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aesthetics

February 2006 February

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focus aesthetics

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Bailey Pottery Equipment Corporation PO Box 1577 Kingston NY 12402 TOLL FREE (800) 431-6067 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 (845) 339-3721 (Fax 5530) email: [email protected] Website: www.baileypottery.com MONTHLY

www.ceramicsmonthly.org Editorial [email protected] telephone: (614) 895-4213 fax: (614) 891-8960 editor Sherman Hall assistant editor Renée Fairchild assistant editor Jennifer Poellot technical editor Phil Berneburg editorial intern Christine Dippold publisher Charles Spahr Advertising/Classifieds [email protected] (614) 794-5809 fax: (614) 891-8960 classiﬁ[email protected] (614) 794-5866 advertising manager Steve Hecker advertising services Debbie Plummer Subscriptions/Circulation customer service: (614) 794-5890 [email protected] Design/Production design Paula John production Jami Flannelly Editorial, advertising and circulation ofﬁces 735 Ceramic Place, Suite 100 Westerville, Ohio 43081 USA Editorial Advisory Board Linda Arbuckle; Professor, Ceramics, Univ. of Florida Tom Coleman; Studio Potter, Nevada Dick Lehman; Studio Potter, Indiana Meira Mathison; Director, Metchosin Art School, Canada Don Pilcher; Potter and Author, Illinois Bernard Pucker; Director, Pucker Gallery, Boston Phil Rogers; Potter and Author, Wales Mark Shapiro; Worthington, Massachusetts Susan York; Santa Fe, New Mexico

Ceramics Monthly (ISSN 0009-0328) is published monthly, except July and September, by The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, Ohio 43081; www.ceramics.org. Periodicals postage paid at Westerville, Ohio, and additional mailing ofﬁces. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the editors or The American Ceramic Society. subscription rates: One year $32, two years $60, three years $86. Add $25 per year for subscriptions outside North America. In Canada, add 7% GST (registration number R123994618). back issues: When available, back issues are $7.50 each, plus $3 shipping/handling; $8 for expedited shipping (UPS 2-day air); and $6 for shipping outside North America. Allow 4–6 weeks for delivery. change of address: Please give us four weeks advance notice. Send the magazine address label as well as your new address to: Ceramics Monthly, Circulation Depart- ment, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, Ohio 43081. contributors: Writing and photographic guidelines are available online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org. indexing: An index of each year’s feature articles appears in the December issue. You may also visit the Ceramics Monthly website at www.ceramicsmonthly.org to search an index of article titles and artists’ names. Feature articles are also indexed in the Art Index, daai (design and applied arts index). copies: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Soci- ety, ISSN 0009-0328, provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923, USA; (978) 750-8400; www.copyright.com. Prior to photocopying items for classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This consent does not extend to copying items for general distribution, or for advertising or promotional purposes, or to republishing items in whole or in part in any work in any format. Please direct republication or special copying permission re- quests to the Publisher, The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, Ohio 43081, USA. postmaster: Please send address changes to Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081. Form 3579 requested.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 2 $2500 Manufacturer’s Rebate on all BIG BLUE purchases in February See Your Local Dealer

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 3 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 4 FEBRUARY 2006 / Volume 54 Number 2

MONTHLY focus aesthetics

34 Looking at Looking by Don Pilcher In the latest installment of his “ Looking at” series, Don Pilcher proffers that we tend to see what we want to see, and observes that this is as much a liability as it is an asset. His solution: Look deeper, look more. 39 Making Meaning: A Dialog Between Culture and Nature by Howard Risatti The marriage of material, technique, tradition and function in handmade ceramics allows for meaning far beyond form and utility.

43 The Tei Tei Project by Louise Rosenfield A university professor teams up with a Japanese chef to help students explore the creation and use of pottery in a cultural context.

48 In Pursuit of Personal Style by Conner Burns A Mississippi potter traces the arduous path to finding his artistic voice in hopes of easing the minds of aspiring artists experiencing the same struggle. features

51 Nelli Isupova by Scott Norris The matriarch of a creative family, while sharing some artistic sensibilities with her children, enjoys the success of her own efforts.

54 Joyce Nagata by Wuanda Walls An introspective potter reflects on her career and embraces changes ahead.

57 Everyday Dishes by Ginger Steele, with Ellen Currans An Oregon potter makes practical yet beautiful dishes that impart dignity to daily domestic rituals. monthly methods Textured Slabs

60 Mary Cay’s Glittering Obsession by Sumi von Dassow 51 After much trial and error, a Colorado potter discovers how to turn a nuisance into a nuance. monthly methods Farming Kiln Jewels recipes Kiln Wash and Glazes for Farming Kiln Jewels

cover: “Everyday Dishes,” thrown and slab-built stoneware, fired to Cone 10 in a Minnesota Flat Top car kiln, old wire dish drainer, by Ellen Currans, Dundee, Oregon; page 57 Photo: Doreen L. Wynja. 54 60 48

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 5 departments

10 letters from readers

14 upfront reviews, news and exhibitions

26 answers from the CM technical staff

30 suggestions from readers 30 Tip of the Month: Consistent Wadding 64 call for entries 64 International Exhibitions 64 United States Exhibitions 66 Regional Exhibitions 66 Fairs and Festivals 70 new books 72 calendar 72 Conferences 72 Solo Exhibitions 74 Group Ceramics Exhibitions 78 Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions 80 Fairs, Festivals and Sales 82 Workshops 90 International Events 94 classiﬁed advertising 95 index to advertisers 96 comment 22 The Slippery Slope by Nils Lou online www.ceramicsmonthly.org current features, expanded features, archive articles, calendar, call for entries and classifieds expanded features Everyday Dishes by Ginger Steele, with Ellen Currans Expanded article with an in-depth explanation of technical processes special listings Gallery Guide Where to see ceramics in the U.S. and abroad Residencies and Fellowships Full listing of professional-development opportunities

18 16

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22% off our Huge Selection Bailey Ceramic Supply of Books & 10% off Videos. Toll Free 800 431-6067 There is no minimum! See the complete selec- PO 1577 Kingston, NY 12402 (845) 339-3721 Fax (845) 339-5530 tion in our color catalog or web site with informative reviews and descriptions. Our web site is continually up dated with web: www.BaileyPottery.com the latest releases. e-mail: [email protected] Ceramics Monthly February 2006 9 trying to stir up the intellectual pot by Every attempt was made to drag the pots letters poking the bear with a short stick or his through the mud (no offense). They were status in the world of ceramics has caused “just pots,” or they didn’t have “a pedigree The Transcendence of Utility him to develop a significant blind spot. in the hierarchy of things,” and “pure aes- N othing like starting off the new year by He’s right; of course, the pots in the still theticism always trumps suds-in-the-sink.” beating a dead horse; however, I feel like a life are not pots in the fullest sense. The When the central question was broached, few things have been missed in the re- concept was more significant than the clay. “ask any curator” was the answer. Jack’s sponses to Jack Troy’s “Still Life: The R ar- The implication was that their sterility and answer was that price equals value. Are we efied Domain,” from the September 2005 impotence gave them more merit as works to believe Jack Troy thinks price is the CM. I don’t know Jack Troy personally, of art than the real pots in the cupboards. measure of merit for artistic expression? and I must say I respect his work as an Still, the central question was right in the Don’t take my word for it, go back and read author, educator and artist. Because of this, middle of the page: “Are pots more the article for yourselves. I was quite surprised to read his comments valuable when we look at them than when To me it is just another object until about utility in ceramic art. Either Jack was we use them?” someone creates transcendence by breaking through the wall between maker and consumer. By taking in physical sustenance and spiritual food then carefully cleaning and replacing a pot, the user participates in the art, giving it more significance in a 21st- century-art context. It can conceptually go beyond the mere object much more quickly than the dusty shelf vessel. Am I saying Jack’s still life isn’t art? Absolutely not, but I am saying real pots can be an inclusive art for humanities sake rather than the exclusive art for art’s sake. Y es, the price per piece may be less, making it harder for the high-end galleries of the world to make money, but in their own small way pots might help open the eyes of our culture to a qualitative way of daily life rather than a quantitative one. I hope we can all see the value in that. So let us not, as artists and teachers, attempt to give aesthetic weight or status to one type of expression over another because of how much money it might be worth or because an infl uential writer with self proclaimed, “know-it-all sensibilities” chooses to put it on a page; that is so twentieth century. Paul Linhares, Fredericktown, OH

The Mug Dilemma When is a mug just a mug and when is it art? I always began classes by introducing the vessel as ceramics that is architecturally constructed with the methods of pottery making, but is viewed as sculpture. Students understood that a vessel is something other than just a bowl. The vessel’s main function is to be looked at and not used. At the end of the semester, we set pieces on a table and had our formal critique. I then brought out my own favorite mug of the day and we critiqued that mug as a piece of art, not a functional item. Where is the difference? Once, I had the good fortune to drink tea out of one of Shoji Hamada’s teabowls. Was that just a bowl or was it art? My friend next to me drank out of one of her teabowls. Was her piece just a bowl or was it art? N ow, Hamada’s teabowl would cost several thousand dollars, while hers could

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 10 • CATEGORIES Ceramics for Use & Ceramics as Expression (Each individual or group may submit upto 3 entries) • APPLICATION Registration for Preliminary Screening : Aug. 14, 2006 ~ Oct. 6, 2006 Online registration available. Submit provided entry application, description of work, 2 types(frontal & detail) of artwork images in transparency or digital. Transparency : 2 images in 35mm color slides, 1 frontal view photo(3x5”) Digital : 2 images in JPG file with resolution higher than 300dpi Registration of Artwork for Final Screening : Dec. 11, 2006 ~ Jan. 6, 2007 • AWARDS Grand Prize (1) KRW 60 million(US$ 55,000) Gold Prize (2) KRW 20 million ea. Silver Prizes (4) KRW 10 million ea. Bronze Prizes (6) KRW 6 million ea. Special Prizes (8) KRW 4 million ea. Judge’s Choice Prizes (5) KRW 1 million ea. Selected (multiple) Diploma The 4th World Ceramic Biennale 2007 Korea (CEBIKO) International Competition • AWARD CEREMONY & EXHIBITION Award Ceremony : April 28(Sat), 2007 Exhibition Period : April 28(Sat) ~ June 17(Sun), 2007 Venue : Icheon World Ceramic Center • FOR REGISTRATION & INQUIRIES Shinhee Park, Curator Curatorial Dept. World Ceramic Exposition Foundation 467-020, San 69-1, Gwango-dong, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea Tel+82 31 631 6572 | Fax+82 31 631 1614 www.worldceramic.or.kr | www.wocef.com | [email protected]

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 11 letters

be procured for a real bargain at $25. So then, does the maker deﬁne art? If Hamada himself could have been a part of this discussion, he would have put us all to shame. His belief in the “unknown craftsman” was so vital to his work and principles that there was no division between art and craft. It was all the same for him, as it is for me. Verbal discussions about art provide the pathways towards assimilating the unique attitudes within an artist’s objective, as well as providing a basis for aesthetic awareness. But the discussion of art can never supplant the visual sensibilities of art. Jayne E. Shatz, Arnold, MD

Read more Letters online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org/letters. Submit letters by e-mailing [email protected]. In- clude your full name and address. Editing for clarity or brevity may take place. Letters also can be mailed to Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081.

Editorial Deadlines: Emerging Artist Search This May, Ceramics Monthly will again pub- lish a photo spread featuring the works of emerging clay artists. Anyone actively pursu- ing a career in ceramics for ten years or less is eligible. To be considered, submit up to ﬁve professional-quality images (300ppi resolution on CD, or original slides or transparencies), with full descriptions of works, cover letter, artist’s statement and résumé to Emerg- ing Artist, Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Originators of the RAM Process™ Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081. Sub- missions of more than ﬁve images will not be • Lifetime technical support considered, and images will be returned only • 45 Years experience if a padded envelope with appropriate postage • Standard and custom is included. Arrival deadline: February 24.

presses and pressure cast Free Listing for Summer Workshops equipment available The “Summer Workshops” listing will ap- • In house mold making and pear in the April 2006 issue of Ceramics training Monthly. Potters, craft schools, colleges/uni- versities and other institutions are invited to submit information about summer ceramics workshops (June, July and August only— Single Station regularly scheduled classes excluded) by Feb- Finishing Machine ruary 10. Provide the workshop name, • Adjustable sponge synopsis of what will be covered, location, dates, level of instruction, instructor’s name, speed and water flow languages spoken, fee(s), contact address, • Accommodates a variety plus a telephone number that potential par- of shapes and sizes ticipants may call for details. Submit using our online form at www.ceramicsmonthly.org. • $1795.00 US Listing information also may be e-mailed to [email protected]; or faxed to RAM Products, Inc. (614) 891-8960. Captioned images from last 614-443-4634 / www.ramprocess.com year’s workshops will be considered for publi- Used ceramic [email protected] cation and should be mailed to Summer Work- shops, Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081. RAM™ is the registered trademark of RAM Products, Inc., Columbus, OH, USA

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 12 Axner’s February Sale

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14 Anthony Caro: The Kenwood Series by D Wood Bentley Projects, Phoenix, Arizona 16 Patti Warashina Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery Portland, Oregon 16 Table Manners Crafts Council Gallery, London, England 18 Layers and Legacies Honeychurch Antiques, Seattle, Washington 18 Mark Pharis Lacoste Gallery, Concord, Massachusetts 18 Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts Opens Ojai, California 18 Chris Staley and Penn State Alumni Works Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 20 Cé ramique 14— Paris 2005 14th City District Exhibition Hall, Paris, France 20 Mineo Mizuno Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California 20 Teri Silva Shoreline Community College Gallery, Shoreline, Washington 22 Perspectives 2005 Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, Watkinsville, Georgia 22 Louana M. Lackey 1926– 2005

Top left: “Orator,” 59 in. (150 cm) in height. Top right: “Banker’s Table,” 34 in. (86 cm) in height. Middle left: “Witness,” 8¹⁄₂ feet (3 m) in height. Middle right: “Artist Table,” 59 in. (150 cm) in height. Bottom: “Shelter,” 25 in. (64 cm) in height. All pieces handbuilt and assembled stoneware, steel.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 14 Sir Anthony Caro’s “Messages,” 42 in. (107 cm) in height, handbuilt and assembled stoneware, steel; at Bentley Projects, Phoenix, Arizona. review: Anthony Caro: The Kenwood Series by D Wood

In the catalog that accompanies “The K enwood Series,” an exhibi- Once fired, the toasted clay slabs were shipped to Caro’s studio in tion of works by Sir Anthony Caro on display at Bentley Projects London where he looked for opportunities to combine them with (www.bentleyprojects.com) in Phoenix, Ariz ona, through March recycled metals and ceramic off-cuts which he acquired thirty 22, Caro comments about the significance of naming these pieces: years previously. “I think associations now are more relevant for me than when my “Witness” is, to some degree, an exception to this style of sculpture was abstract. . . . As time has gone on, I have begun to working. Caro went to France with the intention of creating a feel the need to anchor the work to everyday life. Titles are one large figure. The resulting giant is over 9 feet high. He is less than kind of anchor; tools and utensils are another.” 6 inches thick in places, yet the way the clay has been pressed and Caro does not explain why this series provoked naming. He puddled, the figure gives the impression of much more depth. hints that the post-millennium times in which the sculpture was There is ample evidence of the artist’s hand on the material and in created were a factor; his 81 years of observation and wisdom may the horiz ontal slices in the figure’s body, where he was cut apart for also have a bearing. But looking at the exhibition, the viewer firing. I was privileged to view “Witness” as it was installed at might speculate that the dominant material, clay, prompted the Bentley Projects, and valued being witness to the nuts-and-bolts desire to forge a link between object and subject. Clay, in itself, has engineering that allows this massive sculpture to come alive. long associations with humanity yet the clay here takes forms that As for the title, it is clear that this colossus has seen something; are, at first glance, alien to viewers with predisposed ideas about the strewn steel angle-irons in the foreground suggest the destruc- ceramics. For those folks, the titles provide an entrée until the tion of buildings. Although the figure is abstract, his gestures and objects begin to speak for themselves. body stance are so human and fraught with emotion that our “Orator” is an example. Initially this might be assessed as an empathy for his grief, horror, pain and disbelief is tangible. agglomeration of clay lumps, shards of vessels and portions of Caro’s imagery since the 1960s has employed tables and there rolled sheets on awkwardly-angled metal legs. One can admire the are a number in The K enwood Series. “Artist’s Table” comprises assemblage—the spontaneous lines resulting from blobs of mate- familiar objects on a clay tabletop: an over-large bottle, an open rial coming together; the marks of objects pressed into the clay; the book, a pomegranate, an undefined lump near the edge that is variety of accumulated shapes; negative space—but concentration waiting for its calling. Their support is angled steel whose patina on the elements alone keeps the sculpture at arm’s length. By of rust is enlivened by remnants of yellow paint. “Artist’s Table” is invoking the noun “orator,” the artist suggests that we draw upon readily accessible without a title, whereas “Banker’s Table” is en- our experience to personaliz e the aesthetic exercise. The viewer hanced by its title. The surprisingly successful juxtaposition of could think of the wide, thick expanse of clay as the puffed-up malleable clay with rigid steel is noteworthy for its own sake, yet chest of a soap-box ranter. Legs and feet, below a narrow trunk, the storytelling adds another dimension. The viewer makes con- prop up opinions so expansive and weighty that they threaten to nections with past experience, as well as the thinking of the artist. collapse the whole figure. “Messages” turns the tabletop vertically and the surface of the Caro certainly did not set out to create an orator. The K enwood clay tells the tale. The composition has presence and authority with Series was inaugurated by a visit to Hans Spinner, a ceramist its order and strong lines. This ancient object could have come whose studio is near Cannes, France. Caro spent a week with from a medieval village. The clay emulates weathered timbers, Spinner, tapping into the possibilities of terra cotta, taking advan- provoking recollection of the stocks, that ancient form of punish- tage of the need to work quickly with the wet material in order ment. Seen front-on, this sculpture is a relic but contradiction that the surface remain fresh. Caro pressed clay, containing 60% awaits on the reverse. The viewer is suddenly yanked back to the grog to eliminate explosions in the kiln, into shapes on the fl oor. present by strips of green and blue tape that register adjacent parts.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 15 upfront “As an artist, the human figure and human nature has absorbed and fascinated my visual curiosity for most of my career; for my own body is the most immediate psychological and physical subject matter close Caro varies the use of clay: most often it is the content with metal to me,” said Warashina. “At times I use the human figure in complex serving as its foundation. At other times, as in “Messages,” it is config- arrangements, so that it will be seethingly alive, like an ant hill, a parade ured into supporting columns or blocks. Regardless, the base of each or a circus. I enjoy the visual stimulation of portraying human energy, sculpture is as significant as what is raised closer to eye level. Caro, who as a way to compare it to any biological organization found in nature. I takes an active part in his works’ installation, abandoned the use of often use the figure in voyeuristic situations in which irony, humor and pedestals around 1960. He believes that by placing the sculpture on the absurdities portray erratic behavior, as a way of finding relief from same plane as the viewer a better dialog ensues. At Bentley Projects, the society’s pressure and frustrations on mankind.” sculptures blend with their surroundings, but the smaller ones are somewhat lost without a display device. Table Manners The Kenwood Series is compelling in its references to age and “Table Manners: Contemporary International Ceramics” will be on erosion, the abandonment of valuable and useful tools, inventions display at the Crafts Council Gallery (www.craftscouncil.org.uk) in gone wrong, and destruction without resurrection. In this context, a London, England, through February 26. Featuring hundreds of func- shelter would have to represent the antithesis of protection. And it tional objects for domestic use, the exhibition celebrates the richness does. “Shelter” takes the recognizable form of rural constructions worldwide: corrugations on the eave and ridge of the roof bring to mind an Australian woolshed or a lean-to on an Arizona barn. This former haven for essential tools and supplies is now surrounded by broken pots, blocks, scraps, and fragments of machinery; part of a propeller has been used to patch the roof. Metaphors abound as an overwhelming silence pervades this sculpture and its companions. This exhibition is thought-provoking and charged by its narrative. One can’t help but ponder whether, without the incorporation of stoneware, the dialog would be so potent or affecting. Yet Sir Anthony Caro notes, “ . . . whatever associations there may be, the new sculptures are still, essentially, about looking at sculpture.” Looking at this sculpture will inform and challenge anyone affiliated with clay. Organized by the Garth Clark Gallery, “Anthony Caro: The Kenwood Series” will be at Bentley Projects until March 22 and Garth Clark Gallery in New York City from May 16–July 14. Edward Hermans’ “Whipped Cream with Strawberry,” 45 cm (18 in.) in height, stoneware with glazes, 2003. Patti Warashina Works from Seattle, Washington, artist Patti Warashina’s “Real Politique” and “Drunken Power” series are on display at the Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery (www.contemporarycrafts.org) in Portland, Or- egon, through March 12. The two series continue Warashina’s explora- tion of humor, politics and satire.

Prue Venables’ teapot set with tray, to 16 cm (6 in.) in height, thrown and altered porcelain, 2003; at Crafts Council Gallery, London, England.

and diversity of contemporary international tableware. Focusing on eighteen U.K. and international makers, Table Manners questions why craftspeople make tableware, how economic and social pressures shape its production, and how we use, understand and value our beloved bowls, plates and mugs. Patti Warashina’s “Ka-Ching” (from the Drunken Power series), 9 in. (23 cm) in height, slip-cast and handbuilt porcelain and whiteware, with underglazes, “Table Manners looks at functional work today, celebrating its stains and glazes; at Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, Portland, Oregon. range, diversity and skill,” explains curator Emmanuel Cooper. “It

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Exhaust systems are available for Optional Air Scrubber for improved both the Pro-V and air quality Pro-X models Laguna Clay Co. • (800) 4-LAGUNA • www.lagunaclay.com • [email protected] Ceramics Monthly February 2006 17 upfront asserts the value of the handmade and useful at a time when attention is often diverted to more expressionist and art-oriented objects. . . . [ The exhibition] adopts Josiah Wedgwood’s simple deﬁnition that the work must have a place on the table. Table Manners brings Wedgwood’s description up to date with ceramics that are personal, sensitive, individual and, above all, functional.”

Layers and Legacies “Layers and Legacies: Japanese Inﬂ uences in Contemporary American Pottery,” an exhibition of works by three Japanese master artists along- Mark Pharis’ oval bowl, 30 in. (76 cm) in length, handbuilt side four American artists, will be exhibited March 3– 31 at Honeychurch earthenware, 2005; at Lacoste Gallery, Concord, Massachusetts. Antiques (www.honeychurch.com) in Seattle, Washington. Honey- church owner and director, John Fairman, and curator Emma Schultz exhibition catalog. “The bowl, teapot or vase is not merely a canvas for hope that the exhibition will serve to raise consciousness of the Ameri- decoration in his work, but possesses a strong formal identity and can potters and their inﬂ uences from Japan. presence; one that stimulates and provokes the viewer to engage with the work of art from all sides.”

Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts Opens The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts opened recently in Ojai, California. Housed in the Happy Valley homes once occupied by Wood and her good friend R osalind R ajagopal, the Center will feature a permanent exhibition sharing Wood’s life story through memora- bilia, her collection of folk art, and her own art. The center also will have changing exhibitions featuring the work of local and international artists. In addition to the regular exhibition schedule, there will be workshops and performances held at the Center.

Chris Staley and Penn State Alumni “13 + 1: Chris Staley and Penn State Alumni,” an exhibition of works by Penn State ceramics professor Chris Staley and thirteen of his

Left: Shimaoka Tatsuzo’s vase, 10 in. (25 cm) in height, former students, was on view recently at the Works G allery thrown stoneware, $16,000. Right: Stephen Sullivan’s large (www.snyderman-works.com) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The former vessel, 26¹⁄₂ in. (67 cm) in height, coil-built stoneware, students included Christa Assad (California), Sam Clarkson (Califor- $1600; at Honeychurch Antiques, Seattle, Washington. nia), Angela Cunningham (Massachusetts), Bernadette Curran (Penn- The American artists featured in the exhibition are Stephen Sullivan, sylvania), Brad Johnson (Pennsylvania), Malcolm Mobuto Smith Ben Waterman, Peter Olsen and Dick Lehman. The Japanese masters (Indiana), Scott Parady (California), K ristin Pavelka (Minnesota), Tim will include: Toyoda Mokunen, who has worked with Ben Waterman; R owan (N ew Y ork), Deborah Schwartz koph (California), Jason Walker K ansaki Shiho, who heavily inﬂ uenced Peter Olsen and Dick Lehman’s (Washington), Matthew Wilt (Illinois) and R ebekah Wostrel (Virginia). work; and Shimaoka Tatsuz o (currently a Living N ational Treasure) to “I believe that the most dynamic learning occurs when the lines are whom Steve Sullivan was apprenticed. blurred between who is teacher and who is student,” Staley stated.

Mark Pharis “Mark Pharis: Themes and Variations,” a solo exhibition of works by Wisconsin artist Mark Pharis, was on view recently at Lacoste G allery (www.lacostegallery.com) in Concord, Massachusetts. Pharis uses a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) program to create templates for handbuilt earthenware vases, teapots, bowls and boxes that emphasiz e form, structure and ratios by working out proportional progressions developed by the artist. “While most contemporary ceramics focus on the surface, convey- ing a narrative or exploring innovative textures and patterns, Mark Pharis’ work provokes discussions of form, meaning, process and function,” said Catherine Futter, curator of decorative arts at the N elson- Chris Staley’s “Bowl and Stone,” 7 in. (18 cm) in height, thrown and Atkins Museum of Art in K ansas City, Missouri, in the accompanying altered stoneware, stone; at Works Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 18 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 19 upfront exhibition featured more than forty examples of Miz uno’s sculpture created between 1973 and the present. “Throughout his career, Mineo Miz uno has created superbly crafted works which, while ﬁrmly grounded in the traditions of the ceramic arts, transcend boundaries,” stated Long Beach Museum of Art director and curator for the exhibition, Harold B. N elson. “In crossing these traditional barriers, he has created new forms in clay that exist on equal

Left: Deborah Schwartzkoph’s “Stackable Pouring Bowls,” to 8 in. (20 cm) in diameter, porcelain, salt ﬁ red, 2005. Right: Rebekah Wostrel’s “Sugar Puff,” 5 in. (13 cm) in height, thrown porcelain, unglazed, angora felt, aluminum, 2004.

“What happens is profound—questions get asked by all involved. These inquiries are like waves that move sand, exposing new insights in the artist’s search for meaning. Being part of this process of discovery has truly enriched my life and I feel honored to have worked with each of [ these students] .”

