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monthly
Martha Grover
focus emerging artists
May 2010 $7.50 (Can$9)
www.ceramicsmonthly.org
may 2010
1
monthly
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Editorial Advisory Board
Linda Arbuckle; Professor, Ceramics, Univ. of Florida
Scott Bennett; Sculptor, Birmingham, Alabama
Val Cushing; Studio Potter, New York
Dick Lehman; Studio Potter, Indiana
Meira Mathison; Director, Metchosin Art School, Canada
Bernard Pucker; Director, Pucker Gallery, Boston
Phil Rogers; Potter and Author, Wales
Jan Schachter; Potter, California
Mark Shapiro; Worthington, Massachusetts
Susan York; Santa Fe, New Mexico
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may 2010
may 2010
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may 2010
contents
may 2010 / Volume 58 Number 5
focus emerging artists
31 Emerging Artists 2010
Check out 17 artists who embody the promise
that clay brings to the world of creative endeavors.
32
Daniel Bare, Hudsonville, Michigan
36
Jeff Campana, Louisville, Kentucky
38
Bowie Croisant, Kansas City, Missouri
40
Ryan Takaba, San Antonio, Texas
44
Matthew McGovern, Cedar, Michigan
46
Lauren Gallaspy, Athens, Georgia
50
Jury Smith, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
52
Denny Gerwin, Logan, Utah
56
Seth Green, Parchment, Michigan
58
Mark Goudy, Berkeley, California
60
David Hicks, Visalia, California
62
Martha Grover, Helena, Montana
64
Nicholas Bivins, Red Lodge, Montana
66
Sarah Gross, Lawrence, Kansas
68
Samuel Hoffman, Corvalis, Oregon
70
Adam Shiverdecker, Pensacola, Florida
72
Katherine Taylor, Little Elm, Texas
features
74 Hideaki Miyamura: In Search of Iridescence
by Carl Little
One potter’s search for an elusive, ancient glaze results in
unexpected discoveries along the way.
studio visit
26 Ingrid Bathe, Edgecomb, Maine
A potter keeps things simple and honest—in her work,
in the studio, in business, and in life.
cover: Soup tureen with ladle, 14 in. (36 cm) in
length, thrown and altered porcelain, 2010, by
Martha Grover, Helena, Montana; page 62.
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may 2010
5
departments
8 from the editor
10 letters from readers
12 techno file from the CM technical staff
Glaze fit is the compatibility of a clay body and a glaze, and it
almost never happens by luck.
14 suggestions from readers
tip of the month: the bottom gauge
16 upfront exhibitions
24 upfront reviews
“The Power of Decoration,” at the Craft Gallery of the
National Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
reviewed by Naomi Tsukamoto
“Diem Chau,” at G. Gibson gallery, Seattle, Washington
reviewed by Matthew Kangas
28 studio visit
Ingrid Bathe, Edgecomb, Maine
80 new books
Mastering Raku: An In-Depth Look at Raku from Firing
to Finishing
by Steven Branfman
96 comment
The New Ceramic Absence
by Glen R. Brown
listings
78 call for entries
78 International Exhibitions
78 United States Exhibitions
79 Regional Exhibitions
79 Fairs and Festivals
82 calendar
82 Conferences
82 Solo Exhibitions
84 Group Ceramics Exhibitions
87 Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions
88 Fairs, Festivals, and Sales
90 Workshops
94 classified advertising
95 index to advertisers
www.ceramicartsdaily.org
New Ceramic Arts Community Forum
18
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may 2010
Got a question? Have an answer? Feel like learning
something new about ceramics? Sign up for the Ceramic
Arts Daily Community. Not only can you participate
in the member forum, you can set up a profile and
an image gallery to share images of your work. Go to
www.ceramicartsdaily.org/community to get started.
may 2010
7
from the editor
Over the course of my almost ten years at
CM, I have come to appreciate the use and
structure of our written language far more
than I ever thought I would. I really was only
concerned with the clay at first. Interestingly
(well, to me) the broadening of this appreciation for language has presented a similar
expansion of my appreciation of ceramic
art. So many exciting possibilities and new,
inventive ways of making have come into our
field in the past decade, and I can’t help but
get excited about them (many new and traditional methods are represented in this year’s
“Emerging Artists” starting on page 31). Most
of these come from the maker’s inventiveness and creative problem solving, and often
are based on years of practice, struggle, and
knowledge. Some have come from outside
the field as industry, art, design, and our own
traditions are drawn closer together by the
vast amounts of information and channels of
communication that were largely unavailable
even ten years ago.
As the access to information and communication has increased—sending glaze
recipes around the world in milliseconds—
our field has grown steadily. As an example,
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may 2010
Sherman Hall
respond to shall@ceramicsmonthly.org
there are currently almost 60,000 subscribers
to www.ceramicartsdaily.org, and this shows
no sign of slowing. This, of course, is a good
thing. We put a lot of good information
there, and it brings increasingly more visibility to the endeavor of studio ceramics. It’s
gratifying to see makers using what has been
(and continues to be) a traditional material
simultaneously maintain that identity and
embrace the progress of our culture. It signifies the likelihood that ceramics will continue
to be culturally relevant and engaged.
At the same time positive digital influences
like blogs, websites, and social networking
have been increasing, there also is the potentially less-than-positive impact of our collective requirement for information specificity.
We all seem to have developed a need to find
whatever we are vaguely interested in at any
particular moment, with as little effort as
possible, and with no extraneous information.
It’s addictive, this kind of access to so many
services and so much information (count
me among those addicts). The danger is that
we may revert to being information infants.
We can get what we want by pointing and
clicking—like a baby pointing and crying, or
babbling a few “keywords.” I don’t mean to
imply that there is not intellectual validity behind our efforts, but we do have the tendency
to allow the ever-increasing speed, efficiency,
and volume of information to replace the efficacy of that information as the measure of
its value. You can get cheap information, fast
information, and good information, but you
can only choose two of those at a time.
If we slow down enough to think about
what it is we really need or want, then my
guess is that we search a little less and find
a lot more. We may even get back to communicating in complete sentences with moreor-less-acceptable punctuation and grammar.
Now, I don’t count myself as a member of the
grammar police, but I do want to encourage
you to send me an email (or even an old-fashioned letter) about something you really need
or want as a member of the clay community. I
don’t even care if you write it all in lowercase,
with no commas or paragraph breaks. Okay,
I care a little, but send it anyway.
may 2010
9
letters
email letters to shall@ceramicsmonthly.org
Discomfort and Growth
I am writing in response to Kent Follette’s
letter entitled “Porno Pottery” [Letters, March
2010 CM] regarding Beth Cavener Stichter’s
sculpture [Upfront, February 2010 CM].
If we are to censor expressions that challenge us to the point of discomfort/disgust
(which is the implication of Mr. Follette’s
opinion) then we are moving toward emotional insolvency and stasis. It is in those
places we struggle to confront that we most
need to stop the process of sublimation and
projection; to transform that dark matter
through our engagement and sharing.
To paraphrase/quote Adrienne Rich:
Those who strive to expose the edges between
ruin and celebration keep pain vocal so it
cannot become normalized or acceptable.
Those who voice these psychic/physiological/
emotional realities should be applauded, not
restricted, as they further show us who, and
what, we are.
Erik Rehman, Burlington, Vermont
February 2009) and Amy Uthus’ response in
February 2010. Brayman denigrates William
Morris’ relevance as a champion of the crafts
movement. He implies that anyone who
values traditional skills has been left behind.
To Morris’ name Brayman would surely add
Shoji Hamada, Bernard Leach, and Ghandi,
all of whom stressed the need for handmade
objects as a balance to the onslaught of impersonal mass production. I agree with Brayman
that dwelling in the past is unhealthy, but
looking only to the newest technology and
rejecting past wisdom is equally benighted.
I understand the lure of forward looking technology, with the promise of easy
fabrication that will produce objects that are
unattainable through traditional methods.
Brayman urges potters to “be involved with
these coming changes.”
Computer-generated objects are designed,
not crafted. This is an important distinction.
A designed object, no matter how “one-of-akind” it is, remains impersonal without the
craftsman’s knowing touch.
The computer is a great influence in
The Past Is the Future
I would like to add my thoughts to the dialog today’s culture; handmade pottery’s impact
between Andy Brayman (“The New Factory” is tenuous. Something indefinable is gained
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may 2010
through years of struggle to understand clay’s
direct tactile qualities. Handwork made today reaches into the past for inspiration and
carries it forward to future potters. Today’s
potters are a link in the chain—a fragile
link—that, once broken, will be very hard
to reforge. We must preserve this honorable
legacy; we owe it to the future.
Wayne Cardinalli, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Correction
On page 35 of the April issue, we accidentally
reversed the captions for two of the works
by Karen Swyler. The image shown below
on the left is Reach, and the image on the
right is titled Nest. We apologize for the mix
up.—Eds.
may 2010
11
techno file
Glaze Fit
Though many are unaware of it, poor glaze fit can reduce the strength of a fired ceramic piece to as little as one-fifth the strength of
a similar piece with ideal glaze fit. While good glaze fit seldom occurs by accident, it can be planned for and controlled. Some ceramic
artists use glaze fit to induce crazing as a decorative technique (crackling) while others artists may want to avoid a “crackle” glaze.
Defining the Terms
Tight Pants and Fast Cars
Glaze Fit: The difference in the amount of
shrinkage per unit temperature (experienced
upon cooling) by a fired clay body and the
shrinkage per unit temperature of the glaze
fired onto the same body. The scientific
measure of this shrinkage is called the
coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). Thus,
glaze fit is the difference between the CTE of
the glaze and body.
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE): The
distance any material expands per unit of
length upon heating (or shrinks upon cooling)
one degree of temperature. A typical CTE of
fired stoneware is about 0.000007 inches (in
scientific notation, 7×10-6) per inch per °F. A
typical CTE of porcelain is ~6×10-6/. While the
numbers indicating CTE stay the same whether
one measures length in inches or millimeters,
it is important to note the temperature scale
(°F or °C) and keep that consistent for both
clay and glaze. A higher CTE means a material
shrinks more, a lower one means it shrinks less.
Crazing: Cracks in a glaze, seen as lines that
appear to be across the glaze surface. It occurs
as a result of glaze tension.
Shivering: The spontaneous breaking away
of bits of a glaze from the fired clay body
underneath. Shivering will occur first on rims
and other outside edges, as a result of excess
glaze compression.
If a fired clay body shrinks less than the glaze (the CTE of the clay is less than
the CTE of the glaze), the glaze is in tension. The best way to visualize this is
to think of a tight-fitting pair of pants, where the human body is the clay body
and the pants are the glaze. If a glaze shrinks more than the clay body, the
glaze is in tension (the pants are too tight). A glaze has enough strength to
handle a little tension. However, it doesn’t stretch very well at all. If the glaze
is in too much tension, it cracks—literally pulls apart from itself. This is most
likely to occur on surfaces where the tension accumulates across a distance
until the tension exceeds the strength of the glaze and it cracks (crazes).
Both glass and fired clay are brittle. Brittle materials are very strong in
compression. Visualize the Lamborghini dealer who supported an entire
3100-pound car on only four teacups! However, it takes a lot less force (per
unit area) to pull a brittle material apart than to crush that same material.
Thus, we say brittle materials are “weak” in tension. All crazing occurs when
a glaze is in tension.
Since a glaze is a thin layer of glass melted and “frozen,” on the surface of
a fired ceramic body, the glaze is a brittle material bonded to another brittle
material. If the glaze and the body shrink and expand at exactly the same rate,
we say they fit. Both seldom do, except by conscious effort of the artist.
If a fired clay body shrinks more than its glaze (the CTE of the glaze is less than
the CTE of the body), the glaze is in compression. Excessive glaze compression
will force pieces of the glaze to literally pop off the body. We call this shivering
and it doesn’t occur nearly as often as crazing, partly because it takes greater CTE
mismatch to cause shivering. Visualize this by thinking about the pants again. If
the pants are way too loose they may fall down, so there is a weak resemblance
to shivering in both meanings of the word! A little glaze compression may be
good, say 15%, because it actually makes the fired ware stronger. However,
if there is too much compression the glaze shivers.
Troubleshooting for Glaze Fit
Detecting crazing is not necessarily easy, especially with dark, opaque, or matt glazes. Use bright light and a simple, inexpensive, 10-power
magnifying glass (often called a hand lens) to spot craze lines.
Understanding the real causes of crazing and shivering are a requirement to achieving a desired glaze fit or, in the case of crazing, misfit. There
is a lot of misleading folklore regarding crazing. For example, many believe crazing is caused by cooling ware too fast. While rapid cooling
through the quartz inversion temperature between 1100° and 1000°F (593-538°C) may damage ware, rapid cooling below 1000°F (as long
as it doesn’t cause damage due to thermal shock) cannot cause crazing. Rather, it simply reveals the CTE mismatch that will eventually cause a
glaze to craze. All slow cooling accomplishes is possibly slowing down the occurrence of crazing so it isn’t so dramatic when one opens the kiln.
In functional ware, shivering is dangerous. Potters don’t want to have small bits of sharp glass popping off their pots into people’s food or
drink. The most likely place to observe shivering is on rims and edges. The sharper the edge or rim, the more likely shivering is to occur there
if a glaze is in compression.
In order to change glaze fit, it is first necessary to understand whether to increase or decrease the CTE of the glaze, body, or both. There
are only two ways to change glaze fit. One is chemical; change either the glaze recipe or the body recipe so the CTE of the glass in the glaze
or body changes. In almost every case, it’s easier and more effective to adjust the glaze recipe than the clay body recipe. The second way to
change glaze fit is to increase or decrease the vitrification (amount of glass formed) in the clay body. Firing to a higher temperature dissolves
more silica from any clay body containing quartz. The glass formed will have a lower CTE than the quartz did. Firing hotter will lower the CTE
of the body, typically pushing it farther from the CTE of the glaze increasing the likelihood of crazing. To correct shivering you either have to
increase the CTE of the glaze so it expands/contracts more, or reduce the CTE of the body, so it expands/contracts less. To avoid changing your
clay body recipe, you will need to fire hotter. Note that if the first (or bisque) firing is hotter than the glaze firing, often the case for low fire,
then the first firing is the one you would need to adjust. Underfiring, of course, will tend to promote crazing but reduce shivering, assuming
the glaze still melts fully. Adjusting glaze recipes to fix glaze fit is a topic much larger than this page. Summarizing briefly, though, adding clay
or silica, or magnesium and lithium fluxes (low CTE materials) will lower glaze CTE. Adding materials rich in high CTE fluxes, such as sodium
and potassium, will raise glaze CTE.
12
may 2010
may 2010
13
suggestions
email suggestions to editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org
DIY Multi Tool
Here’s an easy and inexpensive multifunctional
ceramic tool you can make yourself. I have found it
less than simple to use a wire or needle tool to trim
the rims of my plates, platters, and bowls. Although
commercially made wire tools work very well, when
mine wore out, I had the idea to make my own.
Take a 10-inch hacksaw blade and bend it into
a U shape. Thread a 28-gauge wire (thicker or thinner, whatever you like) through the two holes in the
end of the saw blade and twist the ends. If the wire
breaks, it’s cheap and easy to replace.
The tool can be used to cut lengths of handles
and similar items, and the toothed side of the blade
works great as a rasp on leather hard surfaces. —John
Bollow, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
14
may 2010
tip of the month: the bottom gauge
Browsing through the a book of Southern
and Appalachian crafts, I discovered a tool called
the “ball opener.” It helped to open a centered
ball of clay, gauge the bottom’s thickness, and
produce a flat bottom. I dismissed the tool
thinking I didn’t need help opening on the wheel
but further reading of potter Edwin Meaders
reminded me it could be a useful tool in helping
judge the thickness of my bottoms.
To make the gauge, cut two dowels or similar
scrap wood to 10½ inches long for the end pieces,
and cut one dowel to 10 inches long for the center
arm and round off one end. Use a hand saw to
make a 2½-inch-long notch on the upper end of
the three arms to fit the top 11½×2½-inch yoke of
3
/4-inch plywood. Drill holes and use six 1½-inch
bolts, washers, and nuts to complete the project.
Center and open the clay in the usual manner, leaving the bottom a bit thick. Grip your
hands on the
side dowels,
turn the
wheel slowly
and plunge
the rounded
center dowel
into the opened clay until the side dowels rest on
the surface of the bat or wheel head. Pull the tool
horizontally a bit, and lift. Sometimes the center
dowel will peel away
a small ridge of clay,
which is easily removed.
Finally, compress the
base slightly with your
fingers to create a bottom a tad less than ½
an inch, and continue
throwing as normal.
As with all tools,
concentration and practice are required in order
to use the bottom gauge
effectively. Trimming a
foot ring is much faster
and easier when you
know the exact thickness of the pot’s bottom.
Thickness of the bottom can be adjusted by
changing the length of the center dowel.
Congratulations to Leon Roloff of El
Cajon, California. Your subscription has
been extended for one year!
may 2010
15
upfront
exhibitions and reviews
exhibitions
16 Off the Wheel: A Showcase of Slab-built
Pots for the Table and Home
Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
17 In the Making
RBSA Craft Gallery, Birmingham, England
17 Sara Moorhouse
The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, City Art
Gallery, Leeds, England.
18 Pots and Potters
Neighborhood Potters, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
18 Altitude
Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, Maryland
18 Urban Archaeology
Carnegie Gallery, Dundas, Ontario, Canada
20 Santa Fe Clay’s La Mesa
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
20 Main-Lining Ceramics
Main Line Art Center, Haverford, Pennsylvania
22 Reflection I and II
Kunstforum Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland
22 Forty Five: New Works by Terri Kern
Canton Art Museum, Canton, Ohio
reviews
24 The Power of Decoration—A Viewpoint
on Contemporary Kogei (Studio Crafts)
by Naomi Tsukamoto
Craft Gallery of the National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo
26 Diem Chau
by Matthew Kangas
G. Gibson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
Chris Pickett’s basket, 12 in.
(30 cm) in length, cone 6 sodafired stoneware, 2009.
Off the Wheel: A Showcase of Slab-built Pots for the
Table and Home
An exhibition of slab built vessels was recently on view at the Chestnut Hill
Academy (www.chestnuthillacademy.org) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, organized in conjunction with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic
Arts (NCECA) conference.
“The exhibition is intended to showcase the variety of approaches to slab
building,” states curator Cheyenne Chapman Rudolph. “The artists chosen
represent a wide range of work and work types, from tight and rendered
to loose and fluid.”
“From the first artifacts, such as the Venus of Willendorf, to something as simple as ripe produce at the
local market, volume often reflects the allure of fertility
and the peak of vitality,” states Chris Pickett. “My work speaks in a similar primal
instinctual language.”
“I enjoy the challenge of finding
unique solutions to the fundamental
design requirements presented when
creating functional pottery,” states Amy
Scher. “While pots are often defined
using terms of human shape, I consider
them as reflections of residential architecture . . . . I integrate architectural elements
of arches, domes, and triangular compositions
as a means to achieve strength and stability of
form . . . . I attempt to create welcoming pots for
enhancing the daily cycle of sustaining life.”
Amy Scher’s One for You and One for Me, 4 in. (10 cm) in height,
slab-built stoneware, fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln, 2009.
16
may 2010
In the Making
A group exhibition of works inspired by material and the physical act of making was recently on
view at the Royal Burmingham
Society of Artists (RBSA) Craft
Gallery (www.rbsa.org.uk) in
Birmingham, England.
“By looking at how materials
have been manipulated, treated,
and combined, the exhibition offers an insight into the obstacles
faced by crafts people in creating
objects that are visually stimulating for the eyes, and creatively
and technically challenging for
the mind,” states Louise Sanders,
co-coordinator of the RBSA Craft
Gallery. “The exhibition aims to
demonstrate the development of
the creative process, and how this
differs between every maker.”
Adam Frew’s lidded containers, 12 in. (30 cm) in height (tallest)wheel-thrown
porcelain, inlaid cobalt drawings, glaze, 2009. Photo: Glen Norwood.
Sara Moorhouse
An exhibition of Sara Moorhouse’s vessels is on view
through July 31 at The Craft Centre and Design Gallery
(www.craftcentreleeds.co.uk), City Art Gallery, The
Headrow in Leeds, England.
