April 2000 1 2 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 2000 Volume 48 Number 4 Moss-covered earthenware water jars in the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. 40 FEATURES “Blue Connection,” 38 Clay Today approximately 8 inches Worlds by 16 artists at Dowling College in Oakdale, New York in height, porcelain, by Belgian artist Patty Wouters; from the 40 Reflections from the Depths of a Water Jar “Fourth European Biennial of by Mick Shippen Ceramics” in Manises, Spain. Thailand tradition represents goodwill and hospitality 44 44 Fourth Manises Biennial European competition at Ceramics Museum of Manises in Spain 46 An Ecological Aesthetic The Pots of Karl Yost by Steve Miles 49 Cynthia Bringle: A Fiery Influence by Phyllis Blair Clark A potter’s career touches many lives 54 Metaphors of Geometric Proportion by Bobby Jaber with Bonnie De Varco Sculptural forms based on molecular and mathemetical models 57 On the Big Screen Replicating Mayan Gods for a Movieby Dean K McRaine Raku teapot, approximately 61 Summer Workshops 2000 12 inches in height, Contact information for opportunities in the U.S. and abroad with copper matt glaze, by George Whitten, 65 Brother Thomas Bezanson Mansfield, Ohio. Porcelain vessels at Pucker Gallery in Boston “Leonardo da Vinci,” 6½ inches 68 66 Santa Fe Clay by Cindy Bellinger in diameter, handbuilt porcelain, The evolution of an art center fired to Cone 8, by Bobby Jaber, Santa Barbara, California. 68 George Whitten by Robert Hasselle 54 Raku potter shares recipes and techniques The cover:Lidded jar, 72 Horn Island Kiln by W. Lowell Baker 14 inches in height, Building a wood-fired kiln on the beach by Cynthia Bringle, Penland, North Carolina; see page 49. 76 Happy Daysby Penny Crawford Photo: Tim Barnwell Playful figurative sculpture Down Under April 2000 3 UP FRONT 12 Erotic Clay Works by 35 artists at Ferrin Gallery in Northampton, Massachusetts EditorRuth C. Butler 12 Sara Robertson and Vivienne Ross Associate EditorKim Nagorski Low-fire plates and bowls at Oxford Gallery in England Assistant EditorConnie Belcher Assistant EditorSherman Hall 12 Mark Goertzen Editorial AssistantRenee Fairchild Wood-fired vessels at Lehman Gallery in Goshen, Indiana Design Paula John Advertising ManagerSteve Hecker 14 Salt and Pepper Shakers Show Advertising AssistantDebbie Plummer Juried exhibition at Worcester Center for Crafts in Massachusetts Customer Service Mary R. Hopkins Circulation AdministratorMary E. May 14 Robert Glover PublisherMark Mecklenborg Retrospective at LA Artcore Center in Los Angeles Editorial, Advertising and Circulation Offices 16 Marlene Miller’s “Tribute” by William Butler 735 Ceramic Place Post Office Box 6102 Commissioned tile mural at Illinois Central College in East Peoria Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102 18 Marla Ziegler by Craig Mindrum Telephone: (614) 523-1660 Fax: (614) 891-8960 Geometric sculpture at Craighead-Green Gallery in Dallas E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] 20 Anna Lambert [email protected] Functional handbuilt ceramics at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh [email protected] Website: www.ceramicsmonthly.org 20 Michigan Instructors Exhibit Work Ceramics Monthly (ISSN 0009-0328) is published monthly, except Vessels and sculpture by university ceramics instructors at Buckham Gallery in Flint July and August, by The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, Ohio 43081; www.ceramics.org. 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Form 3579 requested. 118 Comment: Copyright © 2000 “Handmade” Still Means “Hand” Made by David Hendley The American Ceramic Society 120 Index to Advertisers All rights reserved 4 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 2000 5 6 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 2000 7 garden, but why should he presume to tell Letters others how to hoe theirs? Worse, there is a flavor of hysteria in his writing that makes it far, far from a disinter­ What’s New? ested critical view. One is tempted to con­ I really enjoyed reading JefFZamek’s clude that Mr. Britt has these public “Getting Stuck” article in the Comment tantrums in order to garner the attention that section of the January issue. I can relate to his is otherwise lacking in his own life andlor thoughts about the fear of failure and how work. Most regrettable. the lack of failure does not always indicate Clarenden Sanders, Gary, Ind. success. I believe I have experienced every stuck spot he has mentioned. All That Is Engendered I thought I had escaped the mentor’s One can sympathize with John Britt’s influences, as I did not have much exposure depressing regard for truth [Comment, after high school. That is, until I dropped in February 2000]. His facts are incontrovert­ on my high-school pottery teacher, Gregg ible, but has he considered why, when our Brantman, about seven years later and found names are long forgotten, Bernard Leach’s we were working on the same “new shape.” I will still be remembered? Could it be, not for had never seen him work on this shape dur­ what he was, but for all that he engendered? ing high school. It truly amazed me. Glyn Nicholas, Peterborough, Ont., Canada How does this kind of thing happen? Just coincidence? Some internal pattern set in Leached motion that we carry with us? I guess it really Damn! I just mixed up a bucket of Leach does not matter, as Jeff Zamek said there are celadon. Now what do I do with it, John no “truly unique pots.” That is a relief. Now Britt? The good news is I just traded my I do not have to waste my time trying to Leach wheel to Randy Johnston—sucker! make one. Thanks again for the article. I talked/listened to Bernard Leach for the Kelly Pinet, Pomona, Kans. length of a cigarette in 1963. His mantra was the U.S.’s lack of ceramics history and stan­ Keeping the Fires Burning dards, ignoring the Anasazi, Hopi and pio­ It was a pleasure to see the article about neer potters. I thought then that the emperor David DonTigny (December 1999). He washad no clothes—though he wore a necktie one of my instructors in the B.F.A. program while throwing. at Penn State. I still remember “SuperMud” Recently, the University of Minnesota’s and the encouragement to follow our creative Weisman Museum featured the “Mingei-sota instincts. Praise to those instructors stoking Phenomenon.” This month, the Phipps the creative fire and keeping their own fires Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisconsin, burning brightly as well.