Céramique 14—Paris 2005 “Céramique 14—Paris 2005,” a juried exhibition of 35 ceramics art- Mineo Mizuno’s “Peach,” 24 in. (61 cm) in diameter, coil-built white ists, was on display recently at the Paris 14th City District exhibition earthenware with multilayered glazes, ﬁ red to Cone 04, collection of hall in Paris, France. The exhibition features primarily French artists Mary Coquillard; at Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California. and a select group of European artists, as well as guest artist Douglas footing with painting, sculpture and architecture—forms which con- K enney from the U nited States. found traditional categories and heirarchies—bringing together ele- “In [ The Potter’ s Bookby Bernard Leach] there is a photo of Leach ments from each discipline into one, integrated whole.” sculpting a vertically shaped piece of pottery,” said Franck R ousseaux. “The image of this man and the object he had created, this exemplary Teri Silva silent face to face, this miracle of balance between a living body and this N ew works by Sedro-Woolley, Washington, ceramics artist Teri Silva were on view through January 30 at the Shoreline Community College G allery (www.shoreline.edu/gallery) in Shoreline, Washington. For the past eight years, the crows that congregate near Silva’s rural studio have found their way into her work. “It’s hard to believe that this image of a large, black bird has kept my attention for so long,” Silva commented. “One piece leads to the next and I sometimes think, this is the last of the series. But I truly can see no end to ideas that contain

Franck Rousseaux’s “Totem Bottles,” 60 cm (24 in.) in height, thrown and altered porcelain; at Paris 14th exhibition hall, Paris, France. object reaching out to space moved me deeply. When people ask me what got me working on the totem bottles, I think of this photo, which was at the origin of my involvement in ceramics and which sums up my work well: a search for direction, an inﬁnite questioning, an un- ending dialog between what I am as a person and clay in all its states.”

Mineo Mizuno “Crossing Boundaries: The Ceramic Sculpture of Mineo Miz uno,” a solo exhibition of works by Japanese– born, Los Angeles– based artist Teri Silva’s “Hear No See No Speak No,” 30 in. (76 cm) in length, handbuilt and press-molded stoneware with slips and stains, ﬁ red Mineo Miz uno, was on view through January 15 at the Long Beach to Cone 6 in reduction, wooden base, enamel paint; at Shoreline Museum of Art (www.lbma.com) in Long Beach, California. The Community College Gallery, Shoreline, Washington. Ceramics Monthly February 2006 20 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 21 upfront crow and raven. It is in part the stories that I hear from everyone who sees the work. It seems as though we all have a crow story to tell and the retelling of stories fuel the ﬁre.”

Perspectives 2005 “Perspectives 2005: Georgia Potters and Collectors,” the third-annual pottery sale sponsored by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (www.ocaf.com), was held recently in Watkinsville, Georgia. The event featured more than 4000 pieces of contemporary and folk pottery made by ﬁfty of Georgia’s best-known ceramics artists. Running con- currently with the sale was a three-week exhibition in the two galleries at the OCAF Art Center, which highlighted additional works by these ﬁfty potters and selected collectors of ceramics. Rebecca Wood, a participating potter and an organizer for Perspec- tives 2005, estimated that the opening and preview sale saw a 30% increase in attendance over last year. “We had over 4600 pots checked

Vernon Smith’s lidded jar, 14 in. (36 cm) in height, thrown and assembled white stoneware, with painted underglazes, soda fi red to Cone 10, $125. in for the sale, and we sold a third of those on the first weekend,” she reported. In conjunction with the sale and exhibition, OCAF presented a two-day raku/salku workshop, which featured Rick Berman, Jerry Jen Graff’s lidded casserole, 9 in. (23 cm) in height, thrown and altered porcelain, overlapping Cone 6 satin glazes with wax-resist decoration, fi red to Maschinot and Tom Zwierlein, as well as a raku exhibition curated by Cone 7, $85; at the Oconee Culutral Arts Foundation, Watkinsville, Georgia. Berman. Participants at this hands-on workshop assisted in the construction of a salku and raku kiln. A tour was organized to give the public an opportunity to visit six local pottery studios.

Louana M. Lackey 1926–2005 Louana M. Lackey, ceramics historian, ethnographer, archaeologist, educator, author and frequent contributor to Ceramics Monthly, passed away on December 9, 2005, at Gilchrist Hospice in Baltimore, Maryland. Her husband Michael Salovesh passed away two days earlier at the same hospice. Lackey grew up in Chicago and became interested in ceramics after watching a Maria Martinez demonstration at the Chicago World’s Fair. She received a Ph.D. in Anthropology from American University in 1981. Lackey was a frequent presenter at the National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts (NCECA) conferences. Lackey and Salovesh, who had married last year after a three-year courtship, recently completed research for a major work on Puebla Talavera Pottery, which will be written by a colleague.

Submissions to the Upfront column are welcome. We would be pleased to consider press releases, artists’ Bill Buckner’s vase, 10 in. (25 cm) in height, thrown and statements and images in conjunction with exhibitions or other events of interest for publication. Images slab-built stoneware, with pulled lugs, dipped in ﬂ ashing should be high-resolution digital on CD, or original (not duplicate) slides or transparencies. Mail to slip, with brushed slip and glaze accents, soda ﬁ red, $150. Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 22 “You owe it to yourself to try this wheel” — Steven Hill

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(800) 374-1600 • Fax: (317) 248-9300Ceramics • www Monthly.amaco.com February 2006• email: [email protected] 25 answers electrically conductive materials, such as metals. estly lower the thermal expansion of the glaz e until Hence, no luster decorations can be present. Also, it no longer craz es. From the CM Technical Staff substantial amounts of iron oxide should be Since the COE of your glaz e is not so high that Q I believe a consumer will be more likely to avoided. The metal will be an antenna, focusing it craz es right out of the kiln, the delayed craz ing purchase a piece of handmade functional pot- the microwaves, resulting in the buildup of heat you are getting is perhaps due to reheating. An- tery if it comes with a claim to be microwave and electricity in the ware, which can result in other factor in delayed craz ing has to do with the safe. However, when my pots are microwaved sparking on edges. porosity of the clay body. If the clay body is porous the glazes craze, so I make no such claim. Is this The next factor in microwave safety is craz ing and can absorb water, from washing or even from due to the thermal shock of rapid heating? What of the glaz e (ﬁne cracks in the glaz e can harbor the atmosphere in a humid climate, then water can can I do to make my pots microwave safe?— L.A. bacteria). When the coefﬁcient of thermal expan- remain inside the clay and can cause the pottery Microwave safety in ceramic ware has two sion (COE) of the clay body is lower than that of itself (not just the contents) to heat up during components. First, the glaz e must be free of the glaz e, craz ing results. The solution is to mod- microwaving. It can also turn to steam and expand, contributing further to the craz ing. Richard A. Eppler Cheshire, CT

Q I currently work at earthenware temperatures, but I am planning to start working with stoneware, firing to Cone 10. I don’ t want to stock a lot of different materials, so I am won- dering if I can make a high-temperature white stoneware body using kaolin, ball clay, fireclay, talc and whiting? R.W. The clays you mentioned would be a good basis for a high-fire, Cone 10 stoneware body. Y ou can blend those three contrasting clays (kaolin, ball clay and fireclay) to provide the color, texture and plasticity you want. Fireclay usually fires gray, has a bit of fine “tooth” (texture) and helps a clay body stand up. Ball clay also fires gray, is very smooth, makes a body more plastic (malleable) and gives good “green” (unfired) strength. By contrast, kaolins fire very white, but are usually not plastic, nor do they stand up well. By blending these three, you can get a fairly light-colored body that also works well. The more kaolin you use (at the expense of the other clays), the whiter but less workable it will be. Y ou need to experiment to see how much workabil- ity you are willing to give up to get a whiter body. Talc and whiting are not good fl uxes for high- fire use since they can cause warping, cracking and glaz e-fit problems at stoneware temperatures. The best fl ux for high firing is feldspar, especially potash (potassium) feldspar, which has the long, slow melting characteristics we want for a clay body. Soda (sodium) feldspars will also work, if that is all that is available, but they can sometimes cause wet clay to have a rubbery feeling that makes it difficult to throw. It is also a good idea to include enough free quartz in the form of 200-mesh (90 micron) silica to provide the contraction necessary to get good glaz e fit. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about 10– 15% feldspar to mature a high-fire stoneware body, and an equal amount of silica to balance that for glaz e fit. If the clays used in the body are less

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 26 MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN VISUAL ART VISIONARY

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 27 answers Stoneware clay body, which does result in a whiter body. (Cone 10) However, an under-fl uxed body will be weak and pure (that is, contain some iron and fl ux as impu- Feldspar ...... 15% punky, and will almost certainly suffer from mois- rities), then 10% feldspar is usually sufficient. If Ball Clay ...... 20 ture expansion, delayed craz ing and leaking. Don’t you decide to use mostly fireclay and kaolin (which Fireclay ...... 30 skimp on the feldspar! are relatively free of fl uxing impurities), I suggest K aolin ...... 20 If the clays you have available don’t provide the you try 15% feldspar. If you decide to use kaolin for Silica ...... 15 whiteness you want, you might consider using a most or all of the clay content (in order to get the 100% white slip. It can be difficult to produce a white clay whitest body possible), then you’ll want to increase This body will not be white, but a light gray or body that is also workable and forgiving, which is the feldspar and silica to at least 20% each to get the buff (warm tan) in oxidation. why potters often apply a white slip over a body body to mature at Cone 10. Here is a potential clay As a word of warning, potters are sometimes that is less white than they would like. This pro- body to try: tempted to reduce the amount of feldspar in the vides the best of both worlds; a workable, forgiving clay body is easy to produce with impure clays, and a white slip is also easy to formulate. If you’re interested in trying this approach, here is a simple white slip recipe that can be applied to wet or leather-hard clay: White Slip Feldspar ...... 25% Ball Clay ...... 25 ³,KDGDOZD\VXVHGP\RZQJOD]HUHFLSHVEXW K aolin ...... 25 6SHFWUXP¶V5DNX*OD]HVJDYHP\ZRUNVRPH Silica ...... 25 H[FLWLQJQHZGLPHQVLRQVDQGWKH\DUHVR 100% FRQYHQLHQW´,DQ&KXQJ If you want more opacity in the white slip, you can add up to 10% of a z irconium silicate opacifier such as Z ircopax. Peter Pinnell Associate Professor of Art University of Nebraska, Lincoln Word of the Month

Eutectic The melting of two or more chemical components at a temperature (the eutectic temperature) that is lower than the normal melting temperatures of any of the individual components. Eutectics are responsible for the partial melting that occurs in clay bodies during firing, resulting in partial vit- rification (formation of a glassy binder), and an increase in the density and strength of the clay. Eutectics are also responsible for the melting of glaz es. The ingredients that participate in the formation of eutectics, which occur naturally in some clays or are intentionally added to clay and glaz e formulas, are known as fl uxes. The fl uxes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium oxides, for example) react )RU'HWDLOVRQKRZ,DQPDGHWKHSRWVJRWRRXUZHEVLWH with the other clay or glaz e ingredients (silica KWWSZZZVSHFWUXPJOD]HVFRP and silicates including the clay) and cause melting to occur at temperatures that are low 2XU1HZ$GGUHVV)HQPDU'U3KRQH enough to be within reach of most kilns. 7RURQWR21 If you have a question about this or any other ceramics topic, ask &DQDGD )D[ the CM experts at [email protected]. You also 0/0 (PDLOLQIR#VSHFWUXPJOD]HVFRP can mail questions to Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081; or fax to (614) 891-8960.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 28 How to Maintain Two Special Relationships While Avoiding Petty Jealousy...

I’ve spent over 28 years with potter and partner Richard Meyer and over 30 years with Laguna’s Soldate-60 clay body. Granted, each relationship has its own exceptional qualities, but I don’t know where I’d be without them both. They are there when I need them—in the studio, on the art show circuit, even on our website (www.Barker-Meyer.com). Where you find my pottery and me, there are Richard and Soldate-60. They both possess reliability, consistency, dependability and that “touchable” quality that makes me feel lucky we have been together for so many years. Thank you, Laguna; oh, yes, and you, too, Richard.

Cathra-Anne Barker

Studio potters and festival “road warriors” for three decades, Cathra-Anne Barker and Richard Meyer’s pottery has been featured in numerous exhibitions, festivals, publications and collections nationwide. To learn more about their work and upcoming activities, visit their on-line gallery at www.Barker-Meyer.com.

Laguna Clay Co. • (800) 452-4862 • (626) 330-0631 [email protected] • www.lagunaclay.com Ceramics Monthly February 2006 29 Each time the handle is repositioned to continue suggestions extruding, the screw will ride down the riser with handle standard Bright Idea for Work Surface the yoke.—Billy Lee, Fairburn, GA The brightly colored ﬂ at craft foam, which screw Roll Up Your Socks has become so popular for children’s toys, puz z les A great way to get some texture on a slab is to and crafts, makes a wonderful work surface for cover a rolling pin with an old sock. Slit a hole at handbuilding. The closed-cell foam is about ¼ the toe (if you don’t already have one there) and inch think and doesn’t leave a texture on clay, so yoke slide the sock over the roller. Y ou can get some the larger sheets are great for rolling small slabs interesting textures from old knit or crocheted on a slab roller.—Andi Fasimpaur, Dayton, OH socks.—Fujie Robesky, Fresno, CA

Extruding Bites wall) screw point down between the yoke of the Tired of hitting your head with the pipe handle and the riser pipe. The screw will provide Tip of the Month extruder handle? Place a 2-inch sheetrock (dry- extra bite into the riser pipe, preventing slipping. Consistent Wadding When wadding a stack of plates for wood ﬁring, use a template and pencil eraser to neatly facilitate glaz e removal and stacking. Make a triangular template to mark a consistent conﬁguration for the wads on the foot. Tucker’s New Silicone Rolling Pins After a plate is glaz ed, use this template and a pencil to transfer the markings to the top of the plate. R emove a ½-inch area of the dry glaz e at each wad mark with the pencil eraser. AMAZING! K nock down the edge of the glaz e around these areas with a damp sponge and proceed Made from non-stick silicone to wadding.

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Wads should be placed directly above one Clay won’t stick to silicone! another to prevent warping. Although I have stacked as many as six small plates together, three or four works For more information on these best, with minimal warping. When making fantastic new rolling pins go to and trimming plates, always make sure that www.tuckerspottery.com the foot is the same siz e. The more variation in siz e, the more warping you will have. Congratulations to Linda C. Klaus of Sandy, Oregon. Your subscription has been extended by one year!

Share your ideas with others. Previously unpublished sugges- Dealer inquiries welcome tions are welcome. Ceramics Monthly will pay $10 for each one Tucker’s Pottery Supplies Inc. published. Include a drawing or photograph to illustrate your idea and we will add another $10 to the payment. E-mail to (905)889-7705 • 1(800)304-6185 • Fax: (905)889-7707 [email protected]; mail to Ceramics www.tuckerspottery.com • [email protected] Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081; or fax to (614) 891-8960 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 30 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 31 Think Bailey for the best in downdraft design.

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Susan Davy, Davy Pottery

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“Scarab Vase (The Apotheosis of the Toiler),” porcelain, 1910, by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865– 1929). Everson Museum of Art collection. This piece will be included in the exhibition “Only An Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter” at the Everson Museum (www.everson.org), Syracuse, New York, March 11– May 21.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 34 focus aesthetics

Looking at Looking by Don Pilcher

In a world that insists we communicate faster and make our own experience in ways that truly challenge your aesthetic comfort z one. judgments accordingly, an invitation to ponder might seem anach- Y ou’ll need to cultivate some humility and discipline, but that can ronistic. So be it—because the only way into and out of a deep be done. The second thing that could happen is that life, in all its understanding of ceramics aesthetics is the patient and discerning forms, will intrude upon your existence and you’ll be forced to think observation of our lives with clay. Here is a short statement about the unthinkable and do the undoable. As they say, “Stuff happens! ” those aesthetics and observations: What we see is what we are The third is sad. Y ou’ll successfully avoid and deny the larger world looking for. in favor of the one that you have already constructed. Y ou’ll remain, The first time I heard that expression, it struck me as sensible, until death, a fixed and completed work, in the smallest possible even obvious. Decades later I find it profound, not just for what it sense of the phrase. says, but for its revealing corollary, which is: Such seeing is as much If what we see is what we are looking for, what are we looking a liability as it is an asset. N o matter if we think our knowledge is for? All of us come to this day with viewing habits that result in vast, it is still largely incomplete. Even the cognoscenti see only in nearly automatic judgments—some call it an eye, some call it taste, part. Those who suggest otherwise are deluding you, themselves, or some call it style, some call it artistic intuition. Often as not, we both. I am making this point to put every reader on common know what we like and we like what we know. We come to this ground—the beginner, the professional, even the “experts.” We all condition in many ways. Some of us have been taught—the true have huge gaps in our knowledge. It’s just a matter of degree. academic or art school acquisition of aesthetics. Sad to say, it’s not When we address aesthetics and ceramics, are we talking about always that good. Aesthetics is often taught as a large lecture class something purely visual? As makers, collectors, dealers, teachers or with visuals. The students come in, the lights go out, the slides come students, are we just playing our part in an endless beauty contest? up and the students go out. It’s one of education’s great ironies: the There is certainly more to aesthetics than beauty. Should we look at study of aesthetics becomes an anesthetic. the question the way actual philosophers do? One philosophy text Some of us have simply learned to like what we’ve grown up describes it as follows (I’ll paraphrase): Aesthetics is a branch of with—the culture and taste of the community, be that a school, a values, connected to a moral interpretation with a desire to under- movement, a tribe or a z ip code. Common enough. Some of us have stand and shape human thought and conduct as they manifest them- learned at the foot of a charismatic ceramic celebrity. There are selves in both ordered and chaotic societies, past and present. My gut plenty of those. However we have acquired it, we often treat our says leave it to the professionals. My intent is something more modest own aesthetic judgments as revealed wisdom, and the judgments of and yet very practical. As ceramists, we make, see and judge almost others as being anywhere from partially unreliable to wholly incom- daily. Are all of our judgments entirely subjective? I don’t think so. petent. Some of us explain our rigidity by saying we are defending There are points of departure from which we can begin to become an aesthetic principle. But that firmness could also be a stubborn- more fully informed. We might start with willingness and curiosity. ness born of fear. To make any headway in a discussion about aesthetics, we had Let’s talk particulars. What can we say about the aesthetic merit best develop a reluctant ego and become teachable. In addition, we of a ceramic work that will cover all cases, all ceramic works; a pot, a need both a willingness to consider what has already been rejected reliquary, a tableau? We can be led by one of the best writers on the and a willingness to try to understand that for which we have no subject, Philip R awson, when he says that the single condition that common reference. About those things we have rejected, when was is shared by ALL great ceramics is that they “escape the tyranny of the last time you changed your mind about something in the hate technique.” That statement will disturb some of us because it insists box and moved it to the love box? Are you willing to even consider that the epitome of ceramic production—the skills, the processes, the possibility? We’ll conclude with a discussion about that, but I the chemistry and the human ingenuity—will take us almost no- want to raise the question now and let it linger, perhaps infl uencing where, that there is no greatness in having mastered the material. your thoughts about other intervening ideas. To R awson’s statement I would add function. There is no inher- And about no points of common reference, those ideas for which ent aesthetic virtue in function. For example, we can’t argue that a you are completely unprepared, well, one of three things will hap- bowl is a finer expression of form than a plate; nor can we say that pen to you. First, you may consciously decide to expand your teapots trump bricks. N eed alone determines the virtue of function.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 35 All we ask is that the form be appropriate to the function, be that pouring, serving or ceremony. So, if technique and function are almost meaningless, where do we look for the goodness, for the virtuous aesthetic? Having ruled out the two quantifiable, physical attributes of all ceramic objects, we are left with qualities that exist in thought, expression, vocabulary and conversation. These qualities do not always lend themselves to exact interpretation. Y et they are infinitely more interesting than just technique and function. These inexact attributes are found in some uncertain combinations of items from this incomplete list: charm, potency, feel, exaggeration, uniqueness, familiarity, simplicity, complexity, allegory, adroitness, seduction, grace, symbolism, ambiguity, heft, surprise, character, congruence, posture, animation, imagery, balance and suggestion. Add to that something for later, acquired iconic status. While these characteristics are certainly real, for many of us, they are imprecise. These characteristics seldom stand alone, but we can usually distinguish between, say, a bold profile and an incipient profile. Y et the difference between something which is retiring and something else which is vague is not so clear. Can I see, much less make, a form that is athletic yet not aggressive? Can I create a form which is graceful but not relaxed? These distinctions can be hard to grasp, especially when they exist in combination with other qualities from the list. Looking for a challenge? Pick three or four of the above attributes and try to make a series of pots that manifest those qualities in various degrees. It’s starting backwards, but experience says that enduring (meaning great) ceramic work will comport with this suggestion. If we pick usually well-regarded work, say large figures by Viola Frey (see image to the left), we’ll see the elements from the list: a uniquely complex image carried by a passively animated posture. The result is eye catching and clearly emotive. Do those descriptors completely explain the work? N o, but they begin to direct us to a way of looking at Frey’s figures and they offer a context for our understanding, a context that may have been previously unavailable to us, a context that leads to meaning, a context that reveals content. On occasion, vocabulary, prose or poetry will have a nearly direct connection with a ceramic form. I’m thinking of a line from Bob Dylan: “The geometry of innocence is fl esh on the bone . . .”and I’m brought immediately to one of those great R ichard DeVore bowls (see image at right). Was a man-made form ever more virginal and a surface more succulent? By this example we see that a precise and perceptive aesthetic vocabulary is a beginning, but there is more to a deep appreciation of any art form. After all, looking involves both understanding and feeling, and the feeling usually comes first. We can access that appreciation by acquiring both discipline and tenacity. In their practice we become absorbent. As a result, we will gain insight, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Like so much of “July 11/A,” 7 ft. (2.15 m) life, art reveals itself in stages. In fact, that is one of the best tests of in height, handbuilt, by Viola Frey (1933– 2004); real substance, of real art. If a thing, any thing, can be completely Landy Collection. understood in a fl ash, it’s probably not art. The easy example is a

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 36 focus aesthetics stop sign. Deeper work, richer work, reveals itself over time. It can questions: What am I missing here? What do others see that I do be revisited even after decades and found to be still communicating, not? Have I come to my own preferences honestly? The answer can’t still alive—a digression here about that word. always be that you alone hold the truth and all others are misled. But We use the word alive to indicate that we are having an aesthetic it takes rigorous practice and intellectual courage to consistently experience when we look at an inanimate object. More correctly, we ponder our aesthetic experiences. Jon K abat-Z inn says, “Inquiry are projecting a complex series of expectations, assumptions, prefer- takes on a life of its own after a while . . . it will wind up doing you ences and emotions onto this thing, and “reading” the results. For a rather than you doing it.” Alternatively, it’s so easy to quickly pass detailed discussion of this point, the reader is directed to A Primer judgment and then move on. But the cost is measurable—and often on Visual Literacy by Donis A. Dondis, (Cambridge Press.) Taken very apparent to others. together, expectations, assumptions, preferences and feelings are the If we go to the trouble to become informed and then we meet up lens through which we look, and if that lens does not expand or with several other people who have done the same thing, will we correct itself, we are prisoners of our enfeebled knowledge. The less have absolute agreement on the question of aesthetic quality? Most likely not. Although each member of the group might consider the same contributing variables, they will not give each variable the same weight. But what will emerge is worth considering—it’s the consensus. A simple example is illustrated by this Venn diagram.