“Sara makes vessels with vivid
colors and linear decoration,”
explains Jane Needham,
manager of the Craft Centre and Design Gallery.
“Having always been interested in landscapes, a
tutor suggested she translate
her interest in color, texture and
light onto bowls. She began using the
bowls as metaphorical landscapes, using
lines of color in different thickness to convey
physical features, evoking feelings experienced
when studying the landscape.
“The manipulation of line and pure color are key themes
in her work. She plays colors off each other to create an intensity
of feeling, emulating David Hockney’s paintings by using color
to draw the viewer physically into the vessel.”
Sara Moorhouse’s Oscillation, 12 in. (30 cm) in diameter, white earthenware
bisque fired to 1100°C (2000°F), with brushed underglazes and sprayed matt
glaze, fired again to 1100°C, 2009.
may 2010
17
exhibitions
Pots and Potters
Altitude
Works by Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson, along with six invited potters—Susan
Filley, Nick Joerling, Linda McFarling, Lisa
Naples, Ellen Shankin, and McKenzie
Smith—were recently on view at Pierantozzi’s
and Patterson’s studio, Neighborhood Potters
(www.sandiandneil.com), in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The exhibition coincided with
the National Council on Education for the
Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference.
“My primary interest has always been in
form,” states Linda McFarling. “I want my
work to show a strength and freshness from
the making throughout the firing. I prefer to
work in a style that lets one pot tell me what
to do with the next. Each kiln load, while
yielding exciting new pots, also gives me invaluable information for further refinement.
Slow, steady. Always evolving.”
A group exhibition featuring the
resident artists, area coordinators and directors at art centers
in the western US was recently
on view at Baltimore Clayworks
(www.baltimoreclayworks.org) in
Baltimore, Maryland.
“This show celebrates the infusion
of different artists united in a creative
community by their passion to create,” states Mary Cloonan, exhibition
director at Baltimore Clayworks. “Focusing on the programs at Anderson
Ranch Arts Center, Carbondale Clay
Center, The Clay Studio at Missoula
and Red Lodge Clay Center, the exhibition showcases the diversity in talent
and technique housed and nurtured
by these communities.”
Renee Brown’s Romance Vase, 12 in.
(30 cm) in height, earthenware with slips
and underglazes.
Urban Archaeology
A solo exhibition of works by Tara Lynne Franco
dealing with the theme of humanity’s overall impact on nature, as well as an individual’s impact
on the environment was recently on view at the
Carnegie Gallery (www.carnegiegallery.org) in
Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
“As our generation has had to deal with what
has been left behind by previous ones, so too will
we leave behind our footprints to be dealt with
by future generations. . . . It will become our
archaeology, our history and our record in time,”
explains Franco. “Included in this is the myriad of
refuse that gets sent to the landfill. While change is
happening in our communities, [our descendents
will] see how urbanization and our modern lives
have resulted in layers of take-away boxes, coffee
cup lids, plastics and other non-biodegradable
items within our landscape.
“The works in this series are unique compositions of ceramic elements in both porcelain and
earthenware representing what can be found in
nature and that which is man-made—leaves,
flowers and buds alongside impressions from everyday cast-away items. Reclaimed metal, paper,
ceramic shards, and other found materials are also
incorporated into many of the pieces with glaze
used as the vehicle to fuse the individual elements
together in the kiln.”
Linda McFarling’s tall vase, 20 in (51 cm) in height,
salt-fired stoneware, 2009.
18
may 2010
Above right: Garden Trellis, 21 in. (53 cm) in height. Right:
Ontario Trillium, 7½ in. (19 cm) in height. Both works are
hand-built and press molded earthenware and porcelain,
multiple firings.
may 2010
19
exhibitions
La Mesa
“La Mesa,” a group exhibition of dinnerware presented in a table setting format
was recently on view at the Philadelphia
Marriott Downtown during the National
Council on Education for the Ceramic
Arts (NCECA) conference in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The exhibition is organized
by Santa Fe Clay (www.santafeclay.com) in
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
For the last six years, Santa Fe Clay
has hosted La Mesa exhibits during the
NCECA conference. Over 100 place settings were shown, including works by US
and international artists.
Tara Dawley’s place setting, to 12 in. (30 cm) in
diameter, wheel-thrown and handbuilt stoneware,
with slips, glazes, and sgraffito, fired to cone 10 in
reduction, 2010.
Main-Lining Ceramics
An exhibition of work by 27 artists from the Mid-Atlantic region was
Interior is largely about contextualized meaning, but the context it
recently on view at the Main Line Art Center (www.mainlineart.org)
investigates is that of early modern sculpture rather than the potin Haverford, Pennsylvania.
tery tradition.
“The show, organized in conjunction with the National Council
“Other distinctions from that tradition involve materials. Judy
on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in PhiladelMoonelis’ Neural Twist, Ian Thomas’ Can You Get the Remote? and
phia, features primarily sculptures and installations that eschew many
Andrea Marquis’ The Trace of Pattern utilize found objects. John Wilof the craft associations of ceramics (insistence on hand production,
liams’ Commodity Series sculptures include gold-plated silver elements.
concern for utility, reverence for the purity of the medium, etc.) . . .
Rina Peleg’s Zigi, Linda Huey’s Infestation, and Deborah Sigel’s Wisps
not out of malice toward convention or aspirations to avant-garde
employ steel, while Joseph Gower’s Mary Kay incorporates auto paint.
status but simply as a consequence of pursuing other interests (for
Gregg Moore’s works combine anthracite coal and porcelain. Keith
example, the possibilities raised by wedding ceramic with materials
Renner uses fused cement, and Eric Miller’s A phila: graffito #1 consists
such as auto paint, Plexiglas, and steel or the potential of CAD/CAM
largely of plywood. Technology also figures into the mix. Jeffrey Montechnology for the production and even design of ceramic objects),”
grain’s Chimney spews a mist of distilled water, Chad Curtis’ Lookout
states Glen R. Brown who juried the exhibition. “The exhibition
Rabbit includes a drawing made by a computer-aided machine, and
suggests that such activity, rather than revolutionary, is part of a
Amy Santoferraro’s works are large digital photographs of ceramic
developing ‘mainline’ practice in contemporary ceramics.
objects rather than ceramic objects themselves.
“In some cases this practice is largely a matter of orientation.
“While these works depart from the studio ceramics tradition in
Heather Mae Erickson centers her attention on the vessel, but her
certain respects, the exhibition does not present them as the products
minimalist aesthetic and the ease with which she reproduces her
of a radical avant-garde. ‘Main-Lining Ceramics’ suggests that if conforms using mold techtemporary ceramics has
nology orient her work
boundaries, these surely
more toward design and
fall not in some unknown
industry than craft and
space but rather within
the potter’s studio. The
the parameters of other
works of Nicholas Krialready well-known pracpal’s Confection Series also
tices, particularly those of
derive from molds, but in
design and non-ceramic
this case kitchen molds
sculpture. Mainline and
ordinarily used to preborderline are, in this
pare aspic, tarts or cakes.
sense, only relative terms,
Stacked and grouped, the
and the new in ceramics—
forms acquire expressiverelevant, intriguing and
ness from their vaguely
even provocative as it
figural associations rather
may be—is more a matter
than evidence of the artof strategic selection and
ist’s hand. Del Harrow’s
incorporation than the
Still Life/Untitled Modern John Williams’ Commodities Series: Wind Turbine, ceramic, 14k gold-plated silver, 2008.
miracle of genesis.”
20
may 2010
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may 2010
21
exhibitions
Reflection I and II
A two-part exhibition of works contemplating the meanings
of the term reflection was recently on view at Kunstforum Solothurn (www.kunstforum.cc) in
Solothurn, Switzerland.
Artists in the exhibition
include Christyl Boger, Gundi
Dietz, Judy Fox, Krista Grecco,
Audrius Janusonis, Maria Teresa
Kuczynska, Sybille Onnen,
Esther Shimazu, Johan
Tahon, Akio Takamori,
and Xavier Toubes.
“Contemporary art
doesn’t only answer the
questions of today,”
states Hanspeter
Daehler of Kunstforum Solothurn
(translated from
German by Eleanor
Hall). “At its best, contemporary art also finds
answers to needs or
questions that have their
roots in the depths and
secrets of the soul.
“A work of art
is the opposite of a
mass-produced article and represents
tangible, irreplaceable experience. As
sculpture, a work of
art is physically presGundi Dietz’ Armine, 14 in. (35 cm) in height,
porcelain, 2003. Photo: Verena Gerber-Menz.
ent. This makes the
ancient technique of
sculpture relevant in a time when virtual images inundate all
aspects of our lives. The human form as sculpture meets us as
supra-individual, anonymous figures or as a reflection of one’s own
appearance. Yet this reflection is always more than just an image. It
is living, knowing and recognizing, understanding and interpreting
cultural and individual experiences. It is shaped, formed, distorted,
and deepened by a particular time; it is broadened or concealed by
inner conditions or external positions. Reflection—meaning mirror
image, but also contemplation, self-examination or pondering—was
the theme of this two-part exhibition. I invited eleven internationally
renowned artists to show their work at the exhibition. Each of these
eleven artist personalities deals with a world in which time and space
don’t belong completely to the present moment, but also to part of
the past and the future. We see attitudes and shapes that exist beyond
time in their works.
“Over the years, Gundi Dietz (born 1943, Austria) has reduced her
works more and more to their essence. Her works demonstrate both
a supra-individual idea and a personally shaped, sensitive creatorship.
If earlier she added attributes or visible signs of danger or trauma or of
strength and vitality to her works, today she focuses solely on expression.
Her now world-renowned female figures display constant ambivalence
and striking presence. The figures seem both powerful and vulnerable
and look self-contained and mysterious, merry and pensive, and they
oscillate between attractive and disturbing. A type of connection with
the artist that goes far beyond her creatorship can be found in the way
the figures exhibit attitude—either self-confidently or girlishly timidly,
defiantly or submissively. This subtle portrayal of real sensitivities is
altogether free of kitsch and sentimentality. It is never a naturalistic
reproduction. Each figure is unique. Form, proportions, and details
are equally harmonious as well as original and are proof of exceptional
mastery in the handling of the material and in the execution of the
artistic aim. Gundi Dietz is against pleasantries for pleasantry’s sake.
Beautiful and ugly, repulsive or attractive—for her, these qualities aren’t
clear or easy to separate. Each creation is both, and each has dignity and
its own wounds.
“It becomes apparent that the human image is more than merely
a likeness. It is a reflection and interpretation of cultural and personal
experience. Contemporary figurative sculpture shows a new, altered
image of the human being. The changed relationship with nature and
the search for one’s own social and cultural identity are central issues
in the conflict with the concept of humankind. Artists time and again
choose the human figure as a means for expression, something that stems
directly from their knowledge that the human being is able to see deeper
truths about himself in his own reflection more than anywhere else.”
Forty Five: New Works by Terri Kern
New works by Terri Kern were recently on view at the Canton Art Museum
(www.cantonart.org) in Canton, Ohio.
“My work has always documented my personal history,” states Kern.
“Each piece functions as an individual marker which commemorates a single
moment, event, realization or memory. Because of this, my work changes and
shifts as it follows the natural progression of my life and experiences.
“I made 45 new works for this exhibition. . . . The collection of work
records the changes I’m going through as I enter this middle stage of my
life. That’s right, I turned 45 this year. Pass the Geritol. My entry into
this blue-ribbon year has compelled me to look at my life in a different
way, resulting in discoveries and evolutions and the letting go of things
that no longer matter.”
22
may 2010
Terri Kern’s The Navigators, 11 in.
(28 cm) in length, white earthenware with
underglazes, fired to cone 05, 2008.
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23
reviews
Clockwise from top left: Takashi Takamura’s Space-Time Series I NY5, 28 in. (71 cm) in height, 2003. Mariko Isozaki’s Big Flower-t1, 23 in. (58 cm) in length, 2009.
Katsuyo Aoki’s Tell the Story, 6½ ft. (2 m) in height, 2006. Naho Kajiki’s Kaihen the World, 16 in. (41 cm) in length, 2008. All images courtesy of the National Museum of
Modern Art, Tokyo.
The Power of Decoration—A Viewpoint on Contemporary Kogei (Studio Crafts)
by Naomi Tsukamoto
Among young Japanese ceramic artists, there is a trend to create
excessively decorated objects. “The Power of Decoration,” a recent
exhibition at the Craft Gallery of the National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo (www.momat.go.jp/english/craft/index.html) features
such young talents, many of whom were born in the 1980s. The
exhibition showcases emerging to established artists in clay, glass,
and lacquer. Despite the wide range of works both technically and
conceptually, each room was tied together well with masters’ pieces
showing roots to new possible directions of Japanese ornamentation.
Kenji Kaneko, who curated the exhibition, has witnessed the growing prominence of this movement during the last five years. This
phenomenon also permeates current Japanese pop culture and the
contemporary art scene.
What drives artists to use ornamentation? What does ornament
mean to Japanese people? In 2008, an exhibition called “KAZARI—
The Impulse to Decorate in Japan” (www.suntory.com/culturesports/sma/exhibition/08vol03/index.html) was put together as
an attempt to recapture the history of Japanese art through kazari
(which translates to the act of adorning).
Nobuo Tsuji, an art historian who supervised this exhibition,
emphasizes the subject as an important characteristic of Japanese
art ever since the creation of prehistoric Jomon ceramics. He
also points out how Japanese ornament has been imbued with
spiritual content.
The concept of spirituality is multifarious, but what is apparently
common among the artists included in The Power of Decoration is
24
may 2010
their inner desire to embellish; the act itself is the reason they create.
A more traditional facet of this motivating force, the impulse to decorate, is pursued by Imaemon Imaizumi XIV and Takashi Takamura
who are two of the more established artists in the exhibition. Their
artworks are highly technical, and the mastering of the skills and the
perfection of the art forms are their utmost concern.
Imaizumi, a successor to the Nabeshima porcelain style,
focuses on sumi hajiki, a color resist underglazing method in
which motifs and patterns drawn with black calligraphy ink will
create areas of resist in the firing, resulting in a negative image.
Inspired by this technique from the Edo period (1615–1868)
which enables subtle, exquisite details, the artist strives to continue the tradition and the spirit of iro-Nabeshima, adding his
own signature with sekka (snow flower) sumi hajiki—a hidden
shading effect he developed, where he applies white slip instead
of underglazes to a white background.
Like an assemblage or a collection of mechanical parts, or like
archaeological sites, the work of Takamura stirs the viewers’ imagination, taking them to the past, present, and the future all at the same
time. Takamura explored many different materials: wood, metals,
cork, and paper for a long time before settling on clay. The artist
states, “With stoneware alone, there were only the past and the
present, and the tragedy dictated by the vast process.” By mixing
porcelain with it, he expresses what lies ahead; a hopeful future.
For some artists, clay as a material dictates forms. The artworks
of Tomomi Tanaka and Makiko Hattori fit this description. The
Clockwise from top left: Imaemon Imaizumi XIV’s vase with floral and calico patterns, 13 in. (33 cm) in dia., 2007. Kasumi Ueba’s Chimera X, 19 in. (49 cm) in length, 2008.
Satoko Otsuki’s junho-bolo, 14 in. (36 cm) in height, 2008. Makiko Hattori’s A Sign 09-02, 20 in. (52 cm) in length, 2009. Tomomi Tanaka’s Core 2006, 12 in. (30 cm) in length,
2006. Makiko Nakamura’s Teacup Poodle, 28 in. (70 cm) in dia., 2009. All images courtesy of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
tactile quality of clay lures the hands to repetitive and detailed
movements. The process seems almost meditative, folding the
waves of their emotions into delicate, multiple frills.
In contrast to the introspective works of Tanaka and Hattori,
the works of Mariko Isozaki appeal to all five senses, and the innercontained force expands outward. Her forms create subtle discord
or friction in the staged environments and emit a certain tension
and powerful presence.
The works of Satoko Otsuki, Naho Kajiki, and Makiko Nakamura show the emotional energy of young Japanese women
through their full surface decoration. Otsuki equates the decorative process to dressing clay in clothing; a similar sensation to
her daily activities of choosing clothes and food. Kajiki’s works
are more symbolic—as if creating religious altars reflective of her
worldview. All three artists eagerly show pure pleasure and delight
in embellishment and childlike playfulness. Nakamura defines this
desire to embellish as providing “an endless décor that suits the
emotional infantilism so prevalent today.”
It is also notable that all three borrow sources of foreign origins.
Otsuki, whose works resemble colorfully frosted cakes, uses Portuguese titles for their sounds. Kajiki grew up with the boom in popularity of Chinese magico-religious movies, which heavily influenced
her to study in China. Their works reflect a side of Japanese spirit that
expresses a strong desire and adoration toward what is foreign.
Perhaps in order to reaffirm one’s own spirituality and identity,
artists reflect on both inside and the outside, past, present, and the
future. Katsuyo Aoki adopts motifs and patterns of various cultural
origins and time periods, many from long ago such as Rococo and
Baroque. What lies beneath her sterile but fairy-tale-like expression is
the spirit of today, unbalanced and fragile. Kasumi Ueba also adopts
ornamental patterns from the past, but in her case they are traditional Japanese patterns. Explaining why she uses classical motifs,
Ueba points out the power of long-surviving ornamentation that is
still convincing and compelling to contemporary audiences. Aoki
also states how ornaments have had roles and meanings that reflect
atmosphere and the spirituality of each time period.
Ueba calls her recent works Chimera, which is a legendary
monster in Greek mythology with the head of a lion, the body of a
goat, and the tail of a snake or a dragon. The concept of a chimera
is sometimes used metaphorically to describe today’s society. One
of the symbolic meanings—whether it is about genetic engineering or human nature—equates the creature to something that is
incomprehensible. Ueba takes the expression more literally—as
an animal with more than one set of chromosomes—to describe
her desire to create the assemblages of motifs. However, if today’s
society is like this monster, and if the act of adorning connects the
artists to what is more certain, could there be an explanation to
why these young Japanese artists are consciously or unconsciously
choosing to create excessive adornment?
the author Naomi Tsukamoto teaches ceramics in Tokyo and works
from her studio in Yokohama, Japan.
may 2010
25
reviews
Clockwise from top left: Departures, 7½ in. (19 cm) in diameter, 2009. Girl, 11 in. (28 cm) in height, 2009. Topology, 91/4 in. (23 cm) in height, 2009. To Find, 21 in. (53 cm) in
height, 2008. Union, 2009. Into the Woods, 6½ in. (17 cm) in diameter, 2009. Indochine, 7½ in. (19 cm) in diameter, 2008. The Line Between Us, 5½ in. (24 cm) in diameter, 2008.
CheongSam (detail) 2½ in. (6 cm) in diameter, 2008. All works are found porcelain, silk organza, and cotton thread. All images courtesy of G. Gibson Gallery. Photos: Richard Nicol.
Diem Chau
by Matthew Kangas
Building on the precedent of late Seattle artist Howard Kottler’s
pioneering use of manufactured China plates, Vietnamese–born
Diem Chau also uses porcelain plates (found in thrift shops) and
tableware objects but, in her case, to convey images and symbols of
immigrant experience. In her recent exhibition at G. Gibson Gallery
(www.ggibsongallery.com) in Seattle, Washington, Chau stretches
gauze across white plates, saucers, platters, and cups, and then sews
and embroiders scenes of male and female figures onto the taut
transparent fabric.
Unlike Howawrd Kottler’s Decalware (1969) series, in which
he applied decals to factory-new plates purchased at Cost Plus,
Chau retrieves older plates, often made in Japan and China for
export, and layers her vignettes and mini-stories onto them. With
allusions to immigrant experiences, men and women, parents and
children are depicted without faces—that is, except for Topology,
the only full-face portrait of a young Asian woman on a vertically
hung oval platter. Recalling Victorian cut-paper silhouettes, Topology may memorialize an individual identity. Elsewhere, heads
and other identifying anatomical features are cropped out or, as
in Departures, left blank.
Chau’s links between found plate and sewn subject reinforce one
another. For example, the pale brown European- or French-style
border on Indochine creates an abbreviated colonial backdrop for a
view of a young woman in a short white dress. And a wreath of leaves
in the bowl of another plate completes the narrative of a young man
walking in Into the Woods.
