
The Vessels of Ken Eastman
by Glen R. Brown
Appearing to collapse in on themselves, Ken Eastman’s “vessels with content” set aside the functional for the conceptual. |
| Breaking Through to Familiar Ground
by Frank James Fisher
Frank James Fisher comes to terms with the influences of an earlier commercial art career on his current fine art pursuits. |
| Meaning at the Fingertips
The Sociopolitical Translations of Ingrid Lilligren
by Kathleen Whitney
Using Braille in a series of sculptures, an artist addresses both literal and metaphorical blindness. |
| Fish Out of Water
Todd Burns’ Marine Vessels
by Karen C. Britt
monthly methods Tools for Transferring Imagery
recipes Cone 10 Colored Glazes and Low-Fire Clears
Formal decorative motifs combine with personal iconography. |
| Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down
by James Kasper
A wood-firing enthusiast experiments with a “grate” idea for spreading ash throughout a kiln. |
| Wim Borst
Geometric Harmony
by Nesrin During
monthly methods Caffeinated Texture
Combining basic segmented forms yields surprising complexity. |
| The Union Project
by Justin Rothshank and Brad Stephenson
If
you are interested in setting up a cooperative ceramics studio but
don’t know where to begin, don’t fret: The Union Project and Carnegie
Mellon University have done the legwork for you. This focus feature
gives an overview of their innovative approach to a cooperative
existence.
|
| Residency Reflections
by Kathleen Moroney
An impermanent experience leaves a permanent mark on an artist.
|
| The Firm
by Sarah Rossiter
When it comes to planning, promotion and professional success, four heads are better than one.
|
Fire and Light: Grace Nickel's Metaphorical Lamps
by Glen R. Brown
monthly methods Letting in the Light: Slumped Glass for Sconces
Our cover artist combines references to flora and fauna with emanating light in wall sconces that meld function and metaphor.
|
Curtis Hoard: New Work
by Mason Riddle
A prolific artist satisfies an urge to explore new ideas in a continually evolving body of work.
|
| Sunmi Jung's Vision Quest
by Laura Hollick
A sculptor embeds layers of narrative into figurative works. |
| A Ceramic Menagerie: The Sculptural Interpretations of Nelson Grice
by Andrew Proctor
Using grown-up technique and skill, an artist creates amusing sculptures with a childlike sensibility. |
| Doing What Comes Naturally: The Work of Catrin Mostyn Jones
by Alex McErlain
Influenced
by investigations of nature at the microscopic level and observations
of sea life, a sculptor creates bold forms with delicate detailing. |
Cutting to the Bone
by Steve Kissing
From
the surrealism of taxidermy to the realism of physical incapacity,
Steve Kissing discusses the artistic rebirth of Lisa Merida-Paytes.
recipes Raku Glazes
“It’s
a gross understatement to say that Lisa Merida-Paytes had an unusual
childhood,” opens author Steve Kissing in this upcoming article on the
Cincinnati–based artist. “After all, how many of us grew up amidst the
sights, sounds and smells of a home-based business built upon death and
dismemberment? Perhaps you’re guessing Merida-Paytes had a ‘Sopranos’
or ‘Six Feet Under’ sort of upbringing. But her father’s business was
neither illegal nor the kind you associate with a hearse. His business
was about—depending on your point of view—either the destruction or
preservation of nature: taxidermy.” In this intimate profile, Kissing
shares how this unconventional upbringing shaped Merida-Paytes and her
art. |
Catherine Shinnick: Nature’s Disciple
by Julia R. Myers
Using the horse as a metaphor, a sculptor depicts the relationship between the human subconscious and nature.
|
Paul McCoy
by Todd Turek
monthly methods Details on Deflocculation by Paul McCoy
recipes Cone 10 clay and slip
Waco,
Texas, artist Paul McCoy has developed imagery that is “both personal
and expressive in an attempt to unite content and form,” states Todd
Turek.
|
The Building Blocks of a Career
Six Emerging Artists Break into the Gallery Scene
To
make good work is one thing, to make a living with it is another. The
six artists included here are a small sampling of a much larger group
of young people who have taken the first steps toward becoming
recognizable as the next generation of creative leaders in this field.
In this candid article, they share how they arrived where they are, and
where they would like to go from here.
|
| Dennis Maust: Relationships
by Chad Martin
Dennis
Maust uses his relationships with people across cultures, a fascination
with visual intricacy and his outrage at human devastation to make pots
that ask questions of right and wrong. |
A Well-Dusted Collection:
An interview with Bruno and Mary Moser
by Scott Frankenberger
A couple reflects on their motivations and enthusiasm for collecting functional pottery.
|
Green Wood
by Tony Clennell
An accidental discovery teaches an unexpected lesson and helps a potter better understand his aesthetic motivations.
recipes Ash Celadon
“Sometimes
we think that to be new and exciting we have to change everything about
ourselves,” says Tony Clennell in this focus article. But when Clennell
tried experimenting with loose, unglazed, wood-fired pots, he felt
unfulfilled. He loved the surfaces on other people’s pots, but they
didn’t feel right on his. When he returned to his signature pots, some
green wood helped him realize why.
|
Critical Care: The Art of Self Critique
by Simon Levin
With the help of two influential teachers, an artist comes to realize that self critique is, well, critical to success.
|
A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
The Archie Bray and Jentel Foundation Residency
with essays by Melissa Post
The
Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, and the Jentel Foundation in
Banner, Wyoming, teamed up in recent years to support the development
of more informed and thoughtful critical writing about the ceramic
arts. The resulting shared residency program (now in its fourth year)
does just that. |
Marcus O’Mahony
by Michael Moore
A potter uses his strong connections to his surroundings to create elemental pots.
|
Struggling to Understand
(And the Rewards of Uncertainty)
by Lucy Breslin
“Whenever
I'm asked to speak about my work," says Lucy Breslin, "I think of a tag
from a teabag taped to my refrigerator, 'When your work speaks for
itself, don't interrupt.' Words of wisdom that are easy to escape into.