Each circle represents the whole of what each person knows and values. N o two are located in exactly the same place, but the overlapping areas reveal their shared truth. It is comforting to me that this ¹⁄₂ “#1010,” 12 in. (32 cm) in height, thrown and handbuilt stoneware, diagram perfectly matches the argument of one of the most impor- by Richard DeVore, Ft. Collins, Colorado. tant philosophers of modern times, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and the knowledgeable among us will apply pedestrian personal preferences. teachings of ancient Buddhist thought. I timidly paraphrase those The more knowledgeable among us will add to that base a broad two sources as follows: To claim that we alone have the singular understanding of the culture which produced the work, information knowledge about the best of any case is a fool’s claim; there are too about the particular artist or tradition from which it sprang, and an many variables and too many contexts for which to account. What appreciation of how previous generations have interpreted and val- we can say is that under many conditions and in many cases, these ued the object. Those factors are what constitute the body of an several qualities will be consistently present. We can expect to see informed opinion. If you argue against having an informed opinion, them repeatedly, but we should not demand it. After all, the case you are on the side of either ignorance or of iconoclasm; that’s ﬁne as could change at any time and we could have our teachable moment. long as that is your intention. We usually own the aesthetic facility Thinking about a consensus of aesthetics brings me to the iconic we have earned. object. These are objects that acquire great status long after they are But if we desire to have an informed opinion, how do we acquire completed. Two examples are the plate by Peter Voulkos (see image it? By learning to discipline our thoughts and to repeatedly ask these on the next page) and the Scarab Vase by Adelaide Alsop R obineau

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 37 (see image on page 34). Each becomes an iconic work by repeated that may eventually wind up housing their collections. After all, exposure and ongoing discussion. These pieces take hold of the collectors who are also donors can usually trump any other group, collective consciousness of the public and separate themselves from even the cognoscenti—but they are not mutually exclusive. all others. Additionally, they become well known for being well Earlier I asked about moving things from the hate box to the love known. WE, not the maker, contribute to their identity. In some box. If we want to be people of insight and reﬂ ection, and we subtle but real way, these objects are transcendent because their fame commit to a life of cultural inquiry, some moving seems like an precedes them. Many of us hold these pieces in our mind, capable of inevitable outcome. My own most recent experience of this sort being summoned just like a quotation, and for similar purposes. Just involves Van Briggle art pottery, made in Colorado in the early their mention locates the discussion and references other relevant 1900s (see image below). U ntil just a few years ago I wouldn’t have examples, whether collectively or individually known. If you make given you a nickel for any of this work—too sterile, too labored, too more than a few of them, you’ll be famous. But you won’t have done frumpy and too tired. But I’ve acquired a taste for tired. I actually it alone; WE will have played an essential role. prefer necks and knees with wrinkles. At the end of my arms I see A thought about that large WE. Once a work enters the public my father’s hands. I relate in the most personal of ways to fruit that square, an inevitable force appears that massages the purely aesthetic is just a few days too ripe, just a little too pungent. I’m drawn to the

Plate, 22 in. (56 cm) in diameter, thrown stoneware with incising Vase, 5 in. (13 cm) in height, earthenware, 1903, and porcelain inclusions, 1980, by Peter Voulkos (1924– 2002). by Artus Van Briggle (1869– 1904). Courtesy of Richard Mohr.

consensus. That force is money, and it softens and moves the aes- aesthetic of those old pots that came out of Colorado Springs in thetic value. What began as a direct artistic expression ultimately 1905; it’s the empathy and comfort of like mindedness. becomes a commodity. Part of its aesthetic value is expressed in My thoughts here are an invitation to refl ect more fully on our currency. Further, the consensus is no longer egalitarian because in aesthetic experience. If you have read this far, you have probably the market place, even the market place of aesthetics, some of us are accepted that invitation and I’m safe in revealing one last notion. more infl uential than others—even if we are not more informed. Y ou may have started reading in hopes of getting some answers and Those that really count are the people with wealth, access or infl u- what I’ve left you with is more questions. What I’m suggesting is ence; maybe all three. To twist K inky Friedman’s saying: It’s about that the only way to better answers is through better questions. the R ockefellers, not the regular fellas. When these individuals Be patient with yourself; there are no shortcuts; we have to give collect, they protect their collections. After all, the collections repre- time some time. We will still see what we are looking for, but we will sent not only huge sums of money, but they signify personal sophis- be looking more broadly and more deeply. The process itself will be tication and passion. And, since these people truly love the arts, they as valuable as any of our insights. In this way we will fulfill our support not just artists, but museums and institutions—institutions human potential for the aesthetic experience.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 38 focus aesthetics Making Meaning: A Dialog Between Nature and Culture by Howard Risatti

In America, a certain tension exists practical and an artistic practice with- between craft and fine art that can out first confronting the issue of be attributed, at least in part, to function. For even though craft prac- the great prestige, high monetary titioners traditionally align them- value, and serious intellectual re- selves with material and technique, gard accorded fine art but usually it is function that links purpose to denied to craft. Whether justified material, to technique, and to the or not, craft simply has not achieved physical form of craft objects. Take a status equal to that of fine art in ceramics as an example. Their tradi- these regards. tional function has been that of con- The problem, as I see it, does not taining; i.e., the holding of liquids reside solely, if at all, with fine art. and other substances. It is this func- R ather, it resides with craft itself. N ot tion—containing—that determines only has the field been reluctant to their basic form, material and even establish an intellectual/critical dis- technique. Function also reveals course for itself—something fine art something important about the ori- began doing in the R enaissance—it gin of ceramics. For it is likely that hasn’t even been able (or willing?) to natural containers such as gourds, define the limits of its activity. That’s shells and birds’ nests were their mod- why the field can’t even articulate els. This means ceramics are tied di- the difference between a craft object rectly to nature through those models and a sculpture in a craft medium in nature that inspired them. But (the works shown here could be de- this is not their only connection to scribed as either). If it can’t do this, nature. The purpose for which con- how can it identify its purpose— tainers were (and still are) made is to purpose, after all, is intricately tied “Black Fields,” 27 in. (69 cm) in height, 2004, serve the human body’s physiologi- to meaning? And while I understand by Lydia Thompson, Glen Allen, Virginia. cal needs. That is, they aid in our the objection to “art talk” on the age-old struggle for survival by in- part of makers, like it or not, this is a suring a modicum of food and water matter of survival, both practically during hard times. and intellectually. For without a clear These simple observations (which sense of identity, craft will never be apply generally to all crafts) help ex- able to articulate a serious role for plain some important features unique itself in the modern-postmodern to ceramics. For instance, since the world; and if unable to do so, it will body’s physical needs are the same eventually be absorbed by either fine for all humans, ceramics have been art on the one hand, or mass-profound worldwide making them near duced design on the other. This, I universal markers of human presence. believe, makes the “identity issue” And, since the needs they serve do the most pressing issue facing the not change over time (we all still craft field today. need food and drink as did our pre- Where to begin? It is difficult to “Orange Knob Bowl,” 25 in. (64 cm) in length, 2001, historic ancestors), ceramics are still discuss purpose in craft as both a by Virginia Scotchie, Columbia, South Carolina. being made today. Something else

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 39 Neolithic Chinese burial urn, 15 in. (38 cm) in height, “Paisley Polka Dot Jar,” 19 in. (48 cm) in height, stoneware from the Machang phase of the Majiayao culture, circa 2300– 2000 B.C. with inlaid design and glaze, 2005, by Adam Welch, Brooklyn, New York.

worth noting about ceramics besides their ubiquitousness is their aspect of ceramics as a practice and tradition out of which mean- formal stability over time. A N eolithic Chinese urn made in ap- ing can emerge. proximately 2300 B.C. and a vase made some 4000 years later in But saying ceramics has an existence in the changing realm of N ew Y ork are both instantly recogniz able as containers, despite culture is not to suggest makers are free to do anything they wish. being made in vastly different cultures at different places and at Here again function is an important determinant because functional different times (see images above). Their basic forms seem to echo form is not arbitrary form. It is dictated by the laws of physics and throughout history from prehistoric times to the present. It is as makers must be sensitive to these laws. If we take tea or coffee pots though they spring from an archetypal form embedded deep within as examples, we see they have specific requirements: spouts must rise our collective memory. If it is an archetypal form, however, it does above lids so liquids won’t spill out during filling; spouts and handles not spring, as fine art does, from social conventions, which vary must be positioned for balance and leverage while pouring; handles from place to place and change from time to time. R ather, it springs must be sturdy and made to resist heat or cold (see image at right). from the unchanging realm of nature and human physical need. Such physical requirements are not faced by fine artists who deal But—and this is an extremely important but—since we also solely in illusions, in optical experiences. Since the objects of their recogniz e clear stylistic differences between these works (one is illusions needn’t actually function, painters, for instance, can depict N eolithic Chinese, one contemporary American), it means they also on canvas any object imaginable, even ones impossible to make in have an existence in the changing and variable realm of social reality. Thus, while the craft artist is concerned with the material convention—that realm that is art and culture. What this means is existence of objects, the fine artist is concerned with their optical that ceramics (and crafts generally) occupy a unique position in the existence. And while neither concern can claim greater impor- world of man-made things because they straddle the age-old divide tance, they are different, as is the knowledge and methods required that exists between nature and culture. In this way they are unlike of their practitioners. fine art because they are, in a sense, both nature and culture at one But knowing what form will carry out a specific function is only and the same time. In terms of identity, this is not an insignificant part of what is required of craft artists. How to make that form into

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 40 focus aesthetics

an actual object and which materials are most appropriate is also see how material and technique come together under the skilled necessary. For ceramics artists to make a properly functioning con- hand. Visible are the throwing marks left by the fingers as they tainer means understanding the physical and chemical properties of guided the wet clay into functional form. These marks, captured the substances it will contain—whether they are solid/liquid, hot/ and froz en in the fired clay, give a sense of the wheel turning and of cold, acidic/nonacidic, etc. It also means choosing the proper clay the vase spiraling up from the centered mass of matter under gentle body and glaz es (for example, no lead glaz es for food). And finally, it urging from the hands. This is complimented by the rippling, means possessing technical knowledge about how to work that wavelike effect that seems to descend through the vase to its base, an material into the desired form, and sufficient manual skill and effect accentuated by the serendipitous drips of the natural ash glaz e. technique to actually do so. In a very real sense Barnard is conducting a dialog between culture For these reasons in ceramics, as for all crafts, material is essential and nature through technique via material; it is a dialog of mind to form and function. It can’t be treated unknowingly or forced to extending through hands into clay, and of nature responding by conform to preconceived or abstract ideas—pots sag, warp, crack informing the mind of the realities of matter’s existence. and explode in kilns. Because of this, making must be done in Seen in this light, craft’s traditional concern with material is not concert with material so as to coax otherwise inchoate matter into to be dismissed as some fetishistic obsession; it is something mean- coherent form. In R ob Barnard’s wood-fired vase (page 42), we can ingful and profound. Materials, after all, cannot be worked into

Spouted Pitcher, 13 in. (33 cm) in height, wood fired, 2003, by Steven Glass, Richmond, Virginia.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 41 coherent form without specializ ed knowledge, techniques, and skills—being told how to center clay and throw a pot is a far cry from actually being able to do so (Don Bendel, at right, demon- strates this). In a very real way, material is the substance with which the craft artist works in the struggle to create meaning. In this sense, craft is a way of “making meaning” through the knowing hand’s dialog with material. Craft and ﬁne art are both legitimate art forms, and both are facing serious challenges in today’s modern-postmodern world. For ﬁne art, it’s the proliferation of throw-away images, quickly consumed and just as quickly discarded. For craft it’s the proliferation of machine-made functional objects. Such objects seem to appear out of nowhere because they have no origin in the hand of an autono- mous maker. Without a maker’s personal touch to give them individual meaning, they offer the same experience to each user. Moreover,

Don Bendel throws a pot during the 2003 “Old-Garde Symposium” at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Virginia.

as machine-made objects there is no actual maker to conduct a dialog between culture and nature via material and technique—the machine simply imposes its will on material. Craft objects stand in opposition to this world because they come into being through the hands of individual makers. And when we use them we engage their tradition and that of their makers, thereby becoming part of the dialog that grounds culture critically within the bounds of nature. At a time when nature is generally seen as something solely to be exploited, this is no small thing to offer the world.

the author Howard Risatti is Emeritus Professor and former Chair of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. He and Kenneth Trapp, former Curator-in-Charge of the Smithsonian Ameri- Vase, 8 in. (20 cm) can Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, are consultants to the PBS docu- in height, thrown mentary ﬁlm series Craft In America and the soon-to-be-published stoneware with companion book. A three-part television series celebrating American natural ash glaze, wood fired, 2002, craft and the artists who bring it to life, the series is scheduled for by Rob Barnard, national broadcast in 2007. For more information, see Timberville, Virginia. www.craftinamerica.org.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 42 The Tei Tei Project

by Louise Rosenﬁeld

Top: At the Tei Tei Robata Bar, Chef Teiichi Sakurai prepares a sashimi course in Bowls for Spring Season, 7 in. (18 cm) in diameter, thrown, then fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Amelia Jones. Left: Grill Plates for Spring, 7 in. (18 cm) in diameter, hold grilled seabass with pickled ginger and lemon, thrown and altered porcelain, with celadon glaze and fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Lisa Difeo.

While living with a host family in 1977, as a participant in the to approach this restaurant not only because of Sakurai’s reputation, International Workshop of Ceramic Art in Tokoname, Japan, but because he knew that the chef was sympathetic to handmade (IWCAT), Peter Beasecker saw the life of a Japanese pot close up. pots. “As soon as I walked into the restaurant I was greeted by a large “[This] was quite different from all my experiences in museums, Sam Clarkson platter hanging on the wall, and one of his soy bottles galleries, restaurants and even with friends’ collections,” he recalls. was on every table,” he recalls. Sakurai remembers, “When Peter “Types of pots, which before I had seen in a more rarified way, came in and talked with me about his idea, I thought about my own became a part of an everyday experience, and with that, an unfold- vision of operating a restaurant, which is to introduce Japanese ing of appreciation and understanding that can only come through culture to this country in the right way. This was a perfect project to use. Upon coming home and returning to the classroom, my nag- introduce the culture to students, because every single pot has a ging dilemma was, ‘ How can I bring a semblance of this experience meaning for the food.” to my students?’ and more broadly, ‘ How can I personify the ab- The suitability of Japanese cooking to this kind of project comes stract nature of problem solving for the average twenty-year-old from a long, solid cultural background, the essence of which is its college student making a utilitarian vessel?’” And so the “Tei Tei observance of nature. According to ShizuoTsuji, noted chef and Project,” (as it is known at the Meadows School of the Arts at cookbook author, Japanese culture was born of austerity. But the Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas, where Beasecker cultivated nobles learned to delight in the offerings of each changing teaches) was born. The project involves students meeting with Japa- season, making the most of what nature provided, when each fish, nese chef Teiichi Sakurai three separate times to design and produce fowl, fruit or vegetable was at its prime. In the sixth century, Bud- vessels for specific foods. It culminates with a feast of up to a dozen dhism took hold in Japan and meat was made taboo. Buddhism had courses, depending upon the number of students enrolled in the class. originated in tropical climates, with bountiful harvests of fruits and Tei Tei Robata Bar is one of two small restaurants in Dallas vegetables. The temperate Japanese island climate provided a se- owned and operated by Sakurai, a native of Tokyo. Beasecker chose verely limited selection of edible choices. Therefore, making the

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 43 PHOTOS: HARRISON EVANS, TRACY HICKS TRACY EVANS, HARRISON PHOTOS:

The second meeting of Chef Sakurai and the students takes place at the Meadows School of the Arts studio in Dallas, Texas, where he critiques the greenware pieces, like Amy Miller’s Dessert Bowl for Spring. most of nature’s seasonal offerings with the utmost culinary artistry everything from the landscape of his homeland to the salute he gives gave rise to the traditional Japanese meal. It involves many small his patrons as they leave the restaurant. “I want to give the students courses, each a work of art in which much time and thought is an understanding of where I come from, my thinking,” Sakurai says. spent, with the utensils constituting an important part of the sensual “I tell them to try to understand how I think about the seasons by experience. The emphasis of all of these components is toward looking at nature, sensing the seasons, and going to the mall to see satisfying the needs and desires of the guest. what designers are showing in terms of color and texture.” Sakurai assigns courses to each student one person/course at a time, and First Meeting explains the intricacies and requirements of a speciﬁc vessel for the Students initially meet with Sakurai at Tei Tei on a Monday, the day assigned course. For example, a “rice bowl for the spring season” will the restaurant is closed. They listen as Sakurai shares his thoughts on be held in one hand, so the proportions need to allow for this in a

Little Bite Dish for Fall, 3 in. (8 cm) in height, press-molded stoneware, glazed Matsumae (seaweed) zuke (marinated) salmon with turnip pickle and kinuta maki and fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Stefan Chinov. Little Bite, usually the first (salmon roe role) is an example of 3 Things, the course following Little Bite. Three course in Japanese cuisine, is seen here with Ebisunimono (shrimp salad) and Things Plate for Fall, 7 in. (18 cm) in length, thrown and cut stoneware, glazed and Japanese cucumber, hashioke (chopstick rest) and a sake cup. fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Victoria Hicks.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 44 focus aesthetics

Sashimi Bowl for Fall, filled with Blue fin tuna, sweet shrimp, octopus and uri Mum suimono (chrysanthemum soup) with shitake mushroom in Soup Bowl for (squash) pickle, 6 in. (15 cm) in diameter, thrown stoneware, with Shino glaze, Fall, 4 in. (10 cm) in diameter, thrown and altered stoneware, with slip and Shino fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Debbie Reichard. glaze, fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Larkin Evans.

Fry Plate for Fall, 8 in. (20 cm) in length, handbuilt stoneware, glazed and fired to Cone 10 in reduction. The fry course usually consists of tempura, like Kabochi (pumpkin), lotus root and ebishinjo (shrimp), shown here with a shishito (chile pepper) and baby sawagami (river crab).

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 45 comfortable way. For other courses, such as “fry,” the plate will be covered with a neatly folded piece of paper. In this case, creativity and expression of the season is more important, and speciﬁc formal requirements are not as necessary. However, the students are always advised to use their imagination and look at nature. Beasecker remarks that “students typically take this meeting far more seriously than the usual classroom assignment, partly because it’s not on familiar ground and partly because they’re not responsible to me. It changes the context of the discussion and, because of Sakurai’s presence, it adds an element of uniqueness and seriousness. One thing I impress upon the students is that this project is an exchange of gifts, culture and talents. No money is involved, which would introduce commerce and bring a different energy into the mix.”

Second Meeting Now the problem solving begins. Students create ﬁve to seven proto- Rice Bowl for Fall, 4 in. (10 cm) in diameter, thrown, with slip and types. After a few weeks, Sakurai comes to the studio to critique their glaze, fired to Cone 10 in reduction, and full of Mastaki mushroom okowa (steamed rice). efforts. The critique is extremely formal, and each person’s work is presented separately. Sakurai is thoughtful in his discussion, addressing the advantages and disadvantages of each prototype before settling on a piece. Sometimes, none of a person’s work is acceptable and they have to go back to the drawing board, but they always have a better understanding of where they missed the mark. Sakurai also has in mind the look of the entire ensemble together and how they will work following one another during the meal. At the end of this critique, one table has all the selected pieces on it, and the students begin to understand the underlying idea and aesthetic at work. Following the initial critique, each person produces enough of their assigned vessel for ﬁve or so glaze tests, in addition to the number required for the meal. Sizes, volumes and shapes must be extremely uniform. Sakurai points out that if two people receive the same amount of rice, but one bowl is 2 inches larger, one person will feel shorted, Grill Plate for Fall, 11 in. (28 cm) in length, handbuilt porcelain, with “. . . and this doesn’t go over well in the restaurant business,” he Shino and ash glazes, fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Louise Rosenfield. explains. The glaze tests require creative thinking about the season for Kobe beef skewer, atsuage (tofu), daikon (white radish) and Suzuki (sea which the dishes have been designed and the texture of the landscape bass) on haran (type of bamboo) leaf. that Sakurai has described. Here, each student’s creative contribution is very important. So even those who have been given courses with more rigid formal requirements must now consider how the food will look in the vessel, and how the vessel can represent the season.

Third Meeting At this critique, Sakurai views the glazed prototypes, and the final glaze combinations are decided. The final selections are placed together, so the students can get a feeling for the visual pace of the meal. The remaining inventory is glazed and fired, then delivered to Sakurai so that he can have a week or two to respond to the work, reconsider his relationship to the pieces and make the appropriate changes to the menu. “I will always try to see what the best fit is between my idea and the student’s work,” he says. “Sculpture speaks for itself, but as a chef, I believe that pottery provides a foundation for collaboration. I suggest to students that we have to have mutual respect. The food shouldn’t overpower the pot, and the pot shouldn’t overpower the food. Just like

Braise Bowl for Fall, 5 in. (13 cm) in diameter, handbuilt stoneware, when you are shopping for clothes and you visualize yourself in a fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Jerilyn Virden, seen here with certain jacket you see, you want the combination to be just perfect.” Hachiman (Shinto god) maki (roll).

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 46 focus aesthetics

The Banquet The restaurant is closed when the students arrive, full of anticipa- The Menu tion of the fantastic feast, and anxious and nervous about how their A traditional Japanese banquet consists of many courses with small dishes will look. Everyone is dressed up, with cameras in hand to portions— the greater the variety, the more extravagant the hospi- document the evening. They are seated at a bar that surrounds the tality. The courses presented by Chef Sakurai for the Tei Tei Project cooking area and can watch the actual banquet preparation. Chef are as follows: Sakurai and his two assistants work studiously over their stations, and the sounds of preparations and the smell of the cooking fill the Little Bite: A small taste of food with your drink. small restaurant. The experience starts with a warm cloth, and cold Three Things: A tiny taste that starts showing the season through sake is poured. Each course is presented in the special order typical the food. Sashimi: Crushed ice in a bowl topped with seasonal raw fish. of Japanese cuisine (see sidebar). Soup: It’s important to have the proper size and shape, especially As each course is presented, Sakurai briefl y explains what every- the rim, because you are supposed to drink the soup from the bowl. one is about to eat. At this point the chefs stop their frenzied prepara- Fry Tempura: A flat plate with neatly-folded paper on top. The tions to watch the reactions of the students. The feeling each person shape of the paper should be considered when designing the plate. gets when their dishes are presented with beautiful food is hard to Rice: Bowl must be able to hold with one hand, one finger under- explain. When two Japanese students participated in the project the neath, with thumb on rim. Shape of rim is important for comfort. first year, they were so overwhelmed with emotion, they cried. The Grill: Food cooked over oak charcoal. Chef Sakurai likes to cook grilled fish skewered to make it bend and look like it’s swimming students soon realize how special their dishes are to Chef Sakurai when served. and the restaurant, as he spared no expense, ordering cherry blossom Braise: Tall bowl keeps contents warm. Must be able to accommo- branches from Japan and serving the most expensive sake on the date chopsticks at no larger than a 45° angle. wine list. This exchange of gifts and talents is put into perspective Steam (not shown): Similar size and shape to Braise, but for when the students realize how much thought, creativity, effort and spring; sometimes smaller. expense Chef Sakurai lavishes on them. When dressed with beauti- Dessert: Not heavy, should clean the palate. ful food, the tableware transcended simple plates and bowls. Sakurai believes that layers of fl avor add sophistication to a dish. The vessels provide an additional layer, for a complete sensual experience. the author Louise Rosenfi eld has participated in the Tei Tei project since its inception, and has become obsessed with expensive sake.

Pickled cherry blossom leaf, strawberries and green tea custard in Dessert Bowl for Spring, 6 in. (15 cm) in diameter, thrown and altered porcelain, with copper red glaze, by Amy Miller.

Sake ice cream with malon (chestnut) and chestnut puré e complete this Dessert Bowl for Fall, 5 in. (13 cm) in diameter, handbuilt porcelain, with Shino glaze, fired to Cone 10 in reduction, by Lael Sale.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 47 In Pursuit of Personal Style by Conner Burns

It seems that once a person Time understands the basic tech- I took my first class at a com- niques of making pots, the munity art center and for attention is then divided be- the next two years worked tween the improvement of in that studio. I then set up those techniques and the a studio in my basement. pursuit of personal style. Nights and weekends were When someone asks, all I had and, as we all know, “How do I develop my that time is limited. Even- personal style,” it is often tually I took some time off accompanied by the expec- work (a personal sabbatical) tation of a response that will and went to Red Star Stu- be instant, concise and will dios as an artist-in-residence miraculously transform their for Steven Hill. I went from pots into something totally working with clay for an av- unique. I believe this is a erage of three hours a week learned habit of our fast- to most of each day. food/microwave society. Of- It seems reasonable to as- ten individuals feel the sume that if I spent three answer is what will change hours a week making pots, their pots— independent of it would take me longer to personal effort. develop than someone mak- I had been making pot- ing pots thirty hours a week. tery for a short time when a I don’t think this is surpris- person in the studio where I ing to anyone but it is im- work told me of a local gal- portant to consider. It helps lery that might be interested us to understand the impor- in my work. More impor- tance of time. It also might tantly, I was told that the help those who only get Bottle, 12 in. (30 cm) in height, thrown, altered and slab-built white stoneware, owner would give me an single fired in a gas kiln to Cone 10 in reduction, 2002. three studio hours a week honest critique. Although to accept that this develop- critiques were not new to ment might take longer. me, this was someone I did not know, someone that had never seen There is nothing wrong with that. The decreased pressure of “trying my work, and she had a reputation of honest evaluation. She re- to make it happen” should help. But time is not the only variable. I viewed the work and stated “your pots are fine technically, they just am not saying that you cannot develop without lots of time. I am lack you.” She said in one sentence what I was feeling, but could not saying that time is an important variable and the weight of it varies. have articulated before my conversation with her. I remember thinking, “I know, I know! How do I get me into my pots?” She was right, Experimentation but her statement was just that: a statement. It was not an answer. Early in my residency, there was a studio member that loved to see That conversation, my own pursuit of style and the frequency my pots after each firing because each firing yielded results that that the question has been posed to me, has caused me to consider appeared to be the product of different people. It was not necessarily the issue at some length. Personal style is both hard to achieve and as due to increased technical skill, but mainly due to my experimenta- natural as who we are. It is so hard to find yet is already a part of us tion with various forms and manners of working with clay. I experi- that cannot be denied. What follows is the path that I took. Hope- mented with styles that seemed to be comfortable and not fully it will offer some insight to others who find themselves in comfortable. Continuing to make a similar shape will help you to pursuit of personal style. refine it and develop it over time, but there are also benefits from

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 48 focus aesthetics

gross experimentation. Make forms that seem “out of bounds” for respected artists to Kansas City, and the Red Star Gallery is a world you. You might love or hate it, but you will definitely learn from it. class gallery of wonderful pots. I say this to emphasize that my work During this time period of vast experimentation, I would move and my development were not done in a vacuum. Yes, time alone from one series to another with each kiln load. At one point, I working is very important to me, and I believe it is required, but missed some of the pots from a past firing and I longed to go back to exposure to different styles, to different techniques and to different one of the techniques that I briefl y experimented with— that was people is also a necessity. exciting! I didn’t know it at the time, but I believe that was the I currently reside in the small town of Natchez, Mississippi, beginning of my personal style showing itself. That style has since where we have a potter’s breakfast the first Thursday of each month. continued to change a great deal, but that seed was important. I It is an opportunity to connect with others working in clay. And might never have discovered it had I not experimented so much. there is no need to limit your infl uences to clay. Get together with other artists in other media, from metal to fabric to architecture. Exposure While at Red Star, I was exposed to a great community of potters; Infl uences those that were a part of Red Star Studios and those that were part of A conscious recognition of that which infl uences us is important. I the Kansas City clay community. Hill brought workshops with well- am infl uenced by things such as rocks, trees, vegetation, the sand

Teapot, 9 in. (23 cm) in length, thrown and altered white stoneware, with ash glaze, single fired in a gas kiln to Cone 10 in reduction, 2005. Burns’ intent “is for the work to appear as if it ‘ grew that way’ rather than being made.”

