May 1996 1 Ruth C. Butler...... Editor Kim Nagorski...... Assistant Editor Tess Galvin...... Assistant Editor Lisa Politz...... Editorial Assistant Randy Wax...... Art Director Mary R. Hopkins...... Circulation Manager Mary E. May...... Assistant Circulation Manager Connie Belcher...... Advertising Manager Spencer L. Davis...... Publishing Consultant

Editorial, Advertising and Circulation Offices 1609 Northwest Boulevard Post Office Box 12788 Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788 (614) 488-8236 FAX (614) 488-4561

Ceramics Monthly {ISSN 0009-0328) is published monthly except July and August by the American Ceramic Society, 1609 Northwest Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788. Second Class post­ age paid at Columbus, Ohio. Subscription Rates: One year $24, two years $44, three years $60. Add $10 per year for subscrip­ tions outside the U.S.A. In Canada, add GST (registration number R123994618). 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 Department, Post Office Box 12788, Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788. Contributors: Manuscripts, announcements, news releases, photographs, color transparencies (including 35mm slides), graphic illustrations and digital TIFF or EPS images are welcome and will be considered for publication. Mail submis­ sions to Ceramics Monthly, Post Office Box 12788, Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788. We also accept unillustrated materials faxed to (614) 488-4561. Writing and Photographic Guidelines: Printed information on standards and procedures for submitting materials is available upon request. Indexing: An index of each year’s articles appears in the December issue. Additionally, Ceramics Monthly articles are indexed in the Art Index. Printed, online and CD-ROM (computer) index­ ing is available through Wilsonline, 950 Univer­ sity Avenue, Bronx, New York 10452; Informa­ tion Access Company, 362 Lakeside Drive, For­ est City, California 94404; and from daai (design and applied arts index), Design Documentation, Woodlands, Stone Cross, Mayfield, East Sussex, TN20 6EJ, England. These services are also avail­ able through your local library. Copies and Reprints: Microfiche, 16mm and 35mm microfilm copies, and xerographic re­ prints are available to subscribers from University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Back Issues: When available, back issues are $5 each, postpaid. Write for a list. Postmaster: Send address changes to Ceramics Monthly, Post Office Box 12788, Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788. Form 3579 requested. Copyright © 1996 The American Ceramic Society All rights reserved

2 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 3 4 CERAMICS MONTHLY VOLUME 44, NUMBER 5 May 1996 Feature Articles Maria Alquilar A Perspective on Public Art by Joe Valencia ...... 31 Ron Meyers: Thirty Years ...... 35 Venturing into the Unknown by Margaret Haydon ...... 36 Watershed—A New Rawness by Tony Hepburn ...... 39 with Challenge, Renewal and Inspiration by Lynn Gipson...... 40 Trials and Tribulations of Turning Professional by Sara Baker...... 41 Venturing into the Unknown“Interested in the ideas of journeying and the outer Narrative Mural by Gary Baxter...... 44 appearance of weathering through time,” New York Clay by Judith Schwartz ...... 47 Colorado artist Margaret Haydon has been creating boat forms since 1989; see page 36. Contempo-Baroque Majolica The Art of Simona Alexandrov by Louise Melton ...... 51 Digging a Hillside KilnUsing “available gardening tools, a broken kiln shelf, about Mark Messenger...... 55 100 bricks and some friends eager to get A Raku How-To dirty,” Virginia potter Bryson VanNostrand dug a kiln into a seam of clay “in a day and Gloss Craclde Glazing by John Ramer Sherrill...... 56 a night”; his story begins on page 87. Mexican Candelabra by Karen Beall...... 59 Modular Inquiries by Beverlee Lehr with Sandy Marrone ...... 61 Questions to Ask a Gallery by Karen Shelly-Genther ...... 86 Digging a Hillside Kiln by Bryson VanNostrand ...... 87 Four Steps of Critical Observation by Susan DeMay ...... 90 Up Front