Yet over the years, artists have taught me much through speaking about
their work, so I'm forced to acknowledge merit in the process." In this
article, Breslin ponders the benefits of talking about one’s work in an
effort to understand it, while avowing the virtues of accepting the
mysteries involved in the creative process.
|
Peter Callas: Sculpture at the Edge
by Dorothy Joiner
Abstract sculptures reveal a close affinity with nature, and a respect for color, texture, design and material.
|
| An Anagama and an Electric Kiln
by Daryn Lowman
A touch of commercial glaze and a turn in the electric kiln transforms duds from the anagama into gems. |
Lee Akins
by Rafael Molina-Rodriguez
An artist unconsciously blends inspiration from one medium into another.
recipes Low-Fire Glazes for Texture
|
Lattice Structures
by Jesse Hull
with Orchestrating Aesthetics: Balancing Form and Glaze by John Tilton,
Seeding Precedence: The Basics by Fara Shimbo and Re-envisioning Traditional and Modern Views by Jo Yi-Hyun
Crystalline-glaze gurus and enthusiasts gather in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss technical and artistic concerns.
|
Hai Kaburi: Creating Consistent Crusty Wood-Fire Results
by Lee Middleman
In
this technical feature, Lee Middleman discusses the innovative Hai
Kaburi kiln. The kiln was built by Matsumiya Ryoji, a master potter
living in Aomori prefecture, Japan, to create crusty wood-fired ceramic
pieces. By burying the work in four successive layers of ash during the
firing, Matsumiya is able to create entire kilnloads of work with the
crusty surface that previously was only produced in a small section of
his anagama.
|
Glaze Forward
by Diana Pancioli
A lending library of test tiles allows hands-on exploration of Cone 6 reduction glaze surfaces.
recipes Cone 6 Reduction
|
A Hybrid Kiln for Hybrid Surfaces
by Dave Zdrazil
Students and teachers build a gas- and wood-fueled salt kiln that produces a wide variety of surfaces.
|
Heads and Horses
The Ceramic Work of Jean-Pierre Larocque
by Andy Nasisse
“[Jean-Pierre]
Larocque exemplifies the ideal life of the artist,” says Andy Nasisse
in this profile of the Canadian artist. “For over ten years now he has
been working full time making an impressive body of ceramic sculpture,
drawings and paintings. His reputation is firmly established with
numerous solo shows in New York and an upcoming major exhibition of new
work headlining the opening of the newly renovated Gardiner Museum of
Ceramic Art in Toronto. With this huge body of work, made up of horses,
houses, heads, full figures and various combinations of these, Larocque
reveals his gift for infusing clay with an emotional intensity that is
both direct and subtle, straightforward and quietly ambiguous.”
|
Amy Lemaire: Glass as Glaze
by Elizabeth Reichert
monthly methods Mastering Clay and Glass Fusion
Chicago
artist Amy Lemaire went to art school for painting, and then took up
beadwork as a profession. After setting up a studio at Lillstreet Art
Center, she was drawn to clay and sought ways to incorporate it into
her beadwork.
|
| Horsehair Raku
by Bob Hasselle
A post-firing reduction process helps a potter develop an aged patina to match his neolithic imagery.
monthly methods The Horsehair Process
recipe Riggs Terra Sigillata |
The Dark Side of Athanasius
by Brian Fiorentino
Perserverance
and detective work eventually pay off in an artist’s attempt to restore
a cathedral’s eighty-year-old custom tile floor.
monthly methods Custom Tile Cutters
recipes Tile and Saggar Bodies
|
Meditational Forms
Contemporary Korean Ceramics by Choi Sung-Jae
by Phil Rogers
monthly methods Expressive Slip Drawings
|
Magnetic Enigmas
The Ceramic Boxes of Diana Thomas
by Scott Ruescher
monthly methods Building Boxes
Click here to view expanded article.
|
Lebeth Lammers
by Robert Franklin
A
Texas artist finds balance creating sculptural and functional vessels
that have a place in the realms of the everyday and the spiritual.
monthly methods Double-Walled Vessels
|
Paula Murray: Honoring the Natural World
by Nancy Baele
Fragile yet strong works reveal their maker’s intimate connection to seas, rivers, lakes and forests
monthly methods Stress Management by Paula Murray
|
Translating from the Subconscious
by Nancy Utterback
Inspired
by a secret code she devised to prevent snooping brothers from
publicizing her childhood diary, an artist uses pots as a journaling
tool.
|
Lynn Lais
by Phyllis Blair Clark
A potter pursues the work he loves while educating the public on traditional crafts in a unique artisan village.
monthly methods Glazing and Brushstrokes
recipes Cone 11 Glazes and Slips
|
| Threads: Laura Peery
by Ed Wargo
Playful forms connect materials from the past and present to evoke childhood memories.
monthly methods Stitching it all Together by Laura Peery |
Jan Schachter: Potter
by Linda Mau
A California artist is committed to making well-crafted pots that are unapologetically functional.
monthly methods Stamped Slab Plates by Jan Schachter
recipes Cone 10 Reduction Glazes
|
Deirdre McLoughlin
by Nesrin During
Handbuilt forms blur the line between vessel and sculpture.
monthly methods Fastidious Forming
|
Footsteps to Follow
Eric Strader’s Branch on the Pottery Family Tree
by Marshall King
monthly methods Tossing Pots
Eric
Strader’s love for clay began as a child, as he spent much time in his
grandfather Stanley Kellogg’s pottery studio. At home, every pot in the
kitchen cupboards was Kellogg pottery. It is no surprise, then, that
Strader believes in the importance of handmade objects and continues in
his grandfather’s footsteps making functional pottery meant for
everyday use.
|
A Look West from Japan
by Mariko Swisher
Years of studying calligraphy inform the intricate works of a Japanese–American artist.
monthly methods Attention to Detail
|
Barbro Åberg
by Ulla Munck Jørgensen
Abstract sculptures hint at ancient language, astronomy and biology.
monthly methods Strong Clay for Lightweight Building by Barbro Åberg
|
The Long Apprenticeship
by Daniel Bellow
After
25 years, a potter is still learning from his first mentor, Tom White,
how to balance the needs of production and creative desires.
recipes Shino Slip and Glaze
|
|
Everyday Dishes
by Ginger Steele, with Ellen Currans
An Oregon potter makes practical yet beautiful dishes that impart dignity to daily domestic rituals.
monthly methods Textured Slabs
For an expanded article with an in-depth explanation of technical processes, click here
Previous Articles
Press Molding Without Plaster: WD-40 in the Studio
Practical Potting
|
Mary Cay’s Glittering Obsession
by Sumi von Dassow
After much trial and error, a Colorado potter discovers how to turn a nuisance into a nuance.
monthly methods Farming Kiln Jewels
recipes Kiln Wash and Glazes for Farming Kiln Jewels
|
Making Meaning: A Dialog Between Culture and Nature
by Howard Risatti
The
marriage of material, technique, tradition and function in handmade
ceramics allows for meaning far beyond form and utility.
“A
Neolithic Chinese urn made in approximately 2300 B.C. and a vase made
some 4000 years later in New York are both instantly recognizable as
containers, despite being made in vastly different cultures at
different places and at different times,” contends Howard Risatti.