Western-style clothing competes with traditional Vietnamese and
Chinese attire, as in CheongSam, wherein the tight, side-slit dress
covers a woman whose upper torso is stretched across the rim of a
decorated porcelain cup. The gauze itself, silk organza used through26
may 2010
out, also has cultural and historical origins in Asia, often prized for
wedding veils and, in the West, couture skirting.
Several works have threads that extend beyond the transparent
cloth netting and the edge of the dish. Two women, one dressed in
an orange shift and the other her shadow, are linked by an orange
thread that falls loosely below the rim of The Line Between Us. Mostly
wall-mounted, other works like Girl and To Find (2008) employ the
thinnest of thread to act as a connecting element, suggesting either
lives unfinished or unraveling. Union is the most reductive, with only
a man and woman’s hands extending toward one another from the
edge of the bowl, connected by a single red thread (The bowl could
symbolize a wedding noodle meal). Girl centers two braided pigtails
made of black thread that are suspended loosely, hanging below the
plate’s edge; they imply virginity and sexual innocence.
Like diagrams in how-to manuals, Chau’s thread drawings depend
closely on their gleaming white porcelain backgrounds for their
considerable effect. The color white alludes to many things—white
people, purity, drawing and book paper, even death—in Chau’s
populated world of generalized family members spanning generations. Adding the historical meanings of white porcelain—China’s
greatest gift to the West—the 31-year-old Seattle artist who arrived
in the US in 1986 thus accentuates this rich cultural exchange and
shows no signs of exhausting her memories as she transforms them
into art of quiet power. Many of the works were also seen in a solo
debut at Packer Schopf Gallery in Chicago this past winter.
the author Matthew Kangas, a frequent contributor to CM, is a
corresponding editor at Art in America and also writes for Art Ltd.,
Sculpture, Art-Guide Northwest and numerous other publications.
He lives in Seattle.
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may 2010
27
Studio Visit
Ingrid Bathe
Edgecomb, Maine
Just the Facts
Clay
I mix a porcelain clay body and add cotton
linter to it, which allows for greater green
strength. (98 grams of dry cotton linter to 50
pounds of dry material.)
Primary forming method
I pinch all my work, even the plates are
pinched between the palms of my hands.
Favorite surface treatment
Fingerprints. I want the surface of the finished
work to reflect the process, so I leave the
marks made from my fingers and, if I join two
clay parts together, I leave the seam lines.
Primary firing temp
Cone 10 reduction
Favorite tools
My fingers, a little scratchy tool, and a
rubber tipped shaping tool for when
my fingers are too big.
Most-used piece of equipment
Plastic and plaster ware boards. Because I
work so thin and there is paper in the clay,
I wrap everything in plastic throughout the
building and drying process. From an ecological standpoint, plastic is awful, but unfortunately is essential in the studio.
28
may 2010
the studio
My studio is 30 feet from my house in mid-coast Maine. It has a big window that I face
my work table toward. The window looks out onto a field and I can watch my chickens
scratching around for snacks while I work. The studio was built recently, and I immediately
started working in the space before it was even finished, so I have not really finished moving
in, even though I have been working in there for a year now. The space is 24x24 feet with
10-foot walls. It has a barn like feel to it with a loft space for storage.
The upside of the space is that it is right next to my house, is bigger than any space I
have ever used, and I have my own kilns in it. It also has the potential to be well organized.
Unfortunately, it is poorly organized, a bit too cold in the winter, and currently is providing
space for overflow storage from our house, which is being renovated.
paying dues (and bills)
Currently, I work part time as a baker during the winter and as a catering director during
the summer at a delicious wine and cheese shop. The hours vary depending on the time
of year, but it is a reliable source of income and the work is a perfect balance to my studio
job. Like my studio work, everything is made from scratch and by hand, but turnaround
time is much quicker, the finished product is much less expensive, and tends to appeal to
a wider audience. Sometimes I take on teaching jobs, which I love, but there are not many
opportunities near my home so teaching requires travel. In December 2009, I started my
new job as a mom. It doesn’t pay well, but is pretty intense.
I studied ceramics as an undergraduate at the Museum School
of Fine Arts in Boston, and after managing a few studios and doing
a residency, I continued my studies at Ohio University in Athens
where I received a master’s degree in 2003.
If I averaged time spent in the studio over the course of a year, I
would estimate about 20 hours of hands-on time per week. I work
in cycles and for several weeks I will be in the studio 40–60 hours a
week, followed by a month of being in the studio 10–20 hours a week.
Then of course there are all the studio related things I do where I am
not actually in the studio but are necessary for the business—from
picking up dry ingredients at the clay supply store, which is an hour
away, to taking slides, sending images, emailing, pricing, delivering and
shipping work. Is that considered studio time? It continues to amaze
me how diversified I feel I need to be as a selling artist.
body
I exercise regularly and live a healthy lifestyle—don’t smoke, eat
well, sleep lots, and spend time outside. In the studio, I have work
in multiple stages and I try to pace myself so that I am not being
too repetitive with how I am using my hands and body.
I am very lucky to have applied for and received state health
insurance. Monthly payments are based on income level of the
individual insured and the state pays the rest. The coverage is pretty
good, so in an emergency I am pretty well covered. I also work
with a naturopathic doctor and an acupuncturist, both of whose
care is geared toward excellent preventative health care.
mind
I tend to read lots of how-to books: how to keep bees, grow fruit
trees, quilt, plant perennials, cook, or deliver a baby. Recently, I
have also been enjoying fiction novels. I don’t watch television, so
I think they act as a substitute.
I also spend time outside in the garden, the woods, or by the
ocean, and if I have a chunk of time available, I travel. Being in a
new place forces me to reconsider and see things through a different
lens, which automatically engages my creative thinking.
marketing
I sell my work in retail and cooperative galleries, at craft shows,
online, and out of my studio. Sometimes I will wholesale work,
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but I do not actively pursue wholesale accounts because I get too
anxious about whether or not I am meeting the buyer’s expectations. I like selling wholesale if it is at the end of a craft show and
a gallery wants to buy a bunch of what I have left, or if the buyer
comes to my studio and picks out the work. That way they know
what they are getting.
My work is subtle and so people either get it—notice all the details, nuances, and are able to appreciate the work and love it—or it is
not their style and it doesn’t even enter their consciousness. The only
generalization I feel I can make is that my work seems to be received
better by people from metropolitan areas versus rural areas.
My marketing strategy is not unique to my work and I am
not sure if it really can be considered a strategy, but my business
goal is to diversify my customer base by selling in all of the above
mentioned venues and more. That way, if gallery sales are down
one year, the business as a whole does not suffer too much, because
I still have income from craft shows or the Internet. I also believe
that by selling through a variety of venues new opportunities may
develop. For instance, a customer will come to my studio because
they became familiar with my work at a local gallery. Or a gallery
will become familiar with my work through a craft show I participated in. Truthfully, I have not put much effort into marketing
my work. I am sure I will need to at some point and I have quite
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a few ideas about which markets I will pursue. This is a question I
will be able to answer better ten or fifteen years from now.
I am conservative in committing to new markets, perhaps to a
fault. I could probably be making more money. This is the case, in
part, because I want to be able to follow through with the commitments I have already made and keep my current buyers and galleries
happy. Also, I did not choose this profession to make lots of money
and be stressed about deadlines, etc. If I wanted to live that kind
of life, I would have studied to be a doctor or lawyer or something
where the financial reward is greater. I love what I do and I want to
keep it that way, so I make what I can and then I find places for the
work to go. I do continue to take on new markets throughout the
year, but I try hard not to commit to more work than I am able to
produce. There are so many people out there who want to spend
money, even in these economic times, and so many venues through
which to sell one’s work that I am not worried about finding new
markets at my current price point. If and when my prices go up,
marketing will probably be more challenging.
most valuable lesson
Keep making.
WebFaceSpaceBloGallerTwEtsyList
www.ingridbathe.com
Emerging
Artists
2010
This year, we received a record number of submissions
to the Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist competition. That
seems to be a growing trend, because submissions have
increased in number in each of the last three years.
As you might expect, most of the works included here are
comprised entirely of ceramic materials, but there are a few
that point to the fact that clay is increasingly being used in
conjunction with many other media. Perhaps partly because
of its ability to play so well with others, clay continues to
be a material that fascinates the creative mind outside of
the field of studio ceramics. The full breadth of possible
ceramic applications are certainly not all represented on
the following pages (interestingly, there were very few
figurative works submitted this year) but we think you’ll
agree that there is an incredible range of aesthetic and
formal perspectives, regardless of technique.
There is no doubt that some of you will recognize
some of the work presented here (after all, the criteria
was pursuit of a career in ceramics for ten years or less),
but it’s likely there is more that you haven’t seen. We
are annually (and often more frequently) gratified to see
the number of new studio artists entering the field, and
we hope you see the promise they bring to the world of
creative endeavors.—Eds.
may 2010
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Emerging Artists 2010
Daniel Bare
Hudsonville, Michigan
In my work I examine the impact of overproduction, consumption, and
disposal of resources to show how these actions affect ecological balance. I
feel an over-powering sense of gluttony and greed when I see the plethora
of disregarded products that are briefly used and disposed of casually. This
cycle is indicative of a cultural view of resources and the world as an endless and miraculously self-renewing material. Curiously, one could see a
beauty and power in the vastness of multiples and the sheer numbers of
objects that are crafted everyday without notice.
During my residency at the Pottery Workshop in Shanghai, China,
these feelings of the United States’ consumption were drawn into sharp
perspective through my observations of a new culture. For instance, in
Yixing, a small town in China, the tremendous volumes of pots lining
the streets, which were neatly stacked taller than most semi-trucks, moved
me. They were powerful symbols of human industriousness and the will
to transform raw material into value and structure. Conversely, I also saw
massive amounts of ceramic waste that was discharged by the factories.
Plates were hopelessly stacked in the backyards of people’s homes because
there is no end user for pieces that are not perfect and it is too expensive
to move them to a landfill. Upon my return I became hyper aware
of both the full circle of creation to consumption,
and disregarded objects. In my work I interrupt this process before the final disposal
to inject new meaning and to breathe
life into these objects and to help
them speak again.
Above right: Re/Claim, 15 in.
(38 cm) in height, postconsumer found objects,
porcelain, glazes.
Right: Cup Platter
(Toxic Green), 15 in.
(38 cm) in diameter,
post-consumer found
objects, porcelain,
with glazes.
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Rimas VisGirda
Yu-Ying Huang
‘Mergina’
Opening reception:
May 8th 6-9pm
Art walk night:
June 12th 6-9pm
‘Untitled’
May 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010
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Jeff Campana
Louisville, Kentucky
I draw lines by dissecting and immediately reassembling each pot. The result
is a surface decoration with structural implications. Lines on the exterior
coincide with lines found inside, as each line is in fact a seam – a scar where
it was once severed. Though these seams imply fragility, pooling glazes seal
and strengthen the ware. While emphasizing the order of processes used to
form the work, the fault lines threaten to, but do not actually undermine
the vessel’s ability to contain, display or deliver.
My method of making is sustained by my desire to develop a virtuosic
touch in clay. When pieces are dissected for decoration, cross-sections are
examined, critiqued, noted, and refined. It is my preference for conspicuous labor and skill that drives me to these challenging and often risky processes.
I choose to make functional work for the limitations and parameters that
function provides. The concerns of ergonomics, heft, balance, containment,
delivery, and display provide guidance while demanding ingenuity. Every
new form is a new puzzle. Once solved, it adds layers of new considerations
to the body as a whole. A new discovery in a teapot form might require
something about the form of a bowl to change. These connections are
constantly assessed and redefined.
Right: Lavender stripe pitcher, 9 in. (23 cm) in height, wheel thrown,
dissected, and re-assembled, fired to cone 6 in oxidation, 2009.
Below: Blue and gold bowl, 8 in. (20 cm) in diameter, wheel thrown,
dissected, and re-assembled, fired to cone 6 in oxidation, 2009.
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Stacy Snyder
Ellen Shankin
Jim Wolnosky
Richard Hensley
Gay Smith
16 HANDS Left to Right: Brad Warstler & Ellen Shankin, Silvie Granatelli, David Crane, Richard Hensley & Donna Polseno, Josh Copus, Stacy Snyder
Spring
2010
STUDIO TOUR
Silvie Granatelli
Agnes Seabass
MAY 1-2
Renee Brooks
Josh Copus
Donna Polseno
FLOYD & BLACKSBURG Southwest Virginia
Michael Hunt & Naomi Dalglish
Eric Knoche
Brad Warstler
David Crane
www.16hands.com
may 2010
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Bowie Croisant
Kansas City, Missouri
I base many designs on the idea of function, referencing my initial attraction to
the ceramic medium. Spouts, handles, lids, feet and bodies are composed with a
focus on linear and planar interactions. This provides a conceptual framework
from which I create component parts necessary to fulfill the desired function
of a given object. My composite structures take on the forms of elaborately reimagined everyday vessels.
CAD software enables me to accurately visualize objects prior to their construction. I devote a significant amount of time to the design phase in order to insure
versatility before the creation of a prototype. Inspirations come from a love of
geometry, modern architecture and farm machinery commonly seen while growing
up in rural southeast Kansas. Repeated production and reconfiguration of modular
elements allows me to create and continually refine similar yet unique objects.
Elaborate networks of edges and planes are the perfect canvas on which to
“paint” with soda firing. This is due to the non-aggressive manner in which the
soda vapor moves through the kiln and around work.
Top: Globe Jar, 6½ in. (17 cm)
in height, cast and assembled
porcelain, soda fired, 2010.
Left: Pinkie, 7 in. (18 cm) in
height, cast and assembled
porcelain, soda fired, 2010.
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Ryan Takaba
San Antonio, Texas
Over the past five years, my work has been rooted in themes
dealing with time and memory expressed through material based
relationships. I am seeking to address these intangibles by finding ways to represent them through a concrete form. Memory
functions as a device for the understanding and processing of a
sensory experience. It is in this space between the happening and
the understanding that I find most interesting.
In this current body of work, I refer back to the ceramic medium’s historical core, that being function, use, and ritual. I am
interested in forms that cross between sculpture, function, architecture, and design. In these works, the flower serves as a piece
of architecture in the pinning, connecting, and bridging of each
porcelain form. Each shape is a separate unit allowing for one to
remove the water reservoir in the refilling process. I am interested
in this mundane activity and how it activates new perspectives in
the work.
Much of this work has been inspired by the architecture of
the 19th century whaling era in New Bedford, Massachusetts,
where I was in residence for the last three years. The simplicity
and elegance of the widow’s walk is an important detail of the
home, imbuing a ritualistic and mythical narrative. These imagined stories of times long past inspire the idea of each reservoir’s
containment of time.
Thoughts of Home, 24 in. (61 cm) in height, porcelain, steel,
neodymium magnets, Yoko Ono Button Mums, water, 2009.
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Matthew McGovern
Cedar, Michigan
I am drawn in by the details of a form that allude to the story of
its creation: fingerprints, dents, the rhythm and pattern of articulated slip trailing and of the impressions of different tools. . . .
I do not seek to hide my process, but to embrace and extol it,
capturing the texture of change.
It is not my intention for these objects to enlighten the user,
rather it is my hope that my work will inspire people to take the
time to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, a glass of wine or
whiskey, or a home-cooked meal, encouraging moments of personal
or shared reflection. In a world increasingly full of anxiety and
fear, and an age when we move at a super-charged technological
pace that leaves us little time for ourselves, I believe that beautiful
handmade objects that promote spending time either alone, with
family, or with friends are crucial to our spiritual well-being.
Metaphorically, the stand or box creates a home for the
work, and suggests a sense of belonging that reflects the universal human desire for belonging and a home. . . . By giving my
pots a home within the home, I am offering people both altar
and ritual, a site of reflection and meditation as well as a set of
process-inflected pots that celebrate all of the content imbued
in handmade functional work.
Left: Four vases, to 13 in. (33 cm) in height, thrown and altered porcelain, soda
fired to cone 10.
Below: Coffee service set, 16 in. (41 cm) in length, thrown and altered porcelain,
soda fired to cone 10; handbuilt stoneware with flashing slip, soda fired to cone 6.
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Lauren Gallaspy
Athens, Georgia
My attention centers around a longing for interaction with objects
existing within the border space between the known and the unknown.
I wish to make work in which conventional hierarchies of value—the
concrete over the imaginary, fact over fiction, efficiency over pleasure—
are dismantled, their parts rearranged to form objects through which
pathos, obsession, and imagination are encouraged. Imagination is not
utilized as a retreat from, but rather a recognition of, the startlingly
specific ways we make sense of ourselves and our surroundings. In
material form, the imaginative act becomes a way to help shorten the
distance between what happens inside our heads and outside our bodies.
Clay is utilized in this activity as a covert material—a thicket in which
animals of association may hide.
There are some certainties in the work: that beliefs can be substantiated, that complexity is necessary, that matter matters. Inevitably, I am
overwhelmed; there are always more uncertainties than certainties.
Footprint (detail at right), 14 in. (36 cm) in length, cone 6 porcelain, glaze, oil paint.
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Jury Smith
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Because the outcome of my work is largely determined by process,
ideas can be experienced not just in theory, but in actuality (in
the sense that the physical reality of the object is what determines
the outcome—the resulting form and surface).
Focusing on process engages a very particular type of responsibility and an awareness of “effect”; to me this is incredibly exciting.
Considering the current consequences of being unaware of the way
in which things are processed—from food to trash to ideas—I see
this type of exploration as extraordinarily relevant.
My forms result from of an elaborate system of building that has
developed over years. Throughout the building process, the clay
form is suspended in slings made of various types of material, each
possessing its own unique properties (elasticity, weave, strength)
to allow the weight of the clay to influence the form.
The finished object is bisque fired, placed into a large pool of
water, and the waterline of the floating object is recorded onto the
surface. Following this recording, the glazing delineates the object’s
buoyancy and density. The line embodies the space, or breadth,
held within the object that prevents it from sinking. Added to the
buoyancy record is a series of lines that denote the position of the
object as it takes on water.
Right: Warm White Scope + Yellow, 17 in. (43
cm) in height, earthenware with glaze, 2009.
Below: Grey Arch + Blue, 17 in. (43 cm) in
height, earthenware with glaze, 2009.
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Denny Gerwin
Logan, Utah
After enduring a childhood full of biblical and spiritual prophesies,
I can’t shake the belief that humanity is doomed, that individuals
are predisposed to struggle with their immorality, and that it will
all end in a grand horrific event. Conversely, I have abandoned the
notion that we will all get what we deserve in the end; either this
wretched world followed by fiery hell, or this satisfactory world of
temporary examination followed by eternity in paradise. Because I
don’t believe those things, I can be amused instead of terrified. I am
astonished by how humanity is both awesome and awful.
This body of work is made in this amusement. I use the most
historied medium known to make objects that look like our world’s
vacated marks of human existence—the unearthed artifacts. This
apocalyptic prediction is certainly not original. It is simply a record of my marks made on down-scaled, familiar looking ceramic
constructions while reveling in our demise.
Right: Tomorrow Looking Down, 7 ft. (2.1 m)
in height, wood-fired stoneware, steel, 2009.
Below: Future Generations I, 4 ft. (1.2 m)
in height, wood-fired stoneware, steel, 2009.
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Seth Green
Parchment, Michigan
Spiritually symbolic characteristics used in the creation of religious
architecture primarily influence my ceramic vessels. Specific forms of
inspiration are the temples, palaces, and mosques of the Islamic world,
the Czech Republic, etc., that are topped with domes, spires, and finials. Spires and finials of this nature symbolize mankind’s journey from
mortality into the eternal realms. Striking silhouettes, symmetry and
architectural line captivate my focus.
Historic ceramic and metal vessels that were used in a palace to celebrate an important occasion or in a temple to enhance the sacredness of
a ceremony are referred to in my work. Rather than the specifics of rituals
or ceremonies, I am intrigued with the sense of spirituality that my ewers,
chalices, ceremonial jars, ritual bottles and vases embody.
I take advantage of clay’s ability to retain carefully defined and metallike details while using luxurious metallic finishes that are only possible
through the ceramic process. Glaze applied to these ceramic forms softens
their details and smooths their silhouettes. The use of crystal forming
glazes and precious metal luster communicates the same degree of beauty
and luxury as the referenced historical objects and emphasizes the spiritual
aspects of the work.
Right: Ritual Vase, 14 in. (36 cm) in height, reduction-fired
stoneware with manganese crystalline glaze, 2009.