Patti Warashina^j/ GlenR. Brown .. 12 Sean Henry ...... 18 New Ceramic Museum ...... 12 Gail Bakutis ...... 20 Intimate Conversations ...... 12 Kill or Kiln: How Potters Fare NEA Cuts Program ...... 14 in Murder Mysteries Ohio EPA Assistance ...... 14 by Delia Robinson ...... 20 NCECA Benefit Auction ...... 14 James Klueg ...... 22 Wendy Walgate ...... 14 Ohio Clay Perspectives ...... 22 Karen Koblitz ...... 16 Getting Ink with the Yellow Narrative Mural Commissioned by the Bill Gilbert by Gina Bobrowski...... 16 Submarine by Sally Horvath ...... 24 senior class, ceramics professor Gary Baxter Online Update ...... 18 Obituaries ...... 24 created a glazed stoneware mural for the library’s main entrance at Houghton Col­ lege in Houghton, New York; see page 44. Departments The cover Russian emigre Simona Alex­ androv developed her majolica techniques Letters ...... 8 Questions ...... 84 through hands-on study of historical ware New Books ...... 26 Classified Advertising ...... 92 at Saint Petersburg’s Muchina Museum Comment: Call for Entries ...... 64 School for the Applied Arts; for more on her Confessions of a Neo-Leachian work, turn to page 51. Photo: W. Marc Suggestions ...... 68 by John Britt ...... 94 Bemsau, DB Photographies. Calendar ...... 74 Index to Advertisers ...... 96