“Their basic forms seem to echo throughout history from prehistoric
times to the present. It is as though they spring from an archetypal
form embedded deep within our collective memory. If it is an archetypal
form, however, it does not spring, as fine art does, from social
conventions, which vary from place to place and change from time to
time. Rather, it springs from the unchanging realm of nature and human
physical need. But—and this is an extremely important but—since we also
recognize clear stylistic differences between these works (one is
Neolithic Chinese, one contemporary American), it means they also have
an existence in the changing and variable realm of social
convention—that realm that is art and culture.” |
The Tei Tei Project
by Louise Rosenfield
A
university professor teams up with a Japanese chef to help students
explore the creation and use of pottery in a cultural context.
After
spending time in Japan, Peter Beasecker was moved by the significance
of handmade pottery in everyday Japanese life—not just as functional
containers but as crucial components of the Japanese aesthetic. Upon
returning to the states, Beasecker was faced with the nagging dilemma
of how to bring some semblance of this experience to his students. “And
so the Tei Tei Project was born,” explains Louise Rosenfield. “The
project involves students meeting with Japanese chef Teiichi Sakurai
three separate times to design and produce vessels for specific foods.
It culminates with a feast of up to a dozen courses, depending upon the
number of students enrolled in the class.” |
In Pursuit of Personal Style
by Conner Burns
A
Mississippi potter traces the arduous path to finding his artistic
voice in hopes of easing the minds of aspiring artists experiencing the
same struggle.
“It seems that once a person understands the
basic techniques of making pots, the attention is then divided between
the improvement of those techniques and the pursuit of personal style,”
states Conner Burns. “When someone asks, ‘How do I develop my personal
style,’ it is often accompanied by the expectation of a response that
will be instant, concise and will miraculously transform their pots
into something totally unique. I believe this is a learned habit of our
fast-food/microwave society. Often individuals feel the answer is what
will change their pots—independent of personal effort.” This magic
answer doesn’t really exist and, in this article, Burns elaborates on
the blood, sweat and tears that go into developing a personal aesthetic
voice. |
Looking at Looking
by Don Pilcher
In
the latest installment of his “Looking at” series, Don Pilcher proffers
that we tend to see what we want to see, and observes that this is as
much a liability as it is an asset. His solution: Look deeper, look
more.
What we see is what we are looking for. “The
first time I heard that expression, it struck me as sensible, even
obvious,” explains Pilcher. “Decades later I find it profound, not just
for what it says, but for its revealing corollary, which is: Such
seeing is as much a liability as it is an asset. No matter if we think
our knowledge is vast, it is still largely incomplete. Even the
cognoscenti see only in part. Those who suggest otherwise are deluding
you, themselves, or both. I am making this point to put every reader on
common ground—the beginner, the professional, even the 'experts.' We
all have huge gaps in our knowledge. It’s just a matter of degree.” |
An Approach to Single Firing–Further In
A
Kansas City potter shares what has changed and what has remained the
same since his first single firing article twenty years ago
by Steven Hill
Twenty years ago, Ceramics Monthly
published an article by Steven Hill that presented a starting point for
understanding the process of single firing. Now Hill revisits that
article to share what he has learned and how he has developed this
process through the years. “With my first single firing experience, I
was affected on a primal level and inspired to go further in,” Hill
explains. “As I achieved the necessary skill to focus beyond technique,
my artistic vision developed and single firing began to soulfully
connect me to my work. I simply opened my eyes and heart, and let
influences flow through me.” |
A Balanced Hand
A Virginia potter traces her development from pots to figurative sculpture, and back again
by Marlene Jack
monthly methods A Builder of Pots
Barhamsville,
Virginia, artist Marlene Jack has roots in functional pottery with an
eastern aesthetic, inspired by her education at the University of
Minnesota. But when she had to confront her own mortality in the late
1980s, she felt the need to shift her focus to figurative sculpture. In
this article, Jack describes the role this diversion played in her
development as an artist and how it eventually would lead her back to
making functional pots.
For an expanded version of this article, including more images of works by Marlene Jack, click here. |
Gabriele Koch
Through meticulous working methods, a British artist creates refined, smoke-fired vessel forms
by Tony Birks
monthly methods The Flexibility of Smoke Firing
Gabriele
Koch takes her time with each of her handbuilt, smoke-fired vessel
forms, striving for perfection with every piece and rejecting anything
that does not live up to her standards. She explains, “I am not trying
to make just any new form: this would be like inventing something for
the sake of invention, trying to be clever. My interest lies in organic
development, where one form contains the seed for the next one, where
form is rooted in its own family tree.” |
Looking at Kesl and Tilton
A painter and a potter set aside their usual studio pursuits in a serendipitous annual partnership
by Don Pilcher
with Collaborative Escape by Anne Tilton
monthly methods The Depth and Complexity of Underglazes
“Each
winter, for the past 24 years, John Tilton and Lennie Kesl have put
aside their usual studio pursuits, and turned their minds and
imaginations toward a compelling collaboration,” opens author Don
Pilcher. “The product is a large group of painted plates, cups and
jars. The appeal of this work reveals itself at several levels, as does
the content. This is the work of two serious artists making the most of
their talents and experiences, in concert. As it turns out, each is
also a musician and, in both endeavors, they cook.” |
Healthy Forest—Happy Potters
Potters team up with the U.S. Forest Service to help lessen the threat of catastrophic wildfires, while fueling their creativity
by Tom Wolf
monthly methods Big Brick Kiln Design
When
the Anasazi inhabited an area of northern New Mexico called Pot Creek,
they used abundant local supplies of micaceous clay and firewood to
create large numbers of pit-fired pots. Tom Wolf explains that “the
Anasazi used fire as a tool—not just to harden their pots but also to
strike a balance with their environment; to sustainably manage their
forests. Thanks to their expertise in setting relatively cool, frequent
fires, they lived surrounded by open, parklike forests of stately,
well-spaced, old-growth ponderosa pine.” Now, after years of fire
suppression, the old Ponderosa’s compete with bushy, small-diameter
trees that burn hot, making the forest a disaster waiting to happen.
But a group of potters have teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to
help avert this disaster. |
Frank Willett: Potter
Pots with a quiet presence reflect the simple processes of their creation
by James Marshall
monthly methods Found Wooden Handles
recipes Cone 10 Reduction Glazes
“At 75-years-old, [Frank] Willett is tall and gray bearded with the
countenance of a wise elder. After fifty years of potting, his hands,
mind and heart have absorbed and reflect three lifetimes of what clay
has to teach us all,” observes author James Marshall. In this article,
Marshall shares the philosophies and practices of this Santa Fe, New
Mexico, potter. |
A Community Gathers to Remember a Friend
Firing the late Billy Henson’s groundhog kiln highlights the important role he played in his community
by David Hooker
In
this article, David Hooker reflects on the commemorative firings of
late potter Billy Henson’s kiln. “When we first embarked on this
project, I hadn’t realized that Henson’s firings were not as much about
pottery as they were about community. When he fired, an announcement in
the local paper brought people from all over the county. The family
cooked food to share. People would come with lawn chairs and stay the
day. Farmers would sell fresh melons out of their trucks. Strangers
were made welcome and went home full of casseroles and cobbler. When
Henson died and the kiln sat unfired, it left a hole in the community.”