Below: Golden Ewer, 13 in. (33 cm) in height, reduction-fired
stoneware with manganese crystalline glaze, 2009.
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Mark Goudy
Berkeley, California
My mother was a potter, and after she passed away in 2004,
I was inspired to take a raku class at a local adult school, an
homage to her creative spirit. After a twenty-year engineering career, working in the virtual world of computer chip
design, I found the process of clay work to be a catharsis.
The physical nature of handbuilding unique pieces from
this plastic medium was immediately satisfying. Soon I
was applying my analytical and problem-solving skills to
the multivariate issues that surfaced in the clay studio, and
exercising my right brain to construct shapes in a totally
intuitive way.
I entered the world of clay in the low-fire arena, exploring alternative firing methods such as raku, pit, saggar, and
sawdust firing. Wanting more control over the surface markings than I was getting with pit and saggar firing, I became
interested in the use of water soluble metal salts. (My early
work experience as a chemistry lab technician gave me the
right background to experiment with these hazardous chemicals.) Painting “watercolors” directly on the bisque-fired clay,
which permeate the surface and become part of the clay body
during the firing, has opened up new avenues for my creative
expression. In separate firings, I often combine color from
metal salts with carbon from slip-resist raku.
Vessel (m14), 12 in. (30 cm)
in length, hand-built burnished
earthenware, soluble metal salts.
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David Hicks
Visalia, California
I am still digging in the dirt to understand my attraction to the agricultural. Shapes and
themes I reference can be found in the fields surrounding my home. Forms that could
be found suspended in trees, buried in the soil, or rusting in the shed find their way
into my work. I have an unspoken, yet fundamental, understanding of these organic
and sometimes mechanical forms. They speak to me about myself and they explain the
natural processes of the agricultural cycle and its organic wonderment. Agriculture tells
me of my own human experience. In the agricultural world there are cycles that feel like
allegorical references to human struggle, a struggle that starts with fertilization, moves
through growth and finally ends in decay. This process is raw and honest.
Allegory aside, there is the rawness in the formal nature of the organic. Formal elements have the ability to speak in a universal language. This is a language I engage in
my sculpture, a language of origins, form and beauty. These basic elements are rooted
in my sculptural processes. They are the fundamentals that continue to present themselves in my studio, providing a physical residue of my thought.
Right: Raw Terra Cotta Still Life (flora and filter), 5 ft. 11 in. (1.8 m) in height, handbuilt
terra cotta, fired to cone 04 in oxidation, with steel cable, steel, and enamel, 2009.
Below: Still Life (metallic splash), 10 ft. 8 in. (3.25 m) in length, handbuilt and extruded
terra cotta with glaze, fired to cone 04 in oxidation, with steel cable, steel, 2009.
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Martha Grover
Helena, Montana
I seek to enhance the experience of interacting with functional objects.
I work toward creating a sense of elegance for the user while in contact
with each porcelain piece. Reminiscent of orchids, flowing dresses, and
the body, the work has a sense of familiarity and preciousness.
Curves are taken from the female figure, as well as the fluidity of a
dancer moving weightlessly across the floor. I think of the fluid visual
movement around a piece, as a choreographer would move dancers
across a stage. There is a sense of revealing and concealing, a layering
of details that serves to catch our attention immediately and then the
details draw us in, to make a closer inspection.
In our lives, we often move past the objects
surrounding us at a very quick pace. My
work generates a moment to pause. My
goal is to create an undeniable presence,
one that acts as an invitation to explore
the work thoroughly, taking time to
know all of its many facets. Only
through sustained interaction
can we truly know and
appreciate someone
or something.
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Above: Cup set in basket, 10 in. (25 cm) in length,
thrown and altered porcelain, 2009.
Left: Bath salt jar with scoop, 11 in. (28 cm) in
height, thrown and altered porcelain, 2010.
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Nicholas Bivins
Red Lodge, Montana
I make utilitarian pottery using a precise, clean, and efficient geometric language as I maintain an obsessive interest in looking for
a personal definition of perfectly handmade. It is this fascination
that propels me to practice my craft every day while continually
searching for a satisfying balance of how much evidence of hand I
put in, and how much hand I take out.
I am curious how functional pots continue to retain relevance
in our contemporary society not only from elemental necessities
of use and food service, but due to our indispensable need for
connections to expressive thought. Being a studio potter provides
me an opportunity to invent individual functional ceramic ware
which will improve users’ lives by satisfying needs for objects
surrounding them to have emotional, imaginative, and personal
relationships to one maker.
Right: Covered jars (5), 9 in. (23 cm) in height (largest), slipcast porcelain, fired to cone 7 in oxidation, decals, 2010.
Below: Water (4), 11 in. (28 cm) in length, slip-cast
porcelain, fired to cone 7 in oxidation, decals, 2010.
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Sarah Gross
Lawrence, Kansas
I am fascinated with the duality of the screen; it simultaneously conceals
and reveals, protects, and tantalizes. It consists of matter and space.
Using the language and tradition of vessels, I build architectural walls
and enclosures as well as functional pottery to highlight and clarify
the relationships between access and denial, isolation and inclusion.
I draw on the reference to the female form as vessel and explore the
potential of containment. Pieces may enclose a human form, food, a
document, or space.
Constructing and deconstructing, I push the material to its limits,
removing as much clay as I can while retaining structural integrity. I
am gratified by the transparency of the screen juxtaposed with the mass
that has been cut away. After producing a lacy, complex pattern by
cutting out a single quatrefoil or trefoil shape, I am left with hundreds
of cookie-like tiles to play with. I stack the tiles and pave paths with
them, surrounding the screens from which they originated.
Right: Gray cup and saucer, saucer: 6 in. (15 cm) in diameter, wheel-thrown,
altered, and slip-trailed porcelain, fired to cone 10 in oxidation, 2008.
Below: Small pink enclosure with tiles, 38 in. (97 cm) in diameter, coil-built,
altered, incised, and slip-trailed stoneware, fired to cone 04 in oxidation, 2008.
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Samuel Hoffman
Corvallis, Oregon
I am interested more in artistic exploration than expression; my work
is primarily motivated by curiosity about the nature of clay and fire.
My passion for ceramics is influenced by a background in mathematics, chemistry, and astronomy, and I enjoy using the scientific method
of inquiry when experimenting with materials and firings. But I also
employ risk and chance as allies in my creative process, an artistic
balance that lies somewhere between alchemy and science.
In my recent work, I have been using the round plate form as a
kind of lens, much like that of a telescope or microscope. The concave interior surface of a platter becomes an ideal canvas on which to
explore. When fired in wood and vapor kilns, subtle changes in the
shape of a piece can influence how flames move over the clay and,
consequently, how it is colored and textured. I am excited by the
possibilities of combining intentional marks with the serendipitous
glaze effects from the fire. By manipulating the two-dimensional
surfaces of a three-dimensional form, I hope to create an illusion of
depth, be it celestial or cellular, that goes beyond the piece itself.
Above right: Orbital, 17 in. (43 cm) in diameter, high
alumina porcelain, flashing slips and oxides, soda vapor
fired with gas to cone 10, reduction cooled.
Right: Vapor Trails, 14 in. (36 cm) in diameter,
high alumina porcelain, flashing slips
and equisetum (horsetail plant),
soda vapor fired with gas to
cone 10, reduction cooled.
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BEAUTY
LEFT BEHIND
THE WORK OF
JOAN WALTON
MAY 15 – JUNE 13, 2010
OPENING: FRIDAY, MAY 14, 6–8 PM
NEW LOCATION IN BOSTON’S
SOWA ART DISTRICT
450 HARRISON AVENUE #71
BOSTON, MA 02118
V E S S E L S G A L L E R Y. C O M
617.426.1950
may 2010
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Adam Shiverdecker
Pensacola, Florida
I am interested in conflict, both internal and external, and the bridge between
them. I am interested in the complex framework that guides the compulsion
to act upon political and spiritual differences. The framework or structure of
culture also informs these differences, allowing for barriers to form amidst a
time when the focus should be cooperation, not division. I am interested in the
duality of objects and the ideological differences that label the objects as either
protectors or destroyers. I am interested in the frailty of pacifism and its soft
voice, which has become muffled in its approach. In making my work, my hope
is to understand these interests further and to uncover the ability of art to be a
positive contribution in our lives.
Right: Silent Climbs Me, 25 in (64 cm) in height, earthenware, nichrome, oxides, glaze, steel, 2009.
Below: Abaddon: Keepers of the Abyss, dimensions variable, earthenware, nichrome, oxides, glaze,
steel, filament, 2008.
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Katherine Taylor
Little Elm, Texas
It is intriguing to watch how people communicate with each other in their
home landscape versus an environment that is foreign to them. Our body
movements change in order to accommodate the contours and textures of the
place where we are. Even the rhythm of a conversation shared between two
people changes in relation to their immediate environment. A specific landscape and the bodies within it begin to function together as a unit, creating
a single form that represents an experience of that specific place.
I am making sculptures that express this experience shared between our
bodies and the landscape. I use porcelain because the smooth and subtle
sheen of its fired surface relates to the soft and glowing appearance of skin.
These sculptures are composed of contours that suggest the curves of the
human body and also the curves that a mountainous landscape can mark on
a horizon line. Curving surfaces are stacked against piled forms, compressed
together creating the same dark lines, shadows, and cracks that our bodies
can sense when moving across the earth. Glazed areas on these sculptures are
like tattooed skin, clothing, or flowers that become the colorful jewels of the
experiences of people and places.
Above: Land Body 4, 21 in. (53 cm) in height, black and white
porcelain, coil, nerikomi, press mold, and glaze drawing, fired
to cone 6 in oxidation, 2009.
Below: Land Body 2, 16 in. (41 cm) in length, black and white
porcelain, coil, nerikomi, press mold, and glaze drawing, fired
to cone 6 in oxidation, 2008. Photos: Harrison Evans.
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Undergraduate
Showcase
to appear in the September 2010 issue of Ceramics Monthly
Open to all undergraduate students
enrolled in ceramics classes at accredited post-secondary
educational institutions, including 2010 graduates.
To be considered, please submit the following by June 25, 2010:
• Up to five professional-quality digital images (300 ppi resolution on CD) and complete descriptions
of each work submitted
• A full-size color print (as large as the image will print at 300 ppi) of each image. Images should print to
at least five (5) inches in the smallest dimension; because accepted entries are printed, larger is better.
• Full contact information including e-mail
• 500 words discussing the body of work you are submitting
• Instructor name(s) and contact information
• Institution at which you study
Mail to:
Undergraduate Showcase | Ceramics Monthly | 600 N. Cleveland Ave. | Suite 210 | Westerville, OH | 43082
Arrival deadline: June 25, 2010
Do not submit materials in binders or folders. E-mailed submissions and submissions of more than five images
will not be considered. Materials will be returned only if a padded envelope with appropriate postage is included.
Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of materials.
Notification via e-mail will be sent by the end of July. Please, no phone calls.
Do you know a deserving undergraduate? Do they need a nudge?
Pass this along and help them get the recognition they deserve.
may 2010
73
Hideaki Miyamura:
In Search of
Iridescence
by Carl Little
Bottle with starry night
Yohen crystal glaze, 15 1/3
in. (39 cm) in height.
74
may 2010
In the more than 25 years that Hideaki Miyamura has been dedicated to fine ceramics, he has focused on classic glazes, most notably
the Yohen crystal and the Yohen Tenmoku glaze. Miyamura has
explored these ancient techniques, sometimes bringing them back
from oblivion, then perfecting them and making them his own.
Miyamura was born in Niigata, Japan, in 1955. He began his
career in ceramics creating functional pottery using a limited number of conventional glazes. Working with a master Japanese potter,
he started with small sake cups, struggling to learn how to create
identical forms. In his second year, he moved to tea cups; during this
time, he sometimes worked seven days a week, producing more than
1000 tea cups per month. In the third year of the apprenticeship,
his repertoire expanded to include small vases.
Through repetition, Miyamura found that the motor patterns in
his body for making pottery became so automatic that he could shift
his focus to thinking creatively. He wanted to make forms that were
more sculptural and less utilitarian, but when he tried to experiment,
he was reprimanded by his master. This negative response seemed
to further fuel his desire to invent forms, and he discovered that he
could “get away with” making more creative shapes when making
the smallest vases.
Hand in hand with this desire to explore new forms was Miyamura’s wish to expand his knowledge of glazes. He began by researching glazes that had been used in different cultures. A photograph of
a teabowl made during China’s Song Dynasty (1290– 940 BCE) set
him on a journey of discovery that continues to this day.
What captured Miyamura’s eye in the photograph was the iridescent crystal glaze on the bowl. In his research, he discovered this
compelling surface treatment was a variation of the Yohen Tenmoku
glaze. The “iridescence on a dark peaceful background,” he recalls,
drew him in in a manner akin to looking into the “limitless sky on
a clear night.” The comparison is apt: Yohen literally means “stars
glistening in a night sky.” Its companion term, tenmoku, although
widely known today as a type of high fire black glaze, also signifies
a certain shape of ceremonial teabowl.
Only four teabowls featuring the original glaze are known to
exist today, all of them confined to temples and museums in Japan.
The bowls, which had been imported from China during the height
of the tea ceremony’s popularity (1500–1600 CE), are considered
national treasures.
“These glazes not only have a long and mysterious history,” writes
Miyamura, “they also carry deep meaning in the art and philosophy
of China as well as Japan.” To tea masters and Zen priests, the artist
explains, the Yohen Tenmoku teabowl represents the universe, “an
ever-changing and limitless chaos, a creative void, as boundless and
dynamic as it exists in our own spirits.”
In his extensive research of the history of traditional techniques,
Miyamura could find no examples of the iridescent crystal glaze.
To pursue his developing passion, he sought out another master
Japanese potter, Shurei Miura, who specialized in tenmoku glazes,
and became his apprentice. His assignment during this six-year apprenticeship was to develop new glazes, primarily of the tenmoku
variety, in brown-black shades with iridescent properties.
Miyamura established a routine early on, one that entailed
analyzing test pieces after each firing, then making adjustments.
He typically experimented with 10 to 15 glaze variations at a time,
with each formula fired at two temperatures. He set aside the ones
that looked the most promising. After reviewing the differences in
the recipe that had resulted in the most interesting characteristics,
he then selected ingredients to change for the next firing.
The process was complex and systematic. Miyamura created
a matrix of the ingredients and covered all the possible combinations, slightly increasing or decreasing each material. This rigorous,
investigative approach resulted in a great deal of data related to the
interaction of ingredients as well as an enormous body of knowledge
concerning the properties of glazes.
Carved vase with gold glaze, 17½ in. (44 cm) in height.
may 2010
75
Bell shaped vase with green crystalline glaze, 17 1/4 in. (44 cm) in height.
76
may 2010
Progress toward producing a Yohen-like glaze eluded Miyamura, so he began looking for hints of iridescence of any kind,
still picturing that Song dynasty teabowl. The beacon of that
ancient glaze became one of many beacons as he found inspiration
in surface treatments that did not resemble it at all. By the time
Miyamura left Japan for the United States in 1989, his focus had
shifted completely to other glazes.
Moving to America offered more than culture shock: Miyamura quickly realized that the raw materials available in his newly
adopted country were very different from those to which he had
access in Japan. He had spent years learning how glaze ingredients
interacted and behaved on Japanese porcelain. Some of these
components were unobtainable, others behaved in unexpected
ways, and the clay was different.
“I’d like to say that I saw this [situation] as an opportunity
to learn new things,” Miyamura notes, “but in reality my initial
reaction was panic; I felt as though I had lost all my footing.”
Determined to continue in ceramics, he began to study the new
materials that would be the foundation for his experimentation
going forward.
The biggest challenge was coming up with different types of
ash to use in the glazes. In Japan, Miyamura had used straw, pine,
rice straw, chestnut, and isu tree ash, but none of these were readily
obtainable in the United States. In his search for a replacement,
he asked a neighbor if he could use some of the ash from his wood
stove. It was oak ash and he thought it might be worth trying.
While the oak ash didn’t behave like any Miyamura had used
in the past, it brought out an intense blue in a nearly black glaze
that he had been exploring. His reaction was delight: here was that
subtle vibrant energy flowing from a peaceful dark background
color that he had admired in the Yohen Tenmoku glaze.
Miyamura also began experimenting with different sources of
basic glaze ingredients. Based on the extreme differences he came
up with in his tests, he assumed that every component, both in
the glazes and clay body, were contributing to the variations. He
subsequently expanded his testing to include changes in basic
ingredients such as feldspar. He found that Custer feldspar reacted
similarly to the feldspar he had used in Japan. For the clay body,
EPK kaolin worked best.
Miyamura has never ceased to experiment with Chinese glazing
techniques. His goal all along has been to create anew the Yohen
Tenmoku glaze, to explore its harmony with new clay bodies and
forms, and to combine it with traditional as well as modern and
western shapes. Most of all, he has sought to develop its potential
as “a form of cultural and spiritual communication.”
As historian Andrew L. Maske has written, Miyamura’s ceramics represent a “search for ideal beauty.” While he began as
a craftsman of utilitarian objects, his evolution as an artist has
led him toward purer and purer forms, to the creation of objects
that supersede their functional attributes—“sculptural vessels,”
as Maske put it in a 2006 essay on Miyamura’s work.
Gourd-shaped, plump, shapely, stately, classical, adroit,
slender, graceful, Miyamura’s vessels are wonderfully diverse in
Covered jar with blue hare’s fur glaze, 15½ in. (39 cm) in height.
form. The necks vary from the diminutive to the elongated; some of
the stoppers are shaped like temples. Glazes skirt the curved sides,
reflecting light. The surfaces can be subtle yet expressive. Each piece
invites (and requires) close study in order to fully appreciate the
aesthetic intent.
One vase takes the shape of a hand bell, its proportions perfectly
balanced between the thin, attenuated neck and a tapered base. A
green crystalline glaze offers an organic arrangement of constellations of lichen-like accents.
A favorite glazing effect resembles the aurora borealis, where
the intersection of different glazes shimmer with a band of blue,
crimson, and gold.
Among Miyamura’s signature surfaces is the hare’s fur tenmoku
glaze. In one vase, the fine vertical streaks (from which the glaze
gets its name) are enhanced by a shinogite design (carved ridges or
fluting). The piece is statuesque. By contrast, a gold shinogite vase
calls to mind the treasures of an ancient civilization—a vessel fit
for a queen.
The range of surface effects is remarkable. Often references are
made to the natural world—sea urchins, peacock feathers—and to
the cosmos: a starry night, a comet’s tail.
Vase with three glazes, 19½ in. (50 cm) in height.
In the essay for the catalog that accompanied Miyamura’s show
at the Pucker Gallery in Boston in 2003, Brother Thomas Bezanson
focused on the risks required of a potter who is seeking to create
beauty, paying tribute to all the failures the Japanese–born ceramist
had to accept on his way to perfecting his glazes. “The kiln is not a
runaway horse,” Brother Thomas noted, “but there is no control, only
hope, for those mystical pieces that seem more born than made.”
Following a visit by Miyamura in June 2007, Brother Thomas
sent him a letter in which he counseled the young artist, “Stay faithful to your own heart, to what is inside of you,” and stated, “The
world needs the beauty you create.” Miyamura has heeded this sage
advice. Through persistence and passion, he has created stunning
objects that fulfill our need for the breathtaking.
Miyamura has participated in the Smithsonian Craft Show, and his
work has been acquired by the Israel Museum, the Renwick Gallery,
Sackler Museum at Harvard, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Peabody
Essex Museum, and the Auckland Institute and Museum. For further
information, see www.miyamurastudio.com.
the author Carl Little edited Discovery: Fifty Years of Craft Experience at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. He is a regular
contributor to Ornament magazine.
may 2010
77
call for entries
international exhibitions
May 25, 2010 entry deadline
Colorado, Carbondale “Digital Clay: A Juried and In-
vitational Exhibition“ (July 1–August 2) open to ceramic
work that incorporates digital technology. Juried from
digital. Fee: $20 for one entry; $25 for three entries.
Jurors: Mark Burleson and K Rhynus Cesark. Contact
K Rhynus Cesark, Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main
St., Carbondale, CO 81623; k@carbondaleclay.org;
www.carbondaleclay.org; 970-963-2529.