May 1996 5

I want other clay people with health indicated. We need guidelines for becoming Letters problems associated with the materials we usegood students, taking that responsibility to know there is hope. As an educator with ourselves. It is the student’s task to lift him- an interest in antioxidant enzymatic therapy selflherself out of mediocrity. Only after Artists’ Rights research, I would be happy to share what I qualifying as good students can a teacher I’d like to present the following situation know with Lynn Hugo or anyone else in guide us with good results. I submit that the for comments from galleries and show orga­ trouble because of the chemicals we use. challenge of making pots (at a university) is nizers, as well as exhibiting artists: Linda Arndt, Muncie, Ind. for the students to accept, not the teachers— Recently I paid my jury fee, sent slides let them publish, if they are so inclined. and was accepted into a show. Ordinarily I Historical Coverage Appreciated I suggest these guidelines for us students: don’t drive hundreds of miles to go to a Thanks for publishing the article by 1. Find the essence of an idea. show, but my daughter is attending the Marshall Katz on 19th-century Portuguese 2. Give up all superfluous encumbrances university in this city, so I wanted to visit. Palissy ware in the March issue. I am an artistto realizing this essence. We went to the opening, a lovely affair who works with clay, but I also restore ce­ 3. Be calm so the essence is clear to you. complete with live music and a large crowd ramics. When the magazine arrived, I was 4. Be controlled so extraneous expressions in attendance. I searched out my work only working on a cabbage-leaf teapot with snake do not occur. to find it incomplete. The piece was a large handle, which is mentioned in Katz’s article, 5. Be settled, knowing you have exactly covered jar, of which the vessel serves as a so the article was “real life” for me. identified the essence of your idea, and do pedestal to show off a large sculptural lid. I appreciate the historical articles CM not waver. Without the lid, the title of the piece made prints. They are valuable to me, and also to 6. Concentrate completely so that the no sense, the price seemed excessive and the some of our clients. essence is purely expressed. whole concept was lost. Brenda Richardson, Cincinnati 7. The truth is everywhere, including in Galleries keep slides of juried pieces to the essence expressed—hold on to it. ensure that the piece juried in is the piece on Spiritual Oneness 8. Be free, penetrating any “fog” obscur­ display. Shouldn’t these same slides be used I read the article in the March issue en­ ing the essence of your idea. to assure the artist that the work is properly titled “Vivika Heino: On Pottery,” and I My sincere thanks to Chris Staley and displayed? must say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I CM for provoking these guidelines with the After asking around, I finally located the especially enjoyed the part about obtaining February 1996 article. person in charge of setting up the show. I wasspiritual oneness with the clay. Clay is a very Michael Van Cleemput, Dunsmuir, Calif. told that the lid must still be in the packing, spiritual thing; you must respect it if you and that there was no time to deal with it want it to cooperate. I am a firm believer thatOutrageous Prices then. My boxes were clearly marked as to clay must be an extension of your soul, for Am I missing something? A $ 1000 tea- contents, so there was no reason for this to clay has its own identity. bowl and a $4500 vase with cover? With all have happened. Doug Markland, Dallas due respect to Brother Thomas Bezanson I admire the aims of this show, and I (page 63, March 1996 issue), I find his prices know that mistakes do occur, so I just let it Incorrect Attribution both outrageous and appalling. go for the opening. Still, I can’t help feeling In reference to the March Comment by Elliott Hutten, Little Valley, N.Y. that my work has been misrepresented. The Kevin A. Hluch: rights of galleries are clearly defined in entry Looking to the past and trying to reinter­ More Color forms, but what about artists’ rights? Does pret or connect to it through the many artis­ I would love to see more of the articles this happen often? tic choices available in today’s world is a printed in color. I was just dying to see the Robin Renner, Farmington, N.M. challenge. However, the “taproot” quote wall mural in “Ceramic Art in Senegal” attributed to Bernard Leach needs to be (March 1996) in color! I’ve seen ash glaze on Antioxidant Enzymatic Therapy corrected by reading the last part of a beauti­stoneware a thousand times, but tiles and When I read the letter by Lynn Hugo in fully written article by Susan Peterson in the mosaics just need to be shown in color to be the April issue, my heart went Out to this December 1994 Studio Potter: appreciated. person. Major health problems are frighten­ “This concern with roots reminds me of Margaret McNaron, Anniston, Ala. ing. The letter was greatly appreciated by the often-quoted remark made by Hamada at many of us and I will certainly use this infor­our Chouinard workshop in Los Angeles in Offend When Appropriate mation in my classroom. As a ceramics artistl 1951: ‘American potters,’ he said, ‘are not Stay strong—in the middle somewhere. educator for 20+ years, I am well aware of thelooking at their taproot. The Indians are theirKeep the humor on the high ground. Offend health hazards in this business. taproot.’ (This was erroneously attributed to everybody when appropriate. I am also a nutritional consultant. I lec­ Bernard Leach in a newspaper report; Leach Eric True blood, Union, Va. ture and have published information on was only translating for Hamada who, de­ enzymatic research and nutritional substancesspite his several years in England with Ber­ Variety Appeals that have the ability to flush the body of nard in the 1920s, would not speak English I enjoy seeing a variety of other people’s toxins. Much of the research in this area is in public at the time.)” work, whether it appeals to me or not. Art is being done at Ball State University, where I Arlene Goldberg, West Charleston, Vt. subjective, and to cater to those readers who am employed. This has allowed me access to sit in judgment of what is art and what isn’t, considerable resources. Student Guidelines is unfair to the rest of us. In response to Chris Staley’s article “The Karen Ransom, Orwell, Vt. Share your thoughts with other readers. All letters Challenge of Making Pots at a University”: must be signed, but names will be withheld on I am glad to read that making good Bordering on Gimmickry request. Mail to The Editor, Ceramics Monthly, pottery is not all about technique, but that I really want to see more articleslphotos of Post Office Box 12788, Columbus, Ohio 43212- the “soul of the maker” is involved. However,historical!ethnic tradition in pottery. The 0788; or fax to (614) 488-4561. I disagree with the role of the teacher as past is rich with inspiration with which to

8 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 9 Letters Both are valuable and should be appreciated. monthly that so many others also know the But they can’t be judged by the same set of joy of clay, and that personal expression is standards. unlimited. Each issue is a celebration of the inform the present. The work of some of the Ed King, Spotsylvania, Va. potential of the earthiest. Vive CM’s variety, potters CM runs stories on sometimes bor­ readability, integrity. ders on gimmickry, devoid of much formal Candid Studio Photos Anne Burton, Amherst, Mass. consideration. Review more of the fine art of I particularly enjoy photos of artists in pottery making! their studios and the results of their efforts. IOpening Eyes Mariko Swisher, Maspeth, N.Y. get many ideas from seeing what others do. CM has been a valuable tool for me and Ross Brown, Brooklyn my students. The visual experience is great Apples and Oranges (please keep up the photographs of current Maybe there should be two Ceramics Clay Forum work). The magazine itself opens up the eyes Monthly publications—one for clay sculptors CM has become the clay community’s of my students; we have valuable discourse like myself, and one for potters who do public forum—the place to exchange techni­and critique. We often use CM for research utilitarian work. Then maybe people would cal information, concepts and methods. I and new ideas. quit arguing about it. It’s apples and oranges.eagerly anticipate each issue, reassured P. Jerilyn Stevens, Milton, Del.