To see images of the works from this commemorative firing, click here. |
A Natural Fixation
A Washington potter seeks to emulate traditional Asian potter using intuitive methods and native materials
by Chris Nielsen
recipes Classic Cone 10 Glazes
Chris
Nielsen first got into clay because he was drawn to the ‘naturalism’ of
traditional pottery. “I craved the opportunity to dig clay out of
stream banks, fire with wood and glaze with ashes or salt,” he
reflects. “I wanted to exemplify that alchemical miracle of earth,
water, air and fire.” His career didn’t follow the exact path he
thought it would, but he has remained committed to the traditional
aesthetic and using native materials. |
Ben Owen III
Fourth-generation North Carolina potter finds balance between the family pottery tradition and a desire to explore new ideas
by Phyllis Blair Clark
"Ben
Owen III came to clay early. He has grown up with the tradition, but he
has not been afraid to challenge his materials, his background or
himself.” Phyllis Blair Clark once wrote these words in a letter of
recommendation for the aspiring potter. Now she expands on those
sentiments and traces the development and career of this 4th-generation
North Carolina potter.
To see additional images of Ben Owens' work, click here. |
Past, Present and Future on the Gulf Coast
Brian Nettles, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and Katrina
by Elaine Levin
recipes Shino Glaze and Drawing Stain
“When
I visited [Biloxi] in November 2003, I was enchanted by the mixture of
tropical sandy beaches, gracious nineteenth-century homes, fishing
jetties, pleasure boats, commercial marinas, and the large number of
massive gambling casinos perched on the water and shoreline,” explains
author Elaine Levin, describing the tourist destination of Blioxi,
Mississippi, prior to Hurricane Katrina. “Now, in the fall of 2005,
newspapers, television, magazines and radio have described another,
totally different Gulf Coast. On August 29th, Hurricane Katrina’s
140-mile-per-hour winds whipped across the Gulf Coast, converting to
kindling almost every building or structure in her path.” In this
article, Levin explains how Brian Nettles and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of
Art are coping with the destruction of a very powerful hurricane. |
Luminosity
James Haggerty’s Low-Fire Lusters
by Linda Janos
recipes Low-fire underglaze, glazes and lusters
Santa Barbara potter James Haggerty thrives on the unpredictability of
strike firing. Though his years of experimentation have made him quite
the expert on the subject, Haggerty is still often pleasantly surprised
by happy accidents. “I love how unpredictable strike firing is,” says
James Haggerty. “It’s exciting never knowing what I am going to end up
with. For me, the ultimate driving force behind my art is my
exploration of materials. It’s this constant mystery that fuels my
imagination and my creativity with ceramics. |
Jeremy Jernegan: Surface and Form
Louisiana sculptor makes good use of the inherent qualities of both clay and steel
by Glen R. Brown
monthly methods Integrating Imagery with Screen Printing and Slip
Jeremy
Jernegan’s latest work takes advantage of the innate characteristics of
two materials: ceramics and steel. Clay has been the perfect material
for Jernegan to explore screen printing techniques with which he can
create images that are not simply on top of the surface, but actually
are integrated into the surface. However, the clay did not work well on
its own for the sculptures he wished to construct. "Obviously, one of
the limitations of clay is that it has great compressive strength but
poor tensile strength," Jernegan observes. "If you want to work
structurally with it, you have to find some way to cope with that.
Steel, on the other hand, is a particularly effective material for
structural integrity.”
For expanded text and more images of Jernegan’s work, click here. |
| Homage to Palissy
Using
slips, underglazes and silk-screening techniques, Washington artist
creates pots that swim, crawl and slither with references to Bernard
Palissy
by John McCuistion
monthly methods A Modern Twist on an Old Idea
When
John McCuistion stumbled upon work attributed to Bernard Palissy in a
museum several years back, he was fascinated by its timeless quality.
He embarked on a quest to learn more about Palissy, eventually
traveling to England and France on research grants. The research
resulted in a dramatic shift in his work; which pays tribute to
Palissy’s naturalistic ceramics.
|
| Reconnecting: The Expressive Utilitarian Wares of Andy Shaw
Lousiana potter creates well-designed objects for domestic use
by Leigh Taylor Mickelson
monthly methods Lively Pots with Precise Patterning
“[Andy] Shaw’s new work is meant to be accessible—purchased, brought
home and used,” states Leigh Taylor Mickelson. “It is meant to live
amidst other objects of function, various color schemes and interior
designs, and find common ground with them. It is meant to invite
function; to make its owners yearn for a bowl of ice cream or a cup of
tea. It is meant ‘to reconnect individuals to creative and purposeful
expression through the making and use of handmade pottery.’”
|
A Studio in the Woods
Gerry Dinnen’s Salt-Fired Pots
by Polly Raine
recipes Slips and Glazes for Salt Firing
"Down
a remote, rambling road in rural Beaver County, Pennsylvania, there is
the young skeleton of a studio in the woods," opens author Polly Raine.
"Over the bank, tucked behind a veil of cherry and maple trees is a
1000-gallon gas tank. Its tubular roots slither beneath a foot path
that winds down the hill and ends at a firebox. An unclothed two-story
timber frame envelops a newly constructed salt kiln. . . . The salt
kiln is part of a passionate undertaking of ceramist Gerry Dinnen. The
kiln contributes to his signature style of work, while the studio is
foundation for a second home. This is the story behind this project—the
foothold to a potter’s dream." |
Joyce Jablonski: An Artist’s Way of Being
Missouri sculptor offers a modern interpretation of ritual art
by Kathleen Desmond
monthly methods Layered Surfaces with Decals
recipesClay, Slip and Textured Glazes
For
Joyce Jablonski, creating works in clay is a part of a quest for
understanding in which the process is as important as the outcome.
“When she works with clay, it is as though she possesses it,” explains
author Kathleen Desmond. “She demonstrates such concentration and focus
that it is an aesthetic experience just watching her. With such control
and concentration she is able to lose control—to transcend—the clay,
herself and any work she creates. Jablonski’s ability to work with clay
with such competence and passion, gives evidence to the quality of her
attitude and her own work. Working with the process of artmaking with
clay is as much the art as the objects she makes.” |
Peter Powning
Canadian artist finds rejuvenation by moving from production ware to large-scale, mixed-media sculpture
by Diane Creber
monthly methods Making an Air-Supplied Face Mask
On
his off-the-beaten-path farm in New Brunswick, Canada, Peter Powning
manages to balance a successful studio business with commitments to
family and farm life, while continually reinventing himself through his
versatile work. Powning says the dream studio he built after a fire
destroyed his original studio contributes to this success, as does the
ability live and work in a quiet, peaceful setting. |
| The Oxidation Reverberation
How the Gas Crisis of the 1970s Influenced American Ceramics
by Jayne Shatz
recipes Cone 6 Clays and Glazes for Oxidation
"We were hurly-burly, brick-and-burner, reduction-fired gas guzzlers! But all that was changing."