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 49 “Tea for One,” 6 in. (15 cm) in height, thrown, altered and slab-built white stoneware, with ash glaze, single fired in a gas kiln to Cone 10 in reduction, 2002, by Conner Burns, Natchez, Mississippi.

pattern in the bottom of a small creek, the way a fl ower emerges other priorities. That is not wrong, it is realistic. Doesn’t that free from its bud. What about you? It might be organic, it might be things up a little? That recognition would help me to relax and not architectural. This doesn’t mean that your work should look ex- worry about trying to do it all. How about you? Placing priorities in actly like that which infl uences you, but there are parts of those order and committing time appropriately goes a long way. infl uences that infiltrate your work. Recognizing that can be beneficial If you truly want to develop you must put some effort into it. and enjoyable. You must pursue it with a conscious and decisive mind. You must be open to the possibilities, but consciously discarding and recognizing Commitment things. My larger fear is that individuals expect that all things will I regret that I do not remember where I read the following story, but “just happen,” and they just sit back and make no effort. Pursue it it is a good one to keep in mind when struggling to develop your with diligence. Ask those who you respect how they developed those personal style. forms. I suspect they will say they spent much time in the studio A professional basketball player practiced hours each day to working, trying new things and analyzing the results. perfect his technique. When he became successful and famous, he Thus far we have discussed a number of variables that seem to did not waiver; he continued this practice. As a professional, he was have a positive impact upon the development of personal style. exposed to many individuals who longed for talent like his. These Although I am certain that these are not all the components neces- individuals would complement him and make comments such as “I sary, I do believe that each component discussed is important: Time would give my right arm to be as good as you” or “I would give spent performing a task gives increased technical skill and increased anything to have your talent.” To these questions he replied, “would comfort with the material; active experimentation opens hidden you give eight hours a day of practice?” doors; exposure to great work illuminates possibilities; and a knowl- Just how committed are you to making good pots? I hear many edge of personal infl uences encourages self-assessment. If all of this say that their glazes are not what they want, and they would do is guided by a commitment to the process, then you are actively anything to have better glazes. When I ask if they are testing glazes, moving forward in pursuit of your style. The development of per- the answer is regularly no. So they would not do anything for better sonal style is both a result as well as a process. It is not an answer glazes. Perhaps they would like better glazes and hope one day to given to you, but an effort made by you that continues to produce make the time to test some, but at this point have chosen to pursue uncommon and completely personal results.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 50 Nelli Isupova

by Scott Norris

Although relatively unknown in the United States until recently, the artist Nelli Isupova has enjoyed a long and visible career as both an artist and gallery owner in Ukraine, the country that has been her home since leaving Russia in 1956 to attend art school in Odessa. Beginning her career in the 1960s as a successful designer of production tableware, Nelli reached artistic maturity as the creator of handbuilt figurative ceramics that share a pass- ing resemblance to those now produced by her son, Sergei Isupov, including bird-headed figures that faintly recall some of Sergei’s poignant, half-human protagonists. But despite these similarities, Nelli’s work— which also includes depic- tions of objects such as shoes, fish, oddly human-appearing chairs, fruit-laden trees and playfully sensual lips— displays a rough vigor quite different from her son’s pristine modeling. Her use of a rugged stoneware clay is noticeably different from Sergei’s dedication to high-fire porcelain. Furthermore, the psychological impact of her work seems more under- stated, and more lighthearted in its approach to gender and sexuality than that of her son. During a recent trip to America, Nelli spent nearly four weeks working in Sergei’s Virginia studio. In addition to reuniting a pair separated by thousands of miles and respec- tively busy careers, the visit gave Nelli the chance to produce thirteen new pieces exhibited during the summer of 2004 at Ferrin Gallery in Massachusetts. The Ferrin Gallery show, “A Family of Artists,” which included paintings by Nelli’s younger son, Ilya, and her former husband, Vladimir, as well as ceramic figures and prints by Sergei, provided a rare opportunity for viewers here to see the work of this significant family of Eastern European artists. While it would be misleading to speak of an “Isupov style,” certain characteristics— including a fascination with the human figure, a dedication to traditional representation, and a tendency to present their ideas in the form of oblique, sometimes unsettling tableaux— are evident to varying degrees in the work of all four Isupovs. Sharing a studio with your mother (for four weeks!) would be a daunting task for anyone. Although Sergei and Nelli are compatible workmates, seeming to be respectful colleagues as much as mother and son, Nelli tends to be an energetic worker, and somewhat of a distraction to a son accustomed to autonomy. As a result, Sergei planned his work schedule so as to reach the studio a few hours before Nelli each day, using the quiet early morning hours to gather his thoughts, sketch out the most essential work to be accomplished that day, and otherwise perform any creative tasks best accomplished in solitude. “Modification” 20 in. (51 cm) in height, handbuilt stoneware, 2004.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 51 Unlike her son, who aspires to produce work with a tension that many people find troubling, Nelli is steadfast in the belief that art should be both beautiful and pleasing. While she admires Sergei’s work and enjoys the success he has attained, she sometimes finds the sexual nature of his subject matter disturbing, his finishing techniques too refined, and the attention-grabbing qualities of his work irritating. She does not hesitate to express these opinions— a behavior that elicits little more than an indulgent smile from her son. Yet Nelli is not without contradictions. Fascinated by the fl amboyance of high fashion, she herself sets out to create work that will be noticed. In particular, the bright, cartoonlike charm of her work, looking almost like children’s drawings transferred to clay, is certain to attract considerable attention, despite any reservations she may have on that score. The thirteen new works produced in the United States were all built from hand-formed slabs, made without the use of rollers or the plaster molds that she often uses in Ukraine.

“Complication,” 22 in. (56 cm) in height, handbuilt Working quickly, making no attempt to achieve a smooth, porcelain, 2004, by Sergei Isupov, Richmond, Virginia. perfectly ﬁnished slab, Nelli fashioned the clay with a pleas-

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FERRIN GALLERY

“Fantasy,” 14 in. (36 cm) in height, handbuilt stoneware, 2004.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 52 Instead of speaking with the anonymity of folk art, the work of Nelli Isupova appears to be an interpretation of symbols from an inner world.

ing irregularity, marked by fingerprints and thickened bumps, a vigorous and forceful texture that remains clearly visible in her finished objects. While in Virginia, she worked steadily, day after day, rolling slabs into rough tubes and spheres, crimping those pieces together to create figures and objects, stopping to consider her work briefl y before resuming, a steady, energetic concentration leading her from one completed work to the next. Stone- ware chairs, a tree, a fish, angels and several other human forms resulted from this effort, with Sergei bisque firing his mother’s pieces unglazed, creating a suitable surface for the extensive glazes Nelli applied prior to subsequent firing. While pleased by the plentiful supply of art materials available in the U.S., Nelli found American glazes to be unusually clean, and lacking the impurities found in the glazes of the former Eastern Bloc. As such, she regretted the loss of certain qualities, particularly the glistening particles of mica found in the local glazes she uses in her home studio. In addition, she found the coloring of lead-free American glazes to be muted in comparison to the toxic, but intensely colorful, Ukrainian glazes. The relative dullness of American glazes may surprise people familiar with the vivid violet, magenta, red and green glazes of the works she exhibited at the Ferrin Gallery, a brilliance increased by bold decorative patterns that suggested the colorfully embroidered peasant clothing of Russia and Central Asia. Although this evocation of indigenous costume might lead us to identify Nelli as a folk artist, her creation of what looks like a personalized mythology seems far too individualistic to be interpreted as a part of a broad folk paradigm. Instead of speaking with the anonymity of folk art, her work appears to be an interpretation of symbols from an inner world, a world populated with objects and beings very different, perhaps, from those imagined by the rest of us, but not unlike those found in the work of other members of her family. While it may be a private world, that repertoire of imagery and ideas has proved to be a fertile soil for Nelli’s imagination, as well as a starting point for the extraordinary achievement of her son. Now working again in her studio in Kiev, Nelli continues to exhibit new work both in Ukraine and internationally, and will return to the United States in the months ahead to prepare for additional shows in this country. Further information on the works of Nelli Isupova is available through Ferrin Gallery. See www.ferringallery.com.

“Crow,” 17¹⁄₂ in. (44 cm), handbuilt stoneware, 2004, by Nelli Isupova, Kiev, Ukraine.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 53 by Wuanda Walls

PHOTOS: JOHNCARLANO, DAVID GENTRY

Platter, 13 in. (33 cm) in length, slab-built earthenware, with majolica, oxides and stains, fired to Cone 04.

For three decades, Joyce Nagata’s work in the studio and classroom Nagata’s face does not belie her emotions, nor does she try to has informed her career and personal life. Reputed for her distinc- repress them, her resignation married with lament is poignant. tive range of majolica, Nagata admits she is introspective, and it is Nevertheless, two years ago she began to take steps to clear a new time to look back at her work, her role as teacher and as a path. Shy of fifty, she settled into her new home/studio in suburban mother. “Sometimes you need to look back in order to reinvest,” she Westtown, Pennsylvania, with a five-year plan in place to pursue explains. “For me, if I find that I don’t have anything to rethink, wholesaling, acutely aware that many of her contemporaries had then there must be something wrong. I am Buddhist and one of the already transitioned to work as gallery owners, lecturers or opted for precepts is life always changes, and if you fear change you run the sabbaticals with no intention of returning to the wheel. risk of running around in circles.” In regard to looking back at her work, Nagata says she is con- Listening to her speak, I sense the seasons of change have helped cerned with the integrity of her craftsmanship; namely the design her remain true to herself and her work, although there may have language of her domestic ware— particularly her plates, which have been difficult decisions to make along the way. “I feel ready to put a certain dancing quality to the edges, never to be stacked like something behind me but I’m not sure what. In part, I believe it is pancakes. “If I were to describe my work, whether thrown or because motherhood as I have known it is behind me. Clearly my handbuilt, I would say there is a degree of looseness to it. So, it may teenage daughter doesn’t want or need the kind of care she needed be time to tighten up, although I believe I’m still more interested in when she was younger. Soon, she will be off to college.” the spirit my work evokes. When people see my work their com-

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 54 ments are usually that they look happy. I can’t make pots when I’m not happy and I think that is refl ected in my work.” What is noteworthy is Nagata’s ability to paint objects such as vegetables, fruit and animals that seem to be made effortlessly from a few brushstrokes, nicely balanced by her choice of colors that make reference to the Spanish-Italian heritage of majolica as well as her traditional skills and technical understanding of the material, form, line and color; thus creating an effl uence of vibrancy coupled with exuberance. A third generation Japanese American, born and raised in Illi- nois, Nagata set out on a conventional training to teach art. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign in 1971 and traveled to Japan for the first time in 1975. “I was studying art education and knew nothing about clay.” At the time, she knew little Japanese and was not interested in her roots, only wanting to travel and explore the country. However, life had other plans. “In Japan I discovered how wonderful it was to be anonymous; to be part of the dominant population and to experience a degree of visual invisibility.” Nagata remained for one year, first in Zushi city as a special student to the highly respected Tadao Kawasaki, renowned for his porcelain work embracing European aesthetic style and Japanese traditions. Later, she moved to the ancient clay city of Shigaraki where she apprenticed at Soto-en, a ceramic factory, the place where she learned to throw. Platter, 18 in. (46 cm) in diameter, thrown earthenware, with white slip, “The revelation that making pots was not about making art— copper oxide, rutile and black stains, and amber glaze, fired to Cone 04. well, personal art— but learning a tradition of craftsmanship was an eye opener. I loved the concept of not being creative in the Western sense but instead respecting the material.” She returned home with an inner vision to learn as much about clay as possible. After graduating in 1975, Nagata taught at an elementary school in order to save money for graduate school. She remained steadfast and disciplined, studying clay at a community college at night, teaching art during the day. Within two years she returned to the University of Illinois to pursue a masters in education, primarily to get more time in a ceramics studio and build a portfolio for further graduate work in clay. “Running after 300 kids a week by day, and trying to do clay at night, proved to be a nightmare. I was clearly going nowhere so going back to school became the only option,” Nagata recalls. Turning down a job offer to teach clay at a suburban high school, she left Illinois for the University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee to study ceramic sculpture and broaden her knowledge of American ceramics as well as deepen her understanding of her own visceral response to clay. In 1982, with her M.F.A. in hand, Nagata quickly landed in academia at Swarthmore College to work as assistant professor of studio art. Refl ecting on that period, Nagata recalls several incidents that gave her pause, stating that when applying for jobs numerous people assumed she made Japanese– style pots because she had studied in Plate, 11 in. (28 cm) square, earthenware, Japan and was Asian, which at the time made her bristle. with brushed majolica decoration, fired to Cone 04.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 55 “When you are a third-generation Japanese American, where is appeared tentative yet resolved before she continues, “I have no the line of division between Japanese and American? I believe these regrets. There is a comfort at ﬁfty. I enjoy working for myself, taking assumptions caused me to instinctively view with suspicion any care of my family, teaching, which I still love, and running my life in inclination to make water jars and sushi plates with crusty wood-ash any direction I choose, however inadequately I may do it.” glazes. Although I had plenty of experience with using such things Nagata’s quest for knowledge and inquisitive nature, indeed her in Japan, none of my family and life experiences in Chicago had stubbornness, led her on a ten-year journey that established her anything remotely to do with the cultural understanding of such personal decorative style exploring earthenware majolica pots. Ex- objects. I viewed the making of such objects with suspicion; that I plorations into the nature of earthenware, its particular imperfec- was ‘ adopting’ a cultural aesthetic.” tions and challenges appealed to her intellect, technical skills and Working with sculptural forms allowed Nagata time to look at personal daring. Making sturdy pots able to withstand years of daily and digest the larger world of ceramic objects, and gain a perspective use (in and out of the dishwasher, oven and microwave without on what the history of clay had to offer, eventually leading her to the crazing, chipping or falling prey to wear and tear of real life) she is colorful history of European traditional majolica. satisﬁed to have done away with the myth of the inadequacies of

Bowl, 5 in. (13 cm) in height, thrown and altered, with majolica, oxides and stains, fired to Cone 04, by Joyce Nagata, Westtown, Pennsylvania.

Teaching came naturally, allowing time for investigation of forms earthenware. Her loyal collectors buy all that she makes year to year and surfaces, and investigation into the world of low-fire clay, but and she has begun to find a larger national market as well. Eager to the other responsibilities including faculty meetings, and depart- expand her line and find an even larger market, Nagata has increased mental issues and concerns manifested into disconnect. When her her studio production to include amber-glazed earthenware reminis- daughter was born she left academia (after nine years) to devote cent of Provènce ware, attracting the attention of collectors, gallery studio time to pottery and real time to motherhood. Poised for the owners, and new clients who are slightly more conservative and challenge, she was set on figuring out a way to make a living making traditional. Within two years her client base has doubled. Maintain- pots. “I wanted to know how to balance family and studio, in fact, I ing balance in her life is paramount and deciding not to produce on intended to explore all the things they don’t teach you in school a large scale may cause Nagata to rethink her five-year plan. related to the business side of making pots.” Looking at her soft, serene face, it is clear she is contemplating Lately, she has wondered if she taught for too long in regards to her next move; building a soda kiln. Life is about change and goals for making pots. “When you are twenty, hauling pots around, challenge, and with a daughter going off to college, the next few setting up and dismantling is not a big deal, but at fifty, it is!” She years will not be about running around in circles.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 56 Everyday Dishes by Ginger Steele, with Ellen Currans

“Fish Platter,” 21 in. (53 cm) in length, slab-built stoneware, with verdigris glaze, fired to Cone 10 in a Minnesota Flat Top car kiln.

One day in 1960, an unexpected delivery truck pulled up to Ellen home on the property was a farmhouse built in 1895. The wheel and Tom Currans’ home in southern California. It carried a one- occupied a place in the kitchen and pots were dried in the dining speed potter’s wheel built from a square, green Maytag washing room. When company came, a piece of oilcloth covered the wheel. machine, sent by her brother who had just begun his career as an Soon, Tom had a small cottage moved nearer to the house, con- industrial arts teacher. Ellen had started taking night-school ceram- nected it with a porch, and Ellen had her first real studio. They ics classes at Pasadena City College in l957. With three small chil- called it Cedar Pond Pottery. dren under four, the gift of a wheel made it possible for her to work Feeling a need for more training, Ellen began attending classes at at home. It was soon joined by an 8-cubic-foot updraft kiln rescued Portland State in l967, and continued for five quarters. Not finding from its previous duty of firing garden gnomes. what she wanted in the classwork, Ellen decided to just start work- Ellen grew up in the Okanogan Valley of north central Washing- ing at home, and began to collect ceramic books and journals, take ton, and she and Tom met and married at the University of Wash- workshops, and in l970, spent a month traveling in Japan with ington in Seattle. For three years Ellen studied clothing, textiles and Carlton Ball and 25 other potters. art, unaware of the ceramics studio on campus. She was deeply Ten years after moving to Oregon, Tom left his position as a impressed by and attracted to the new Scandinavian designs that mechanical engineer at Tektronix to build a new passive solar home were finding their way into home furnishings, and the simple, clean on their property. Selling twenty acres and the old farmhouse, they lines of Northwest home architecture. Texture, natural materials, and three teenage kids moved into a 50-foot trailer for the duration and functionality were at the heart of the new aesthetic, and this has of the construction. A studio was built and work on the house was been a major infl uence on her pottery. begun but Ellen’s growing pottery business called for more and more In 1965 the Currans family moved back to the Northwest. of Tom’s time. Before they left, they held a yard sale and Ellen sold her first pots to Tom mixes and pugs clay, keeps the large glaze buckets filled, the neighbors. She describes them as “thin-lipped, fat-bottomed, loads and unloads the bisque kiln, and unloads and sands the glazed with scraggley glazes.” In Oregon, they purchased a farm near pots. He built the studio and all its additions, maintains and adapts Dundee, southwest of Portland, where they still live. Their first equipment, hauls clay and glaze materials, and shares all the work of

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 57 setting up and working shows. His technical training and physical strength have been a perfect foil for her creative work. Ellen’s studio is uniquely orderly, clean and welcoming. In the main room the walls are lined with books, periodicals, and Ellens’ notebooks from over 45 years of thinking about and working with clay. Other tall shelves are ﬁlled with tools and patterns and slowly drying new work. There’s a woodstove, a bed for Shino the pug and a small efﬁcient kitchen that used to double as glaz ing space. Behind a central desk and wall of books is a tidy area with two wheels, and an adjacent space with a motoriz ed slab roller. It’s here that Ellen forms her most individual work. The slab roller is surrounded by every imaginable object that a potter might use to make a mark on clay, as well as numerous items used as molds for her textured

Tray, 12 in. (30 cm) in length, mug, and small creamer and sugar holder, thrown and slab-built slab work. Most of these forms are recycled from stoneware, with soft blue matt glaze, fired to Cone 10 in a Minnesota Flat Top car kiln. local thrift and antique stores. There are glass, wood and plastic trays and low bowls of every shape and siz e, and hundreds of textured paper patterns that Ellen uses to impart imagery to clay. A separate room for mixing glaz es and glaz ing, storing bisque, and loading the kiln was enclosed in 2003 when they rebuilt and moved their MFT car kiln to an all-metal kiln shed. In the mid ’80s, a 12×14-foot showroom was built onto the front of the studio. It is open by appointment whenever the Currans’ are home and allows faithful customers who miss her shows to still ﬁnd her work. Ellen makes between 2000– 3000 pieces each year. N ow, at age 73, she does only two large shows, the Oregon Potters Association (OPA) Ce- ramic Showcase in spring, and the LOCAL 14 Show in October. It is no coincidence that Ellen was a founder of each these shows. The OPA Showcase has a 23-year history, and may now be the largest all-ceramic show in the U nited States, with sales approaching $500,000 for approximately 175 potters. LOCAL 14, begun by fourteen women artists in 1967, has mentoring and schol- arship programs that have beneﬁted many emerging women artists and involves around 100 artists each year. Both shows are completely run by the artists themselves. In 1980, Ellen, Tom Coleman and Bert McDowell founded OPA. Originally, the group considered itself to be a cooperative for the purpose of purchasing ceramic materials and equip-

Square cookie plate, 7 in. (18 cm) square, handled baking dish, and small pourer, thrown ment at quantity prices, and as a support group and slab-built stoneware with Oribe glaze, fired to Cone 10, by Ellen Currans, Dundee, Oregon. for studio potters. Over the years, OPA has be-

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 58 come a vibrant nonproﬁt organization with nearly 400 members in Oregon and Washington. OPA also brings ceramics education and awareness to the public through other events and activities, and raises approximately $16,000 each year for the Oregon Food Bank during the Portland Blues Festival by selling pottery donated by OPA members and local ceramics programs. Ellen decided in the 1980s that selling to galleries or wholesaling

was not the way she wanted to market her work. From the begin- WYNJA L. DOREEN STEELE, GINGER PHOTOS: ning she has chosen to keep her prices reasonable enough that people use her work for their everyday dishes and buy more as time goes on. She has been the top seller at the two shows in which she participates, sometimes selling out the first day. It has been a common sight for the past decade to see buyers standing six deep around her booth at the OPA Showcase, waiting for their turn to make selections. With most pieces in the $20– $60 range, customers usually choose several pieces— for themselves and as gifts for friends. But it’s not only price that brings customers back to Ellen’s booth In her Cedar Pond Pottery studio, Ellen Currans adds a wood-block each year. The pots and platters make sense in the lives of the people design to the center of a freshly textured slab. who use them. They impart dignity and beauty to the presentation of food and to the daily domestic rituals that are the substance of MONTHLY our lives. Ellen’s own love of cooking and serving food, and her methods deeply hospitable nature, have been as much a part of the formation of the aesthetic of her work as have been any ceramics class she has Textured Slabs attended. Ellen’s work is also unique in that it is at ease in many The stoneware Tom brings from the pugmill for slabs is surroundings; it is contemporary in form and decoration, as well as stiffer than for throwing, and Ellen whacks the pug down complementary to the Craftsman tradition that is a part of many with a mallet in preparation for rolling. The clay is encased Pacific Northwest homes. in canvas and the motor drones as it presses the clay into a Ellen has mentored countless potters and has given local work- fl at, firm slab. Ellen smoothes the surface with a window shops during her career. Unless preparing for a show, she is always squeegee and brushes the surface with cornstarch. She then ready for a visitor and shares her knowledge freely. Over the years, carefully places a precut piece of textured paper on the slab. she has prepared several articles for ceramic publications, the best of This will define the area that will be the center of the tray or which might be the Ceramics Monthly supplement from 1994, “Prac- platter. The slab is passed again through the slab roller, tical Potting.” It is an excellent primer for any potter on studio registering the design on the surface of the clay. For some management and show preparation. She also had an article in the forms a rubber stamp or stencil adds complexity. first Pottery Making Illustrated in 1997 entitled “Press Molding A mold form which fits the proportions of the textured Without Plaster, WD-40 in the Studio,” which describes her slab- design, has been brushed with WD-40 to keep the clay from forming technique in detail. sticking to the form and to allow her to gently move the slab After 25 years, the house that Ellen and Tom have built from until the design is precisely located in the form. Laying a ground up is nearly complete. Ellen is considering the last details of thin plastic film over the clay, she works the slab into the kitchen organization with help from an architect brother-in-law. form using a pounce (a cup or so of fine grog held by a There will be lots of display spaces for pottery, a granite-topped rubber band in a small square of tightly woven sheeting). baking center for Ellen (who loves to bake), and counters and This allows her to press the clay gently into the mold with- splashes finished with tile made by Ellen, and glazed with a soft, out distorting the freshly textured surface. She meticulously matt glaze slightly paler than the color of wheat. bevels the rim of the piece at the edge of the form to ensure Potters will sit in the south-facing kitchen for years to come and that the clay releases as it dries and shrinks. talk about clay, glaze and kilns. There will be delicious food made Currans finishes some pieces with thrown rims and and served by Ellen on her own handmade everyday dishes. Tom handles, and keeps all works under plastic film for several days will visit for a while and then go back out to complete yet another before drying them very slowly in a damp cupboard. After task. All fortunate enough to visit will see another way to make a bisque firing, she applies glazes that will accentuate the tex- good life; a life in clay. ture by breaking over edges and pooling slightly in low spots. An expanded version of this article, including an in-depth explanation of studio processes is available online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 59 A Glittering Obsession by Sumi von Dassow

PHOTO: MADDOG STUDIO

“Pod,” 4 in. (10 cm) in height, porcelain, with Celadon glaze, “Solitary Vessel,” 6¹⁄₂ in. (17 cm) in height, porcelain, with Bone Ash and Celadon and red Glaze Kiln Jewels, 2003. and Sky Blue glazes, and Yellow Limestone Glaze Kiln Jewel, 2004.

Many artists’ greatest works have been the result of happy accidents While a student at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD), leading to entirely new and unforeseen developments. Indeed, the Mary Cay became enamored with these little jewels and began ability to see the opportunity presented by an unexpected result and collecting them during the kiln openings. After the death of Rodger allow one’s train of thought to be sidetracked onto an interesting Lang, her mentor at MSCD, she made a piece with all the jewels she and unplanned journey practically defines creativity. had collected and dedicated it to him. Another of her early pieces Pottery, perhaps more than any other art form, is particularly using these jewels was included in the Emerging Artists feature subject to accidents, happy or otherwise. The alchemy of the fire article in the May 2002 issue of Ceramics Monthly. and glaze leads to surprises, angst, joy and tears when kilns are Seeing myriad possibilities of working with glaze kiln jewels, she opened. One small surprise is the jewel of glaze that occasionally was determined to grow them— or as she quipped “cultivate them appears on a kiln shelf under a too-heavily-glazed pot— most likely rather than mine them.” The trials and errors of this project con- found in studios in which the inexperienced student layers many sumed two years of study, initiated conversations and recommenda- glazes. The pot that produced the jewel is usually a dud, but few tions from other artists, and eventually resulted in the manufacture could fail to feel a moment of delight at seeing a perfectly round of thousands of glaze kiln jewels per kiln firing. The goal was jewel of glaze. Undoubtedly, many ceramics artists stash these little reached, but equally importantly the process led to self-discovery. gifts of the kiln gods away to use some day, some way. “Working with porcelain and glazes has taught me to be patient,

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 60 refl ective, and most importantly that timing is everything. Taking and then decanting to remove the excess water from the surface. The on this project led me to use an element of scientific methodology basic method is to wipe a mullite kiln shelf with warm water to by changing one variable at a time to achieve my goal.” reduce its absorbency, apply a layer of a wax-resist and aluminum- Spending two years to perfect the manufacture of glaze kiln hydrate mixture, and then apply two or more layers of kiln wash. jewels may seem a risky enterprise with an uncertain payoff, particu- The thickened glaze is then applied onto the damp kiln shelf in larly in a soundbite culture craving instant gratification. But con- several rows of large drops using a syringe. After firing, the jewels are sider that artists have consumed entire lifetimes seeking such elusive scraped off the shelf, washed and scrubbed on a piece of drywall goals as the refinement of porcelain production in seventeenth- and screen to remove any kiln wash still adhering to the bottom of each eighteenth-century Europe; an investment of energy the legacy of jewel. The correct preparation of the kiln shelf reduces the crusting which continues to this day. One can do worse than to follow the and makes this last step as easy as possible. model of past masters, painstakingly documenting every success and Cay’s technological achievement, far from being an end in itself, failure, building on knowledge gained from successive firings, and leads to numerous possibilities. On functional ware, a clear glaze is developing an intimate and committed relationship with the work. applied to the bottom of the jewel and after another firing becomes In the end, Cay found that the secret to making successful glaze melded to the ware, making it food and dishwasher safe. When the kiln jewels lies first in taking copius notes and then in the proper jewels are placed on the bottom of a piece, they elevate the piece off preparation of the kiln shelf as well as of the glaze mixtures them- the surface at the same time protecting the surface. On nonfunc- selves. Different kiln washes are required for different glazes, and tional work (both ceramic pieces and mixed-media work) the jewels while some glazes work better if they are mixed with sodium silicate, can be glued with epoxy or embedded in caulk. For bonsai-inspired other glazes work best when mixed normally, allowing them to settle planters the jewels rest on top of the soil allowing the water to

“Planter and Tray with Pouring Vessel,” 12 in. (30 cm) in height, porcelain, with Bone Ash Glaze and Sky Blue Glaze Kiln Jewels, 2005.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 61 Detail of Mary Cay’s Sky Blue Glaze Kiln Jewels, from “Three Vessels.” The color is achieved by mixing Limestone Glaze with a strong cobalt glaze, but cobalt oxide or carbonate can be used as well. MONTHLY methods Farming Kiln Jewels

Kiln Shelf Preparation Glaze Preparation The first step in the process is to apply a wax-resist/alumina- After mixing batches of the glazes, fill several plastic containers hydrate mix to bare mullite kiln shelves. Mix equal parts wax and allow them to sit uncovered overnight. The next day, decant resist and alumina hydrate by volume. Stir well and often. For all the water that is sitting on top and remix the glazes with a Limestone Base Glaze, use four parts wax resist to one part fork. Allow them to sit for another two or three days and decant alumina hydrate by volume. For Judy Cornell’s Moon Celadon again. The glazes should then be a very thick paste. Humidity glaze, use two parts wax resist to one part alumina hydrate clearly effects the decantation process. In Colorado, a semi-arid by volume. state, this process can be completed in three days. After washing the kiln shelf with hot water, quickly apply the For Judy Cornell’s Moon Celadon, add 1 teaspoon of sodium wax-resist/alumina-hydrate mix to the shelf with a sponge brush silicate at a time, and remix to defl occulate the glaze just enough (purchased from any hardware store). Allow drying just to the to hold a hemispherical shape as it is extruded from a syringe. point at which the wax is no longer tacky and then apply a second For every 24 ounces of decanted glaze, 2 tablespoons of sodium coat. For jewels larger than ½ inch in diameter or for the silicate are usually added. For the Limestone Glaze, no sodium Celadon kiln jewels, apply a third coat. Note: If the wax dries silicate is necessary. too much, it will repel the next layer of kiln wash. To remedy this, apply hairspray that contains alcohol in even, sweeping coats to Glaze Application soften the wax. Apply the glazes to the prepared kiln shelves through a syringe and fire to Cone 10 in reduction. After firing, the kiln Applying Kiln Wash jewels will release from the shelves and can be washed off. If Mix the wash to the consistency of heavy whipping cream and necessary, the bottom can be sanded with a drywall screen. apply at least two coats to kiln shelf that has been prepared with the wax-resist/alumina-hydrate mix above. For larger (more than Post Firing ½ inch diameter) kiln jewels, apply additional coats. To make a Kiln jewels can be refired onto ceramics using Cone 017, smooth surface, spray the kiln wash with water from a spray 05 or 04 glazes as an adhesive, or attached with epoxy in a cold bottle and allow to dry between coats. surface treatment.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 62 evaporate less. In installations, jewels have been arranged on gallery walls by first gluing them to carpet brads, drilling ³⁄₁₆-inch holes recipes in the walls and inserting the brads. Embed- ding the jewels in greenware and firing results Kiln Wash for Limestone Glaze The following recipes were given out during in a finished piece oozing the sparkle pecu- Calcined Kaolin ...... 50% the summer session at New York State Col- liar to these gems. Cay’s studio mate, Gail Silica (Flint) ...... 50 lege of Ceramics at Alfred in 1998. Fraiser, makes large sculptural vessels and has 100 % Judy Cornell’ s Moon Celadon started purchasing jewels as embellishments Kiln Wash for (Cone 10) to her Shino-glazed pots. Undoubtedly many Judy Cornell’ s Moon Celadon new uses for the glaze kiln jewels remain to Alumina Hydrate ...... 60% Whiting ...... 16.2 % be discovered, a prospect which never would Calcined Kaolin ...... 20 Kona F-4 Feldspar ...... 50.5 have materialized had the diligent investment Kentucky Ball Clay ...... 20 Silica (Flint) ...... 33.3 in the process never been made. 100 % 100.0 % Mary Cay is represented by the Evergreen Add: Bentonite ...... 1.0 % Gallery (www.theevergreengallery.com) and by Barnard Clay ...... 5.5 % McGrath and Braun Art Consultants This is a glaze that settles easily, so add 3 (www.mcgrathandbraun.com). tablespoons of Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom’s Salts) to a 10,000-gram batch of glaze.