Not Enough on Glazes and Firing There is too little information or courses—home or university—about glazes, making and firing. Firing is as important as any other part of ceramics. Jerry Peters, Miami

Avoid Overspecialization A fundamental law of nature is that over- specialization leads to extinction. Avoid all the cries of “more of this and less of that.” Keep up the diversity. Philip Van Gelder, Geyserville, Calif.

Good Resource Even though I have a personal focus on functional ware, I appreciate the variety. Of course, I would also like to see more “how to” articles and please keep the advertising section—even expand it—good resources! Sandy Drum, Indianapolis

Stay the Course Stay diverse! Stay inclusive! Maintain top quality! As artists, we can learn tolerance by acknowledging and accepting other people’s concerns; i.e., much as I tire of the old “craft versus art” arguments, I can choose to read on or turn the page. Let’s teach the politi­ cians how to live! Lynn Peters, Plainfield, N.J.

Moderation in All Things I know Ceramics Monthly must include the avant-garde, but an equal proportion of simple, functional ware and basic recipes would be appreciated by many. Wisdom teaches moderation in all things. C. P. Dunbar, Leesville, S.C.

Correction An inadvertently dropped letter changed the word “limitations” into “imitations” in the April 1996 article on “Side Firing.” The first sentence in the last paragraph of the first column on page 54 should have read: “Then came the conversation that may have changed forever the way I think about vision, passion and limitations.”

10 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 11 Up Front her forehead. The half-comical, half-threatening “Hot Head” is more obviously related to fire. New Ceramic Museum Ground was broken in April for the Hesperia (California) Patti Warashina Museum and Nature Center, a complex of 14 domes and 2 by Glen R. Brown vaults to be built entirely from ceramic materials (earth and Exhibited recently at the FOVA Galleries of Texas Tech Univer­ brick), then fired on site. Designed by architect and author sity in Lubbock, the latest work of Seattle, Washington, artist Nader Khalili (see “Fired Houses” in the November 1983 CM), Patti Warashina will come as a surprise to anyone who still the center was approved for construction after successful static and dynamic load testing for wind, snow and earthquakes on full-scale prototypes at Cal-Earth, the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture. According to Khalili, the project demonstrates how whole communities could be developed in total harmony with the environment. Building with ceramic materials is also seen as a solution to global deforestation and an answer to affordable housing worldwide. Intimate Conversations “Intimate Conversations: Ceramics by Nine Women,” an exhibition of sculpture and vessels by Nancy Blum (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Barbara Botting (Philadelphia), Janet Grau (Co­ lumbus, Ohio), Leah Hardy (Huntsville, Texas), Marian Pritchard (Gladwyne, Pennsylvania), Melissa Stern (New York