Instead
of despairing when the 1970s energy crisis made firing her gas kiln
cost-prohibitive, Arnold, Maryland, potter Jayne Shatz set out to
develop glazes that would give her the high-fire reduction effects she
desired in a lower-heat, oxidation atmosphere.
|
Nic Collins: In Search of Space
An English potter finds ample room to create by setting up shop in the center of a national park
by Tim Gent
monthly methods Collins’ Kilns
"While
the rest of us, in Western Europe at least, struggle with the
restraints on creativity imposed by overpopulation and the resultant
lack of space, by sticking to his own rules Collins has given himself
the physical and psychological room to do his own thing," Tim Gent says
of free-spirited English wood firer Nic Collins. "Perhaps that is a
quality shared by protracted wood-fired work in England—the many
obstacles strengthening and not diminishing the results."
To see additional works by Nic Collins not shown in the article click here. |
Anne Fløche
by Lise Lotte Nielsen
Danish ceramist emphasizes dry, chalky texture on slab-built forms
monthly methods Inspired by Terra Sigillata by Anne Fløche
recipe Fløche Terra Sigillata
"Anne
Fløche, a 52-year-old Danish ceramist, who for more than 32 years has
worked as a studio potter, continues to go her own way," says author
Lise Lotte Nielsen. "A minimalist, she hopes to bring out what is, in
her opinion, the most important part of the clay medium: the texture.
She refrains from using glazes. Instead, she works with intensely
colored terra sigillata fired at a low temperature."
To see more images of Anne Fløche’s work, click here. |
Challenging Beauty
The Sculpture of Tom Bartel
by Anderson Turner
monthly methods Low-Tech Construction and Multifiring by Tom Bartel
recipes Low-Fire Clay, Glazes and Engobes
"It
has been argued that people react more positively to representational
art because it leads them down a road that is more comfortable or
familiar to them. What happens when that road of comfort becomes
twisted, confused and all together abstract," wonders author Anderson
Turner. "Hopefully, the viewer, while being subverted, will find
themselves in an area that is perhaps new and exciting, or at least
thought provoking." Turner goes on to explore how Tom Bartel’s work is
challenging conventional interpretations of beauty and is all of those
things.
To see more images of Tom Bartel’s work, click here |
Feldspars We Use
Chemical Analyses of Feldspars and Related Raw Materials
In
this table, CM presents typical chemical analyses provided by the
suppliers for a number of common feldspar products and related
materials. The analyses will allow you to compare the compositions of
different raw materials when it is desirable to make substitutions in
clay body and glaze recipes. The weight percent values will be useful
in the conversion of glaze recipes from Seger molecular formulas to
weight percent recipes when using these raw materials. |
Clays, Slips and Glazes for Wood Firing
by Sam Hoffman
Through determination and experimentation, an Oregon potter discovers how to make the most of every corner of a wood-fired kiln
recipes Iron-Bearing Clay Bodies, Light-Colored Stoneware and Porcelain
recipes Various Slips and Shino, Oribe and Limestone Glazes
When
Corvallis, Oregon, potter Sam Hoffman first participated in his first
wood firing, he didn’t expect it to be much more than a minor diversion
from his normal routine of Cone 10 reduction firing. As it turned out,
Hoffman was bitten by the wood-fire bug. In the years since that first
wood firing, Hoffman has been tirelessly experimenting with clays,
slips and glazes for wood firing in an attempt to make the most of
every section of the kiln. In this article he shares some of the
results of those efforts. "I have learned that there are no rules to
wood firing, only guidelines," he asserts. "Use these recipes as a
starting point and experiment with them. Don’t forget: It is possible
to challenge tradition while embracing it!" |
Hui Ka Kwong
Ceramist influenced by Pop Art and Asian-American cultural ties helped to narrow the gap between art and craft realms
by Margaret Carney
“In
a world of Bernard Leach–inspired “little brown pots,” Hui became
forever linked with the creation of a unique genre of ceramics—a
radical departure from little brown pots: abstract sculpture with
glossy glazes in primary reds, blues, greens and yellows, along with a
generous application of gold and silver lustre.,” states author
Margaret Carney. “If there ever was a ceramics artist who was
successful in shortening the gap between the art realm and the craft
realm, it was Hui. For those interested in the rise of ceramics to a
fine art form in the United States, Hui embodies that phenomenon.”
For an expanded version of this article, click here. |
Satori Yamaoka’s Kobushigama
A
penchant for glaze and clay-body testing runs in the family, and
contributes to the success of a modern yet classic Japanese pottery
by Bob McWilliams
monthly methods Electric and Propane Combination Firing
recipes Cone 9 Oxidation Glazes
peacock glaze Recipes and instructions for an intricate layered glaze
“Yamaoka’s
studio is one of the most organized and clean shops I have ever seen,”
said Bob McWilliams, who visited Satori Yamaoka on a recent trip to
Japan. “As he came out to greet us, he motioned for us to come upstairs
from the showroom to a much more exhibition-oriented gallery where,
behind glass cases, were some of the most treasured pieces of Yamaoka,
his father and his son. There were beautiful reds and purples on bowls
and platters, oil-spot Temmokus, vases with excellent stain or enamel
brushwork, marbled incense pieces, teabowls, and other chanoyu
(Japanese tea ceremony) objects.” |
Margaret Bohls’ Models of Tension
Artist explores concepts of form and function by accentuating volume and space
by Glen R. Brown
monthly methods Handbuilding with Molds
"Their thin walls straining against a fixed grid, expanding through its
immobile mesh and separating into orderly fields of convex planes, the
recent porcelain vessels of Margaret Bohls resemble balloons inflated
within cages," states Glen R. Brown. "The impression of conflicting
elasticity and rigidity provides the tension that every visually
appealing object must convey on some level through some aspect of its
form. Interestingly, however, Bohls’ consideration of the aesthetic
dimensions of her work is always secondary to the utilitarian aspects
of the objects she makes. Form always follows function—at least in
theory." |
Jim Wayne’s Saggar-Fired Shino Teaware
Potter uses saggar firing to recreate the spirit of the Japanese wood-fired work he admires
by Stewart Lenox
monthly methods The Japanese Tea Ceremony and Utensils
Initially
using the tea-bowl form only as a teaching device, Aptos California,
potter Jim Wayne eventually ended up studying Japanese teaware and the
tea ceremony in great depth. “Through bringing an impeccable technique
together with a deepening understanding of the context in which the
utensils are used, Wayne has succeeded in creating an American teaware
that meets all of the requirements of the tea ceremony,” explains
author Stewart Lenox. “He says he is pleased when ‘the guests in the
tearoom have the opportunity to examine the pieces, and appreciate the
unusual surface attributes (crazing, crawling, distortion, scarring)
that are technically flaws but together create a visual and tactile
richness that hopefully contributes to the enjoyment of the tea
gathering.’”