June 14, 2010 entry deadline
New Mexico, Roswell “New Mexico Miniature Arts
27th Annual Juried Art Show” (August 12–22). Juried
deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals
Submit online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org
from digital or slides. Fee: $40 for four entries. Jurors:
Caroline Brooks and Kim Wiggins. Contact Joyce
Tucker, Roswell Fine Arts League, 4500 Chaparral
Acres Rd., Roswell, NM 88201; jetuck2@cableone.net;
www.rfal.org; 575-840-8996.
Australia , Surry Hills “Call for proposals for solo
or small-scale group exhibitions for the 2011-2012
exhibition season at Object Gallery” (July 2011–June
2012). Contact Kate Ford, Object Gallery, Australian Centre for Craft and Design, St. Margarets,
417 Bourke St., Surry Hills, NSW 2010 Australia;
k.ford@object.com.au; www.object.com.au; 61 2
9361 4511.
July 1, 2010 entry deadline
Illinois, Chicago “The 3rd Lillstreet International:
Bowl Me Over” (August 20–September 15) open to
bowls. Juried from digital. Fee: $35. Juror: Steve Lee.
Contact Jane Hanna, Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60640; jane@lillstreet.com;
www.lillstreet.com; 773-769-4226.
September 1, 2010 entry deadline
Florida, St. Pete Beach “Potters Council 2011 Exhibi-
tion: The Shoulders We Stand On.” Juried from digital.
Fee: $25 for three entries. Juror: Bill Jones. Contact
Carolyn Dorr, Potters Council, 600 N. Cleveland Ave.
Ste. 210, Westerville, OH 43082; cdorr@ceramics.org;
www.potterscouncil.org; 866-721-3322.
September 1, 2010 entry deadline
Washington, Seattle “UN-WEDGED” (November
4–30) open to artists in Canada, Mexico, and the
United States. Juried from digital. Fee: $30 per entry;
maximum of two entries. Juror: Andy Nasisse. Contact Jean Griffith, Pottery Northwest, 226 First Ave.
N, Seattle, WA 98109; info@potterynorthwest.or;
www.potterynorthwest.org; 206-284-9824.
united states exhibitions
Oklahoma, Tulsa “Contemporary Work in Clay” (Sep-
tember 30–November 5). Juried from digital. Fee: $25
for three entries. Juror: Adrian Arleo. Contact Whitney
Forsyth, University of Tulsa School of Art, 800 S. Tucker
Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104; whitney-forsyth@utulsa.edu;
www.utulsa.edu/art; 918-631-3700.
Illinois, Monmouth “64 Arts: National Juried Exhibi-
tion” (August 20–September 25). Juried from digital.
Fee: $25 for three entries. Juror: Al Gury. Contact
Susan Twomey, Buchanan Center for the Arts, 64
Public Sq., Monmouth, IL 61462; bca@frontiernet.net;
bcaarts.org; 309-734-3033.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia “The Marge Brown Kal-
odner Graduate Student Exhibition” (July 2–August 1)
open to students currently enrolled or graduating from
a graduate school program. Juried from digital. No fee.
Contact Jeff Guido, The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second
St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; info@theclaystudio.org;
www.theclaystudio.org; 215-925-3453.
Montana, Missoula “Soda Salt National 10”
(August 6–30). Juried from digital or slides. Fee: $25
for one entry; $30 for two entries. Juror: Julia Galloway. Contact Hannah Fisher, The Clay Studio of
Missoula Gallery, 1106 Hawthorne St., Unit A, Missoula, MT 59802; info@theclaystudioofmissoula.org;
www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org; 406-543-0509.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia “The Juried Artist Solo
Exhibition Series” (September 1, 2011–August 1, 2012).
Juried from digital. No Fee. Contact Jeff Guido, The
Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106;
info@theclaystudio.org; www.theclaystudio.org; 215925-3453.
California, Stockton “Visions in Clay” (August
26–September 23). Juried from digital. Fee: $30
for three entries. Contact L. H. Horton Jr. Gallery, Delta Center for the Arts, 5151 Pacific Ave.,
Stockton, CA 95207; gallery@deltacollege.edu;
www.deltacollege.edu/div/finearts/dept/dca/gallery;
209-954-5507.
Pennsylvania, East Petersburg “Strictly Functional Pot-
tery National 2010” (October 1–November 14) open to
functional ceramics. Juried from digital. Fee: $30. Juror:
Bill van Gilder. Contact Phil Haralam, Strictly Functional
Pottery National, The Market House Craft Center, PO Box
78
may 2010
204, East Petersburg, PA 17520-0204; 717-560-8816;
www.strictlyfunctionalpotterynational.net.
New York, Rochester “History in the Making V:
Ceramic Traditions Contemporary Pots” (September
17–October 23). Fee: $20 for one entry; $25 for
two; $30 for three. Juror: Peter Beasecker. Contact
Kate Whorton, Genesee Pottery, 713 Monroe Ave.,
Rochester, NY 14607; pottery@geneseearts.org;
www.geneseearts.org; 585-271-5183.
New Mexico, Arroyo Seco “Wood Fired Pottery for the
21st Century“ (September 1–19) open to wood fired ceramics. Juried from actual work. Fee: $35 for three entries;
$55 for five. Contact Peter Botting, New Fire, PO Box 814,
Arroyo Seco, NM 87514; newfiretoas@gmail.com.
Juried from digital or slides. Fee: $330 (booth
fee). Contact Howard and Janet Rose, Rose
Squared Productions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; howard@rosesquared.com;
www.rosesquared.com; 908-874-5247.
New Jersey, Hillsborough “Fine Art and Crafts
at Oak Ridge Park” (June 5–6). Juried from digital
or slides. Fee: $330 (booth fee). Contact Howard and Janet Rose, Rose Squared Productions,
Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844;
howard@rosesquared.com; www.rosesquared.com;
908-874-5247.
Colorado, Manitou Springs “Commonwheel
Artists 36th Labor Day Arts and Crafts Festival” (September 4–6). Juried from digital. Fee:
$275. Contact Julia Wright, PO Box 42, Manitou
Springs, CO 80829; festival@commonwheel.com;
www.commonwheel.com/festival; 719-577-7700.
North Carolina, Dillsboro “Western North Carolina
Pottery Festival” (November 6). Juried from slides.
Fee: $10; $120 booth fee. Contact Brant Barnes, Riverwood Pottery and Treehouse Pottery, PO Box 801,
Dillsboro, NC 28725; riverwoodpottery@verizon.net;
www.wncpotteryfestival.com; 828-586-3601.
Texas, Houston “Dining in III: An Artful Experi-
ence” (August 1–31) open to tableware. Juried from
digital. Fee: $25 for three entries. Contact Sharon
Warrington, 18 Hands Gallery, 249 W 19th St., Ste.
B, Houston, TX 77008; info@18handsgallery.com;
www.18handsgallery.com; 713-869-3099.
New Jersey, Surf City “Jersey Shore Clay National
2010” (August 14–September 22). Juried from digital.
Fee: $25 for three entries. Juror: Mark Dean. Contact
Matt Burton, m.t. burton gallery, 1819 N. Long Beach
Blvd., Surf City, NJ 08008; matt@mtburtongallery.com;
www.mtburtongallery.com; 609-494-0006.
Florida, St. Petersburg “Last Call” (September
3–30) open to ceramics for alcohol service. Juried
from digital. Fee: $25. Jurors: Matt Schiemann
and Adam Yungbluth. Contact Adam Yungbluth,
St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22nd St. S, St.
Petersburg, FL 33712; adamyungbluth@gmail.com;
www.stpeteclay.com; 513-226-7944.
regional exhibitions
Colorado, La Veta “Clay Continuum 5” (July 20–Au-
gust 14) open to CO, NM, and WY artists. Juried from
digital. Fee: $20 for five entries. Juror: Sumi von Dassow.
Contact Nicole Copel, Spanish Peaks Arts Council, 132 W.
Ryus Ave., La Veta, CO 81055; nicolecopel@yahoo.com;
719-742-0213; www.spanishpeaksarts.org.
North Carolina, Southport “Summer Regional
Show” (June 21–July 17). Juried from actual work.
Fee: $30 for two entries. Jurors: Vae Hamilton
and Dinah Wilde-Ramsing. Contact Cheri Funk,
Franklin Square Gallery, 130 E. West St., Southport, NC 28461; info@franklinsquaregallery.org;
www.franklinsquaregallery.org; 910-457-5450.
North Carolina, Asheville “Emerging Clay” (January
6–March 26, 2011) open to AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD,
MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV artists with under ten
years of experience. Juried from slides. No fee. Contact
Jon Sours, Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC
28801; info@bluespiral1.com; www.bluespiral1.com;
828-251-0202.
August 1, 2010 entry deadline
California, Modesto “Hands in Clay 2010”
(August 3–September 4) open to CA artists. Juried
from actual work. Fee: $15 per entry, up to three
entries. Juror: Tony Natsoulas. Contact Don Hall,
San Joaquin Potter’s Guild, 92 Benjamin Way, Turlock, CA 95380; info@sanjoaquinpottersguild.org;
www.sanjoaquinpottersguild.org; 209-634-3653.
fairs, festivals, and sales
New Jersey, Bloomfield “Spring Fine Art
and Crafts at Brookdale Park” (June 19–20).
may 2010
79
new books
Mastering Raku: An In-Depth Look at Raku from Firing to Finishing
by Steven Branfman
Mastering Raku is a hands-on, technique-based
guide to making the type of ceramic ware that
has come to be known as raku in the West.
The book covers the history of the term and
firing technique, providing examples of both
the traditional Japanese Black Raku and Red
Raku wares, describing the way they were fired,
and contrasting that with the Western styles
for creating and firing raku wares. Branfman
also includes some questions that beginners
frequently have about raku, addresses aesthetic
concerns, and poses questions to help artists
interested in raku to discuss, analyze, and
improve their work.
The next few chapters of the book guide
those who are new to raku through the process
from getting started with the necessary tools and
addressing safety concerns, and from finding
or developing the right clay body and glazes to
kiln designs and advice on building your own
built for life
Strength That Stands
The Test of Time
80
may 2010
10-year warranty
Contact us for the name of the
AMACO/Brent distributor nearest you.
800.374.1600 amaco.com
kiln, to explanations on firing and finishing
the work. The more technical chapters, like
the one on building your own kiln, include
a numbered sequence of how-to photos that
illustrate the process being explained.
For readers with some experience in
basic raku firing, Branfman offers chapters
on advanced firing techniques, related
techniques for use with raku (including slip
resist and horsehair raku), and teaching raku
in school, workshop, and group firing situations. Where appropriate, these chapters
also have photographs that help explain the
step-by-step processes.
Over 50 artists’ works are featured in the
book, including Amber Aguire, Tim Andrews,
Wally Asselberghs, Daphne Corregan, Nesrin
During, Rick Hirsch, Kate and Will Jacobson,
Eduardo Lazo, Gail Piepenburg, Hal Riegger,
Linda and Charles Riggs, Jim Romberg, Harvey Sadow, Paul Soldner, and Paul Wandless.
A gallery of contemporary raku-fired work by
different artists working in both sculptural
and vessel oriented traditions is included at
the end of the book, while numerous images
of both contemporary and historical work can
be found in each chapter.
There are appendices with clay and glaze
recipes, including simple frit and colorant oxide
combinations for fuming and a variety of slip
recipes for use with naked raku techniques.
176 pages, 301 color images. Hardcover,
$29.95. ISBN: 978-1-60059-295-9. Published
by Lark Books, A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 387 Park Ave. S., New York, NY,
10016; www.larkbooks.com.
The Blue Sliders
They’re much taller
and get a little closer
The pads will last longer and it is all more precise
Standard with Giffin Grip ® Model 10
may 2010
81
calendar
conferences, exhibitions, workshops, fairs
submit listings at www.ceramicsmonthly.org
conferences
Maine, Deer Isle July 11 to July 15 “The Hand,” with
Jeanne Jaffe, Tom Joyce, Michael Moore, Jeanne Quinn,
Roberta Smith, Polly Ullrich, Anne Wilson, and Frank Wilson. Fee: $335. Contact Candy Haskell, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627;
registrar@haystack-mtn.org; www.haystack-mtn.org;
207-348-2306.
New Mexico, Santa Fe October 27 to October
30 “Critical Santa Fe,” with Glen Brown, Garth Clark,
Gabi Dewald, Tanya Harrod, Dave Hickey, Janet Koplos,
Donald Kuspit, Paul Mathieu, and Raphael Rubenstein.
Fee: $365. Contact Dori Nielsen, NCECA, 77 Erie Village,
Suite 280, Erie, CO 80516-6996; office@NCECA.net;
www.nceca.net; 866-266-2322.
New Mexico, Santa Fe July 6 to July 8 “Historic Bond/
Contemporary Spirit: Collecting New Southwest Native
Pottery,” with Bruce Bernstein, Ellen Bradbury, and Garth
Clark. Fee: $825. Contact SOFA, 4401 North Ravenswood,
Ste. 301, Chicago, IL 60640; aaron@sofaexpo.com;
www.sofaexpo.com; 800-563-7632.
Tennessee, Gatlinburg October 27 to October 30
“Figurative Association: The Human Form in Clay,” with
Tom Bartel, Robert Brady, Lisa Clague, Debra Fritts, Arthur
Gonzalez, Anne Drew Potter, Beth Cavener Stichter, Tip
Toland, and Janis Mars Wuderlich. Fee: $395. Contact
Bill Griffith, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556
Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738; info@arrowmont.org;
www.arrowmont.org; 865-436-5860 x26.
Canada, Ottawa May 28 to May 30 “Fusion Ottawa Conference,” with Joan Bruneau and Sam Chung.
Fee: $235. Contact Lucie Gilchrist, Fusion: Ontario Clay
and Glass Association, 1444 Queen St. East, Toronto,
Ontario M4L 1E1 Canada; fusion@clayandglass.on.ca;
www.clayandglass.on.ca; 416-438-8946.
P O
Denmark, Gudhjem September 12 to September 13 “European Ceramic Context 2010 Conference.” Contact Susanne Jøker Johnsen, Bornholms
Kunstmuseum, Helligdommen Rø, Gudhjem, 3760
Denmark; info@europeanceramiccontext.com;
www.europeanceramiccontext.com; 45 5648 4386.
Germany, Bröllin September 2 to September 5 “First
European Woodfire Conference,” with Lowell Baker,
Paul Davis, Karin Flurer-Brünger, Stefan Jakob, and Owen
Rye. Fee: $250. Contact Markus Böhm, First European
Woodfire Conference, Alt Gaarz 6, Lärz, D-17248
Germany; markus@woodfire.net; www.woodfire.net.
Taiwan, PR China, Yingge July 9 to July 12 “Taiwan
Ceramics Biennial: Korero: Ceramics in Conversation.” Contact Ms. Jan-Chi Yu, Taipei County Yingge
Ceramics Museum, 200 Wunhua Rd., Yingge, Taipei
23942 Taiwan, PR China; tpc60501@ms.tpc.gov.tw;
www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw; 886 2 8677 2727 4104.
solo exhibitions
Arizona, Tempe through May 1 “A Ten Year
Survey,” works by Wanxin Zhang; at ASU Art Museum
Ceramics Research Center, Arizona State University, Mill
Ave. and Tenth St.
Arizona, Tempe September 17 to January 8, 2011
“A Chosen Path,” works by Karen Karnes; at ASU Art
Museum Ceramics Research Center, Arizona State
University, Mill Ave. and Tenth St.
California, Berkeley through May 16 “Casual
Geometry,” works by Mark Pharis; at TRAX Gallery,
1812 Fifth St.
California, Fresno May 6 to July 3 “New Work,”
works by Diana Fayt; at Clay Mix, 1003 N. Abby St.
California, Sacramento through May 15 “New
Work,” works by Lee Kavaljian; at Solomon Dubnick
Gallery, 1050 20th St., Suite 130.
R C E L
A I
California, Sacramento through May 15 “New
Work,” works by Tony Natsoulas; at Solomon Dubnick
Gallery, 1050 20th St., Suite 130.
California, Santa Monica through May 1 “New
Work,” works by Craig Kauffman; at Frank Lloyd Gallery,
2525 Michigan Ave. B5B.
Connecticut , Canton May 28 to June 27 “Forms and
Fowl,” works by Donna Namnoum; at Canton Artists’
Guild: Gallery on the Green, Canton Green.
Illinois, Oak Park June 26 to July 28 “Exit,” works
by Joe Krasean; at Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery,
246 Chicago Ave.
Iowa, Iowa City June 25 to July 16 “New Work,”
works by Sam Chung; at AKAR, 257 E Iowa Ave.
Iowa, Iowa City June 25 to July 16 “Featured Artist,”
works by Simon Levin; at AKAR, 257 E Iowa Ave.
Iowa, Iowa City July 23 to August 13 “Featured Artist,” works by Lauren Gallaspy; at AKAR, 257 E Iowa Ave.
Maine, Portland May 7 to May 31 “The Art of Flower
Arranging” works by Barbara Walch; at Maine Potters
Market, 376 Fore St.
Massachusetts, Boston June 5 to July 19 “Exploring the Exquisite,” works by Ken Matsuzaki; at Pucker
Gallery, 171 Newbury St.
Massachusetts, Boston May 14 to June 13 “Beauty
Left Behind,” works by Joan Walton; at Vessels Gallery,
450 Harrison Ave.
Massachusetts, Northampton September 24 to
November 7 “Falling Into Line,” works by Christy Knox;
at The Artisan Gallery, 162 Main St.
New Jersey, Surf City through June 1 “Migration,”
works by Nancy Train Smith; at m.t. burton gallery / South
Jersey Shore Clay Tour, 1819 N. Long Beach Blvd.
New Jersey, Surf City through May 3 “New Work,”
works by Neil Tetkowski; at m.t. burton gallery / South
II
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Potters Council Regional Conference
San Diego, California | October 22–24, 2010
Featured Artists: Erin Furimsky, Kristen Kieffer, Jennifer McCurdy and Lorna Meaden
Erin Furimsky
Kristen Kieffer
Jennifer McCurdy
Lorna Meaden
R E G I S T E R T O D AY
• Decoration techniques from stamp-making and stamping to slip-trailing and resists • Altering and darting wheel-thrown forms • How
to create pots that have a generous sense of volume and fluidity of line, with wheel-thrown and altered porcelain • Altering pots on and
off the wheel • Slip inlay surface treatment • The step-by-step instruction–from throwing to decorating–of making a porcelain watering can • Discover the technique of dry-throwing porcelain • Hand carving forms in the leather-hard stage • Discuss the concept of
strength vs plasticity in the porcelain as it moves through the working stages • And so much more…
Space is limited
800.424.8698
www.potterscouncil.org
www.ceramicartsdaily.org/education
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Host: Clay Artists of San Diego
www.clayartistsofsandiego.com
may 2010
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calendar
solo exhibitions
New York, New York through May 2 “Bigger, Better,
More: The Art of Viola Frey”; at Museum of Arts and
Design, 2 Columbus Cir.
New York, Port Chester May 8 to May 29 “Dream
City,” works by Marlene Ferrell Parillo; at Clay Art
Center, 40 Beech St.
Ohio, Columbus May 1 to June 12 “New Work,”
works by Janis Mars Wunderlich; at Sherrie Gallerie,
694 N. High St.
Ohio, Columbus September 4 to September 30
“New Work,” works by Jack Earl; at Sherrie Gallerie,
694 N. High St.
Oregon, Salem through May 16 “Übersetzung,”
works by Heidi Preuss Grew; at Willamette University,
Art and Art History Dept., 900 State St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1
“Exploding Relationships,” works by Steve Tobin; at
Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “Contingency,” works by Annabeth Rosen; at Fleisher/Ollman
Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., Ste. 100.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “Yun
Nan: Southern Clouds,” works by Mei-ling Hom; at
Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., Ste. 100.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “Shaker Legend-trip,” works by Paul Swenbeck; at Fleisher/
Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., Ste. 100.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through June 1 “Heart
Head or Where’s the Love?,” works by Matt Burton; at
JAG Fine Art, 1538 Pine St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “The
Peaceable Queendom,” works by Adelaide Paul; at
Wexler Gallery, 201 N. Third St.
Tennessee, Nashville May 1 to June 5 “Spring Show,”
works by Tom Turner; at Two Moon Gallery, 2905 12th
Ave. S., Ste. 108.