Patti Warashina’s “Hot Head,” 26 inches in height, earthenware with underglaze and glaze; at the FOVA Galleries of Texas Tech University, Lubbock. thinks of this artist primarily in terms of her miniature white porcelain figure compositions of the 1980s. Not only has Warashina dramatically inverted the scale of her pieces to construct physically and technically impressive 8-foot giants, she also has returned to the vibrant color and painterly treatment of surfaces characteristic of her work in the 1960s and ’70s. The prelude to Warashinas colossal figures is a series of expressive “jar heads,” 2-foot-tall, thimble-shaped, low-fire clay forms that she began producing in 1990. Their surfaces were worked in bas relief to suggest noses, lips and brow ridges before Marian Pritchard vase, 11 inches in height, glazed adding the remaining facial details in underglaze. The two jar porcelain; at the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston. heads in this exhibition, “Madonna with Fish” and “Hot Head,” suggest goddesses who are associated with the ancient primary City), Julie Terestman (Jersey City, New Jersey), Janis Mars elements of water, earth, air and fire. The hair of the “Ma­ Wunderlich (Columbus, Ohio) and Bridget Young (Indianola, donna,” for example, is a pool of water that drips gently over Washington), was on view recently at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. You are invited to send news and photos about peopley places or “I remember too well when many women wore social masks events of interest. We will be pleased to consider them for publica­ that outwardly communicated their would-be perfect lives,” tion in this column. Mail submissions to Up Front, Ceramics noted curator Gail Brown. “The masks’ did not remove easily Monthly, Post Office Box 12788, Columbus, Ohio 43212-0788. and delayed or deferred any opportunity for budding, honest

12 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Up Front communication. More frequently today, we meet someone who becomes an intimate friend quickly: the right connections are made and a dialogue of promise and substance begins....I value greatly this enlightened, mutual trust and personal risk taking. “I am likewise drawn to visual work that makes this same leap of faith: moving directly to touch chords of personal recognition, without artifice,” she continued. “Work of this nature speaks a language of accessibility, referencing shared experiences, those both difficult and joyful. It offers a visible dialogue grounded in the familiar, an invitation for others to take risks and share ideas and emotions. The smallest confi­ dence, shared, has the potential to become a monumental public affirmation. Thus begins ‘Intimate Conversations.’ “The nine artists in this exhibit use clay, traditionally and otherwise, as a conduit, a channel to bestow their intimate concerns tactilely upon us, as well as to share their seemingly endless discoveries in the process. The issues raised are relation­ ship based, complex and personal, sociological and historic.” For instance, Marian Pritchard s vessels couple “a sense of the historic continuum with a very personal vocabulary,” Brown observed. “Her classically referenced pots are made new by the inclusion of small, quirky and beautiful ceramic projections that Val Cushing’s “Pitcher Form,” 20 inches in height, are not quite handles. The scale and proportions are intimate: stoneware: sold for $950 (retail value: $800) at the the impact can be monumental, either serene or animated.” NCECA Benefit Auction in Rochester, New York.

NEA Cuts Program Thirty-eight artists donated the works that were sold by An item on page 14 of the April issue listed several programs at auctioneer Richard Nelson of Christie’s in New York City. the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) that may be of Bidding was brisk, with all but a few lots reaching the reserve interest to ceramists; however, because of even more budget and (the minimum price below which the lot will not be sold), and staff reductions, one of these—the U.S./Canada/Mexico Cre­ ative Artists’ Residencies program—has been canceled. All other programs mentioned in the article are still being offered. Ohio EPA Assistance The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently established a Small Business Assistance Program to help small businesses comply with environmental laws by providing free and confidential services. The agency recognizes that “most small businesses want to comply with the law, but don’t always know what laws apply to them and cannot afford to pay for an environmental consultant. “When a small business owner calls the office, the inquiry is confidential and problems discussed will not be turned over to enforcement staff Business owners will need to fix the problem in a reasonable time, but the purpose of this new program is to help small businesses, not to hurt them.” David Shaner’s “Cirque,” 20 inches wide, stoneware; The pilot program is currently available to Central Ohio sold for $3000 (well over its catalog price of $2000). businesses with fewer than 100 employees. If it is successful, the project will become available to businesses throughout Ohio. several going well beyond the catalog price. For instance, a For more information or assistance, telephone (800) 329-7518 Warren MacKenzie storage jar was sold for eight times its asking or (614) 728-8573. Similar programs are available in other price of $100, a Vivika and Otto Heino wood-fired bottle states; interested artists should call their local EPA office. brought $1100 ($600 over its retail price), and David Shaners “Cirque” went for $1000 over its catalog value of $2000. In all, NCECA Benefit Auction the auction raised $59,500 for the endowment. “Homage to Art,” a benefit auction for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), was held Saturday, Wendy Walgate March 23, capping off this year’s conference in Rochester, New Handbuilt vessels by Canadian ceramist Wendy Walgate were York. Proceeds from the event will help establish the NCECA presented recently at Prime Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. To Endowment, which in turn will fund such programs as student texture many of her forms, Walgate uses common disposable fellowships, the Randall lecture and archival development. objects. The results, she said, resemble classical periods like the