For an expanded version of this article, click here |
Fertility and Fragility
The Work of Leigh Taylor Mickelson
by Mary K. Cloonan
monthly methods Steel Armatures for Stacked Sculpture by Leigh Taylor Mickelson
Baltimore,
Maryland, artist Leigh Taylor Mickelson uses her stacked podlike forms
and wall pieces as metaphors for human relationships. “These sculptures
are about balance, the physical stacking of each form and their
aesthetic relations,” explains author Mary Cloonan. “Yet more
importantly, they are about the balance between the individual elements
and their dependency upon one another. The sculptures become a
symbiotic relationship between each finned, pinched, pocked, bumpy and
scraped participant. As each one touches the other in the stack, a
conversation takes place, where one thought or idea leads to the next.”
|
A Collaboration in Temmoku
After a serendipitous conversation, two potters embark on a research project to understand ancient Chinese iron bearing glazes
by Joe Koons
monthly methods Temmoku Testing by Mel Jacobson
recipes Cone 11 Iron Saturate Glazes
Bonded
by a mutual fascination, Mel Jacobson and Joe Koons partnered to
uncover the mysteries of ancient iron bearing glazes. “Jacobson and I
embarked on this collaboration determined to learn the principles that
produced these ancient glazes, to share the system that gives the best
results and to dispel the rumors that have hovered about this art form
for years,” explains Koons. Here they share their experience and the
many recipes that resulted. |
Pottery Unplugged
The Handbuilt Pottery of D. Hayne Bayless
by Scott Ruescher
monthly methods Surface: Stencils and Resist
“I
love what spawns in the friction between what I want the material to do
and what it would rather do,” says Ivoryton, Connecticut, potter D.
Hayne Bayless. “I’m intrigued by what happens when clay is rolled,
stretched, pressed, incised, inlaid, extruded, bent, cut and put back
together.”
In this article, Scott Ruescher explains how this
fascination with handbuilt pottery—or as Bayless calls it, “pottery
unplugged”—has developed into a body of work “with a mature artist’s
range and depth of form, and content that can accommodate further
ingenious experimentation within a recognizably D. Hayne Bayless
style.” |
Lee Middleman
A California potter experiments with surfaces by throwing, texturizing, then throwing again
by Diane Chin-Lui
recipe Cone 10 Glazes
After
meeting Tatsuzo Shimaoka at a workshop in Japan, Lee Middleman became
enthusiastic about impressed rope textures. When he returned to his
studio, he realized that it was more difficult than expected to achieve
impressed texture without distorting the form. Middleman began to
experiment with the technique, and came up with a method that allowed
him to create the textures he desired without sacrificing form. |
Finding My Niche
Early 20th-century art pottery and architecture inspire graceful forms with precise surface decorations
by Ann Selberg
monthly methods Making and Glazing Incised Ware
Portland
Oregon potter Ann Selberg found the influence for this body of work in
the architecture of Chicago. "While the city is famous for architecture
from many eras, my strongest recollections include the stylized,
organic-themed works of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel
Burnham and John Wellborn Root," writes Selberg. "Their classical
forms, weathered surfaces, understated decoration, order, grace and
geometry spoke to me. The patinated metals made the designs even more
rich and varied in color and texture." |
Fractals Wrapped in Clay
Norwegian sculptor employs innovative techniques to create highly intricate compositions with colored porcelain
by Elina Brandt-Hansen
monthly methods Creating Colored-Porcelain Patterns
Textiles
and clay were important media to Elina Brandt-Hansen when she was
developing as an artist. But during college she realized she needed to
focus on one or the other. She chose clay but knew she would have to
figure out a way to satisfy her craving for woven patterns and
brilliant colors, as textiles once did. So she developed innovative and
cost-effective methods for creating intricately patterned colored clay.
|
Knowledge in a Jar
Danish sculptor experiments with surface in commissioned series
by Morten Løbner Espersen
monthly methods Large Vessels with Complex Surfaces
recipes Cone 10 glazes used in multiple firings
“In
line with my earlier work, I chose to create a series of identically
shaped jars, as I most often work in a series of pure and elemental
geometric shapes,” Morten Løbner Espersen says of his commissioned work
for the Public Library in Hillerød (a town situated north of
Copenhagen). “This allows the eye to relax in the repetition of the
volumes, yet to focus on the differences within textures and colors.
Jars like these are neutral archetypes, familiar shapes. They are not
like the containers in which we store food or the ones from which we
eat, but a container of knowledge—a jar that has always existed, in any
culture, in any time.” |
Makoto Yabe: The Human Touch
A quest for new artistic direction helps Japanese potter come to terms with the influence of tradition
by Andrew L. Maske
Early
in his career, Makoto Yabe once was somewhat envious of United States
potters because they did not have the very ancient a ceramics tradition
of his homeland. This enabled them, he felt, to have more creative
freedom. But as Andrew Maske explains, “as he has grown older, Yabe has
gradually come to wholeheartedly embrace his Japanese roots. He is
comfortable with the pieces he makes and no longer feels the same
self-inflicted pressure to redefine his work. ‘Even though I’m in my
50s, I still feel like a student. There are still new things to learn,
new things to explore. However, as people age, their perceptions
change, and I see Japanese tradition differently now. I don’t have to
fight tradition, but instead can express myself through it.’” |
Lynn Duryea: The Energy of Edges
Sculptor approaches the minimalist aesthetic from a potter’s perspective, exploring the utilitarian potential of objects
by Glen R. Brown
monthly methods Tar-Paper Molds
Boone,
North Carolina, sculptor Lynn Duryea has constructed her sculptures
essentially as large vessels, some of which are sealed. Glen R. Brown
explains, “Unlike the open-box forms of Donald Judd—which were designed
to assert their absolute emptiness, their inability to harbor any
content, material or otherwise—Duryea’s forms are implicitly containers.