Texas, Houston through June 30 “Tanami Mapping: Pippin Drysdale’s Australian Desert Porcelains,”
works by Pippin Drysdale; at Booker-Lowe Gallery,
4623 Feagan St.
Texas, San Antonio through June 27 “Eden Revisited,” works by Kurt Weiser; at Southwest School of
Art and Craft, 300 Augusta St.
Washington, Bellevue May 19 to June 6 “The
Self Transparent,” works by Judy Hill; at Bellevue Arts
Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE.
England, Derbyshire through May 16 “Floralia,” works
by Paul Cummins; at Chatsworth House, Bakewell.
England, Leeds May 1 to July 31 “Ceramic Showcase,” works by Sara Moorhouse; at The Craft Centre
& Design Gallery, City Art Gallery, The Headrow.
France, Saint Quentin la Poterie through July 1
“Portraits,” works by Stéphanie Raymond; at Terra Viva
Galerie, 14 rue de la Fontaine.
Germany, Frechen May 30 to August 29 “Plastic
Painting,” works by Monika Otto; at Keramion Foundation, Bonnstraße 12.
The Netherlands, Deventer through May 8 “New
Work,” works by Eduardo Constantino; at Loes & Reinier
International Ceramics, Korte Assenstraat 15.
group exhibitions
California, Berkeley May 22 to June 27 “Go Figure,” works by Robert Brady, Jenny Mendes, and Ron
Meyers; at TRAX Gallery, 1812 Fifth St.
California, Davis through May 21 “Eight from
ACGA,” works by James Aarons, Steve Allen, Jean
Cherie, Suzanne M. Long, Forrest Lesch-Middelton, Lee
Middleman, Beth Ozarow, and Margaret Realica.; at Association of Clay & Glass Artists of California (ACGA),
Davis Art Center, 1919 F St.
California, Davis through May 29 “30 Ceramic
Sculptors Exhibition”; at John Natsoulas Center for
the Arts, 521 First St.
California, Davis through May 28 “21st Annual
California Clay Competition Exhibit”; at The Artery,
207 G St.
California, Fremont June 4 to July 1 “The Language of
Clay”; at Olive Hyde Art Gallery, 123 Washington Blvd.
California, San Francisco through September 13
“Evolution of a Royal Vision: The Birth of Meissen Porcelain”; at San Francisco International Airport.
California, Santa Ana May 1 to May 28 “Containers
2010”; at The Myers Gallery at Muddy’s Studio, 2610
S. Halladay St.
District of Columbia, Washington through
January 9, 2011 “Cornucopia: Ceramics from Southern Japan”; at Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.
Florida, St. Petersburg through May 29 “The Artful Table: A Passion for Florida, Crafts, and Cuisine”; at
Florida Craftsmen Gallery, 501 Central Ave.
Georgia, Atlanta through June 12 “The Southern
Pot,” works by Mark Hewitt, Matt Long, and Ben Owens;
at Signature Shop & Gallery, 3267 Roswell Rd.
Georgia, Atlanta June 18 to July 24 “Launch,”
works by Chase Folsom and Kaye Thomas; at Signature
Shop & Gallery, 3267 Roswell Rd.
Georgia, Sautee Nacoochee September 1 to
August 31 “International Folk Pottery Exhibition”; at
Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, Georgia
Hwy 255, Sautee Nacoochee Center.
Idaho, Boise through May 29 “New Work,” works
by Jane Andrews and James Tisdale; at Basement Gallery, 928 W. Main St.
Idaho, Coeur d’Alene May 14 to June 5 “11th
Annual Clay Invitational,” works by Matt Allison,
Jenny Andersen, Adrian Arleo, Frank Boyden, Elaine
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group exhibitions
Coleman, Tom Coleman, Chuck Hindes, Don Reitz,
Valerie Seaberg, and Patti Warashina; at The Art Spirit
Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave.
Illinois, Chicago through May 16 “21st Annual Teapot Show: On the Road Again”; at Chiaroscuro Galleries,
Watertower Pl., 835 N. Michigan Ave., Level 2.
Illinois, Oak Park through May 8 “It’s in the
Details,” featuring works by Jeff Campana and Jim
Gottuso; at Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery, 246
Chicago Ave.
Illinois, Oak Park May 22 to June 23 “Three Plus
Three: Influence and an Invitation,” works by Maria
Dondero, Chuck Hindes, Joe Krasean, Ron Meyers,
Georgette Ore, Don Pilcher, and Lori Raife; at Terra
Incognito Studios and Gallery, 246 Chicago Ave.
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may 2010
Iowa, Iowa City through May 14 “New Work,”
works by Frank Boyden, Elaine Coleman, and Tom
Coleman; at AKAR, 257 E Iowa Ave.
Iowa, Iowa City May 28 to June 18 “New Work,”
works by Brad Schwieger and Mark Shapiro; at AKAR,
257 E Iowa Ave.
Maryland, Glen Echo May 1 to May 31 “2010:
Variations in Clay”; at Glen Echo Pottery, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.
Maryland, Hagerstown through September 5
“Hand Thrown: The Fine Art of Pinched and Coiled
Ceramics,” works by Mary Bowron, Sten Lykke Madsen, Joyce Michaud, Priscilla Mouritzen, Kristin Muller,
and Toni Ross; at Washington County Museum of Fine
Arts, 91 Key St.
Massachusetts, Brockton through July 18 “On the
Line,” works by Francine Ozereko and Frank Ozereko;
at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St.
Massachusetts, Brockton May 29 to February 6,
2011 “The New Materiality: Digital Dialogues at the
Boundaries of Contemporary Craft”; at Fuller Craft
Museum, 455 Oak St.
Massachusetts, Cotuit May 1 to May 23 “Fire
and Smoke,” works by Ron Dean, Diane Heart, and
Denny Howard; at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404
Falmouth Rd.
Massachusetts, Monson July 10 to July 18 “T-pots
and Tings,” works by Juliet Bacchas, Sue James, Maureen
Solomon, and Linda Spelko; at Juliet Rose Gallery and
Studio, 191 Reimers Rd.
Massachusetts, Northampton through May 23
“The Apprentice System: High Hollow Pottery,” works
by Abby Berkson and Constance Talbot; at The Artisan
Gallery, 162 Main St.
Massachusetts, Northampton May 29 to July 4
“As the Crow Flies: NC Neighbors,” works by Naomi
Dalglish, Michael Hunt, and Michael Kline; at The Artisan
Gallery, 162 Main St.
Minnesota, Minneapolis June 18 to August 29
“6 McKnight Artists,” works by Yoko Sekino Bove,
Cary Esser, Ilena Finnoche, Ursula Hargens, Maren
Kloppmann, and Liz Smith; at Northern Clay Center,
2424 Franklin Ave. E.
Minnesota, St. Paul through May 9 “Minnesota
Women Potters 2010,” works by Marion Angelica,
Margaret Bohls, and Sandra Shaughnessy; at The Grand
Hand Gallery, 619 Grand Ave.
Missouri, Kansas City through May 1 “New Work,”
works by Michael Fujita and Mike Jabbur; at Red Star
Studios Ceramic Center, 821 W 17th St.
Missouri, Kansas City May 6 to May 29 “New Work,”
works by Deborah Schwartzkopf and Daniel Ricardo Terran;
at Red Star Studios Ceramic Center, 821 W 17th St.
Missouri, St. Louis May 21 to July 11 “Setting the Mood:
The Artful Table”; at Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd.
New Jersey, Oceanville through June 13 “MishMash Strikes Back,” works by Doug Casebeer, Ray Chen,
David S. East, Rain Harris, Leigh Taylor Mickelson, Peter
Morgan, Jill Oberman, Helen Otterson, Rick Parsons, Kelly
Phelps, and Kyle Phelps; at The Noyes Museum of Art /
South Jersey Shore Clay Tour, 733 Lily Lake Rd.
New Jersey, Surf City through June 1 “Celebrating
Ten Years: 2000–2010,” works by Christa Assad, D.
Haynes Bayless, Malcolm Davis, Scott R. Dooley, Chris
Gustin, Kristin Kieffer, Sequoia Miller, Aysha Peltz, Bill van
Gilder, and Todd Walstrom; at m.t. burton gallery / South
New Mexico, Santa Fe through May 22 “Bricks
and Mortar: Inspired by Architecture”; at Santa Fe Clay,
1615 Paseo de Peralta.
New Mexico, Santa Fe May 28 to June 26 “Decalcomania”; at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta.
New Mexico, Santa Fe July 9 to August 21 “New
Work,” works by Darcy Badiali, David Hicks, and Patricia
Sannit; at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta.
New York, Albany through July 30 “The Weitsman
Stoneware Collection”; at New York State Museum,
222 Madison Ave.
New York, Rochester through May 21 “College Clay
Collective”; at Genesee Pottery, 713 Monroe Ave.
North Carolina, Bakersville May 1 to June 30
“Contextures,” works by Gillian Parke and Ronan
Kyle Peterson; at Crimson Laurel Gallery, 23 Crimson
Laurel Wy.
North Carolina, Bakersville May 1 to May 31
“Containment: An Exhibition of Ceramic Boxes,” works
by Hayne Bayless, Nicholas Bivins, Melisa Cadell, Kyle
Carpenter, Marty Fielding, Peter Karner, Jeff Kleckner,
Brooke Noble, Rob Pulleyn, and Akira Satake; at Crimson
Laurel Gallery, 23 Crimson Laurel Way.
North Carolina, Charlotte through May 29
“Drawn Together,” works by Suze Lindsay and Julie
Wiggins; at Lark & Key Gallery, 128 E. Park Ave., Ste.
B (Southend).
North Carolina, Charlotte through May 4 “Form
and Figure: A Spiritual Journey,” works by Ed Byers and
Holden McCurry; at RedSky Gallery, 1244 East Blvd.
North Carolina, Seagrove August 10 to November 13
“Hiroshi Sueyoshi and The Coastal Carolina Clay Guild”;
at North Carolina Pottery Center, 233 East Ave.
Ohio, Canton through July 25 “Form, Figure, and
Function: Contemporary Ohio Ceramics,” works by
Tom Bartel, Juliellen Byrne, William Brouillard, Jack
Earl, Rebecca Harvey, Bill Hunt, Eva Kwong, and Janis
Mars Wunderlich; at Canton Museum of Art, 1001
Market Ave. N.
Ohio, Columbus June 19 to July 31 “New Work,”
works by Carol Gentithes and Fred Johnston; at Sherrie
Gallerie, 694 N. High St.
Ohio, Rocky River through May 1 “Functional
Ornament,” works by Bill Brouillard, Stephanie Craig,
Bette Drake, Susan Gallagher, Bonnie Gordon, Barbara Humpage, Andrea LeBlond, Lynne Lofton, Karyn
Ludlam, and Kirk Mangus; at River Gallery, 19046 Old
Detroit Rd.
Pennsylvania, Doylestown through June 13
“Contemporary Folklore,” works by Ann Chahbandour,
Ryan Kelly, Lisa Naples, and Kukuli Velarde; at Michener
Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through August 2
“Corporeal Manifestations”; at Mütter Museum, 19
S. 22nd St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia June 19 to September
26 “Plain Beauty: White Porcelain of the Joseon Dynasty
(1392–1910)”; at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St.
and the Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 2 “Of
This Century: Residents, Fellows, and Select Guest Artists
of The Clay Studio, 2000–2010”; at The Clay Studio,
139 N. Second St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia May 7 to May 30 “Small
Favors: IV”; at The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “To
Die For”; at Projects Gallery, 629 N. 2nd St.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through May 1 “The
Hermaphrodites: Living in Two Worlds,” works by Chris
Antemann, Sergei Isupov, Dana Major Kanovitz, Dirk
Staschke and Red Weldon Sandlin; at Wexler Gallery,
201 N. Third St.
Rhode Island, Kingston through May 15 “37th
Annual Earthworks Exhibit”; at South Country Art Association, 2587 Kingstown Rd.
Texas, Ingram through May 1 “Mad Potters Teapot
Exhibition”; at Guadalupe Art Dogs Gallery, 217A Old
Ingram Loop.
Virginia, Alexandria through May 23 “Curves with
the Washington Ceramic Guild”; at Scope Gallery, The
Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St. Studio 19.
Virginia, Alexandria May 24 to June 27 “‘Put a Lid
on It’ with the Kiln Club”; at Scope Gallery, The Torpedo
Factory, 105 N. Union St. Studio 19.
Virginia, Williamsburg through January 2, 2011
“Pottery with a Past: Stoneware in Early America”;
at DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, 325 W.
Francis St.
Washington, Bellevue August 28 to January 16,
2011 “BAM Biennial 2010: Clay Throwdown”; at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE.
Washington, Kirkland through May 4 “Clay? III”;
at Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St.
Wisconsin, Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim, Ellison Bay May 1 to May 2 “Door County Potters’ Guild
Annual Pottery Tour,” works by Clay Bay Pottery, Ellison
Bay Pottery, Ephraim Clayworks, Gills Rock Stoneware,
Off the Wheel Pottery, Plum Bottom Pottery, Potters
Wheel Gallery, and TR Pottery; at Door County Potters’
Guild, Door County.
Wyoming, Jackson June 4 to August 20 “Rendezvous: National Ceramic Invitational,” works by Rebekah
Bogard, Bede Clarke, Yoshiro Ikeda, Joyce Jablonski,
Charlie Olson, Pete Pinell, Marcia Selsor, Emily Free
Wilson, and Chuck Wissinger; at Art Association of
Jackson Hole, 240 S. Glenwood.
Canada, Victoria May 8 to June 3 “Clay Connects: The South Vancouver Island Potters Guild
10th Anniversary”; at Martin Batchelor Gallery, 712
Cormorant St.
Denmark, Gudhjem September 11 to November
7 “European Ceramic Context 2010 Exhibition”; at
Bornholms Kunstmuseum, Helligdommen Rø.
England, Liverpool May 1 to June 19 “Shanghai
Exposure,” works by Li-Sheng Cheng, Ken Eastman,
Claire Lowe, Paul Scott, Peter Ting, and Anthony Wong;
at Bluecoat Display Centre, 50-51 The Bluecoat, Bluecoat
Chambers, College Ln.
France, Saint Quentin la Poterie through November 14 “Le Vase dans tous ses états!”; at Terra Viva
Galerie, 14 rue de la Fontaine.
Germany, Frechen December 6 to May 2 “Ball,
Cube, Pyramid, and Cylinder”; at Keramion Foundation, Bonnstraße 12.
The Netherlands, Deventer May 16 to June 12
“New Work,” works by Mathieu Casseau and Matthieu
Robert; at Loes & Reinier International Ceramics, Korte
Assenstraat 15.
The Netherlands, Deventer June 27 to August
1 “Porcelain,” works by Mieke Everaet, Lut Laleman,
Judith de Vries, and Claire Verkoyen; at Loes & Reinier
International Ceramics, Korte Assenstraat 15.
multimedia exhibitions
California, Santa Barbara through January 28,
2011 “Ceramics Rediscovered: Science Shapes Under-
or
to de
da r
y!
order online at
www.ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore
may 2010
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calendar
multimedia exhibitions
standing of Hispanic Life in Early California”; at Santa
Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, 123 E. Canon
Perdido St.
Ohio, Columbus May 2 to June 10 “Best of 2010”;
at Ohio Craft Museum, 1665 W. Fifth Ave.
Wisconsin, Egg Harbor June 26 to August 25
“Earth, Stone, and Water,” including ceramic works
by Renee Schwaller and Jessie Voss; at Off the Wheel
Pottery, 4234 County Rd. E.
Canada, St. John’s June 26 to August 15 “Annual
Members Exhibit 2010”; at Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, 59 Duckworth St.
England, Birmingham May 24 to July 23 “The
Art of Dining”; at RBSA Gallery, The Royal Birmingham
Society of Artists, 4 Brook St. St. Pauls.
England, Birmingham July 26 to September 10
“Once Upon a Time”; at RBSA Gallery, The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, 4 Brook St. St. Pauls.
England, Leeds through June 26 “Park Life”; at
The Craft Centre & Design Gallery, City Art Gallery,
The Headrow.
England, London May 12 to May 28 “A Collector’s
Menagerie: Animal Sculpture from the Ancient World”;
at Sladmore Gallery, 57 Jermyn St., St. James’s.
England, London through October 31 “Victoria
and Albert: Art and Love”; at The Royal Collection,
York House, St. James’ Place.
Germany, Duingen through May 28 “Then and
Now,” including ceramic works by Heidi Preuss Grew;
at Töpfermuseum Duingen, Töpferstrasse 8.
California, Ojai June 12 to June 13 “Ventura County
Potters Guild Sale and Ojai Music Festival”; at Ventura
County Potters Guild, 420 E. Santa Clara St.
California, San Diego June 12 to June 13 “San
Diego Potters Guild June Sale”; at San Diego Potters’
Guild, 1770 Village Pl. #29.
Colorado, Denver June 12 to June 13 “Summer Art Market”; at Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant St.
Colorado, Longmont through May 2 “Boulder
Potter’s Guild 40th Annual Spring Show and Sale”; at
Boulder Potters Guild, Boulder County Fairgrounds,
Hover and Nelson roads.
Illinois, Chicago June 6 to June 7 “63rd Annual
57th Street Art Fair”; at 57th Street Art Fair, Historic
Hyde Park.
Massachusetts, Walpole through May 2 “Potters
Place Spring Show and Sale”; at Potters Place, 127B
Old West St.
Minnesota, Harris May 7 to May 9 “18th Annual St.
Croix Valley Pottery Tour”; at Minnesota’s St. Croix River
Valley Studio Potters, 41421 Ferry Rd., Sunrise.
Minnesota, Minneapolis September 9 to September 12 “American Pottery Festival”; at Northern Clay
Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E.
New Jersey, Bloomfield June 19 to June 20 “Spring
Fine Art and Crafts at Brookdale Park”; at Brookdale
Park, 473 Watchung Ave.
New Jersey, Upper Montclair September 11 to
September 12 “Fine Art and Crafts at Anderson Park”;
at Rose Squared Productions, Inc., 274 Bellevue Ave.
New Jersey, Verona May 15 to May 16 “Fine
Art and Crafts at Verona Park”; at Verona Park, 542
Bloomfield Ave.
New Mexico, Santa Fe May 1 to May 2 “13th
Contemporary Clay Fair”; at New Mexico Potters and
Clay Artists, 1616 Old Pecos Trail.
New Mexico, Santa Fe July 8 to July 11 “SOFA
WEST: Santa Fe 2010”; at Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
New York, Tarrytown September 10 to September
12 “Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst”; at Artrider Productions
Inc, Lyndhurst.
North Carolina, Penland August 13 to August 14
“Penland School of Crafts Annual Benefit Auction”; at
Penland School of Crafts, 67 Doras Trail.
North Carolina, Seagrove June 5 to June 6 “Cousins
in Clay”; at Bulldog Pottery, 3306 US Hwy 220.
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may 2010
LOW-FIRING & BURNISHING
by Sumi von Dassow
This book covers techniques of
firing and finishing at low temperature, eliminating the need
for costly kilns or lengthy waits
between making and finishing
your work. Both ancient cultures
and contemporary potters have
used low-firing to great effect,
adding slips and burnishing
pieces to create finishes not
possible with any other firing
method. Whether using an
old garbage can, a pit in the
ground, or a bonfire, low-firing
is accessible to anyone with
an outdoor space. Low-firing
and Burnishing provides step-by-step practical information
focusing on various approaches to low firing and methods of
natural finishes. Chapters include burnishing, terra sigillata,
smoke firing, pit firing, saggar firing, and raku techniques.
FREE shipping when you order online
(US orders only)
/bookstore
866-672-6993
AndersonRanch arts center
Workshops . Artists’ Residencies . Community Outreach . Public Events
Kathy Butterly
Kari Radasch
Jeanne Quinn
Summer workShopS 2010
Ted Adler, Margaret Bohls, Kathy Butterly,
Doug Casebeer, Tom Coleman, Debra Fritts,
Andrea Gill, John Gill, Chris Gustin, Sam Harvey,
Jason Hess, Rebecca Hutchinson, Frank Martin,
Lorna Meaden, Alleghany Meadows, Lisa Orr,
Pete Pinnell, Jeanne Quinn, Kari Radasch,
Pelusa Rosenthal, Ralph Scala and John Toki
Field workShop Jamaica
april 23 - may 1, 2010
Alleghany Meadows
guest artists: David Pinto & Doug Casebeer
P 970/923-3181 F 970/923-3871 AndersonRanch.org
Post Office Box 5598 Snowmass Village, CO 81615
may 2010
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calendar
Ohio, Piqua May 14 to May 22 “18th Annual Fifth
Third Bank Fine Art Exhibition and Sale”; at Piqua Arts
Council, PO Box 520.