14 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 15 Up Front baroque or rococo. “This causes a curious comparison to happen between old values and new,” she explained. “The content that can be read into the different impressions and building forms I use are the time periods of the past, present and future. The present can be read in the disposable found objects of today; the past can be felt in the personal objects from my childhood and the future can be interpreted from the indus­ trial, machinelike forms comprised of many composite impressions.” A couple of the disposable objects Walgate frequently uses are a square Lego platform and the top of an old egg poacher. When the impression of Karen Koblitz bench, 8 feet in length, glazed quarry tile on cast concrete; the Lego “is changed into a form on at Sunland-Tujunga Public Library in Los Angeles. the surface of a pot, it takes on a different significance from its toy background,” Walgate noted. Sunland-Tujunga Public Library. A committee consisting of “Now it indicates industry, repetition and the mechanized age, artists, the architect for the library, community members, plus and I can see both meanings in its appearance.” a library and a city representative, chose three finalists for the The impression from the egg poacher “results in a rounded project. Finalists met with the architect to discuss architectural breast shape, which I exploit usually in a symmetrical pairing on plans, then were asked to present a proposal that could be integrated into the library’s design. The budget for the entire project was $27,500. Koblitz’s idea—a bench of handpainted tiles for the exterior of the building—was selected unanimously by the committee. The imagery was to be of the plant and animal life of the Sunland-Tujunga Wash, which was what the architect had chosen to be integrated into the building’s design in both form and texture. After researching the birds, reptiles and vegetation of the area (and with some input from community representa­ tives who wanted some of the local endangered species in­ cluded), she decided on the final images. Koblitz worked with commercial quarry tile to stay within budget and because she wanted a tile that would weather well outdoors. After transferring the designs with carbon paper, she applied commercial underglazes. Next, the underglaze-brushed tiles were fired to set the colors. The tiles were then clear glazed and refired. The bench itself is concrete cast by a local company. Koblitz attached the tilework, then used a gray grout to match the grouting used between the flagstones at the site. Bill Gilbert by Gina Bobrowski Bill Gilbert’s recent solo exhibition at the Art Center in Waco, Wendy Walgate’s “Teapot,” 17 inches in height, handbuilt Texas, presented a journey through a curious geography that white earthenware: at Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. speaks of the relationship between human and geologic pro­ cesses. Visitors moved through groupings of bare and burned the base of vases. The domestic connotation of the household aspen limbs and fused adobe forms, which suggested basic object and the physical aspects of the woman who uses it are shelters, as well as water troughs and weathered columns. Video both present in this one impression.” monitors, encased by earth and wood, sat at waist level atop two of the columns and served as lighting for the central space of Karen Koblitz Gilbert s work. Through a Percentage for Art Program, California artist Karen The first monitor displayed a man engaged in daily, repeti­ Koblitz was recently commissioned by the Department of tive acts dwarfed by the limitless space of the desert that sur­ Cultural Affairs for Los Angeles to create a tiled bench for the rounded him. The second monitor projected what alternately

16 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 17 Up Front verance and simple acts. Meaning is attained through the reductive processes of nature, such as the cleansing principles of fire, and through the completion of basic human tasks. “Lin­ eage” encouraged the viewer to reflect on each person’s ability to gain significance through daily work, connection to others and to the greater environment that sustains us. Online Update The address for subscribing to CLAYART, the online discussion group first introduced to CM readers in the November 1993 issue, has been changed. Anyone interested in joining should send the following E-mail message to [email protected] SUBSCRIBE CLAYART YourFirstName YourLastName Another new address of interest to ceramists with direct access to the Internet is Ceramics Web URL: http:// apple.sdsu.edu/ceramicsweb/cersamicsweb.html The Ceramics Web includes such information as ClayArt archives, searchable glaze and materials databases, information and software for the GlazeBase project; plus link to other ceramics sites that provide information on suppliers, health and safety issues, etc. Educational materials, like technical handouts, class syllabi and articles on historical topics, can also be found. Sean Henry Figurative sculpture by British artist Sean Henry was presented recently at John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, California. Though based in London, Henry has worked in the U.S. on several occasions. Sculpture made during his first trip in 1987 led to an