“Although some of her pieces might indeed be compelled to serve as
utilitarian vessels, their presentation as sculpture makes clear that
their implicit content is of a conceptual nature. They serve, in other
words, as containers in a rhetorical rather than literal sense. Their
content, consequently, is understood to be immaterial. The fact that
they have been read alternately as references to machines and human
beings suggests that this content is generally perceived by viewers as
energy rather than object, a potential for action rather than something
material.” |
Central Carolina Community College The Beginning of an Arts Incubator
by Jan Rider
with CCCC Two-Year Clay Sculpture Curriculum
“Two
years ago, Siler City, was like many small rural towns throughout the
Southeast and the nation,” states Jan Rider. “Downtown was littered
with vacant buildings scarred by the elements and time. Merchants had
moved to strip malls on the outskirts of town. Traffic had slowed to a
trickle after a freeway bypass was completed.” Today it is a different
story thanks to a partnership between two groups with a bold plan to
rejuvenate the town through the arts and education. |
Karen Karnes, Retrospectively
Modernism meets traditionalism in the evolution of a career
by Garth Clark
“There
is a remarkable paradox about Karen Karnes. She is both one of
America’s best-known ceramists here and abroad and, arguably, its least
understood. I say this not in search of sympathy but for the sake of
accuracy,” states Garth Clark. “When you speak of Karnes, even to some
of her most enthusiastic supporters, she tends to be pegged as a
traditionalist. Being a traditional potter is a perfectly wonderful
pursuit, it just does not apply in this case. Traditionalists tend to
be at odds with Modernism and skeptical of their contemporary society.
Their work is often linked to a specific period in the history of their
medium that they reinterpret. They are not known for experiment and
risk. Their forms and glazes change little, if at all. None of these
parameters fit the art of Karnes.” |
The Quest for the Glowing Glaze
An instructor’s challenge leads Brian Jenson to a business opportunity
by Sarah Rossiter
“Brian
Jensen’s quest for glowing glaze began in the town of Edinboro,
Pennsylvania, with professor Steve Kemenyffy’s challenge to graduate
students to develop cutting-edge ceramics technology. Jensen’s search
for the alchemy of photoluminescent glaze would lead him from the 1920s
marble factories of Sisterville, West Virginia, through the aisles of a
toy store and the treacherous corporate straits of a
multibillion-dollar glow-in-the-dark industry to starting his own
business and offering the first glow-in-the-dark ceramic glaze on the
market.” |
Wood Fired Doesn’t Mean Brown
by David Hendley
Texas
potter David Hendley appreciates the warm, earthy tones of wood-fired
clay surfaces, “but there is more to life than ashes and shades of
brown. I also love glazes, color and decorating pots. Remember that,
until recent ceramics history, almost all ceramics were wood fired. I
like pots that reveal themselves slowly to a thoughtful viewer or user.
Frankly,” he explains, “I don’t want my pots to scream, ‘I am wood
fired!’ Over the past several years, while firing an Olsen
fastfire-style kiln, I’ve developed what, for me, is a good balance
between colorful and purposeful glaze and slip work and the rich,
somewhat random, unpredictable effects of wood firing,” |
| |
In Pursuit of Beauty
by Rebekah Bogard
“Some
may see beauty as a frivolous and naïve goal, unworthy of being an
artist’s ultimate objective,” states Las Vegas ceramist Rebekah Bogard.
“For me, beauty is an escape from my mundane life. It reminds me that
life is a gift that is far greater than our daily struggles. Beauty
truly exalts the mind and spirit, and making art is a way for me to
focus on this idea. It enables me to make sense out of why I am here
and what it means to be self-aware. As I strive to create an ideal
world through my designs of perfecting the sublime, I understand what I
am looking for is a spiritual revelation.” |
| |
Firing with Vegetable Oil
by John Britt
In
the April 2003 issue, Penland, North Carolina, potter John Britt
illustrated a potters experiment in lessening the environmental impact
of firing ceramics. “As we take part in the demand for electricity,
minerals and petroleum, we also share the responsibility for their
environmental effects. One of the most common rationalizations is that
we are only using the scraps of industry and are therefore not the
primary cause. For Sam Clarkson, this rationalization was
unsatisfactory, and he decided to take some positive action to
reconcile his love of pottery with his concern for the environment.” |
Floating Clay
By Randolph Sill
In
the February 2004 issue, Seattle ceramist Randolph Sill recalls how he
"was studying ceramics recently in Shigaraki, Japan, a mountain pottery
village about two hours from Kyoto. While learning methods of
contemporary ceramic sculpture, as well as traditional Japanese pottery
techniques, I conceived of a ceramic sculpture that would be installed
in the ponds of Togeinomori, the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, on
the outskirts of town. I wanted to make the sculpture float on water,
an endeavor doomed to be difficult. Wouldn't it be cool, though, to
have the sculpture meander around the ponds and go wherever the winds
directed? Pedestals can be so confining!" |
Tom and Elaine Coleman
By John Nance
For more than three decades, studio potters Tom and Elaine Coleman have
sustained themselves and raised a family through their work in clay. It
has involved major changes in geography, and in ways, styles and means
of living and working. Despite the difficulties and occasional
setbacks, the Colemans have found it to be a personally and creatively
gratifying career. In the January 2003 issue, author John Nance, who
met the Colemans 25 years ago when he documented their work in the book
The Mud-Pie Dilemma, brings their story up to date. "How
does one make a decent living from clay, and is it worth all the hard
work? Those are questions each studio artist must address individually.
Answers will vary from person to person. "In 1977, Tom Coleman was the subject of a book that told of his struggles to make a living for his family with his art. The Mud-Pie Dilemma
covered his and wife Elaine's three-month-long preparation for a major
show in Seattle. It recorded the high critical acclaim the show
received and the depressingly low financial return-after expenses, they
made less than $1500, roughly 65¢ an hour. "Tom, then 32 years
old, already had a reputation as a thrower and decorator of classic
porcelain forms. He considered the Seattle show the peak of his
artistic work to that point and was sadly deflated by the sales. Elaine
excelled in carving decorations, but was devoting most of her energy
then to household concerns, the couples' two young sons, and the
administrative side of the pottery business. Both remained determined
to find a way to make pottery support their family." |
Matt Long's Moments of Victory
By Glen R. Brown
In
the January 2003 issue, Glen R. Brown describes how, as "emblems of
optimism, the porcelain vessels of University of Florida instructor
Matt Long embody a philosophy for daily living that encounters in the
smallest favorable events a confirmation of personal progress.