Oregon, Portland through May 2 “Ceramic
Showcase 2010”; at Oregon Convention Center, 777
NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Pennsylvania, Hilltown May 14 to May 23 “Elephant’s Eye Studio Tour”; at Elephant’s Eye Studio Tour,
930 Hilltown Pike.
Pennsylvania, Kutztown July 3 to July 11 “2010
Kutztown Folk Festival”; at Kutztown Fairgrounds.
Tennessee, Townsend June 4 to June 5 “Smoky
Mountain Pottery Festival”; at Blount County Chamber
of Commerce, 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy.
Wyoming, Jackson July 16 to July 18 “Art Fair
Jackson Hole”; at Art Association of Jackson Hole, Miller
Park, Millward and Deloney.
Wyoming, Jackson August 20 to August 22 “Art Fair
Jackson Hole”; at Miller Park, Millward and Deloney.
Canada, Edmonton June 25 to July 7 “The Works
Art and Design Festival”; at 10635 - 95 St. NW.
Finland, Fiskars August 28 to August 29 “Fiskars
Ceramics Fair 2010”; at Fiskarsin Keramiikka Markkinat, Peltorivi 5-7.
Germany, Frechen May 29 to May 30 “Pottery
Market on Frechen’s Rathausplatz”; at Rathausplatz.
Spain, Argentona August 6 to August 8 “The
International Ceramic and Pottery Fair”; at Museu de
Cántir D’Argentona, Plaça de l’Església 9.
Taiwan, PR China, Yingge July 2 to August 15
“Taiwan Ceramics Biennial: Korero: Ceramics in Conversation”; at Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum,
200 Wunhua Rd.
workshops
Check out our April issue for all workshops taking
place in June, July, and August. The complete listing
is also available online at http://ceramicartsdaily.org/
ceramics-monthly/summer-workshop-listings
Alabama, Fairhope May 10 to May 14 “Outside the Wheel: Slabbuilt Tableware,” with Vince
Pitelka. Fee: $350. Contact Suzan Christensen, Eastern
Shore Art Center, 401 Oak St., Fairhope, AL 36559;
suzan@esartcenter.com; www.esartcenter.com; 251928-2228.
Arizona, Prescott May 22 to May 23 “What’s All the
Fuss about Reduction, Anyway?” with Steven Hill. Fee:
$185. Contact Karen vanPrice, vanPrice Fine Art, 2057
Heavenly Pl., Prescott, AZ 86303; vanprice1@msn.com;
www.vanprice.com; 928-443-9723.
Arizona, Prescott May 25 to May 26 “What’s All the
Fuss about Reduction, Anyway?” with Steven Hill. Fee:
$185. Contact Karen vanPrice, vanPrice Fine Art, 2057
Heavenly Pl., Prescott, AZ 86303; vanprice1@msn.com;
Arizona, Prescott September 11 to September 12
“Cynthia Bringle,” with Cynthia Bringle. Fee: $180.
Contact Karen vanPrice, vanPrice Fine Art, 2057 Heavenly Pl., Prescott, AZ 86303; vanprice1@msn.com;
Arkansas, Mountain View May 29 to May 30 “Soft
Pots,” with Shadow May. Fee: $200. Contact Arkansas
Craft School, PO Box 2694, Mountain View, AR 72560;
arkcraftschool@mvtel.net; www.arkansascraftschool.org;
870-269-8397.
Arkansas, Mountain View May 14 to May 17
“Firing a Wood-burning Groundhog Kiln,” with Judi
Munn and John Perry. Fee: $150. Contact Jeanette
Larson, Ozark Folk Arts Center, PO Box 500, Mountain
View, AR 72560; ozarkfolkcenter@arkansas.com;
www.ozarkfolkcenter.com; 870-269-3851.
California, Mendocino May 10 to May 14 “The Creative Extruder,” with William Shinn. Fee: $405. Contact
Linn Bottorf, Mendocino Art Center, PO Box 765, Mendocino, CA 95460; register@mendocinoartcenter.org;
www.mendocinoartcenter.org; 800-653-3328.
California, Mendocino May 17 to May 21 “AnyMeans
Necessary,” with Gwendolyn Yoppolo. Fee: $405. Contact
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may 2010
Linn Bottorf, Mendocino Art Center, PO Box 765, Mendocino, CA 95460; register@mendocinoartcenter.org;
www.mendocinoartcenter.org; 800-653-3328.
California, San Diego October 22 to October 24
“Potters Council Porcelain II Conference,” with Erin
Furimsky, Kristen Kieffer, Jennifer McCurdy, and Lorna
Meaden. Contact Carolyn Dorr, Potters Council, 600
N. Cleveland Ave. Ste. 210, Westerville, OH 43082;
cdorr@ceramics.org; www.potterscouncil.org; 866721-3322.
California, Turlock September 4 “Hands in Clay
2010 One Day Demonstration Workshop,” with Don
Hall, Tony Natsoulas, and Rick Uebner. Contact Don
Hall, San Joaquin Potter’s Guild, 92 Benjamin Way,
Turlock, CA 95380; info@sanjoaquinpottersguild.org;
www.sanjoaquinpottersguild.org; 209-634-3653.
California, Walnut Creek May 22 “Master Potter
Workshop,” with Ron Meyers. Fee: $75. Contact Melissa
Ridenour, Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education, P.O. Box
8039, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; artsed@arts-ed.org;
www.arts-ed.org; 925-943-5846.
Colorado, Mack May 28 to May 31 “Electric Firing: What’s All the Fuss about Reduction, Anyway?”
with Steven Hill. Fee: $350. Contact Bob Walsh,
Bullseye Pottery, 711 M 8/10 Rd., Mack, CO 81525;
970-858-9290.
Florida, St. Petersburg May 1 “Decorative Tiles,”
with Dani Sigler. Fee: $10. Contact Adam Yungbluth,
St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22nd St. S, St.
Petersburg, FL 33712; adamyungbluth@gmail.com;
Florida, St. Petersburg May 8 “Backyard BBQ,”
with Matt Schiemann. Fee: $10. Contact Adam Yungbluth, St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22nd St. S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712; adamyungbluth@gmail.com;
Florida, St. Petersburg May 15 “Candles and
Holders,” with Julie Striegel. Fee: $10. Contact Adam
Yungbluth, St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22nd St.
S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712; adamyungbluth@gmail.com;
Florida, St. Petersburg May 22 “High Fire Glazing,” with Charlie Parker and Adam Yungbluth. Fee:
$10. Contact Adam Yungbluth, St. Petersburg Clay
Company, 420 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712;
adamyungbluth@gmail.com; www.stpeteclay.com;
513-226-7944.
Georgia, Atlanta May 28 to May 30 “Potters Council
Handbuilding Conference,” with Chris Campbell, Marko
Fields, Patz Fowle, Mitch Lyons, Sandi Pierantozzi, and
Kathy Triplett. Contact Carolyn Dorr, Potters Council,
600 N. Cleveland Ave. Ste. 210, Westerville, OH
43082; cdorr@ceramics.org; www.potterscouncil.org;
866-721-3322.
Georgia, Decatur September 24 to September 26 “Inspired by Nature,” with Akira Satake. Fee: $295. Contact
Luba Sharapan and Erik Haagensen, MudFire Clayworks,
175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, GA 30030; info@mudfire.com;
www.mudfire.com; 404-377-8033.
Illinois, Highland Park May 15 “Porcelain Carving
Workshop,” with Yukiko Nyhan. Fee: $30. Contact
Park District of Highland Park, 636 Ridge Rd., Highland
Park, IL 60035; jnaatz@pdhp.org; www.pdhp.org;
847-579-3123.
Illinois, Oak Park May 8 to May 9 “A Workshop with
Jeff Campana,” with Jeff Campana. Fee: $150. Contact
David Toan, Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery, 246 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302; dtoan@ameritech.net;
www.terraincognitostudios.com; 708-383-6228.
Illinois, Sandwich May 12 to May 16 “Electric vs. Gas
Firing: What’s All the Fuss about Reduction Anyway?”
Contact Steven Hill, Center Street Clay, 218 W. Center
St., Sandwich, IL 60548; studio@centerstreetclay.com;
www.centerstreetclay.com; 815-570-2030.
Iowa, Cedar Rapids May 22 to May 23 “Raku Kiln
Building and Firing Workshop,” with Tim Pfiffner. Fee:
$75. Contact the Ceramics Center, 329 10th Ave. SE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401; info@theceramicscenter.org;
www.theceramicscenter.org; 319-365-9644.
Kentucky, Lexington September 18 “Image Transfer on Clay,” with Paul Wandless.
Fee: $135. Contact LeAnne Ash, Kentucky
Mudworks, 825 National Ave., Lexington, KY
40502; mudworks_education@insightbb.com;
www.kentuckymudworks.com; 859-389-9681.
Massachusetts, Stockbridge May 15 to May
16 “Teapots, Lidded Jars, and Casseroles,” with Angela Fina. Fee: $285. Contact Hope Sullivan, IS183
Art School, PO Box 1400, Stockbridge, MA 01262;
info@is183.org; www.is183.org; 413-298-5252.
Massachusetts, Stockbridge September 25
“Studio Demonstration,” with Christa Assad. Fee:
$25. Contact Hope Sullivan, IS183 Art School, PO
Box 1400, Stockbridge, MA 01262; info@is183.org;
www.is183.org; 413-298-5252.
Maine, Monroe September 3 to September
6 “An Introduction to Pottery,” with Squidge
Davis. Fee: $400. Contact Squidge Davis,
Starflower Farm & Studios, 941 Jackson Rd.,
Monroe, ME 04951; squidge@midcoast.com;
www.starflowerfarmstudios.com; 207-525-3593.
Maine, Portland May 22 “Tile Mosaics,” with
Ellen Schraeder-Charpentier. Fee: $60. Contact
Portland Pottery, 118 Washington Ave., Portland, ME 04101; graphics@portlandpottery.com;
www.portlandpottery.com; 207-772-4334.
Maine, Portland June 6 to June 12 “Finishing Touches,” with Adero Willard. Fee: $60.
Contact Portland Pottery, 118 Washington Ave.,
Portland, ME 04101; graphics@portlandpottery.com;
www.portlandpottery.com; 207-772-4334.
Maryland, Baltimore May 1 to May 2 “The Art of the
Reliquary,” with Novie Trump. Fee: $220. Contact Mary
Cloonan, Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Ave., Baltimore, MD 21209; mary.cloonan@baltimoreclayworks.org;
www.baltimoreclayworks.org; 410-578-1919.
Maryland, Frederick through May 8 “Seminar to
Define Personal Aesthetic Direction,” with Catherine
White. Fee: $700. Contact Joyce Michaud, Hood
College, 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick, MD 21701;
jmichaud@hood.edu;www.hood.edu/academic/art/hodson;301696-3526.
Missouri, Kansas City May 29 to May 30 “Image
and Form,” with Deborah Schwartzkopf and Daniel
Ricardo Teran. Contact Calder Kamin, Red Star Studios
Ceramic Center, 821 W 17th St, Kansas City, MO 64108;
gallery@redstarstudios.org; www.redstarstudios.org;
816-474-7316.
Nevada, Las Vegas September 11 to September
12 “Demonstration Workshop,” with Patrick Horsley.
Contact Amy Kline, Pottery West, 5026 N. Pioneer
Way, Las Vegas, NV 89149; potterywest@cox.net;
www.potterywest.com; 702-685-7573.
New Jersey, Layton May 16 to May 16 “Introduction to Pottery on the Wheel,” with Kristin Muller.
Fee: $310. Contact Peters Valley Craft Center,19
Kuhn Road, Layton, NJ 07851; www.petersvalley.org;
registrar@petersvalley.org; 973-948-5200.
New Jersey, Layton May 22 to May 23 “Pictoral Earthenware,” with Shanna Fliegel. Fee:
$320. Contact Peters Valley Craft Center,19 Kuhn
Road, Layton, NJ 07851; www.petersvalley.org;
registrar@petersvalley.org; 973-948-5200.
New Mexico, Arroyo Seco September 1 to September 19 “New Fire: Wood-fired Pottery for the 21st
Century.” Contact Peter Botting, New Fire, PO Box 814,
Arroyo Seco, NM 87514; newfiretoas@gmail.com.
New York, Port Chester May 16 “Discover the Joy
of Raku Firing.” Fee: $100. Contact Leigh Taylor Mickelson, Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY
10573; leigh@clayartcenter.org; www.clayartcenter.org;
914-937-2047.
New York, Port Chester May 22 to May 23 “Playing with Parts and Exploring Composition,” with Susan
Beiner. Fee: $200. Contact Leigh Taylor Mickelson,
Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY 10573;
leigh@clayartcenter.org; www.clayartcenter.org; 914937-2047.
North Carolina, Asheville June 26 to June 27
“Tom Turner Porcelain: Two Day Demonstration
Workshop,” with Tom Turner. Fee: $200. Contact
Tom Turner, Tom Turner Porcelain, PO Box 717,
Mars Hill, NC 28754; tt@tomturnerporcelain.com;
www.tomturnerporcelain.com; 828-689-9430.
North Carolina, Brasstown May 2 to May 8 “Raku
for You,” with Bill Capshaw. Fee: $527. Contact John C.
Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd., Brasstown,
NC 28902; info@folkschool.org; www.folkschool.org;
800-365-5724.
North Carolina, Brasstown May 9 to May 15
“Introduction to Wheel Throwing,” with Sue Cannon. Fee: $527. Contact John C. Campbell Folk
School, One Folk School Rd., Brasstown, NC 28902;
info@folkschool.org; www.folkschool.org; 800365-5724.
North Carolina, Brasstown May 16 to May 22 “Get
a Jump Start on the Wheel,” with Martha Sullivan. Fee:
$527. Contact John C. Campbell Folk School, One Folk
School Rd., Brasstown, NC 28902; info@folkschool.org;
www.folkschool.org; 800-365-5724.
North Carolina, Brasstown May 30 to June 5
“Wheel Work: Anything and Everything,” with Vince
Sansone. Fee: $527. Contact John C. Campbell Folk
School, One Folk School Rd., Brasstown, NC 28902;
info@folkschool.org; www.folkschool.org; 800365-5724.
North Carolina, Highlands May 25 to May 28
“Advanced Throwing Techniques,” with Joe Frank
McKee. Fee: $400. Contact Jessica Connor, The Bascom,
A Center for the Visual Arts, PO Box 766, Highlands, NC
28741; jconnor@thebascom.org; www.thebascom.org;
828-526-4949.
North Carolina, Highlands September 8 to September 10 “Surface Workshop,” with Debra Fritts.
Fee: $325. Contact Jessica Connor, The Bascom, A
Center for the Visual Arts, PO Box 766, Highlands, NC
828-526-4949.
North Carolina, Highlands September 21 to
September 25 “Bisque Molds: An Invitation to Slow
Down,” with Matt Kelleher and Shoko Teruyama.
Fee: $500. Contact Jessica Connor, The Bascom, A
Center for the Visual Arts, PO Box 766, Highlands, NC
828-526-4949.
North Carolina, Little Switzerland September
13 to September 19 “Exploring Raku: Creating Exciting Forms,” with Matt Maggino. Fee: $315. Contact
Judy Mooney, Wildacres Retreat, 220 E.46th St.,
Savannah, GA 31405; judymooney@bellsouth.net;
www.wildacres.org; 912-443-9313.
Oregon, Gresham May 3 to May 5 “Shigaraki
Wood Fire Workshop,” with Nobu Kousai. Fee: $125.
Contact Stephen Mickey, Mount Hood Community
College, Visual Arts Center, 26000 South East Stark
St. Gresham, OR 97030; stephen.mickey@mhcc.edu;
www.mhcc.edu/pages/1987.asp; 503-491-7149.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia May 15 to May 16
“China Painting: New Directions,” with Paul Lewing.
Contact Jeff Guido, The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second
St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; info@theclaystudio.org;
www.theclaystudio.org; 215-925-3453.
Tennessee, Gatlinburg May 30-June 5 “Making
Lively Pots,” with Gay Smith. Fee: $475. Contact
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN, 37738; info@arrowmont.org;
www.arrowmont.org; 865-436-5860.
Wisconsin, Fish Creek May 24 to May 28
“Raku Glazes on the Carved Surface,” with
Nancy Briggs. Fee: $495. Contact Peninsula
School of Art, 3900 County Highway F., Fish
Creek, WI 54212; info@peninsulaartschool.com;
www.peninsulaartschool.com; 920-868-3455.
Wisconsin, Fish Creek May 25 to May 28
“Raku Glazes on the Carved Surface,” with
Nancy Briggs. Fee: $495. Contact Peninsula
School of Art, 3900 County Highway F., Fish
may 2010
91
calendar
workshops
Creek, WI 54212; info@peninsulaartschool.com;
Wisconsin, Fish Creek September 9 to September 11
“Relief Sculpture in Clay,” with Bren Sibilsky. Fee: $380.
Contact Peninsula School of Art, 3900 County Highway
F., Fish Creek, WI 54212; info@peninsulaartschool.com;
Canada, Haliburton through May 16 “Pottery II,” with Barbara Joy Peel. Fee: US$332.66.
Contact Fleming College, Haliburton School of The
Arts, 297 College Dr., Haliburton, Ontario K0M 1S0
Canada; contact@haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca;
www.haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca; 866-353-6464.
Canada, Haliburton through May 1 “Clay Tiles
and Extrusions,” with Colleen O’Reilly-Lafferty. Fee:
US$332.66. Contact Fleming College, Haliburton School
of The Arts, 297 College Dr., Haliburton, Ontario K0M
1S0 Canada; contact@haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca;
Canada, Haliburton May 10 to May 14 “Artistic
Narrative Through Clay,” with April Gates. Fee:
US$295.03. Contact Fleming College, Haliburton School
of The Arts, 297 College Dr., Haliburton, Ontario K0M
1S0 Canada; contact@haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca;
England, West Sussex May 2 to May 5 “Smoke
and Fire Raku Firings Techniques,” with Alison Sandeman. Fee: US$412.68. Contact Ellen Cheshire,
West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18
0QZ England; ellen.cheshire@westdean.org.uk;
www.westdean.org.uk; 44 (0) 1243 818 280.
England, West Sussex May 7 to May 9 “Pattern Colour Texture and Line Fine Drawing in Clay,”
with Joanna Veevers. Fee: US$280.75. Contact Ellen
Cheshire, West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex,
PO18 0QZ England; ellen.cheshire@westdean.org.uk;
England, West Sussex May 28 to May 30 “Throwing Double-walled Bowls and Vessels,” with Emma
Johnstone. Fee: US$280.75. Contact Ellen Cheshire,
England, West Sussex September 10 to September 12 “Handbuilt Decorated Jugs,” with Carolyn
Genders. Fee: US$280.75. Contact Ellen Cheshire,
Greece, Crete September 27 to October 12
“Greek Island Ceramic Excursion,” with Denys James.
Fee: US$3375. Contact Denys James, Discovery Art
Travel, 182 Welbury Dr., Salt Spring Island, British
Columbia V8K 2L8 Canada; denys@denysjames.com;
www.denysjames.com; 250-537-4906.
Greece, Skopelos Island September 10 to September 11 “Mytho Muse,” with Suzy Birstein. Fee:
US$1800. Contact Jill Somer, Associate Director, The
Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, PO Box 56, Skopelos
Island, Magnesias 37003 Greece; info@skopart.org;
www.skopartfoundation.org; 30 24240 24143.
Indonesia, Ubud May 9 to May 22 “A Thousand
Surfaces,” with Hillary Kane and Michela Massoni. Fee:
US$1250. Contact Hillary Kane, director, Gaya Ceramic
Arts Center, Jalan Raya Sayan, Ubud, Bali 80571 Indonesia; workshops.ceramicanddesign@gayafusion.com;
www.gayafusion.com/ceramic; 6203617451413.