Detail of Bill Gilbert’s mixed-media installation “Lineage”; at the Art Center, Waco, Texas. appeared as footage of a single man at four different ages in his life, or as four generations of men from the same family. The steady hum from the monitors and the intermittent sounds of a man at work provided a sense of ongoing activity in the pre­ dominant stillness of the installation. Gilbert approached the gallery’s architecture as an interior volume, which he redefined physically and contextually. Aspen limbs wound around corners and reached through walls to create an interaction between the exterior, organic world and the interior, human-made, architectural one. While this could be read initially as a comment on the relationship between humans and nature, it also alludes to the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious intellect. Gilbert’s understanding of place comes through direct participation in his immediate environment, using materials that are indigenous to his region: wood from the forests of northern New Mexico, adobe created from fusing various earthen materials found on his land. These materials are chosen for their innate qualities and metaphorical relationship to content, and are treated with an economy of touch that avoids excessive manipulation. Aspen provides a floating, linear quality. Adobe lends a sense of weight, mass and ideas of ancient cul­ tures. The monitors represent icons of contemporary society, which are surrounded by a larger environment of natural materials that place human issues in geologic perspective. Despite our human capacity to disrupt geological processes, destroy the wilderness and deplete exhaustible resources, Gilbert’s installation affirmed that human endeavors are tempo­ ral when put in the context of natural time. This impermanent , „ , ■*. „ . , r . i it i Sean Henryu T s Take Me with You...,v on 30 inches environment promotes a sentient approach to life, where in height, painted with oils; at John Natsoulas strength of character and continuity are earned through perse- Gallery, Davis, California.

18 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 19 Up Front from slab-built vessels to paperclay wall tablets. In so doing, she “developed a series of new forms, which serve as metaphors for the realms of the spirit, the unconscious and dreams,” writes James Jensen, associate director for exhibitions and collections, in the accompanying catalog. “For Bakutis, there is an analogy between the unseen, interior, empty or negative’ space that a pot holds and the spiritual life of human beings,” Jensen notes. “We can’t see the place where our psyches reside but it nevertheless exists, albeit in some invisible, intangible circumstance.” The series of rectangular “Dream Tablets” were made from paperclay, then rolled, torn, gouged and impressed, and stacked flat for firing in the kiln with fragments of Masonite between. “For Bakutis, these richly nuanced tablets are emblems of the stuff of dreams,” Jensen states. “The muted, nebulous shapes, which seem to float on the surfaces, are like the amorphous visages in a dream that emerge from the subconscious and slowly coalesce in the mind’s eye over time into meaning.” Kill or Kiln: How Potters Fare in Murder Mysteries by Delia Robinson When captured by a mystery-reading binge, I prop a book before my face and submerge all thought in a swamp of black­ mail, chaos and murder. Daily activities are suspended while some unacknowledged bloodthirsty brain cell takes over. After a few days, I shake free, blink and resume normal life. How does ceramics fare in the mystery world, that subterra­ nean realm of violence and disaster? Potters, though seldom mentioned, are generally not well thought of. In mystery stories, a potter is often a scoundrel, bent on forgery, immoral acts or worse. I have happily forgotten the titles of most of these scurrilous accounts, but a few still cling to the memory. Let us “Thirty—English Version," 47 inches in height, start with the exception to the rule. by Sean Henry. If one has interest in things medieval, which I thought I had till reading The Potters Field by Ellis Peters, feast your eyes on invitation from Robert Arneson to be a visiting artist at the just about the only virtuous potter in the genre. Of course, he University of California, Davis, during 1991. has abandoned the low craft of potting, of all pursuits “the least Henry’s approach is traditional in his use of the realistic regarded among craftsmen.” He has become a monk of tedious figure, portrait and bust, but it is not unusual for him to mingle sanctity and, in doing so, has scattered calamity in his heedless classic clarity with funky edge. His latest figures, seated or wake. I was hoping for a bit of medieval color, descriptions of standing, are intended to occupy a space “between actions”— early pottery, giant beer tankards with a pie-crust base so heavy passive, but aware of their surroundings. that even a drunk man would have trouble Jmocking them over. No such luck. The author merely reports that the tiresome Gail Bakutis fellow had been a “good craftsman” for 25 years before “kiln New work by Gail Bakutis was featured in “The Contemporary and kin had vanished” and he entered a monastery. Museum Biennial of Hawaii Artists,” which was presented Murder, the potters usual fate in these novels, did not claim initially at the museum in Honolulu, then at Hui No’eau Visual him. Why wasn’t this sanctimonious man bumped off? Presum­ Arts Center in Makawao, Maui. For this exhibition, Bakutis ably, by becoming prayerful, he released the fatal downward pull decided to change her usual mode of working with clay, moving of the clay. Other fictional potters are not so fortunate. Following the more expected pattern, the potter in Ann Granger’s Say It with Poison is a nasty piece of work. Handsome but dissolute (marijuana grows in his garden), he has fingers “streaked with pale lines of...dried clay,” and, predictably, his jeans are “plentifully smeared with pale streaks of dried clay.” Several characters clearly state that producing “little pots” is “no job for a man” and, furthermore, that a potter is “a wart on the sldn of humanity”—phrases designed to shame us all. In Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh, feckless Garcia has a whiskey bottle under his pillow, smokes opium and dresses in “a pair of dirty gray trousers, a limp shirt and an unspeakable raincoat.” He is described as completely unscrupulous, “a dark, Gail Bakutis “Dream Tablets III, IV, V,” 26 inches in height, dirty, weird-looking fellow.” Perhaps you can guess what me­ paperclay; at the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. dium he is worldng in. Bingo! He sculpts in clay. Following the