Limestone Glaze (Cone 10)

Whiting ...... 15% Custer Feldspar ...... 49 Kaolin ...... 13 Silica (Flint) ...... 23 100 % Add: Bentonite ...... 2% Stains can be added to this glaze according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. For Yellow Glaze Kiln Jewels, 3% Cerdec yellow stain was added. Carbonates and oxides also have been added to this recipe with success by using various proportions. A strong cobalt glaze was mixed with this glaze to produce the Sky Blue Glaze Kiln Jewel, but cobalt carbonate or oxide also could be used. A wash of copper sulfate can be sprayed or brushed on to create the Copper Sulfate Glaze Kiln Jewels.

Bone Ash Glaze (Cone 10)

Bone Ash ...... 5% Dolomite ...... 30 Kona F4 Feldspar ...... 40 EPK Kaolin ...... 25 100 % Add: Bentonite ...... 2% “Three Vessels,” 8 in. (20 cm) in height, porcelain, with Bone Ash and Sky Blue glazes, and Copper Sulfate and Sky Blue Glaze Kiln Jewels, 2005, by Mary Cay, Conifer, Colorado.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 63 Clayworks, 5707 Smith Ave., Baltimore 21209; call for entries e-mail [email protected]; Deadlines for Exhibitions, Fairs and Festivals see www.baltimoreclayworks.org; or telephone (410) 578-1919, x18. See call for entries online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org United States Exhibitions International Exhibitions February 6 entry deadline Eugene, Oregon “ Look! Positive Sexuality in Art” February 6 entry deadline (August 2–30), open to all media. Juried from San Angelo, Texas “ The Sixteenth San Angelo slides or CD. Juror: Robert Canaga, Opus6ix and National Ceramic Competition” (April 21–June Mary Nyquist Koons. Fee: $30 for up to 3 entries. 25), open to artists residing in Canada, Mexico or Sales commission: 50%. For further information the United States. Juried from slides. Juror: Ann and prospectus, send SASE to PPHSSO, 360 E. Lancaster, executive director, Houston Center for Tenth St., Ste. 104, Eugene 97401; e-mail Contemporary Craft. Cash awards. For further [email protected]; see www.new3rs.info; or tele- information, contact Karen Zimmerly, San Angelo phone (541) 344-1611 x14. Museum of Fine Arts, One Love St., San Angelo February 10 entry deadline 76903; e-mail [email protected]; or telephone Lincoln, California “ Feats of Clay XIX” (April 29– (325) 653-3333. May 28). Juried from slides. Juror: Judith Duff. Fee: February 14 entry deadline $15 for 1 entry; $25 for 2; $30 for 3. Awards: Tallahassee, Florida “ Combined Talents Annual $24,000 in place, merit and purchase. For further Juried Exhibition” (August 28–September 2), open information and prospectus, send #10 SASE to to all media. Juried from up to 2 slides or CD. Lincoln Arts, 540 F St., Lincoln 95648; see Jurors: Florida State University College of Visual www.lincolnarts.org. Arts, Theatre and Dance Faculty. Fee: $20. Awards: February 15 entry deadline 1st place, $1000; 2nd $500. Contact Jean D. Syracuse, New York “ Shaped Clay 2006 National Young, Florida State University Museum of High School Ceramics Exhibition” at the Everson Fine Arts, 8347 Summerdale Ln., Tallahassee Museum of Art (April 7–May 14), open to current 32306-1140; e-mail [email protected]; see and recent high school graduates. Juried from up www.mofa.fsu.edu/combinedtalents.htm; or tele- to 5 slides or CD in MAC format. Jurors: Marisa phone (850) 644-3906. Pascucci, senior curator, Everson Museum of Art February 22 entry deadline and Errol Willett, associate professor of ceramics, Murfreesboro, Tennessee “ Siggraph 2006, The Syracuse University. Fee: $25 for up to 3 slides; $35 Teapot as Object and Icon” (August 1–3), open to for 4; $45 for 5. Awards: $1500. For prospectus, teapots designed with computer graphic tech- contact Errol Willett, Syracuse University, 121 nologies. Juried from digitals. For further informa- Comstock Art Facility, Syracuse 13244-5050; e-mail tion, contact Marc Barr, Middle Tennessee State [email protected]; telephone (315) 443- University, Department of Electronic Media Com- 3830; or fax (315) 443-3032. munication, Murfreesboro 37132; e-mail February 17 entry deadline [email protected]; see www.siggraph.org/s2006; Alexandria, Virginia “ Open Exhibition 2006” (Oc- or telephone (615) 898-5118. tober 18–November 26), open to all media. Juried March 20 entry deadline from up to 30 slides or digitals. Jurors: Jennifer Frederick, Maryland “ Alumnae and Alumni Art Glave Kocen, director of Rentz Gallery, Jane and Exhibition” (April 26–June 25), open to alumni or Arthur Mason, and Lisa Williamson. Fee: $35. For graduate students of Hood College. Juried from prospectus, send SASE to Target Gallery, Torpedo slides. Fee: $15 for up to 3 entries. For prospectus, Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria contact Hood College, 401 Rosemont Ave., 22314; e-mail [email protected]; Frederick 21701; e-mail [email protected]; see see www.torpedofactory.org; or telephone (703) www.hood.edu/academic/art/hodson; or tele- 838-4565 x4. phone (301) 696-3456. March 9 entry deadline April 5 entry deadline Monticello, Arkansas “ First Annual National Juried La Crosse, Wisconsin “ The Art of the Doll” (July 1– Cup Show” (April 25–May 25). Juror: Kirk Mangus. August 19), open to all craft media. Juried from Fee: $20. For prospectus, send SASE to Scott slides or digitals. Juror: Judy Onofrio. Fee: $25 for Lykens, University of Arkansas at Monticello, Cup 3 entries. Awards: $2000. For further information, Show c/o UAM Art. Dept., PO Box 3460, Monticello contact Pump House, 119 King St., La Crosse 71656; e-mail [email protected]; or telephone 54601; e-mail [email protected]; see (870) 460-1238. www.thepumphouse.org; or telephone (608) March 11 entry deadline 785-1434. Waynesboro, Virginia “ Masks, Visages and Veils” April 20 entry deadline (May 18–June 28), open to all craft media. Juried Helena, Montana “ International Cup Exhibition” from up to 6 slides (1 full shot and 1 detail of each (June 22–July 22), open to ceramic cups. Juried entry), or images on CD. Juror: Trudi Van Dyke, from up to 2 slides. Jurors: Richard Notkin and Rick executive director, Torpedo Factory Art Center. Newby. Fee: $20 for 1 entry; $25 for 2. Cash Fee: $20 for up to 3 entries. Awards: Best in awards. For prospectus, send SASE to the Clay Show, $750; 1st, $500; 2nd, $250. Sales commis- Studio of Missoula, 910 Dickens, Missoula, MT sion: 40%. For further information and prospec- 59802; e-mail [email protected]; tus, send SASE to Artisans Center of Virginia, PO see www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org; or tele- Box 452, Waynesboro 22980; telephone (540) phone (406)543-0509. 946-3294; e-mail [email protected]; or see June 16 entry deadline www.artisanscenterofvirginia.org. Baltimore, Maryland “ World Women: On the Ho- Watkinsville, Georgia “ 2006 Southworks Juried rizon” (October 7–November 12), open to ceram- Art Exhibition” (May 9–June 10), open to all me- ics made by women about women. Juried from dia. Juried from slides. Juror: Carla Hanzal, curator slides or digitals. Jurors: Janet Mansfield, potter, of contemporary art at the Mint Museum. Fee: publisher/editor of Ceramics: Art and Perception $35; members, $25 for up to 3 entries. Awards; and Ceramics Technical; Heeseung Lee, studio $10,000. Contact Jaime Bull, Oconee Cultural Arts artist; and Lydia Thompson, sculptor and assistant Foundation, 34 School St., Watkinsville 30677; see professor of ceramics at Virginia Commonwealth www.ocaf.com; or telephone (706) 769-4565. University School of Arts. Fee: $15 for up to 5 March 20 entry deadline entries. For further information and prospectus, Surf City, New Jersey “ Jersey Shore Clay National contact Leigh Taylor Mickelson, Baltimore 2006” (May 27–June 26), open to functional and

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Bailey Pottery Equip. Corp. TOLL FREE (800) 431-6067 PO BOX 1577 DIRECT (845) 339-3721 Kingston, NY 12402 FAX (845) 339-5530 www.baileypottery.comCeramics Monthly February 2006 e-mail: [email protected] 65 e-mail [email protected]; or telephone 46227; e-mail [email protected]; or telephone call for entries (330) 676-1549 or (330) 672-7853. (317) 788-3253. April 1 entry deadline Southport, North Carolina “ 26th Annual July Na- Regional Exhibitions sculptural ceramics. Juried from Slides. Juror: tional Show” (June 18–July 22), open to all media. Doug Casebeer. Fee: $10 for 1 entry; $20 for 2; Juried from slides. 3D Juror: Charles Riggs. Awards: February 10 entry deadline $25 for 3. Awards: Best in Show, $500; second, Best in Show, $1000. For further information and Troy, New York “ 2006 Ceramics Regional” (Sep- $250; third, $100; purchase award. Commission: prospectus, send SASE to Associated Artists of tember 8–December 31), open to artists residing 40%. For prospectus, send SASE to m.t. burton Southport, 130 E. West St., Southport 28461; or within a 100-mile radius of Troy. Juried from up to gallery, JSCN ’06, 1819 Long Beach Blvd., Surf City see www.franklinsquaregallery.org. 10 slides. Juror: Thomas Piche, Jr., independent 08008; e-mail [email protected]; see July 14 entry deadline curator and critic. Contact Gina Occhiogrosso, the www.mtburtongallery.com; telephone (609) 494- Indianapolis, Indiana “ ClayFest 2006” (Septem- Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River St., 0006; or fax (609) 494-0105. ber 5–29), open to current and former residents Troy 12180; see www.artscenteronline.org; or March 22 entry deadline of Indiana. Juried from slides. Fee: $20 for 3 telephone (518) 273-0552. Kent, Ohio “ Sixth Annual National Juried Cup entries. For further information and prospectus, February 24 entry deadline Show” (May 3–June 10). Juror: Jason Hess. Fee: contact the University of Indianapolis, Dept. of Grand Junction, Colorado “ Contemporary Clay $20. Juried from slides. For further information, Art and Design, 1400 E. Hanna Ave., Indianapolis ’06” (May 5–June 24), open to residents of Ari- zona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Ne- vada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Juried from up to 3 slides. Jurors: Tom Collins and Bryan Yancey. For further information and prospectus, send SASE to Terry Shep- herd, the Art Center, 1803 N. Seventh St., Grand Junction 81501; e-mail [email protected]; see www.gjartcenter.org; or telephone (970) 243- 7337, x6. April 22 entry deadline Moses Lake, Washington “ Sculpture Without Walls,” outdoor exhibition (June 17, 2006–May, 2007), open to artists residing in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or Wyoming. Juried from slides or photos. Awards: People’s Choice, up to $10,000; merits, $3000. Contact Moses Lake Mu- seum & Art Center, 228 W. Third Ave., Moses Lake 98837; e-mail [email protected]; see www.mlrec.com/museum.html; or telephone (509) 766-9395. June 15 entry deadline Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania “ WAD Clay Institute Juried Clay Annual” (September 8–30), open to all ceramists residing in Washington D.C., Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. Juried from slides. Juror: Ron Korczynski. Fee: $20 for up to 3 entries. Awards: cash and purchase. For prospectus, contact WAD Clay Institute, 2100 Mary St., Pittsburgh 15203; or telephone Gerry Dinnen (412) 279-9956.

Fairs and Festivals February 28 entry deadline Lancaster, Pennsylvania “ Long’s Park Art & Craft Festival” (September 1–4). Juried from 5 slides. Fee: $30. Booth fee: $80 for 10×10-foot space; $125 for 20×10. Contact Long’s Park Amphithe- ater Foundation, PO Box 1553CML, Lancaster 17608-1553; e-mail [email protected]; see www.longspark.org; telephone (717) 295-7054; or fax (717) 290-7123. March 1 entry deadline Salina, Kansas “ Smoky Hill River Festival Fine Art/ Fine Craft Show” (June 10–11). Juried from 6 slides. Fee: $20. Booth fee: $250 for 10×10-foot space. Awards. Contact Karla Prickett, Visual Arts Coordinator, PO Box 2181, Salina 67402-2181; e-mail [email protected]; see www.riverfestival.com; telephone (785) 309-5770; or fax (785) 826-7444. Salina, Kansas “ Smoky Hill River Four Rivers Craft Market Show” (June 9–11). Juried from 6 slides. Fee: $20. Booth fee: $250 for 10×10-foot space. Awards: $1800. Contact Karla Prickett, Visual Arts Coordinator, PO Box 2181, Salina 67402; e-mail [email protected]; see www.riverfestival.com; telephone (785) 309-5770; or fax (785) 826-7444. March 15 entry deadline New Brunswick, New Jersey “ 32nd Annual New Jersey Folk Festival Juried Craft Market” (April 29). Juried by slides or digitals. Fee: $5. Booth fee: $130. For prospectus, contact Helene Grynberg, American Studies Dept., Rutgers, the State Univer- sity of New Jersey, 131 George St., New Brunswick

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 66 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 67 call for entries

08901; e-mail [email protected]; see http://njfolkfest.rutgers.edu; or telephone (732) 932-5775. April 1 entry deadline Morristown, New Jersey “ 30th Morristown Craft- Market” (October 20–22) Juried from 5 slides. Fee: $25. Booth fee: $525–$875. Contact Morristown CraftMarket, PO Box 2305, Morristown 07962; see www.morristowncraftmarket.org; or telephone (973) 263-8332. May 1 entry deadline Cranford, New Jersey “ Spring Nomahegan Park Fine Art and Crafts Show” (June 3–4), open to all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 slides/photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. Contact Rose Squared Productions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274. Verona, New Jersey “ Fine Art and Crafts at Verona Park” (May 20–21), open to all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 slides/photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. For further information, contact Rose Squared Pro- ductions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274. May 31 entry deadline Layton, New Jersey “ 36th Annual Peters Valley Craft Fair” (September 29–October 1). Juried from slides. Fee: $25. Booth fee: $350. Cash awards. Contact Peters Valley Craft Center, 19 Kuhn Rd., Residencies Layton 07851; e-mail [email protected]; see www.pvcrafts.org; or telephone (973) 948-5200. in Ceramics June 1 entry deadline Studio Manager Position Opportunity Montclair, New Jersey “ Spring Brookdale Park 501 Hurricane Road • Keene, New York 12942 • 518.576.9121 Fine Art and Crafts Show” (June 17–18), open to [email protected] • www.hurricanemountain.org all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 slides/photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. Contact Rose Squared Pro- ductions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274. September 1 entry deadline Cranford, New Jersey “ Fall Nomahegan Park Fine GEILKILNS Art and Crafts Show” (September 30–October 1), Started the open to all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 slides/ Downdraft Revolution! photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. Contact Rose Squared Produc- tions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274. Great Products • Low Prices Upper Montclair, New Jersey “ Fine Art and Crafts Show at Anderson Park” (September 16– 17), open to all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 Nevada Dan’s slides/photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. Contact Rose Squared Pro- ductions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ www.PotteryEquipment.com 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274. October 1 entry deadline Montclair, New Jersey “ Fall Brookdale Park Fine Art and Crafts Show” (October 14–15), open to all handcrafted work. Juried from 3 slides/ photos of work; 1 of booth. Booth fee: $305 for 10×12-foot space. Contact Rose Squared Produc- tions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Ct., Hillsborough, NJ 08844; see www.rosesquared.com; or telephone (908) 874-5274.

For a free call for entries listing, submit information on juried events at least four months before the entry deadline. Add one month for listings in July, and one month for listings in September. Regional exhibitions must be open to more than one state. Submit online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org; mail to Call for Entries, Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081; e-mail [email protected]; or fax (614) 891-8960.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 68 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 69 new books

Ceramics in the Environment An International Review by Janet Mansfield Large-scale works of public art—whether in buildings, on streets, in parks or in the landscape—are being produced by a growing number of ceramics artists. This book looks at the wide array of ornamental, architectural Clay Whistles ...the voice of clay and large-scale 56 pages of clear instructions + illustrations ceramic works on making clay whistles, ocarinas, whistle being produced tools, plus tuning, PROBLEM SOLVING. around the world 30-min. VHS video available. Book now available in Spanish—72 pages today. Beauti- Silbatos de Arcilla . . . la voz del barro fully designed Clay Whistles book (in English/Spanish) $11.95 + and illustrated, $3.50 S&H (US Funds) Book + Video $34.95 + $3.50 S&H (US Funds) Canadian orders add $.75 the book features The Whistle Press, PO Box 1006 works by more Dept. CM Petal, MS 39465 than 100 ceram- www.whistlepress.com Telephone/Fax: E-mail: [email protected] 601-544-8486 ists, showing the finished work in situ, as well as discussing the issues surrounding the construction of these ambitious and monumental projects. Soldner Clay Mixers by Muddy Elbow Author Janet Mansfield says she wrote the Manufacturing book because she perceived a need “to draw attention to the work of ceramics artists who make large-scale works for placement in public or private environments.” Through her research Mansfield says she discovered that “the numbers of large-scale projects being undertaken by artists using the ceramic medium seemed immense.” The book is divided W.310 4th KS • 67114 Newton, (316) 281-9132 Phone/Fax [email protected] soldnerequipment.com into themes such as Symbolism, Pattern and G eometry, Architecture, N ature, and the Human Figure. In addition to examining the concerns involved in constructing these monumental artworks—such as firing, installing GEILKILNS and weatherproofing—the book focuses on Real Professionals Do Know the Difference! the aesthetics and relevance of the work in relation to its location. 224 pages including preface, list of recommended reading, glossary and index. 220 color photographs. Hard- cover. $59.95 (£ 31.50). ISBN (U .S.) 1-57498-270-2. ISBN (U .K .) 0-7136-6851-2. Published in the U.S. by the American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081; e-mail [email protected]; see www.ceramics.org; or telephone (614) 794-5890; Published in the U.K. by A&C Black, Alderman House, 37 Soho Sq., London W1D 3QZ En- gland; see www.acblack.com; or telephone 44 2077 580 200.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 70 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 71 els, exhibitions, workshops and trade show. Contact calendar Fusions: Australian Network of Clay and Glass Artists, Verge conference committee, PO Box 1414, New Farm, Conferences, Exhibitions, Workshops, Fairs Brisbane, Queensland 4005; e-mail [email protected]; See calendar online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org see www.fusions.org.au; telephone (61) 7 3358 5122; or fax (61) 7 3358 4540; or see www.verge2006.org.au. Hungary, Kecskemé t April 4–6 “Critical Studies... Conferences Contemporary Writing for the Ceramic Arts,” includes lectures and presentations by Gabi DeWald, Dr. Ichi Hsu Alabama, Calera February 24–26 “21st Alabama and Janet Mansfield. Fee: 50,000 HUF (US$235), in- Clay Conference,” includes lectures, exhibitions and cludes lunch. Contact International Ceramics Studio demos by Janet Mansfield, Richard Notkin and Tip Kecskemét, Kápolna u. 11, Kecskemét H-6000; e-mail Toland at Rolling Hills Conference Center. Fee: $100, [email protected]; or telephone (36) 76 486 867. onsite $125; students, $40, onsite $50. Contact Georgine Clarke, 1600 Hillwood Dr., Montgomery, AL 36106; Solo Exhibitions e-mail [email protected]; telephone (334) 242-4076, x 250. Arizona, Phoenix through March 22 Sir Anthony Arizona, Tempe February 26–28 “Ceram-a-Rama,” Caro, “The Kenwood Series”; at Bentley Projects, 215 E. includes a lecture by Ron Nagle, panels, tours of collec- Grant St. tors’ homes and artists’ studios, and exhibitions. Con- Arizona, Scottsdale February 22–March 25 Joanne tact Tiffany Fairall, ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Copp, “Ceramics Feature”; at Cervini Haas Gallery/ Center, Arizona State University, Mill Ave. and Tenth St., Gallery Materia, 4222 N. Marshall Way. Tempe 85287-2911; e-mail [email protected]; or Arizona, Tempe February 11–August 5 “The Ce- telephone (480) 965-0014. ramic Art of R. Michael Johns”; at ASU Art Museum Delaware, Winterthur April 21–22 “Doing the Ceramics Research Center, Arizona State University, Mill Continental: European Ceramics as Design Inspirations,” Ave. and Tenth St. includes lectures and workshops by over 10 artists, and tours. Fee: $295; members, $250; Students, $175; includes 2 workshops and lunches. Contact Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, Winterthur 19735; telephone (800) 448-3883 or (302) 888-4600; see www.winterthur.org. Kansas, Wichita February 17–19 “Clay Nation III: A Ceramics Symposium,” lectures and demos by Tom Bartel, Julia Galloway and Matt Towers. Fee: $40; students, $25. Contact Ted Adler, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Box 67, Wichita 67260; telephone (316) 978-3518; e-mail [email protected]; see http://finearts.wichita.edu/artdesign/studioart.asp; or fax (316) 978-3555. Kentucky, Louisville March 23–25 “American Craft Council Southeast Conference,” workshops by Fong Choo and Alice Ballard Munn, and exhibition. Contact Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St., Louisville 40202; e-mail [email protected]; see www.kentuckyarts.org; telephone (502) 589-0102; or fax (502) 589-0154. Montana, Helena June 22–24 “2006 Archie Bray International,” lectures, demos, and an exhibition by over 12 international artists to celebrate the opening of the David and Ann Shaner Resident Artist Studio Com- plex. Fee: $160; members, $125; former Bray resident artists, $100. Contact Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, 2915 Country Club Ave., Helena 59602; see www.archiebray.org; or telephone (406) 443-3502. Work by Helen Otterson; at Contemporary Crafts Oregon, Eugene March 6–7 “The Ceramics Sur- Museum & Gallery, Portland, Oregon. face—4 Approaches,” pre-NCECA conference with lectures and demos by Katrina Chaytor, John Glick, California, Camarillo through February 12 Shirley J. Matthew Metz and Susanne Stephenson, plus exhibi- Judy, “An Exhibition in Clay”; at Harbor Village Gallery, tions. Fee: $100; one-day only, $55; students, $50. 1591 Spinnaker Dr., Ste. 117C. Contact Lane Community College, Art and Applied California, La Quinta February 1–28 Patrick Shia Design Dept., Bldg. 11, 1st Fl., 4000 E. 30th Ave., Crabb, “Perceptions: A Face Off”; at the Figurative Eugene 97405; see www.lanecc.edu/artad/ceramics; Gallery, 78-065 Main St., Ste. 102. or telephone (541) 463-5409. California, Los Angeles February 24–April 1 Rose Oregon, Portland June 1–4 “Craft Organization Cabat, “Feelies”; at the Couturier Gallery, 166 N. La Development Association (CODA) Conference 2006, Brea Ave. Creating Value/Provoke Change: Shaping the Future of California, Palo Alto through April 3 Robert Brady, Craft,” includes panels, presentations, peer discussions, “Sculpture, 1989–2005”; at Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 exhibitions and tours. E-mail Linda Van Trump, Newell Rd. [email protected]; see www.codacraft.org; or tele- Florida, St. Petersburg February 18–25 Jerry Aus- phone (870) 746-4396. tin; at St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22 St., S. North Carolina, Asheboro March 3–5 “19th North Georgia, Roswell through February 17 A.J. Argen- Carolina Potters Conference,” includes lectures by Janet tina, “ClayScapes”; at Art Center West, 1355 Wood- Mansfield, Chester Nealy and Dr. Owen Rye. Fee: $165, stock Rd. includes most meals. Contact Randolph Arts Guild, PO Hawai‘ i, Honolulu March 30–June 18 David Kuraoka; Box 1033, Asheboro 27204-1033; telephone (336) 629- at Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St. 0399; fax (336) 629-2892; e-mail [email protected]; Illinois, Chicago through March 6 Cynthia Con- see www.randolphartsguild.com. sentino; at Dubhe Carreño Gallery, 1841 S. Halsted St. Australia, Brisbane July 10–14 “Verge: 11th Na- Illinois, Oak Park through February 15 Ron Meyers; tional Ceramics Conference,” lectures, critiques, pan- at Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery, 246 Chicago Ave.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 72 BK008 Gallery and Gifts