Jamaica through May 1 “Working in Jamaica: Ceramic
Vessels and Pottery,” with Doug Casebeer, Alleghany Meadows, and David Pinto. Fee: US$2850. Contact Doug Casebeer,
Anderson Ranch Arts Center, 5263 Owl Creek Rd., Snowmass Village, CO 81615; dcasebeer@andersonranch.org;
970-923-3181; www.andersonranch.org.
Morocco October 27 to November 17 “The Full Circle,
Exploring Moroccan Ceramics, Tile Art, and Adobe Architecture,” with Denys James. Contact Denys James, Discovery Art Travel, 182 Welbury Dr., Salt Spring Island, British
Columbia V8K 2L8 Canada; denys@denysjames.com;
www.denysjames.com; 250-537-4906.
92
may 2010
Soda, clay and fire
Here’s What others are Saying
about Soda, Clay and Fire...
“This book is a marvel. It’s going to
take a while to digest all the incredible information that Gail Nichols
has shared from her years of exploration into soda firing. “
- June P Bakersville, NC
“I have been a full time professional potter for over 20 years firing
mostly to stoneware in an electric
kiln. Having read Gail’s book I built
a gas fired kiln and began developing new work to soda fire. Soda is
now my main passion.”
- CM
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just read it, or they can study from
it, or they can be totally inspired by
it. I was all of the above.”
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soda firing books or articles.”
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Only $34.95
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Banner Hill School of Fine Arts
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93
classified advertising
Ceramics Monthly welcomes classifieds in the following categories: Buy/Sell, Employment, Events, Opportunities, Personals, Publications/Videos, Real Estate, Rentals,
Services, Travel. Accepted advertisements will be inserted into the first available print issue, and posted on our website (www.ceramicsmonthly.org) for 30 days at no
additional charge! See www.ceramicsmonthly.org for details.
employment
Apprentice/Internship. Small production pottery in
northwest Montana seeks motivated individual for
one-year position starting end of August. 40 hours/
week in exchange for studio space (includes materials
and firing), room and board, monthly stipend, gallery
sales. Check www.whitefishpottery.com for more details
about applying.
Upper school ceramics teacher wanted. Teaching
experience required. Boarding school and outdoor
experience preferred. Colorado Rocky Mountain
School. www.crms.org. Cover letter and resume to
dkapaun@crms.org.
NCECA, National Council on Education for the
Ceramic Arts, seeks Executive Director to serve as
both leader and chief administrator of the organization. Applications must be submitted electronically or
postmarked by June 5, 2010. Selected finalist should
be available June 25 – June 26, 2010 for interviews.
For a complete job description & contact information,
visit: www.nceca.net.
events
Tom Turner 2 Day Workshop, Asheville, NC. June
26, 27. Information at www.tomturnerporcelain.com;
or call (828) 689-9430.
Pottery West Workshops 2010. Cynthia Bringle: April
24, 25th. Tom Coleman: June 7-14th. Amy Kline: June
25, 26, 27th. Patrick Horsley: September 11, 12th.
Visit potterywest.com for details or call Ruth Kline at
(702) 685-7573.
“Mud Masters” Symposium, featuring Don Pilcher.
Wheel, figurative and majolica demos. July 17, 2010,
Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH. Fee: $45. (330)
453-7666; www.cantonart.org.
Tom Turner’s Pottery School. For details, see
www.tomturnerporcelain.com; or call (828) 689-9430.
opportunities
Excellent opportunity for exploring wood firing in a
natural Ozark forest setting. Studio assistant desired in
exchange for room, board, small stipend, studio space
and kiln space—anagama, noborigama. For details contact Joe Bruhin (870) 363-4264; joebruhin@gmail.com;
joebruhin.com.
Carved Vase Contest: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Robineau’s “Scarab Vase.” 1st prize $1000;
$850 in additional awards. Deadline postmark: May
1, 2010. Fee: $25 for 3 entries. ($15 for BFA/MFA
student awards). Finalists exhibition in June 2010.
The Gallery at Clayscapes Pottery, Syracuse, NY.
Prospectus/Entry Form: email: kbpotterynys@aol.com;
www.ceramicguild.com.
Idyllwild Arts Summer Program offers week-long
workshops in ceramics including Hot Clay with Ingrid
Lilligren, Mary Kay Botkins, Arthur Gonzalez, Eduardo
Lazo, and Terry Rothrock; General Ceramics, Greg Kennedy; Native American Pottery: Hopi-Tewa, Mark Tahbo;
Santa Clara, Nathan Youngblood. All skill levels. Other
courses available in sculpture, painting, metals, textiles,
mixed media and more. Youth programs also available.
Campus located in the mountains of Southern California.
(951) 659-2171, ext. 2365; summer@idyllwildarts.org;
www.idyllwildarts.org.
94
may 2010
RESIDENCY. Openings available in January, Spring
and Fall. Excellent, spacious facilities in a beautiful rural
setting. www.cubcreek.org or (434)248-5074.
Looking to purchase a house/store/studio mixed-use
property with established retail history in the Northeast
US. Please contact potlover1@hotmail.com.
Craftsman House Gallery * Café * Pottery Studio - St.
Petersburg, Florida. Seeking motivated clay artist for
one year residency. Work/trade agreement: 12 hours
of work per week for studio space with 24 hour access,
use of all equipment/free firing, and representation in the
gallery at elevated commission rate. Awarded “Best New
Galley in the US” –Niche Magazine. Contact: Stephanie at
stef.clayart@gmail.com; www.craftsmanhousegallery.com.
Be here for NCECA 2011!
services
Mid-Coastal Maine Potter’s Retreat. Beautiful
ceramics studio/living space on 110 acres. Woods
trails, swimming pond, private lessons and critiques/
group workshops. Nearby ocean and sailboat.
www.starflowerfarmstudios.com; (207) 525-3593.
products
FULL MOON RIBS. Beautiful hardwood ribs. Perfect
for throwing bowls. Hand made in Kerrville, Texas. See
demo. www.fullmoonribs.dudleyharris.com.
pubs/videos
PotteryVideos.com–DVD’s with Robin Hopper,
Gordon Hutchens and Graham Sheehan. Video Workshops for Potters at all levels of experience. Choose from
21 titles. (800) 668-8040; info@potteryvideos.com.
real estate
1/2 hour North of Binghamton, NY and 3.5 from
NYC: 1491 sq.ft. home, 1000 sq.ft. studio, 168
sq.ft. concrete outdoor pad (wood kiln negotiable),
32+ acres with breathtaking stream. $189,000.00.
lizlurie@hotmail.com.
UniquepotterystudioforsaleinNewLondon,Minnesota.
Spacious studio, class, retail, and kiln areas: studio rentals. www.PotteryWorkshopNewLondon.com. In the heart
of New London, see photos at www.GregoryHarp.com.
Call (320) 354-2048.
Wood-fire potters! Ten year old two-story 2,100 sq.ft.
Cape Cod house on 28 wooded acres near Berkeley
Springs, WV; a vibrant arts community near the Washington-Baltimore metro area. Walk-out basement with 480
sq.ft. well-lighted studio; property includes 86 cu.ft. dual
chambered wood-kiln with Bourry-style firebox and kiln
shed; beautifully landscaped garden. $325K. Contact
Rich Kucharski, Coldwell Banker, (304) 258.2200 or
(304) 702.0601; rickkucharski@premiermove.com.
Potter’s Dream: Eaton, New Hampshire! Passive
solar post-and-beam contemporary home and studio
on 18 wooded acres. Separate gallery-guesthouse,
very sunny studio, 20 years strong onsite sales.
Large gas kiln rolls beautifully on track into studio.
$314,900. Contact Alex Drummond, RE/MAX Presidential, 603-356-9444 ext.240, Direct: (603) 986-5910,
alex@alexdrummondrealty.com. Available immediately.
Home studio with kiln in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
1,800 sq.ft. 4 bedroom house. Zoned kiln in back yard:
20 cu.ft. natural gas IFB downdraft. Basement studio/
workshop. Kick wheel included. Convenient location
in town. $129,000 (+($5,000 for kiln). Contact (570)
387-1731; Trentoncapp@aol.com.
Ceramics Consulting Services offers technical information and practical advice on clay/glaze/kiln faults
and corrections, slip casting, clay body/glaze formulas,
salt glazing, product design. Call or write for details.
Jeff Zamek, 6 Glendale Woods Dr., Southampton, MA
01073; (413) 527-7337; e-mail fixpots@aol.com; or
www.jeffzamek.com.
Master Kiln Builders. 26+ years experience designing and building beautiful, safe, custom kilns for
universities, colleges, high schools, art centers and
private clients. Soda/salt kilns, wood kilns, raku kilns,
stoneware kilns, sculpture burnout kilns, car kilns and
specialty electric kilns. Competitive prices. Donovan.
Phone/fax (612) 250-6208.
Custom Mold Making—Increase your productivity and
profits with quality slip-casting molds of your popular
designs! Petro Mold Co. offers a complete range of
mold-making services, including sculpting and 3-D
models, master and case molds, and production mold
manufacturing to thousands of satisfied customers.
Visit www.custommolds.net; or call (800) 404-5521
to get started.
Accept credit cards in your ceramics retail/wholesale/
home-based/Internet and craft-show business. No
application fee. No monthly minimum. No lease requirement. Retriever/First of Omaha Merchant Processing.
Please call (888) 549-6424.
travel
Discovery Art Travel Overseas Ceramic Workshops
& Tours—CRETE, GREECE September 27-October
12, 2010. MOROCCO, October 27-November 17,
2010 NEW ITINERARY, including Fez, Chefchaouen,
Essaouira. Small (Max. 12) culturally sensitive groups
using local interpreters and experts. Denys James,
Canada; (250) 537-4906; www.denysjames.com;
denys@discoveryarttravel.com.
Craft & Folk Art Tours. Bhutan, Morocco, Christmas
in the Carpathians, Myanmar (Burma), Southern India,
Chiapas (Mexico), Turkey. Small, personalized groups.
CRAFT WORLD TOURS, 6776CM Warboys, Byron, NY
14422; (585) 548-2667; www.craftworldtours.com.
Tuscany 2010. A stimulating workshop programme with
throwing, sculpture, soda firing, wood firing, raku, porcelain, shino. Visit www.lameridiana.fi.it - La Meridiana
International School of Ceramics. Since 29 years.
Crete, Greece 2010 Ceramics Excursion, September
27-October 12. Explore Minoan sites and museum
collections, hands-on in ancient pottery village, history,
architecture, stunning nature, and splendid cuisine.
Register by April 1 and save $100. Discovery Art Travel;
www.denysjames.com; (250) 537-4906.
2010 June 11-28, Ceramic China-Tour and Exchanges.
Shanghai, Yixing, Hangzhou, Yellow Mountain,
Jingdezhen, Xi’an and Beijing, plus Shanghai World
Expo. Contact: Guangzhen Zhou; Tel. (800) 689-2529;
Website: www.ChineseClayArt.com; Email: ChineseClayArt@hotmail.com.
Morocco 2010 Ceramics Excursion, October 27- November 17, NEW ITINERARY, including Fez, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, Volubilis, Marrakech, Casablanca,
a camel ride in the desert, and more. Denys James,
www.discoveryarttravel.com.
Potters Council 2011 Exhibition:
The Shoulders We Stand On
Call for EntriEs: BEgins May 1st
DEaDlinE to suBMit: sEptEMBEr 1, 2010
Second juried exhibition of Potters Council members’ work to
be held in conjunction with NCECA 2011 in Tampa Bay, Florida
Entrants must be members of the Potters Council
both at the time of application and at the time of
the exhibition.
ww
Go here for a submission form
www.potterscouncil.org
w.
po
rg
Public reception on April 1, 2011
at the Nancy Markoe Gallery.
.o
tters ouncil
c
index to advertisers
16 Hands............................................ 37
Aardvark Clay & Supplies.................. 81
ACerS Books.......... 2, 23, 27, 87, 89, 92
Amaco and Brent................. Cover 2, 80
American Museum
of Ceramic Art......................... 34, 35
Anderson Ranch................................. 89
Armstrong Gallery.............................. 33
Red Lodge Clay Ctr............................ 55
Charlie Cummings Clay Studio.......... 45
L & L Kiln Mfg....................................... 4
Chinese Clay Art................................ 85
L&R Specialties.................................. 93
Classifieds.......................................... 94
Laplaca Pottery & Gallery.................. 51
Schaller Gallery.................................. 57
Clay Art Ctr/Scott Creek..................... 83
Larkin Refractory Solutions................ 85
Sheffield Pottery................................. 85
Clay Studio, The................................. 65
Lillstreet Art Ctr................................... 53
Shepparton Art Gallery....................... 59
Continental Clay................................... 8
Coyote Clay & Color........................... 84
Cress Mfg........................................... 10
Shimpo................................................. 3
Market House Craft Ctr....................... 89
Sierra Nevada College....................... 88
Master Kiln Builders........................... 93
Sierrascoringtools.com....................... 93
Metchosin Intl School......................... 88
Skutt............................................ Cover 4
Artisan Gallery, The............................ 61
Davens Ceramic Ctr........................... 81
Mindy Solomon Gallery...................... 54
Art Spirit Gallery, The.......................... 63
Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick...................... 14
Discovery Art Travel........................... 92
MKM Pottery Tools.............................. 90
Spectrum Glazes................................ 79
Dolan Tools......................................... 93
Mudtools............................................. 83
Euclid’s/PSH....................................... 91
New Mexico Clay................................ 88
Bailey Pottery........................... 1, 11, 15
Bamboo Tools..................................... 93
Banner Hill.......................................... 93
North Star Equipment......................... 13
Taipei County Yingge
Ceramics Museum.........................19
Belhorn Auction Service....................... 2
Georgies............................................. 81
Bennett Pottery..................................... 7
Giffin Tec............................................. 81
Odyssey/Highwater Clays.................. 48
Trinity Ceramic Supply....................... 86
Bracker’s............................................. 88
Great Lakes Clay................................ 83
Olympic Kilns....................................... 9
Truro Ctr for Arts................................. 92
Bridgette Mayer Gallery..................... 39
Greater Denton Arts Council.............. 89
Canton Museum of Art....................... 41
Harvey/Meadows Gallery................... 47
Peter Pugger Mfg....................... Cover 3
Carolina Clay Connection................... 92
Herring Designs/SlabMat................... 93
Portion Master.................................... 90
Tom Radca......................................... 67
PCF Studios........................................ 93
Tucker’s Pottery.................................. 78
Vessels Gallery................................... 69
Potters Council............................. 82, 95
Catherine Person Gallery................... 42
Cedar Creek....................................... 43
Kentucky Mudworks........................... 93
Potters Shop....................................... 93
Ward Burner Systems......................... 85
CeramicArtsDaily.org................... 21, 93
Khnemu Studio & Gallery................... 49
Pottery Northwest................................93
Willock & Sax Gallery......................... 71
may 2010
95
comment
the new ceramic absence by Glen R. Brown
In April of 1961, American self-esteem fell sev- by Howard Kottler’s use of hobby-shop molds before him was a presence.” The concept that
eral notches when the Soviet Union launched to make sculpture, denounced in fuming let- presence—the self-presence of the artist and
to fame the first man to brave the dark solitude ters to Ceramics Monthly in the late 1970s, is its embodiment in the work of art—was only
beyond gravity’s grasp. Mere days later, national now all but forgotten. Found objects—banal as a fiction, a mere effect, came to dominate postprestige took another plunge, this time in the Duchamp’s ready-mades—are today commonly modern discourse in the 1980s. To a certain
sobering waters of the Bay of Pigs. In May, race employed in ceramic sculptures, and molding degree, that concept has never lost currency.
riots set Alabama ablaze. But in July—in the techniques have become prevalent as means to As a consequence, signs of the artist in the art
field of studio ceramics at least—Amerof the past 30 years have tended toward
ican pride found a small reason for
either irony or pathos; often they have
. . . the question of artistic identity
optimism. In the stirring prose of one
simply disappeared altogether.
witnessing the birth of an epoch, Rose
Perhaps it was only natural for
had been paramount in a nation
Slivka employed her Craft Horizons
young American ceramists in the
rocketed to superpower status
article “The New Ceramic Presence”
1980s and early 1990s (many of them
to extol the virtues of the self-made
trained in university art departments
but lacking a history of cultural
American artist in clay, who, like his
that strained an ear to the distant beat
leadership. No one could be quite
or her heroic forebears the pioneer
of the East Village) to pick up on the
and the cowboy, found a wellspring
absence resulting from deconstructive
sure of what it meant to be a new
of innovation in national restlessness.
strategies such as appropriation and
American artist in the 1950s . . .
The uniquely American “new ceramic
simulation. Some of those ceramists
presence,” Slivka asserted, had “excited
fully understood the relevance of that
admiration and controversy among craftsmen multiplicity and machine-like precision. Re- absence in cultural terms. In the postwar period
in every field both here and abroad.”
cently, CAD/CAM technologies have lured ce- preceding Slivka’s essay, the question of artistic
Slivka’s essay will soon turn 50 years old, ramic artists from the heat of the physical to the identity had been paramount in a nation rockand, since round numbers tend to be condu- coolness of the virtual. Even in handbuilt work, eted to superpower status but lacking a history
cive to reflection, we are at a natural point to the surfaces of much contemporary American of cultural leadership. No one could be quite
consider its legacy. American ceramics have ceramics have succumbed to an increasingly sure of what it meant to be a new American
clearly changed since Abstract–Expressionist sleek and monochromatic blankness.
artist in the 1950s, or of how to react to the
hands first impressed the self in clay (and
Found objects, molding practices, computer “excited admiration and controversy” that the
that, after all, was the presence to which Slivka technologies, and pristine surfaces are, however, new in American ceramics elicited “both here
ultimately referred, though its vehicle in a only the means of the new ceramic absence, not and abroad.” Today, conditions have changed
painting-inspired handling of the medium its cause. Of course, some ceramists are simply significantly, and identity in the old sense is no
may have drawn more attention then and drawn to minimalist aesthetics, and some cannot longer something to be so ardently sought, let
since). In the new American ceramics, she ar- resist new technologies. Moreover, as a certain alone asserted. Abstract Expressionists workgued, painting “tolerates the dominance of no momentum is as natural to art movements as to ing in clay in the 1960s—famously in want
presence other than itself.” This tyranny over physical objects under the influence of kinetic of the heritage that Bernard Leach termed a
the work alienated the artist, who embarked on energy, a degree of the new ceramic absence “taproot”—may have anguished over a lack of
“a quest for a deeper feeling of presence,” his or can be attributed to an avalanche effect. The identity, but today’s new American ceramist
her own presence in concert with the painterly force of change, in other words, has swept up a seems wary of expressing too much.
treatment of clay. Like the abstract expression- certain number of ceramists. But an avalanche
Of course, the new ceramic absence, for
ist painter, whom the critic Harold Rosenberg has a discernible cause, even if it is slight, and all its austerity, has no more silenced every
consigned to “a series of experiments in self- we may assume that the same can be said for the expressive tendency in contemporary Ameriillumination,” the new American ceramist was new ceramic absence.
can ceramics than the new ceramic presence
in Slivka’s view “a lonely, ambitious eclectic . . .
It’s almost too easy to attribute this absence displaced all other approaches to clay 50 years
in search of his own identity.”
to the influence of developments in American ago. Nevertheless, absence as a key factor in
Perhaps it goes without saying that the art over the last few decades: art as it is known the formation of the new is surely as evident
presence sought by the 1960s’ soul-hungry new in the galleries of Chelsea, the studios of Wil- in contemporary American ceramics as the
American ceramist—a self-presence through liamsburg, and the pages of Artforum. In the quest for presence was then, and that in itself
manipulation of materials—is not an obvious early 1980s that kind of art embarked on a makes the new ceramic absence something
goal of the new in ceramics today. In fact, over deconstruction of aesthetic presence, adopt- worthy of reflection.
the past 20 years the new has seemed more ing a postmodern attitude toward it that was
often to reflect a tendentious absence of the perhaps most succinctly articulated in the the author a frequent contributor to CM, Glen R.
artist (which is not the same as the anonymity critic Douglas Crimp’s invocation of a quote Brown is a professor of art history at Kansas State
of the craftsman). The controversy introduced from a Henry James ghost story: “the presence University in Manhattan, Kansas.
96
may 2010

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