Literally stamped with the mark of victory—a monogram featuring a
prominent V combined with Long's initials—his works assert both the
subjectivity of success and the determination to prize it at all levels
of experience. Pottery making is a practice that is clearly at the
heart of his general sanguineness. Reflection on the ability to earn a
living through an activity that he loves, yet readily acknowledges to
be nonessential in the modern world, has given him reason enough to
feel gratified. 'I'm in education and I make pots,' he says. 'Neither
of those brings in a lot of money in our society. Nevertheless, I feel
that I'm a very rich man and that I live a wonderful life.'" |
Leah Leitson’s Altered Porcelain Pots
by Ann Gleason
“When
Leah Leitson was a child, important family holidays were closely
associated with special silver and chinaware.” In the June/July/August
2003 issue, Ann Gleason explains “that celebratory association
continues to influence her art. Now an artist-potter-educator in
Asheville, North Carolina, Leitson has been producing elegant porcelain
dinnerware since the 1980s. She works on and off the potter’s
wheel—throwing, cutting, shaping and altering the clay to create
striking sculptural pieces without sacrificing functionality.” |
Building a Minigama At Mount Hood Community College
by Rhue Bruggeman and Beverly Curtis
In
the June/July/August 2003 issue, Oregon potters Rhue Bruggeman and
Beverly Curtis recall the excitement of building and firing a new wood
kiln. "As the firing progressed, the team bumped open the damper and
quickened their stoking pace. On Sunday at 5:00 A.M., Cone 10 was down
in the front. With the damper at 12 inches and the back of the kiln at
Cone 8, it was time for side stoking. Four to six sticks were stoked on
each side of the kiln before every main stoke. The mouseholes were used
to control the coal bed in the side-stoke alley.
At noon, it was
decided to finish the firing by stoking from the front exclusively. By
1:00 P.M., Cone 13 had fallen in the front of the kiln; the back was at
Cone 10 at 3:30 P.M. With the damper full open, stoking frequency
increased.
"Hoping to melt all the ash, the team continued
firing until 10:00 P.M., when Cone 12 was bending at the back. After
being stoked for 41 hours and burning 2½ cords of wood, the kiln was
closed by dampering down and plugging the front air and stokeholes. In
order to maintain a good, soft flame in the kiln, the damper was slowly
nudged shut over the course of a half hour. By 10:30 P.M., the
combustion pressure was low enough to close the kiln completely.
Seven
days later, the kiln was slowly opened to reveal a beautiful firing.
The work near the front firebox was blanketed with melted ash. Work at
the rear of the kiln revealed lightly glazed surfaces, with all the
flashing and warm toasty colors of an anagama wood firing." |
When Bad Glazes Happen to Good Potters
An Unsolved Mystery
by Cynthia Spencer
“Some
potters are walking encyclopedias of information on ceramics materials
that they have acquired from degree programs or compulsive exploration.
And then there are the rest of us. We learn and promptly forget. When a
glaze or clay problem throws us for a loop, we must often relearn, but
then remember much better.” In the March 2003 issue, Cynthia Spencer
tells Leslie Green’s story “with lessons for us all.” |
Phil Rogers
By Richard Busch
In the May 2003 issue, Richard Busch asked Phil Rogers “if he ever
thinks about his legacy—what he would like people 50 years from now to
be saying about his work. He pondered that for a moment, then replied,
‘For me, pottery is a development from one month or year to the next,
and until one sees the results of the next batch of work, then one
isn’t sure where the road might lead. “‘Most people leave this
earth having made a contribution in some form, but few leave behind
tangible relics. I think it would be nice if, at the very least, people
in 50 years time were to say that the pots were, in the main,
unmistakably mine, and that I did stretch the tradition a bit.’” For more about Phil Rogers and his work, see www.philrogerspottery.com. |
Michael Simon
Between the Universal and the Personal
by Glen R. Brown
In
the November 2003 issue, Glen R. Brown remarks that the "warm-hued
stoneware vessels of Georgia potter Michael Simon belie the complexity
of their relationship with the ceramics tradition, a relationship that
starts with the concept of utility and ends in the realm of aesthetics.
If Simon began his career, as did so many aspiring potters in the
1970s, with visions of a kind of reform in domestic design-heady
expectations for the role of pots in revitalizing the sensibilities of
the modern uninspired consumer—over the years, he has become less
zealous about utility. He still believes that pottery is fulfilled by
use, but he no longer expects that all of his vessels will circulate
regularly between the shelf and the table. This does not, however,
signal a retreat from his 30-year conviction that a good potter grants
priority to the demands of utility over formal caprices; that, in fact,
the unique expressive power of a vessel ultimately begins with the
potter's attention to its practical purpose. If this focus diminishes
the vessel's immediate capacity as a vehicle for personal content, it
compensates by elevating the vessel to the level of the universal, the
collective ground on which the personal acquires a comparative value." |
Anagama Firing at Chris Gustin's
Between the Universal and the Personal
by Scott Ruescher
"Twice
a year, Chris Gustin sends out invitations to potters from around the
country who might be interested in firing their pieces in the wood kiln
outside the converted chicken coop that serves as his studio in South
Dartmouth, Massachusetts." In the October 2003 issue, Scott Ruescher
points out that "a core group of students, invited artists and seasoned
career potters from the New England area shows up for the semiannual
event, and a few newcomers from these categories accept the invitation
as well, all promising to participate in each phase of the firing. Two
days of loading, six days of stoking the fire (including a day of
salt-and-soda glazing), and a week of kiln cooling later, the
long-awaited unloading begins." |
Subtle Elegance
The Vessels of Pete Scherzer
by Anderson Turner
In
the September 2003 issue, Anderson Turner points out that "the
relationship between artist and patron or artist and viewer has long
been scrutinized. Walk through any art museum and you will hear docents
trying to gauge the emotional response of their audience to the work
being discussed. 'How does this make you feel?' and 'Do you relate to
what the artist is trying to convey?' are frequent questions. Too
often, these questions are left behind when the subject is pottery.
When a pot is 'good,' we comment on its design or ease of use, but only
on rare occasions do we entertain the guttural emotional response that
a painting, sculpture or quality film may evoke. The work of Cleveland
potter Pete Scherzer suggests something more than the utilitarian.
While his pots are meant to be used, they are also 'meant to embellish
their setting and bring attention to the function they perform,'
Scherzer comments." |
A Wood-Fired Look from an Electric Kiln
by Richard Busch
Leesburg,
Virginia potter Richard Busch was “like most people who take up
pottery. I was limited at the beginning of my career to firing my pots
to Cone 6 in an electric kiln. This was at the local community center
where I lived in northern Virginia. I say limited, but for the first
year or so it didn’t seem like a limitation. Just learning to center,
make simple forms and digest a lot of basic information about the
pottery process was enough to keep my focus pretty narrow. But it
wasn’t too long before I began to notice the differences between
oxidation- and reduction-fired pottery.”
In the February 2003
issue, Busch recalls a wood firing that changed his outlook. “I was
hooked on the whole idea. But then, not seeing any possibility of doing
wood/salt myself on a regular basis, I grew frustrated. If, as they
say, necessity is the mother of invention, I would suggest that
frustration can also be that mother. At least it was for me. Out of
that sense of frustration came the desire to develop a Cone 6 oxidation
glaze that would yield the wood/salt-fired look that had become
something of an obsession.” |