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 73 Sculptor” ; at Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Wouter Dam. Bodil Manz; at Garth Clark Gallery, 24 W. calendar Ave. S. 57th St., Ste. 305. solo exhibitions Montana, MIssoula February 3–25 Priscilla Mour- February 7–March 4 Tsubusa Kato, “ Fleeting Mo- itzen; at Clay Studio of Missoula, 910 Dickens St. ment” ; at Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd., 248 E. 48th St. Iowa, Dubuque February 7–April 16 Elizabeth Nebraska, Omaha March 27–May 12 Liz Vercruysse, New York, Rochester February 3–28 Nancy Jurs; at Shriver; at Dubuque Museum of Art, 701 Locust St. “ Contemporary Totemic Icons” ; at Nebraska Arts Coun- Robert Wesleyan College, Davison Gallery, 2301 Kansas, Lindsborg through February 26 Todd A. cil Showcase Gallery, 1004 Farnam St., Plaza level. Westside Dr. Van Duren, “ Architectural Whimsy” ; at Birger Sandzen New Jersey, Clinton March 12–June 4 “ Bennett New York, Syracuse March 11–May 21 “ Only an Memorial Gallery, 401 N. First St. Bean: Inﬂ uences and Objects” ; at Hunterdon Museum Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Pot- Massachusetts, Brockton through February 19 of Art, 7 Lower Center St. ter” ; at the Everson Museum, 401 Harrison St. Maishe Dickman, “ Atmospheres, Ceramic Paintings and New York, Alfred through March 31 Robert North Carolina, Seagrove through February 26 Platters” ; at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St. Winokur, “ Houses, Wedges and Figures” ; at Schein- James Teague, “ Excellent Potter, Excellent Farmer.” Massachusetts, Concord February 25–March 16 Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, NY State through March 25 MaryLou Higgins, “ The Narrative Lynn Duryea; at Lacoste Gallery, 25 Main St. College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Spirit” ; at North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 East Ave. Minnesota, Minneapolis through February 19 New York, New York through March 4 Katsuyo Ohio, Dublin through March 11 Masayuki Miyajima, Daisy Brand; at the Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Aoki. March 23–April 29 Nicole Cherubini; at Greenwich “ Contemporary Japanese Ceramics” ; at Dublin Arts Ave., E. House Pottery, Jane Hartsook Gallery, 16 Jones St. Council Gallery, 7125 Riverside Dr. February 5–April 16 “ Ruth Duckworth, Modernist through March 11 Ron Nagle. March 14–May 13 Oregon, Portland through March 12 Patti Wara- shina, “ Real Politique and Drunken Power Series.” An- thony Prieto, “ A Family Collection.” Helen Otterson, “ Halvorsen Artist-in-Residence.” March 1–12 Yoko Inoue; at Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, 3934 S.W. Corbett Ave. March 7–May 3 Akio Takamori, “ Between Cloud and Memory” ; at Marylhurst University’s Art Gym, B.P. John Admin. Bldg., Third Fl., 17600 Paciﬁc Highway (Hwy 43). March 8–11 “ La Mesa” ; at Hilton Portland & Execu- tive Towers, 921 S.W. Sixth Ave. Pennsylvania, Erie through June 1, 2007 Eva Zeisel; at the Erie Art Museum, 411 State St. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 3–26 Jason Green. Mary Law; at the Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St. Texas, Houston February 13–March 8 Matt Long; at North Harris College, 2700 W. W. Thorne Dr. Texas, Rockport February 1–March 4 James W. Watkins; at Rockport Center for the Arts, 902 Naviga- tion Cir. Utah, Logan through May 1 Maryann Webster, “ AquaGenesis” ; at Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, 650 N. 1100 E. Virginia, Richmond through February 12 “ Matter- ing: Recent Work by Fiona Ross” ; at University of Richmond Museums, Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature.

Group Ceramics Exhibitions

Arizona, Scottsdale February 2–25 “ Figurative Ce- ramics Invitational” ; at Cervini Haas Gallery/Gallery Ma- teria, 4222 N. Marshall Way. Arizona, Tempe February 11–August 5 “ A Ceramic Legacy: Selections from the Sté phane Janssen and R. Michael Johns Collection” ; at ASU Art Museum Ceram- ics Research Center, Arizona State University, Mill Ave. and Tenth St. California, Claremont through April 9 “ Ceramic Annual 2006: Scripps Ceramic Annual” ; at Ruth Chan- dler Williamson Gallery, Scripps Womens College, 1030 Columbia Ave. California, El Cajon through February 16 “ View- point: Ceramics 2006” ; at Grossmont College, Hyde Gallery, 8800 Grossmont College Dr. California, Mission Viejo February 15–March 9 “ Da Yu Ziao Hu 2: Second International Small Teapot Competition” ; at Saddleback College Art Gallery, 28000 Marguerite Pkwy. California, Oakland through February 6 “ The Fam- ily of Clay: CCA Ceramics, 1950–2005” ; at California College of the Arts, Oliver Art Center. California, Pasadena through February 16 “ Made by Heart, Deﬁned by Desire” ; at Xiem Clay Center & Gallery, 1563 N. Lake Ave. California, Sacramento March 2–April 1 “ Afﬁnity for the Cup II” at exploding head gallery, 924 12th St. California, San Diego through February 28 “ Vivika and Otto Heino Ceramics” ; at the Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. California, San Francisco March 24–May 21 “ From the Fire: Contemporary Korean Ceramics” ; at the Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. Continued

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 74 New: Sculpture “long firing time”program

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 75 calendar group exhibitions

California, Stanford through February 26 “ Fired at Davis: Figurative Ceramic Sculpture by Robert Arneson, Visiting Professors and Students at University of Califor- nia at Davis, from the Paula and Ross Turk Collection” ; at the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 328 Lomita Dr. Florida, St. Petersburg through February 11 Brad Schwieger and Robert “ Boomer” Moore; at St. Peters- burg Clay Company, 420 22nd St. S. Florida, West Palm Beach March 12–26 “ Madd Hatter’s Tea Party” ; at the Armory Art Center, 1700 Parker Ave. Georgia, Decatur February 11–March 11 “ The Pot- ters of Energy Xchange,” LeAnne Ash, Amber Bewernitz, David Eichelberger and Emily Reason; at MudFire Clayworks, 175 Laredo Dr. Georgia, Roswell February 23–March 24 “ Winter Clay West Student Highlights” ; at Art Center West, 1355 Woodstock Rd. Illinois, Champaign February 20–March 29 “ Ce- ramics Biennial Invitation” ; at Parkland Art Gallery, Parkland College, 2400 W. Bradley Ave. Illinois, Chicago through February 20 “ For Hearth and Altar: African Ceramics from the Keith Achepohl Collection” ; at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. February 4–March 12 “ 30/30, 30 Years of Celebrat- ing the Studio Artist; at Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave. Louisiana, Baton Rouge March 30–April 21 “ 8 Fluid Ounces II: A National Juried/Invitational Ceramic Cup Exhibition” ; at Louisiana State University School of Art Gallery, 123 Art Building. Maine, Portland through February 10 “ Reﬂ ection, Portland International Invitational 2005” ; at the High Land Modern Art Center, 74 Dibiase St. Maryland, Baltimore through February 12 “ Living Dishes: A New Generation of Functional Pots,” Lisa Buck, Linda Christianson, Ayumi Horie, Michael Hunt, Simon Levin and Andy Shaw. February 18–March 26 HAYSTACK “ Porcelain Three Ways,” Frank Boyden, Tom and Elaine 2006 CLAY Coleman; at Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Ave. Minnesota, Minneapolis through February 19 “ Three Jerome Artists,” Cynthia Levine, Kathleen Moroney and Kristin Pavelka. February 2–28 Elizabeth Stephen Bowers Robinson, Will Swanson, Christy Wert. March 2–April 2 Posey Bacopoulos, Eric Jensen, Mike Norman. March 3– Syd Carpenter April 23 “ 2006 Regis Masters Exhibition,” Val Cushing, John Mason, Paul Soldner. “ Vivid: Work by Rebecca Michael Connelly Harvey and Wendy Walgate” ; at Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave., E. Nick Joerling Minnesota, St. Paul March 9–April 7 “ First Biennial Concordia Continental Ceramic Competition” ; at Matthias Ostermann Concordia University, 275 Syndicate St., N. Minnesota, St. Peter February 6–March 19 “ Mar- Liz Quackenbush vels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Gallery of Art Collection” ; at Hillstrom Mu- Mark Shapiro/Karen Karnes seum of Art, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. Col- lege Ave. Missouri, Kansas City through February 10 “ Tea- pot Show” ; at Red Star Studios, 821 W. 17th St. New Mexico, Santa Fe February 10–March 11 “ Past and Present: Resident Artists of the Clay Studio.” June 4–September 9, 2006 March 17–April 15 “ Summer Workshop Artists Pre- One-, two- and three-week workshops view,” Wesley Anderegg, Christina Cordova, David Crane, James Lawton, Andy Nasisse, Richard Notkin, Bonnie Seeman, Kevin Snipes, Tip Toland, Geoffrey Wheeler; at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta. North Carolina, Charlotte through July 2 “ Fancy Catalog available by writing: Rockingham Pottery: The Modeller and Ceramics in Haystack Mountain School of Crafts 19th-Century America” ; at Mint Museum of Art, 2730 P.O. Box 518CM, Deer Isle, ME 04627 Randolph Rd. or calling (207) 348-2306 North Carolina, Raleigh through March 19 “ The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pot- tery” ; at North Carolina Museum of Art, 2110 Blue www.haystack-mtn.org Ridge Rd. Continued

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 77 Roseberry and Bruce Winn (Roseberry/Winn), and Denise Virginia, Richmond through July 9 “ Parian Porcelain: calendar Goyer and Alain Bonneau (Goyer/Bonneau). “ Claymobile A Nineteenth-Century Passion.” through September 24 group exhibitions Creations.” March 3–April 2 “ From the North: Canadian “ Traditions in Miniature: The Louise Westbrook Collec- Ceramics Today” ; at the Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St. tion of Chinese Ceramics” ; at University of Richmond Ohio, Nelsonville February 24–March 31 “ Starbrick Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre Museums, Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature. Clay National 2006” ; at Starbrick Clay, 21 W. Colum- March 18–May 21 Washington, Seattle March 3–31 “ Layers & Lega- bus St. “ Committed to Clay,” Joe Bennion, Randy Johnston, Mary Law, Jeff Oestreich, Sandy Simon; at Sordoni Art cies, Japanese Inﬂ uences in Contemporary American Oregon, Portland through April 30 “ Chronicles in Pottery,” Dick Lehman, Toyoda Mokunen, Peter Olsen, Clay: Ceramics from the Permanent Collection” ; at Gallery, Wilkes University, 150 S. River St. Kanzaki Shiho, Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Stephen Sullivan, Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, 3934 S.W. South Carolina, Florence through April 6 “ Skin Ben Waterman; at Honeychurch Antiques, 411 Westlake Corbett Ave. Deep: Celebrating the Rich Diversity of Ceramic Sur- Ave., N. March 2–April 22 “ Multiplicity: Contemporary Ce- faces” ; at Francis Marion University, Dept. of Fine Arts. Washington, Vancouver February 14–March 14 ramic Sculpture” ; at Portland Art Center, 2045 S.E. Texas, El Paso through February 11 “ The Dream of “ minimal/ist” ; at Clark College, Archer Gallery, Penguin Belmont St. Earth: 21st-Century Tendencies in Mexican Sculpture” ; Student Union Bldg. March 6–12 “ Form and Function: The Teapot.” “ The at Stanlee & Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts, Jacey Dunaway and J. D. Mad Hatter’s Tea.” “ Membership has its Beneﬁts” ; at University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave. February 14–March 14 Skutt Ceramics Products, 6641 S.E. Johnson Creek Blvd. Virginia, Chesapeake through February 26 Tasha Perkin; at Clark College, Frost Art Center. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 3–26 “ Mul- McKelvey and Sonja Stoeckli; at Portlock Gallery at tiples,” James Klein and David Reid (Klein/Reid), Michael SoNo, 3815 Bainbridge Blvd. Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions

Arizona, Phoenix through August 13 “ Mid-Cen- tury Modern: Native American Art in Scottsdale” ; at the Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave. Arizona, Tucson through February 25 Exhibition including ceramics by Eric Lund Jensen; at Obsidian Gallery, St. Philip’s Plaza, 4320 N. Campbell, Ste. 130. through February 26 “ Colorful Visions,” including platters by Joan Pevarnik; at Modern Hand Gallery, 186 N. Meyer St. California, Lincoln February 2–25 “ Art For the New Year,” including ceramics by Millie Beattie, Chic Lotz and Neil Williams. March 1–April 15 “ Tax Yourself with Art,” including ceramics by Casey O’Connor; at Lincoln Arts, 580 Sixth St. California, Pomona through February 25 “ Ink and Clay 32” ; at W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery, 3801 W. Temple, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. California, San Diego through April 23 “ Norway— Art of the Land and the People” ; at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. California, San Francisco March 18–June 18 “ In- ternational Arts and Crafts” ; de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., Golden Gate Park. California, Santa Monica through March 5 “ The Group— 2006,” including ceramics by Michael Frimkess, Joanne Jaffe, Charles Sherman and Evelyn Wilson; at Gallery of Functional Art and Lois Lambert Gallery, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave. E3. Colorado, Carbondale February 3–March 1 “ For the Dogs and Cats of Our Lives: A Juried Exhibition of Pet-Related Artwork” ; at Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main St. Colorado, Denver through February 11 Two-person exhibition including ceramics by Margaret Haydon; at William Havu Gallery, 1040 Cherokee St. D.C., Washington through February 19 “ Dimen- sions, Women Sculptors of the Washington Area” including ceramics by Margaret Boozer and Millicent Young; at Zenith Gallery, 413 Seventh St. NW. through May 29 “ Freer and Tea: 100 Years of the Book of Tea.” “ Artists of the Edo 1800–1850” ; at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Jefferson Dr. at 12th St., SW. Illinois, Chicago through March 26 “ Pompeii, Sto- ries from an Eruption” ; at the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Kentucky, Louisville through February 24 “ Dinner- Works” ; at the Louisville Visual Art Association, 3005 River Rd. Massachusetts, Boston through February 5 “ Med- itational Forms: Contemporary Korean Ceramics by Sun- Jae Choi” and “ Gunnar Norman: A Tribute” ; at Pucker Gallery, 171 Newbury St. Massachusetts, Brockton through April 30 “ The Edges of Grace: provocative, uncommon craft” ; at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St. Massachusetts, Cambridge through June 30, 2007 “ The Moche of Ancient Peru: Media and Messages” ; at Peabody Museum, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave.

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 79 calendar multimedia exhibitions

Massachusetts, Lexington through February 19 “East Meets West,” including works by Lexington Arts and Crafts Society Ceramics Guild; at Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Parsons Gallery, 130 Waltham St. Massachusetts, Salem through March 5 “The Art- ful Teapot, 20th-Century Expressions from the Kamm Collection”; at the Peabody Essex Museum, E. India Sq. New Jersey, Frenchtown through February 26 “Por- trait,” including ceramics by Melissa Cadell, Bohdan Darway, Melody Ellis and Richard Garriott-Stejskal; at Harrison Street Gallery, 108 Harrison St. New Jersey, Trenton through February 26 “Pre- serving Our Past: An Inspiring Exhibition Honoring those Who Chronicle Our Heritage”; at Trenton City Museum, Ellarslie Mansion, Cadwalader Park, Parkside Ave. New York, Corning through February 22 “Clay and Glass,” including ceramics by Meredith Brickell, Bernadette Curran, Ayumi Horie, Julie Johnson, Simon Levin, Tom O’Malley, Colby Parsons-O’Keefe, Liz Quackenbush and Jared Ward; at Corning Community College, Atrium Gallery, 1 Academic Dr. New York, New York through March 7 “Yinka Shonibare Selects: Works from the Permanent Collec- tion.” through April 23 “Solos: New Design from Israel”; at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, 2 E. 91st St. Tip Toland David Crane through April 30 “The Super ‘Bowl’ Show,” includ- Kevin Snipes Andy Nasisse ing ceramics by Lucie Rie, Beatrice Wood; at Resnicow James Lawton Bonnie Seeman Schroeder Associates, 1995 Broadway, 11th ﬂ. Richard Notkin Cristina Cordova North Carolina, Charlotte through August 6 Wesley Anderegg Geoffrey Wheeler “Crosscurrents: Art, Craft and Design in North Carolina”; at Mint Museum of Craft + Design, 220 N. Tryon St. Ohio, Columbus February 23–26 “Wings, Tails, Hooves & Scales: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Ani- SANTA FE CLAY mals,” including ceramics by Juliellen Byrne, Bill Heyduck, SUMMER WORKSHOPS 2006 Margaret McAdams, Sharon LaRocca Miranda and Janis www.santafeclay.com Mars Wunderlich; at the Greater Columbus Convention 1615 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.984.1122 Center, 400 N. High St. Ohio, Westerville through June 2 “The Arts of West Africa, côte d’ivoire, liberia, burkino faso, mali and sierra leone”; at the Frank Musuem of Art, 39 S. Vine St. Texas, Denton through March 26 “Materials Hard & Soft, 19th Annual National Contemporary Craft Exhibi- tion”; at Greater Denton Arts Council Center for the Visual Arts, Meadows Gallery, 400 E. Hickory St. GEILKILNS Texas, San Antonio through March 5 Mark T. From Shino to Hansen’ at San Antonio National Airport, Terminal 1 Copper Red Every Time! Upper Level, 97800 Airport Blvd. Virginia, Alexandria through February 19 “Africa,” including ceramics by Mary Ann Charette, Earnest Davidson, Terry A. deBardeladen, Kimberly King and Lydia Thompson; at Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St. Virginia, Richmond through February 9 “Semi- Annual Student Exhibition.” February 17–March 19 “Senior Honors Thesis Exhibition”; at University of Rich- mond Museums, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art. Washington, Bellevue through February 26 “Look- ing Forward Glancing Back: Northwest Designer Crafts- men at 50”; at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE. Washington, Seattle March 3–April 2 “Clay & related Materials,” including ceramics by Anne Hirondelle, David Kuraoka and Beth Lo”; at Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave., N. Wisconsin, Racine February 5–May 21 “Let’s Enjoy CRAFTS AT THE CASTLE 2006 a Laugh: Humor and Whimsy in RAM’s Collection”; at NOW – at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston! the Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St. December 2006 Show Juried by 5 Slides of Artwork and 1 Booth Slide Fairs, Festivals and Sales Application postmark deadline: April 14, 2006 Fee: $38 Arizona, Carefree March 3–5 “13th Annual Care- Download Application at www.fsgb.org free Fine Art & Wine Festival”; Easy and Ho Hum sts. Arizona, Fountain Hills March 24–26 “2nd Annual Crafts at the Castle Fountain Hills Fine Art & Wine Affaire”; along the Ave. Family Service of Greater Boston of the Fountains. 31 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Arizona, Phoenix February 11–12 “Navajo Folk Art 614-523-6400

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 81 California, San Rafael February 25–26 “ 22nd An- New Jersey, Somerset March 10–12 “ Sugarloaf calendar nual Marin Indian Art Show” ; at Marin Civic Center Crafts Festival” ; at Garden State Exhibit Center, 50 fairs, festivals and sales Exhibition Hall, Avenue of the Flags. Atrium Dr. Connecticut, Hartford March 24–26 “ Sugarloaf New York, New York March 30–April 2 “ Arts of Festival.” March 4–5 “ 48th Annual Heard Museum Crafts Festival” ; at Connecticut Expo Center, 265 Rever- Pacific Asia Show” ; at the Armory at Grammercy Park, Guild Indian Fair & Market” ; at Heard Museum, 2301 N. end Moody Overpass. 26th St. and Lexington Ave. Central Ave. Florida, Gainesville February 4–5 “ 20th Annual Ohio, Columbus February 3–5 “ Sugarloaf Crafts Arizona, Scottsdale through March 26 “ Arizona Hoggetowne Medieval Faire” ; at the Alachua County Festival” ; at Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave. Fine Arts Expo” ; Scottsdale and Pinnacle Peak rds. Fairgrounds, SR 222. Pennsylvania, Ft. Washington March 17–19 February 10–12 “ 15th Annual Scottsdale Fine Art Georgia, Macon March 31–April 9 “ Fired Works— “ Sugarloaf Crafts Festival” ; at Ft. Washington Expo and Chocolate Festival” ; at Scottsdale Pavilions, Indian A Regional Exhibition and Sale” ; at Shrine Temple, 745 Center, 1100 Virginia Dr. Bend Rd. Poplar St. California, Indian Wells March 31–April 2 “ 4th Maryland, Baltimore February 24–26 “ 2006 Balti- Workshops Annual Indian Wells Arts Festival” ; at Indian Wells Ten- more Fine Craft Show” ; at Baltimore Convention Cen- nis Garden, 78-200 Miles Ave. ter, One W. Pratt St. Alabama, Tuscaloosa May 15–June 2 “ Zen and the California, San Francsico March 11–12 “ Contempo- Massachusetts, Boston March 31–April 2 “ Craft- Art of Tea,” making and firing teaware with W. Lowell rary Crafts Market” ; at Fort Mason Center Festival Boston,” at the Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Sea- Baker and Dr. Cathy Pagani. Beginning through ad- Pavilion, Marina Blvd. and Buchanen St. port Blvd. vanced. Contact W. Lowell Baker, University of Ala- bama, Box 870270, Tuscaloosa 35487-0270; e-mail [email protected]; see www.art.ua.edu; or telephone (205) 348-3748. Arkansas, Mountain View February 18–20 and 25 “ Firing a Wood-Fired Groundhog Kiln” with John Perry NOW GET THE and Judi Munn. Fee: $150. Participants must bring bisqued pieces. Contact Terri Bruhin, Ozark Folk Center, ® PO Box 500, Mountain View 72560; e-mail [email protected]; telephone (870) 269-3851. California, Huntington Beach February 18–19 ADVANCER “ Crystalline Firing Workshop” with Kris Friedrich. Con- tact Sofia, Geil Kilns, 7201 Clay Ave., Huntington Beach 92648; e-mail [email protected]; or telephone (800) 887-4345. ADVANTAGE California, Santa Ana February 25 “ Workshop to Benefit the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art” with Patrick FOR YOUR ELECTRIC KILN Crabb, Steve Horn, Walter Reiss, Susie Rubenstein, Karen Thayer and Scott Young. Fee: $60, includes lunch; all proceeds go to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum. Bring a • 5/16” thin mug for 15% discount. Contact Chris King, Aardvark Clay & Supplies, 1400 E. Pomona St., Santa Ana 92705; • Light weight see www.aardvarkclay.com; telephone (714) 541-4157. California, Sunnyvale February 11–12 “ Throwing • More stacking space Textured Slabs for Handbuilt Artwork” with Bob and Sandy Kinzie. Fee: $125; ACGA, OVCAG, MECAC mem- • Energy efficient bers, $115. February 25 “ Sculpting the Face Expres- sively” with Tony Natsoulas. Fee: $75; ACGA, OVCAG, MECAC members, $65. Contact Mother Earth Clay Art • Stays flat Center, 790 Lucerne Dr., Sunnyvale 94085; see www.mamasclay.com; telephone (408) 245-6262. • Never needs flipping Connecticut, Brookfield February 3–5 “ Tilemaking” with Chris Bonner. February 11–12 “ Basement Potter” • Highly glaze resistant with Kristin Muller. March 4–5 “ Basic PMC” with Pat Gullet; or “ Throwing for Teens” with Chris Alexiades. • Half and full shelves April 1–2 “ Making Bowls for Bowlfest” with Kristin Muller. April 8–9 “ Salt Firing” with John Jessiman. April 22–23 “ Paper Kilns” with Richard Launder. April 23 “ PMC Pendants” with Pat Gullet. April 30 “ Japanese Tableware” with Takao Okazaki. May 5–6 “ Porcelain Throwing” with Angela Fina. May 13–14 “ Spanish ® ADVANCER shelves withstand repeated Handbuilding Techniques” with Louis Mendez. May 20– firings to cone 10 without warping, even 21 “ Master Workshop” with Jack Troy; or “ PMC Boxes & Lockets” with CeCe Wire. Contact Brookfield Craft under heavy loads. Firing cycles are shorter Center, 286 Whisconier Rd., PO Box 122, Brookfield due to higher thermal conductivity and 06804; e-mail [email protected]; see low mass. Available in 20” , 21” and 26” www.brookfieldcraftcenter.org; telephone (203) 775- 4526; or fax (203) 740-7815. half and full sizes to fit most top loading kilns. Florida, Coral Gables February 21–23 Workshop and lecture with Beth Cavener Stichter. Contact Tracey All this translates into lower firing costs, higher productivity, and less wear McSwiney-Kallaher, University of Miami, C.A.S. Gallery, 1210 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables 33146; e-mail and tear on your back and hands. [email protected]; or telephone (305) 284-2792. Call for prices and availability Florida, Miami February 24–25 Throwing workshop with Jeff Oestreich. Contact Ceramics League of Miami, 8873 S.W. 129 St., Miami 33176; telephone (305) 233- SMITH-SHARPE FIRE BRICK SUPPLY 2404; see www.ceramicleaguemiami.org. Florida, St. Petersburg February 18 Demo with Jerry 117 27th Avenue S.E. • Minneapolis, MN 55414 Austin. April 7–9 “ Innovative Mold Making” with Nan Toll Free 866-545-6743 Smith. November 11–17 Workshop with Chuck Solberg. February 24–25, 2007 Workshop with Tom and Elaine www.kilnshelf.com Coleman. Contact Jennifer Lachtera, St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg 33712; e-mail

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 83 calendar workshops

[email protected]; see www.stpeteclay.com; or telephone (727) 896-2529. Florida, West Palm Beach February 4–5 “Expres- sion of Pots” with Josh DeWeese. February 24–26 “Constructing Round Forms Without a Wheel” with Ron Korczynski. March 25–26 “Functional Majolica Table- ware” with Scott Lykens. April 28–30 “Crystalline Glazed Porcelain” with Xavier Gonzalez. Contact Armory Art Center, 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach 33401; or see www.armoryart.org. Georgia, Decatur February 4–5 “Selling Everything But Out” with Tony Clennell. Fee: $125. March 25– 26 “Looking for Life in Clay” with Andy Nasisse. Fee: $150. April 22–23 “Teapots ETC!” with Mark Shapiro. Fee: $125. May 20–21 “Understanding Clay & Glaze Chemistry” with Ron Roy. Fee: $125. September 16–17 “Thrown and Altered Majolica” with Posey Bacopoulos. Fee: $125. October 7–9 “Dreaming in Clay with Metal” with Lisa Clague. Fee: $275. November 3–5 “Ornament and Abstraction” Liz Quackenbush. Fee: $275. Contact MudFire Clayworks, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur 30030; see www.mudfire.com; telephone (404) 377-8033. ‘06 Workshops: Illinois, St. Charles February 6 “Extrude You” with James Lawton Mary Ann Narveson. Fee: $48. February 24–25 “Fine & Joseph Bennion Functional: Thrown and Altered Porcelain” with Eliza- beth Lurie. Fee: $155. Contact Fine Line Creative Arts Mary Roehm Center, 6N158 Crane Rd., St. Charles 60175; e-mail Frederick Olsen fi[email protected]; see www.finelineca.org; telephone Paulus Berensohn (630) 584-9443; or Fax: (630) 584-9490. Randy Brodnax Indiana, Indianapolis March 4–8 “Shino Seminar” with Malcolm Davis. Fee: $442; members, $423; bring Jeff Shapiro 10 to 20 bisqued pieces of Cone 10 porcelain. Interme- Lana Wilson diate to advanced. Contact Indianapolis Art Center, 820 and many more... E. 67th St., Indianapolis 46220; telephone (317) 255- 2464; or e-mail [email protected]. WWW. PETERSVALLEY. ORG Maryland, Baltimore February 4–5 “The Organic Layton, NJ (973)948-5200 Object” with Shin-yu Wang. February 18–19 “Showing it All,” demo with Tom Coleman. April 22–23 “Alterna- tive Treatment on Ceramic Forms” with Kyle and Kelly Phelps. April 28 Lecture by Richard Cleaver. Fee: $5; members, free. Fee (unless noted above): $180; members, $160. Contact Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Ave., Baltimore 21209; www.baltimoreclayworks.org; www.japanpotterytools.com or telephone (410) 578-1919. April 10 “Garth Clark: Ceramics and the modernists 1920–1950.” Free lecture. Contact Maryland Institute College of Art, 1300 Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore 21217; or see www.mica.edu. Maryland, Columbia February 25–26 “Hand- building Functional Pots” with Sandi Pierantozzi. Fee: $150. Contact Liz Henzey, Columbia Art Center, 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia 21045; telephone (410) 730- 0075; or e-mail [email protected]. Maryland, Frederick February 11–12 “Eastern Coil” GEILKILNS with Joyce Michaud. Fee: $165. February 12 “Electric Fires Even and Easy! Kiln Workshop” with Phil Berneberg. Fee: $85. February 18–19 “Slips, Glazes and Terra Sig” with Pete Pinnell. Fee: $185. February 25–26 “Plates and Platters” with Joyce Michaud. Fee: $165. March 4–5 “Brushmaking” with Susan Nayfield Kahn. Fee: $170. March 25–26 “Silk-Screen Printing on Clay” with Jackie Kierans. Fee: $185. Contact Hood College, Ceramics Program, 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick 21701; telephone (301) 696- 3456; or see www.hood.edu/academic/art. Massachusetts, Somerville February 10–11 “Work- ing with a Self-Glazing Body” with Ryan Takaba. Fee: $250; members, $125. March 4–5 Workshop with Kari Radasch. Fee: $300; members, $150. Mudflat Pottery School, 149 Broadway, Somerville 02145; telephone (617) 628-0589; see www.mudflat.org; or fax (617) 628-2082. Michigan, Ann Arbor March 24–26 Workshop with Michael Sherrill. Fee: $125. Contact Yourist Studio, 1133 Broadway, Ann Arbor 48105; telephone (734) 662-4914; e-mail [email protected]; see www.youristpottery.com. Continued

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 84 ODYSSEY’S 2006 WORKS HOP SERIES

ORNATELY FUNCTIONAL: FORM & SURFACE Kristin Kieffer May 22nd–26th $350 plus $75 registration fee

STORIES IN HUMAN FORM Cheryl Tall July 10th–14th $350 plus $75 registration fee

POTS WITH POSSIBILITIES CARBON TRAPPING MAGIC Penland Clay Nick Joerling ON PORCELAIN May 29–June 2 Malcolm Davis SOULFUL HANDBUILDING July 24–28 Tom Kerrigan June 5–9 WEEKEND UNDERSTANDING GLAZE WORKSHOPS: CHEMISTRY HANDMADE DEER John Britt TAIL BRUSHES June 12–16 Kent McLaughlin DISCOVERING YOUR FORM April 7–8 THROUGH NATURE MOVIN’ ON Alice Munn Cynthia Bringle June 19–23 September 8–10 THE INTIMATE TEAPOT EVERYTHING IN THE Summer Workshops Suze Lindsay GLAZE KITCHEN June 26–30 One- and Two-Weeks • May 28 – September 2 Peter Pinnell GESTURAL TO ARCHITECTURAL September 22–24 Instructors: Margaret Bohls Richard Burkett, Linda Casbon, Sam Chung, John Hartom, July 17–21 Sergei Isupov, Jon Keenan, Tom Kerrigan, Kathy King, Dan Mehlman, Sana Musasama, Jeff Oestreich, SPACE IS LIMITED, CALL NOW! Pete Pinnell, S.C. Rolf, Holly Walker, Jason Walker, Odyssey Center Paul Andrew Wandless, Gerry Williams, SunKoo Yuh for Ceramic Arts Visit wwww.penland.org or call for catalog. 238 Clingman Ave Asheville, NC 28801 Penland School of Crafts 828.285.9700 www.highwaterclays.com A national center for craft education [email protected] www.penland.org • 828-765-2359

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 85 ecorati ™ MKM D ng Disks calendar workshops Accurately Make Your Shapes Minnesota, Minneapolis February 12 Demos with in Just Seconds! Maren Kloppmann and Tetsuya Yamada. Free. February New and 14 “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Our Pots are Hot, Improved Yours Can be Too,” couples workshop. Fee: $80, includes materials. March 5 Demo with Posey Bacopoulos. Fee: $45; members, $35. Contact Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E, Minneapolis 55406; telephone (612) 339-8007; e-mail [email protected]; or see www.northernclaycenter.org. Minnesota, St. Peter April 3 Workshop with James C. Watkins. Contact Donald Myers, Hillstrom Museum of Art, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. College Ave., St. Peter 56082; e-mail [email protected]; telephone (507) 933-7171; fax (507) 933-7205; or see www.gustavus.edu/go/hillstrom. Missouri, Kansas City February 18–19 Workshop • Hundreds of holes allow you to mark with Don Reitz. April 8–9 Workshop with Matthew right through the disk. Metz. Fee: $125. Contact Red Star Studios Ceramic • Make square, triangular, hexagonal... Center, 821 W. 17th St., Kansas City 64108; see quickly and easily! www.redstarstudios.org; telephone (816) 474-7316. • Save time - All your templates ready New York, Long Island City February 25 “Carving made for you! Porcelain” with Sara Patterson. April 8 “Building with Soft Slabs” with Sandi Pierantozzi. Fee/session: $65. • A two disk set - Odd and even Contact Queensboro Potters, 42-26 28th St., #2E, Long divisions. Island City 11101; or telephone (718) 294-4882. Stop by Booth # 222 at NCECA New York, New York February 6 and 13 “Tech- Portland, Oregon niques in Precious Metal Clay: Beginner/Intermediate.” Fee: $295; members, $255, includes materials and firing. Wholesale: Fax 920-830-9394 Tel: 920-830-6860 April 2 and 9 “Majolica Glazing for Beginners” with Email: [email protected] Retail: Your local distributor or Cherie Reitman. Contact JCC Manhattan, 334 Amster- ContinentalClay.com (800-432-2529) dam Dr., New York 10023; e-mail [email protected]; For more information: see www.jccartstudios.org; telephone (646) 505-5708. $MBZ5PPMT3FGFSFODF."UFSJBMT www.mkmpotterytools.com February 24–26, March 24–26 or April 21–23 “Pre- cious Metal Clay level One Artisan Certification.” Fee: $535, includes materials, firing, instruction book and *OTUSVDUJPOBM membership in the PMC Guild. February 25–26, March 4DVMQUJOH 25–26 or April 22–23 “Techniques in Precious Metal Cobalt Wholesaler Clay: Beginner/Intermediate.” Fee: $275, includes ma- #PPL terials and firing. Instructor/session: Vera Lightstone. 4) Tin Oxide Call for Pricing Contact Vera Lightstone, 347 W. 39th St., New York Cobalt Oxide $29** 10018; e-mail [email protected]; telephone (212) 947-6879; see www.silverclay.com. Cobalt Carbonate $19** New York, White Plains February 21–23 “Lidded 10#PY Jar Workshop” with Todd Wahlstrom. Fee: $330; New )POFPZF /: Chrome Oxide $4/lb. York residents, $132, plus fees. Contact Westchester Silver Nitrate $15/25g Art Workshop, 196 Central Ave., White Plains 10606; e-mail [email protected]; telephone (914) 606-7500. XXXQDGTUVEJPTDPN Zinc Oxide $2.50/lb. North Carolina, Brasstown February 5–11 “Mud Nickel Oxide $7/lb. Made Fun: Getting a Spin on the Potter’s Wheel” with Andrew Stephenson. February 12–17 “Clay Sculpture— Copper Carbonate $4/lb. Portrait Bust” with Bruce Everly. Fee: $375. February Bats 19–25 “Notice What you Notice: Wonderment and Undrilled–Formica surface Uncertainty” with Michele Drivon. March 26–April 1 12" diameter, $2.85 each “Porcelain: Wheel, Slab, Brush and Carve” with David GEILKILNS Voorhees. April 2–9 “Altered Functional Pottery” with 14" diameter, $3.25 each Rebecca Floyd. Fee: $610. April 16–22 “Clay and Light” Buy Once, Buy a Geil! 17" - 20" bats available. Call for pricing. with Talia Waterman. April 23–29 “Nature as Art” with All bats discounted with bulk purchase. Kaaren Stoner. Fee (unless noted above): $412. Contact FREE pound of Tin Oxide with the John C. Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Rd., Brass- town 28902; see www.folkschool.org; telephone (800) purchase of 100 12" Bats! 365-5724; or fax (828) 837-8637. Please add UPS shipping charge North Carolina, Charlotte February 18–19 Work- to your order. shop with Peter Rose. Fee: $125, includes breakfasts and lunches. Contact the Carolina Claymatters Guild, 10720 ANYBODY KNOWS IT'S Alexander Mill Dr., Charlotte 28277; e-mail THE SERVICE! [email protected]; telephone (704) 394-2529. North Carolina, Columbia February 16–19 “Cabin Westerwald Chemicals Fever Reliever VI,” four workshops, including “Porcelain 40 Pottery Lane Pots for Food Presentation” with Silvie Granatelli. Fee: Scenery Hill, PA 15360 $530. Contact Pocosin Arts, PO Box 690, Columbia Tel: 724-945-6000 27925; or see www.pocosinarts.org. Fax: 724-945-5139 North Carolina, Creedmoor April 22–23 Demo with Ron Meyers. Contact Cedar Creek Gallery, 1150 15% Restocking Charge Fleming Rd., Creedmoor 27522; telephone (919) 528- **We will match any competitors prices 1041; see www.cedarcreekgallery.com. North Carolina, Durham March 25–26 “Working

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 86 CANNED ART • Call for Entries “Wake Up & Smell the Art” HOW DO I ENTER? 1. Create a 100% ceramic artware piece made from your original recipe. 2. In your recipe, at least 50% of the clay portion must utilize Cedar Heights Clay (Redart, Goldart, Saltlick, Roseville, Ceramic Fireclay, etc). 3. Pieces can be any functional or non-functional ceramic creation. 4. Entries must include your original recipe, firing temp. and firing method. Clay art and drinking coffee are 5. Here’s the kicker, pieces must fit in a 39 oz Coffee Can. Please wrap carefully. a natural fit, so we decided to introduce a Cedar Heights Clay WHO CAN ENTER? Canned Artware Contest to Contest is limited to current, active students enrolled in any accredited art program. learn new recipes and show JUDGING some great artware, just in 1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but fortunately we have a staff of impartial time for the NCECA meeting in judges that can get us close. Portland, OR. 2. The Top 10 pieces will be displayed at the Cedar Heights Clay booth at NCECA, where YOUTHE ARTISTS will vote for winner! To be announced on the last day of the show. PRIZES DEADLINE 1. All top 10 entrants will receive their choice of Redart or Goldart shirts, of course. March 1, 2006 2. FIRST PLACE a. $250 Cash (that will buy a lot of NCECA shirts). Entries or Coffee Cans b. Your recipe and winning entry photo published in the Dig This! newsletter. will not be returned. 3. Need not be present to win ... but who will vote for you if you’re not there?

WHERE TO SEND YOUR ENTRY 1. Send entry to: Cedar Heights Clay - Canned Art Contest 3542 State Road Route 93, PO Box 295, Oak Hill, OH 45656 2. Provide your name, school, address, phone number, shirt size, recipe, firing temperature, and firing method.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 87 The Olsen Kiln Kits are designed, patented, and built calendar by Fredrick Olsen workshops author of "The Kiln Book" Soft” with Gay Smith. Fee: $135, includes lunch. Limit of 15 participants. Contact Julie Olson, White Oak Write for a Free Brochure Pottery, 3915 Rivermont Rd., Durham 27712; e-mail [email protected]; telephone (919) 309-4747; or see www.whiteoakartworks.com. Olsen Kiln Kits North Carolina, Wentworth February 4–5 Work- shop with Cynthia Bringle at Rockingham Community 60520 Manzanita #205 College. Fee: $100. Contact Molly Lithgo, 636 S. Cedar Mountain Center, CA 92561 St., Greensboro, NC 27401; e-mail [email protected]; Telephone 760-349-3291 or telephone (336) 275-1202. Ohio, Wooster April 5–8 “ Functional Ceramics Workshop” with Cathi Jefferson, John Neely and Mark Talbert. Contact Phyllis Blair Clark, 2555 Graustark Path, Wooster 44691. Oklahoma, Oklahoma City February 25–26 Dem- AMPSHADES onstration with Tony Clennell. Fee: $135. Contact City L NEW! HANDMADE PAPER Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., Oklahoma City 73107; e-mail [email protected]; see 1-800-622-3050 www.cityartscenter.org; telephone (405) 951-0000; or www.lampshadesforpotters.com fax (405) 951-0003; . Oregon, Gresham March 6–7 Pre-NCECA wood- ﬁre workshop with Jack Troy. Fee: $100. Contact Lynn Horn, Mt. Hood Community College, 26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham 97030; or e-mail [email protected]. Oregon, Portland February 8 “ Parallel Universe: Examining the Craft Establishment,” lecture by Paula Owen, president and CEO of the Southwest School of GEILKILNS Art & Craft. March 8 “ A Life in Craft: Four Decades,” Real Professionals lecture by Helen W. Drutt English. Fee: $5; CCMG Fire in a Geil! members and students, free. Lectures at Paciﬁc North- west College. Contact Contemporary Crafts Musuem & Gallery, 3934 S.W. Corbett Ave., Portland 97239; or telephone (503) 223-2654. Pennsylvania, Lancaster April 22–23 Demonstra- tion with Tom Coleman. Fee: $160. Contact the Penn- sylvania Guild of Craftsmen, 10 Stable Mill Tr., Richboro PA 18954; or telephone (215) 579-5997. (410) 235-5998 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 10 Slide lec- www.clayworkssupplies.com ture with Kathy Butterly. Fee: $5; members, $2. February 11 “ All About Electric Kilns” with Hide Sadohara. Fee: $65; members, $60. All skill levels. February 18 “ Lets Go Fishing,” child and adult workshop with Harmony Thompson. Fee: $50 for 1 adult and 1 child; add $10 for B Manitou Arts is a supplier to 2nd child. March 4–5 “ Altering Techniques” with Mary I T many of the finest ceramic Law. Intermediate/advanced. March 18–19 “ Print on I artist and production studios. Clay” with Martin Mohwald. All skill levels. March 25 S We have a broad selection of “ Lampshades and Wall Sconces” with Candy Depew. Q L sizes of Bisque tiles and wood Fee: $65; members, $60. Intermediate/advanced. April accessories for tiles. 1–6 “ Playing with Animals” with Bernadette Curran. All E U Our tiles are manufactured in England skill levels. Fee (unless noted above): $205; members, S and can be fired to Cone 04. Our wood $195. Contact Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadel- E accessories are made in our shop by phia 19106; see www.theclaystudio.org; telephone (215) Michigan artisans. Call and request our 925-3453. catalog. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh May 20 “ Zoomorphic Tile sample pack $8.95 (includes postage) Forms: Functional & Sculptural” with Bernadette Curran. Manitou Arts Fee: $105; members, $95; includes materials, must www.manitouarts.com bring bag lunch. Contact the Society for Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman St., Pittsburgh 15222; e-mail PHONE: 866-240-3434 [email protected]; telephone (412) 261- 7003; see www.contemporarycraft.org. "We love our Pugger! Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre March 25 Workshop With the shut-off with Joe Bennion. March 31–April 1 Workshop with Jeff CHARLOTTE, NC feature, students can Oestreich. Contact the Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes Uni- load and operate safely." -S. Heffler, versity, 150 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre 18766; telephone Setting up a studio? John Marshall High, CA (570) 408-4325. Your full-service pottery supplier Tennessee, Gatlinburg March 12–18 “ Form & Sur- featuring clays by "I'm very pleased with face: Pots for the Wood/Salt Kiln” with Mark Peters. Standard, Highwater and Laguna; our VPM-30. It's a kilns, glazes, chemicals and equipment. powerful, time-saving March 19–25 “ Flat to Functional” with Lisa Naples. and reliable machine." March 26–April 1 “ Thrown Pitchers” with Steven Hill. School orders welcome! -S. Schinkel, April 2–8 “ A Wet Ware Tile Decorating Buffet” with Green River Studios, AZ Angelica Pozo. April 9–15 “ The Figure in Clay” with Laura Jean McLaughlin. Fee/session: $375. Contact CAROLINA CLAY Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, 556 Parkway, CONNECTION Gatlinburg 37738; telephone (865) 436-5860; e-mail 704/376-7221 [email protected]; see www.arrowmont.org. e-mail: [email protected] Texas, Dallas September 8 (lecture)–10 Hands-on

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 88 Shoji Hamada (1894-1978) is modern Japan’s most renowned potter. After studying painting and ceramics he worked at the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute and traveled abroad before settling in the town of Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture, where he lived and worked for over fifty years. A major figure, with Soetsu Yanagi, Kanjiro Kawai, and Bernard Leach, in Japan’s folk craft movement, Hamada was designated a “Living National Treasure” in 1955 and awarded the Order of Culture in 1968. Susan Peterson, Professor Emerita from Hunter College, City University of New York, retired in 1994, and is now a practicing ceramist whose work has been shown throughout the world. She is the author of many books on pottery and potters, including Working with Clay, Contemporary Ceramicss, and The Craft and Art of Clay.

Price: $59.95 Order Code: CA34 2004 • Hardcover • 240 pages Co-published by The American Ceramic Society and A&C Black (London) Get it online at: wwww.ceramics.org/publications or call us at (614) 794-5890

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 89 calendar workshops

workshop with Linda Christianson. Contact the Craft Guild of Dallas, 14325 Proton Rd., Dallas 75244; see www.craftguildofdallas.com; telephone (972) 490-0303. Texas, Houston February 24–26 Workshop with Matt Long. Fee: $50. Contact Roy Hanscom, Art Dept. North Harris College, 2700 W. W. Thorne Dr., Houston 77073; or telephone (281) 618-5609. Texas, Mesquite February 24–25 “Advanced Elec- tric Kiln Seminar.” Fee: $95. Contact Paragon Industries, L.P., 2011 S. Town East Blvd., Mesquite 75149-1122; e-mail [email protected]; see www.paragonweb.com; or telephone (800) 876-4328. CONTEMPORARY CERAMIC International Events FORMULAS John W. Conrad Australia, Victoria, Shepparton March 3–April 30 “Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award”; at Re-released now as a paperback. Shepparton Art Gallery, Eastbank Centre, 70 Welsford 149 clay, 25 leadless earthenware, 37 St., Shepparton, Victoria. refractory, 88 single fire, 52 raw stain, 121 Canada, British Columbia, Burnaby February 11– 12 “Making What the Eyes Want to Touch” with Chris stoneware, and 66 aventurine, crystal, and Staley. Fee: CAN$117 (US$99). March 15–22 “Wood/ crystalline matt formulas. “The price of the Soda Firing” with Janet Mansfield. Fee: CAN$374.50 book is worth the section on crystal glazes (US$323). March 20–21 “Throwing” with Janet alone.” 165 pages, 8¹⁄₂" × 11". Mansfield. Fee: CAN$178.62 (US$154). Contact Sharon Reay, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake $21.60 contact your distributor Ave., Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 2J3; e-mail FALCON COMPANY [email protected]; or telephone (604) 291-6864. P.O. Box 22569, San Diego, CA 92192 Canada, Ontario, Burlington through February 6 “Jim Koyanagi Collection.” “Edouard Jasmin: A Cen- tennial Celebration”; at Burlington Art Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Rd. Canada, Ontario, Toronto through March 12 Susie Osler, “BLOOMvase.” “Material World,” including ceramics by Hilary Masemann, Dawn Petticrew and Mary GEILKILNS Beth Marmoreo. Wendy Walgate, “Migration”; at continues through March 1 our Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Over 30 Years Experience England, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk March 5– Behind the Kilns! April 15 “Elemental Insight”; at Bury St. Edmunds Art Annual Winter Gallery, Market Cross. England, Ely, Cambridgeshire March 19–April 16 “A Collaborative Exhibition,” including ceramics by Jane Perryman; at Ronald Pile Gallery, 38a St. Marys St. 16 C.F. West Coast SALE England, Leeds, West Yorkshire through March West 31 Sally Bradley; at the Craft Centre & Design Gallery, City Art Gallery, The Headrow. Coast Kiln There’s still time...... More books England, London through February 26 “Table Man- and videos than you ever imagined ners: International Contemporary Tableware”; at Crafts For free info, plus expert, friendly service. Council Gallery, 44a Pentonville Rd. write through March 31 “Friends Choice”; at the Anthony Shaw Collection, 11 Billing Pl. P.O. Box 2152 Save up to 7070%% February 3–March 11 Chun Liao. March 17–April 22 Richard Slee; at Barrett Marsden Gallery, 17-18 Great Lucerne Valley, and more on over Sutton St. CA 92356 February 9–13 “Collect, The International Art Fair for books, Contemporary Objects”; at Victoria & Albert Museum, 714-778-4354 800 S. Kensington, Cromwell Rd. videos, and tools March 3–6 “Ceramic Art London 2006”; at Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore. England, Sherborne through February 18 Group Don’t waste time. Don’t be show including ceramics by Chris Keenan, Jack Doherty left out! Write, call or e mail and Ruthanne Tudball; at Alpha House Gallery, South St. France, Cordes sur Ciel May 7–14 “Ceramics and 8290 N. DIXIE DR. today for our FREE catalog! Erotics” with Ottakar Sliva. Fee: C440 (US$527), in- DAYTON, OHIO cludes materials and meals. Instruction in English, French, German and Hungarian. September 3–9 45414 The “Throwing and Raku” with Frank Theunissen. Fee: (937) 454-0357 C395 (US$474), includes materials, firing and meals. Potters Instruction in Dutch, English, French and German. Beginning through advanced. Contact Frank Theun- Shop issen, LaCéramique, La Plaine, Cordes sur Ciel 81170; 31 Thorpe Road e-mail [email protected]; telephone (33) 5 63 53 Needham, MA 02494 72 97; www.laceramique.com. 781/449 7687 fax:781/449 9098 France, Manosque February 1–28 Crystalline by Georges Lanteri. March 1–31 Scheyvaerts; at Galerie [email protected] Voghera, 4 rue du Tribunal. Continued

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 90 VIDEO WORKSHOPS FOR POTTERS Now on DVD! Form and Function Ceramic Aesthetics and Design My highest recommendation for anyone interested in learning about form and structure, all the parts and details of good pots as well as how to make specific forms. Bill Hunt, Ceramics Monthly Editor, 1982-94

Making Marks Ceramic Surface Decoration [These videos] are detailed, comprehensive, intelligent, high-quality productions. Richard Aerni, Studio Potter Network

Beginning to Throw Videos with It’s hard to imagine a more lucid or comprehensive Robin Hopper introduction to the subject . . . . Highly recommended. Video Librarian Visit www. PotteryVideos.com Call for our brochure of 21 videos and DVD’s for potters 800-668-8040 Phone: (250) 247-8109 Fax: (250) 247-8145 E-Mail: [email protected]

AnniesAnnies MudMud PiePie ShopShop Claydog • Ceramic Supplies & Equipment Raku Kiln Standard Clays, AMACO, Brent, Skutt, $825.00 North Star, Kemper, Giffin Tec, Aftosa, Orton, L&L, Spectrum, Mid South • Raw Materials • Classes • School Discounts (Unified Purchase Approval) • Open 6 days a week! (Closed Thursday) rrssaarryy R aku Accessories nniivvee L&R AAnn Specialties, Inc. tthh PO Box 309 1100 3180 Wasson Nixa, MO 65714 Cincinnati, OH 45209 1-877-454-3914 [email protected] Call Toll Free www.claydogs.com 1-866-GET-CLAY (438-2529) $41.00 $135.00 www.anniesmudpieshop.com Tongs 8” extension ring

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 91 calendar international exhibitions

France, Nançay March 18–July 2 Three-person exhibition including ceramics by Andoche Praudel; at Galerie Capazza, Grenier de Villâtre. France, Sarreguemines through March 19 Jean Girel, “Ceramics of Nature, Nature of Ceramics”; at Musée de la Faïence, Jardin d’Hiver, 17 rue Poincaré. France, Vallauris through March 4 “A Selection from the A.I.R. Vallauris Collection”; at Espace Grandjean, ave. du Stade. through March 4 “10 Belgian Ceramists”; at Chapelle de la Miséricorde, place Lisnard. Hungary, Kecskemét May 8–29 “Clay, Wood, Fire & Salt” with Svend Bayer and Makoto Hatori. September 6–28 “Narrative Sculpture” with James Tisdale. Contact International Ceramics Studio Kecskemét, Kápolna u. 11, Kecskemét H-6000; e-mail [email protected]; or telephone (36) 76 486 867. Italy, Certaldo (Florence) April 17–30 “Wood Fir- ing” with John Jessiman. September 4–11 “Raku Dolce” with Giovanni Cimatti. Contact La Meridiana, Loc. Bagnano 135, 50052 Certaldo; telephone/fax 39 0571 660084; or see www.pietro.net. Italy, Tuscany May 13–29 Five-day hands-on handbuilding and surface treatment workshop with Í Denys James and Pietro Maddalena; ﬁve-day terra sigilatta 'LAZE-ASTER workshop with Giovannni Cimmati. Fee: CAN$4975 'LAZE#ALCULATION3OFTWAREFOR (US$4261), includes airfare, lodging, some dinners, materials and tours; without airfare, CAN$3546 7INDOWSAND-ACS (US$3037). Contact Denys James, Discovery Art Travel, .OWITSEVENBETTER 'LAZE-ASTERISSIMPLYTHEBEST 182 Welbury Dr., Salt Spring Island, British Columbia ANDNOWITISEVENBETTERWITHSEVERALADDEDFEATURES V8K 2L8 Canada; e-mail [email protected]; see 'LAZE-ASTERALSOSERVESASANOUTSTANDINGDATABASE www.denysjames.com; or telephone (250) 537-4906. FORYOURGLAZERECIPESANDISEASYTOLEARNTOUSE Japan, Gifu through October 16 “European Noble )TISmEXIBLE TAILORITTOMEETYOURNEEDS ANDITHAS Wares”; at Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, 4-2- FEATURESNOOTHERPROGRAMHAS3TILLONLY 5 Higashi-machi, Tajimi-shi. Japan, Seto through March 26 “Chinese Grave ,EARNMOREABOUT'LAZE-ASTERANDDOWNLOADAFREE DAYTRIALCOPYORFREEUPGRADESFORCURRENTOWNERSAT Goods: Chinese Ancient Life and Dream.” through March 31 “Contemporary Ceramics”; at Aichi Prefec- HTTPWWWMASTERINGGLAZESCOM tural Ceramic Museum, 234 Minami-yamaguchi-cho. Netherlands, Amsterdam through February 27 “Flowers”; at Rijksmuseum, Jan Luykenstraat 1. Netherlands, Delft February 4–March 18 Pauline Nationwide/Worldwide Wiertz; at Galerie Terra Delft, Nieuwstraat 7. Netherlands, Deventer through February 11 Yuk Kan Yeung; at Loes & Reinier International Ceramics, Huge Selection: Korte Assenstraat 15. GEILKILNS Netherlands, Leeuwarden through March 26 Maggi Clay Glazes Giles, “A Life’s Work”; at Princessehof Leeuwarden, The Best Built Kiln Kilns Wheels Grote Kerkstraat 11. You Can Buy! Scotland, Falkirk through February 26 “Elemental Tools Brushes Insight”; at Callendar House, Falkirk Civic Ofﬁces, Slip Slab Rollers Callendar Park. Spain, Coruña through March 15 Xavier Toubes, “Global”; at Fundación Luis Seoane, San Francisco. Now Switzerland, Geneva through March 20 “Four www.ceramics.org Spanish Ceramists,” Claudi Casanovas, Angel Garraza, Order Online! Enrique Metsre, Xavier Toubes; at Musée Ariana, 10 Ave. de la Paix. www.brickyardceramics.com Turkey, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ankara September 14–October 5 “Turkey 2006 Excursion,” hands-on workshop including handbuilding, colored porcelain and decals with Mehmet Kutlu, then hands-on workshop DEALERS ARTISTS: with Erdogan Gulec, tours, and studio visits. Fee: & CAN$4685 (US$3975), includes airfare, lodging, break- Call For Fast Delivery fast; without airfare, CAN$2935 (US$2500). Deposit due: May 15. Contact Denys James, Discovery Art Travel, 182 Welbury Dr., Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

George Debikey V8K 2L8 Canada; e-mail [email protected]; see www.denysjames.com; or telephone (250) 537-4906.

(800) 677-3289 For a free listing, submit announcements at least two months before the month of opening. Add one month for listings in July and one (317) 244-5230 month for listings in September. Submit listings online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org; mail to Calendar, Ceramics Monthly, 6060 Guion Rd • Indianapolis, IN 46254 735 Ceramic Pl., Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081; e-mail [email protected]; or fax (614) 891-8960.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 92 Ceramics Monthly February 2006 93 Daga Design Ceramics seeks person to lead studio classified advertising production and business partner. Minneapolis. For details, see www.dagadesign.com; (206) 842-7098. Ceramics Monthly welcomes classifieds in the following categories: Buy/Sell, Employment, Events, Opportunities, The Clay Studio’s “Third Annual Marge Brown Kalodner Personals, Publications/Videos, Real Estate, Rentals, Services, Travel. Accepted advertisements will be inserted into Graduate Student Exhibition” call for entries for those the first available print issue, and posted on our website (www.ceramicsmonthly.org) for 30 days at no additional currently enrolled in a Graduate Program and whose charge! All classified ads placed in two or more issues of Ceramics Monthly will also be run—free of charge—in primary medium is clay. Applications must be postmarked concurrent issues of Pottery Making Illustrated. Whether in print or online, the fixed rate is $50 for up by May 19, 2006. Applications available at to 25 words, or $75 for up to 50 words, which is the maximum length accepted. Classified ads may www.theclaystudio.org, or send SASE to The Clay Studio, be submitted securely online at www.ceramicsmonthly.org/classifieds.asp. You also may e-mail 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. [email protected] or mail it, with payment, to Classified Advertising, Ceramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic Place, Suite 100, Westerville, OH 43081. “California Clay Competition,” May 5–June 3, 2006. Juror: Patti Warashina. Slide deadline: must be received / Production potters: full-time, year-round positions for by March 3. $13/entry. California residents only; func- skilled potters who are serious about throwing salt-glazed tional and sculptural work in clay. For prospectus, send production ware. Benefits. Send résumé to Salmon Falls SASE to CCC, The Artery, 207 G St., Davis, CA 95616; visit Cone Art kiln 4227-10, large oval with shelves, superb Stoneware, PO Box 452, Dover, NH 03821-0452; or www.artery.coop; or fax (530) 758-8509. condition, you haul—$1500. 75 used carbide shelves— [email protected]. We’re located 90 min- $200, must haul all. Lite Dome high-end canopy, excellent utes north of Boston. Camphill Village Kimberton Hills seeks a skilled condition—$400. Nurit POS credit card machine, radio wave and enthusiastic potter to develop the pottery program controlled—$200. Close to Boston, Massachusetts. Call for Job opening—Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute in China that M.C. Richards began. Join our community as an details: (978) 749-4938. needs an English teacher who will be able to teach in Americorps volunteer and earn a $4725 education award, China for 6 or 12 months. Monthly salary: RMB 3600 yuan, living and working with people with developmental dis- Refractories/firebrick. Steel mill in Utah has gone out plus free rooms, heatlh insurance and traveling premium. abilities. Contact [email protected]; of business. Thousands of pallets of new high-tempera- Starts mid February 2006. Contact Guangzhen Zhou, (610) 935-3963; website www.camphillkimberton.org. ture brick, all shapes and sizes, 40–70% alumina conåtent. Chinese Clay Art USA, [email protected]; Other miscellaneous refractories also available. Must sell, phone (800) 689-2529; fax (408) 777-8321. Potter’s retreat. Tucson, Arizona. Furnished cot- salvage prices. Call Cristina at (801) 420-5764. tages for rent on a private estate. Share a large ceramics studio, kilns, pool and spa. The Hummingbird House. Call Tile business equipment and inventory. 30-ton Ram (520) 742-3969; or toll free (877) HUMMING; press with dies, die lift, Bluebird Pugmill, 2 Skutt kilns, tile www.hummingbirdhouse.com. racks, bisqued tile inventory, 100s of pounds of glazes and much more. E-mail [email protected] or call 26th Annual Potter’s Gathering at Cedar Lakes The Clay Studio offers The Evelyn Shapiro Foundation (479) 857-1800. in Ripley, West Virginia. February 17–19, 2006, with Fellowship, a one-year residency including studio, $500/ presenter Ben Owen III. Commuter tuition, $106. Com- month stipend and solo exhibition. Functional/vessel- Wanted: clay mixer. No Soldners. No pugmills. muter student tuition, $53. For information, call Gloria at oriented work only. Applications must be postmarked by 150- or 300-batch size. Contact Kevin Thomas at (304) 372-7873. March 31, 2006. Application available at [email protected]. www.theclaystudio.org, or send SASE to The Clay Studio, “Matthew Metz Workshop,” April 8–9, 2006. 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. Are you interested in selling your collection? I am Fee: $125. Red Star Studios Ceramic Center, interested in purchasing collections of contemporary Kansas City, Missouri. Telephone (816) 474- McColl Center for Visual Art (Charlotte, North Caro- American and/or British studio pottery. Individual 7316; e-mail [email protected]; or visit lina) Artist-in-Residence Program. Application deadline: pieces are fine as well. (914) 420-1056; or e-mail www.redstarstudios.org. May 1, 2006. Three-month fall 2007 and winter 2008 [email protected]. sessions. Private studios, $2000 materials, $3300 sti- Wyoming, Sheridan. “Big West Arts Festival.” August pend, metal and wood shops, media lab, darkroom, For sale: Ceramics studio and gallery located in 5–6, 2006. Fine arts and fine crafts. Contact Sheridan printmaking, sculpture, and ceramic studios. Paid travel sunny southern California. All equipment included. For College, PO Box 1500, Sheridan, WY 82801; or visit and condominiums. See www.mccollcenter.org. Contact further information, contact (805) 300-5806; or visit www.bigwestartsfestival.com. Terri Smith [email protected]; (704) 332-5535. www.claystudioandgallery.com. Pottery course Spain: Seth Cardew and Simon We need pottery contacts in the Third World to Leach team up to teach from the wheel. Great Spanish coordinate the possible local production of low-cost ce- experience! Also at the pottery, a fully furnished 4-bed- ramic water filters. Write to [email protected]. room house is available to rent by the week. Archie Bray Foundation is looking for two interns for details. www.cardew-spain.com; or e-mail Call for papers: “International Wood-Fire Conference”— from June 1, 2006, to May 31, 2007. Thirty hours per week, [email protected]. Northern Arizona University, October 12–14. Submit 500- including sales, warehouse and pugmill work. Hourly word lecture abstract on Aesthetics, Academic or Ireland pottery courses. Summer 2006: 3 salt glaze/ wage and use of community studio space. Submit appli- Technical issues, with up to three images of work, to Jason 1 wood fire fully residential courses, guest tutors cation by April 15, 2006. Contact Clay Business Manager Hess, PO Box 6020, School of Art, Northern Arizona and many extras. Marcus O’Mahony, Glencairn Pottery, at (406) 442-2521. University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011; or [email protected]. Waterford, Ireland. [email protected]; Deadline: April 1, 2006. Instructors needed for wheel throwing and www.marcusomahony.com; 353 58 56694. handbuilding shops in premier childrens’ sleep-away Business for sale. Teaching studio with small gallery Silvie Granatelli in France, May 29–June 9, 2006, camps in the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. Excellent in leased 1800-square-foot commercial space approxi- “Pottery and the Foods of France.” Cordes sur Ciel, near facilities and equipment. 90 minutes from New York City. mately 40 miles north of Chicago. Lots of equipment and Toulouse. Pottery Abroad, LLC, (706) 377-2986; e-mail Excellent salary. From 6/20–8/17/06. Send résumé to supplies. Existing student base. Good community rela- [email protected]; website www.potteryabroad.com. [email protected]; fax (973) 575-4188; phone (973) 575- tions with Scout workshops and periodic studio events. See studio at www.newclayworks.com. Contact Paula 3333 ext. 124. ClayScapes—Potters Council Surface Design Jean Pederson at (847) 625-1799. Conference. Sunnyvale, California, April 20–23, 2006. Excellent opportunity for exploring wood firing For more information, visit www.potterscouncil.org/ in a natural Ozark forest setting. Studio assistant desired Solo exhibition opportunity at The Clay Studio for clayscapes or contact the Potters Council at (614) 794-5827. in exchange for room, board, small stipend, studio space 2007–2008 season. Clay must be the primary medium. and kiln space—anagama, noborigama. For details, con- Details and application available at www.theclaystudio.org, tact Joe Bruhin (870) 363-4264. or SASE to The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadel- phia, PA 19106. Postmark deadline: May 31, 2006. 100 Summer jobs—2006. Teach ceramics, jewelry, painting, drawing, crafts, photography, batik, etc. 50 The Clay Studio Resident Artist Program in- Call for Entries: “Decorated Clay Works” with Chinese private summer camps—New York, Pennsylvania, New cludes studio space, kiln use, teaching and exhibition Clay Art (CCA) tools. Deadline: April 10, 2006. Entry fee: England. You choose! Arlene Streisand. Free Profes- opportunities. Residents can stay for five years. $225/ none. Requirement: Any kind of ceramic work decorated sional Recruitment. www.summercampemployment.com; month rent. Completed applications must be postmarked using CCA textural mat, wood molds or ceramic molds. (800) 443-6428, USA; (516) 433-8033, Canada; e-mail by March 31, 2006. Application available at Award: $100 for each image. Contact Guangzhen Zhou, [email protected]. www.theclaystudio.org, or send SASE to The Clay Studio, Chinese Clay Art USA, [email protected]; 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. phone (800) 689-2529; fax (408) 777-8321. Hiring artists/crafters. Girls’ lakeside Maine summer camp. 12 architect-designed studios; generous materials Unique opportunity. One-year residency at Clay Art Pottery/ceramics wanted for fine contemporary crafts budget. Work with creative, energetic instructors, teach Center in Port Chester, New York, for graduate student gallery 2006 sales season (May–October). 30,000+ visi- children. Your ideas become Kippewa’s classes. Non- technically skilled in firing gas kilns, in exchange for tors. Juror: Daniella Kerner. For prospectus, send SASE to smokers only. Apply today at www.kippewa.com to work studio space, free firing, solo exhibition. Teaching posi- Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, 120 June 16 through August 18. 1 Kippewa Dr., Monmouth, ME tion available. Begins September 2006. Deadline: April 1. Long Beach Blvd., Loveladies, NJ 08008; or e-mail 04259-6903, USA; (207) 933-2993; fax (207) 933-2996. See www.clayartcenter.org for application. [email protected].

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 94 Resident position available: 2 openings in spring Cooperstown, N ew Y ork—country home and 5000- Master Kiln Builders. Twenty-one years experience and 2 in fall. New facilities with large work spaces, 3- square-foot artist studio situated on 1.5 acres nestled designing and building beautiful, safe, custom kilns for univer- chamber wood kiln, salt, gas and electric kilns. Cub Creek along a winding creek. Main house has 3 bedrooms, sities, colleges, high schools, art centers and private clients. Foundation located on a 100-acre historical plantation in study, living room, 26¥30 kitchen. Studio has a large light- Soda/salt kilns, wood kilns, raku kilns, stoneware kilns, sculp- central Virginia. (434) 248-5074; [email protected]; or filled workroom with second floor. Radiant heat through- ture burnout kilns, car kilns and specialty electric kilns. Com- www.cubcreek.org. out. $675,000. Call (607) 547-8958. petitive prices. Donovan. Phone/fax (612) 250-6208. House for a potter. Located in Edina, a suburb of Custom kilnbuilding and repair of electric, gas, Minneapolis. Lovely house on large lot. 300-square-foot wood and salt kilns. Repairs on all makes of ceramics and studio with skylight, gas kiln in shed. Call (952) 941-1480 refractory equipment. Welding. Mold making. Consulting N eil Estrick Gallery, LLC. New website! See the or (763) 476-1049. for all ceramics needs. Serving the Hudson Valley, New entire gallery inventory and shop online Jersey, New England and beyond. Contact David Alban Pottery for sale—Sedgwick, Maine, near Haystack; at www.neilestrickgallery.com. Classes for kids and at [email protected]; (845) 351-5188. 2-bedroom cabin on wooded acre; studio, gallery, adults—large studio with gas kiln. Studio space downdraft kiln; office with skylights; $180,000. available with 24-hour access. Grayslake, Illinois. Call (207) 359-2320. (847) 223-1807. Ceramics residency in Ghana. Learn indigenous / techniques. Fee of $2100 includes equipped studio, materials, tours, lodging and meals for 3 weeks (airfare Accept credit cards in your ceramics retail/whole- additional). www.studiomateceramics.com. Throwing O ne Piece Goblets on the Wheel. Step- sale/home-based/Internet and craft-show business. No by-step instruction. 45-minute DVD or VHS. $34.50 to application fee. No monthly minimum. No lease require- China ceramics tours. www.chineseclayart.com. Montrose Pottery, PO Box 705, Montrose, CO 81401. ment. Retriever/First of Omaha Merchant Processing. March 29–April 17, 2006, Beijing, Xi’an, Jingdezhen, Please call (888) 549-6424. Jianyang, Longquan and Shanghai—cost: $2900. June Taking the Macho O ut of Bigware. New video by 7–21, 2006, Beijing, Xi’an, Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Yixing Tony Clennell. Bigger Pots Made Easy! See review in June Molds custom made for potters, ceramics manufac- and Shanghai—cost: $2650. Contact: Chinese Ceramic CM 2005! Cost is $39.95 plus $5.00 S/H. To order, phone turing companies and hobby ceramics. Contact Reach Art Council USA, PO Box 1733, Cupertino, CA 95015; (905) 563-9382; fax (905) 563-9383; e-mail Molds, 20 Camp Rd. 41, Ogdensburg, NY 13669; phone (800) 689-2529; fax (408) 777-8321; e-mail [email protected]. (315) 393-6065. [email protected]. Ceramics Consulting Services offers technical in- Camden, Maine. July 2006 ceramic workshops. Wheel formation and practical advice on clay/glaze/kiln faults and handbuilding, glazing and decorating, majolica, and corrections, slip casting, clay body/glaze formulas, weekly, all inclusive. Call Arts Alive (207) 236-8000. House in Murphy, N orth Carolina, on 12 acres. salt glazing, product design. Call or write for details. Buy Wonderful studio with 24/16 Bailey gas kiln. 4-stall barn What Every Potter Should Know, $31.20 and Safety in the Craft and folk art tours. India, Burma, Turkey, with tack room. Creek and fishing pond. Fenced. Call Ceramics Studio, $25.50. Jeff Zamek, 6 Glendale Woods Caucasus, Bulgaria, Romania, Morocco, Mexico. Small, Stephanie (404) 660-7301; e-mail [email protected]. Dr., Southampton, MA 01073; (413) 527-7337; e-mail personalized groups. Craft World Tours, 6776CM Warboys, $255,000. ﬁ[email protected]; or www.ﬁxpots.com. Byron, NY 14422; (585) 548-2667.

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Ceramics Monthly February 2006 95 Comment the slippery slope by Nils Lou

Ways of doing things in the clay world vary and yet encourage drafting to equaliz e the area, and scoring may, in fact, do the oppo- greatly. I love to watch, for example, a skilled pressure of the burner(s) input. There is a site by encouraging air pockets. Scoring is potter throwing on the wheel, pulling the detailed explanation of this in my book, The time consuming and interrupts the consider- cylinder in exquisite efficiency. There are, Art of Firing. ation, and manipulation whereby parts come invariably, nuances of touch and control, dif- N ine inches of insulation brick is overkill together completing the aesthetic whole. fering from the way I do it—just as in watch- for kiln walls. How thick are the walls in an The cup and its handle are not separate ing an expert musician play the piano. Each electric kiln, even one designed to reach Cone entities. Scoring, by its very nature, breaks of us learns our own way in the skill areas, 10? Save money and make the walls 4½ inches the intuitive continuum of the moment of but some mechanical practices continue by thick. It will fire quicker and save fuel. N ine attachment and eliminates the possibility of dint of unexamined tradition, or simply an inches was probably needed when we were playful surprise. The cup/mug emerges in its attitude that says, “This is how my teacher building with hard bricks. We just assumed inelegant ordinariness. does it, (did it)—and so will I.” (without thinking) that 9 inches was needed Finally, the act of scoring has the propen- Consider the common firing practice of for insulated firebrick. N ot. sity for being mindless. It becomes a thought- candling a load of bisqued, glaz ed pots over- While methods and processes are tangible less process perceived as a necessary step. night—or, for several hours slowly turning examples of mindlessly unexamined traditions, That unique marriage of parts-to-whole rela- the burners up to “max,” adding hours of certain attitudes can exert powerfully negative tionship requires the utmost in consider- unnecessary firing time. “Well, this is how I effects in our wonderful world of clay. I’m ation—all too often, it disappears in the learned it in college . . . .” What are you thinking here about the presumption that if mechanics of scoring. scared of? Blowing up the pots? Won’t hap- you’re a guy you know stuff that women don’t. U nderstanding the nature of clay and the pen. The sooner you get to glaz e melt, the Like how to fire kilns and wood fire. Some of ionic attraction of molecular interfaces that better—spend time soaking if you want. Does the best at wood firing are women—and I’ve depend on hydrostatic interaction is all one the ceramics industry candle? They fire in seen too many guest potters (male) demon- needs to know for successful attachment. In half the time we potters do—sometimes in as strate their “expertise” (read ego), by insist- other words, if the clay parts are hydrologi- little as thirty minutes! ing they really know how to fire. Especially cally similar (bone dry, leather hard, etc.), a How about the myth that trapping air in silly is that they usually upset the smooth simple addition of G orilla Slip will weld them the clay will blow up the whole load of pots fl ow and stall the kiln. We need to respect together (see recipe below). in the bisque kiln? Try this: Make a pot and experience and expertise irrespective of gen- For all the scorers and slippers out there, I close it so there are no openings. Add it to der/ego. Old-boy’s clubs (of either gender) urge you to let your scoring tools rest in the the next bisque load—best if they are for do not encourage positive growth. bottom of the toolbox and embrace a much your next show. Explosion? Won’t happen. Simple, traditional ways of doing things more direct approach that honors the mate- Pots blow up because of water, not because continue from student to student without riality of clay. Think of the time wasted rou- of bubbles of air. thoughtful refl ection. Attaching handles, tinely scoring clay that could be used in, Bag walls. Here’s an antique idea. I inher- knobs and other protuberances to vessels, well—scoring. ited a 16-cubic-foot updraft Alpine kiln about and/or sculpture, has a history worthy of My students use G orilla Slip, which con- twenty years ago. It fired uneven—crappy. I critical review—scoring and slipping is a per- sists of: 1 cup each of kaolin and ball clay; 1 yanked the funky, curved bag walls and lined fect example of primitive practice continu- cup of Dr. Pepper cola; ½cup stale beer, the fl ame trench with a layer of ceramic fiber. ing from teacher to student and onward (Corona is preferred); 1 tablespoon Elmer’s N ow, it fires in six hours—nice copper reds, because it has the iconic status of edict. I white glue; 1 tablespoon of white vinegar even temperatures throughout. If you have have an innate feeling that the mechanical for pH balance, and 3 tablespoons gloss uneven firings and have a bag wall—get rid abrasion of the clay surface interrupts the acrylic medium. The latter ingredient makes of it. Of course, if your kiln has side burners integral energy and aesthetic of the object— the mixture thixotropic, so stir well before you will need target bricks to direct the fl ame, even though it is eventually hidden by slip using. If desired, thin with 50/50 white vin- but not a bag wall. and handle. It grates against aesthetic sensi- egar and water. This slip will stick anything While I’m on kilns, let’s examine exit fl ues bilities. I support the radical tribalists scorn- to anything and stores indefinitely in an in downdraft kilns. It makes no sense to have ful of mechanical overkill. airtight container. a 9×9-inch hole for exhausting combustion The rationale for scoring is fl awed. It as- products. The idea is to create turbulence, sumes that by providing more surface area the author Nils Lou is a professor of ceramics not laminar fl ow inducing a temperature dif- for attachment, the protuberance is fully se- at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, ferential. The exit should induce turbulence cured. There is no real need for more surface and maintains a studio in Willamina, Oregon.

Ceramics Monthly February 2006 96 John Britt and the cone 10 Paragon Dragon kiln. Interior: 24” wide x 24” deep x 27” high. UL Listed to U.S. and Canadian safety standards. Goldstone vase, electric oxidation, fired with extended cooling. “The Dragon is very dependable,” John said. With popular options, the Dragon is priced at around $5,000. “I fired the first Paragon Dragon ever made, and I loved it” —John Britt Priced around $5,000 when The first Paragon Dragon wemadewentto bottom. The extra insulation saves energy ordered with typical options. Penland School of Crafts five years ago. At the and cools slowly. time, John Britt ran Penland’s pottery depart- UL Listed to U.S. and Canadian safety ment and used the Dragon to formulate some • standards of his crystalline glazes. He enjoyed the Dragon so much that he is buying one for himself. •Orton’s Sentry 2.0 controller with “I loved the consistency and accuracy of the programmed cool-down and 20 segments Dragon,” said John. “It was real easy to pro- •Long-lasting, quiet mercury relays gram soaking cycles. The kiln is very fast. I could go in about three hours to 2300°F and •Available in 200, 208, 220, 240, 480 v, then do my soaks. I did multiple soaks on the 1 & 3 phase, 50/60 hertz way down. •Proportional power, heavy duty “The Dragon is very dependable. It is an ex- elements for more even heating cellent kiln.” You can find John’s glaze recipes in his book The Complete Guide to High Fire •Case temperature at cone Glazes. 10: approximately 170°F (compared to 400-500°F Dragon Features 2011 South Town East Blvd. for standard firebrick Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 •3” insulating firebrick and 1” non-organic kilns) 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 block insulation in walls, top and door: 4” See your distributor for a demonstra- Toll Free Fax 888-222-6450 total thickness; 4 ½” thick firebrick tion of the exciting Paragon Dragon. www.paragonweb.com [email protected] Introducing the all new

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