20 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 21 Up Front Say It with Poison made “elegant jugs of unusual but attractive design.” Chief Inspector Markby sips a postmortem coffee from one of his mugs. “It was quite an attractive little mug, long and standard of the fictional clay worker, his hands are “lightly slightly fluted and colored with a blue wash, which graduated crusted with dried clay.” I don’t want to spoil the plot for you, from light to dark.” Very nice indeed, but it could not save its but Garcia does not do well at all. Very poorly, in fact. maker from a dreadful fate. In The Elberg Collection by Anthony Oliver, himself a collec­ Pots are also admired by mystery writers for their utility. Clay tor of pottery, the underbelly of ceramics collecting is exposed vessels are very popular for delivering poison. Vases, urns, for our entertainment. A master potter, savaged by a critic in his teapots and ceramic garden ornaments are frequently targeted as youth, retreats into the manufacture of brilliant forgeries. He hiding places for essential clues, and pottery is excellent, of hides behind the persona of “a hack,” producing “nothing course, for bashing people on the head. Possibly the most grand—mugs and jugs, cheap tea sets, that sort of thing.” unusual pottery object used for this purpose is an outsized and Before the story opens, something terrible has happened to him, garishly colored Mexican arbol de la vida, complete with Adam and you know full well it was murder. He was a potter, after all. and Eve, angels, banjos, and trumpets in Marcia Muller’s The After sleuthing out his sorry demise and a few choice remarks Tree of Death. The victim does not survive a thump on the head about his character, such as “crude, vulgar womanizer,” the with this unique murder instrument. standard requirements of the genre are upheld. The potter is In much the same way, many of us would have trouble revealed as dishonest though capable of producing work of surviving these poisonous books. Only those potters willing to amazing virtuosity. resolutely face abuse should risk venturing into this fiction. A The Ellberg Collection contains a wealth of pottery lore and person of delicate construction could be felled by the low blows. descriptions. One character has “hands and arms ghosted white with dried clay powder”—such an improvement over the more James Klueg standard clay-streaked fingers. There are some nice descriptions Decorated with simulated mosaic and collagelike iconic imag­ of the process, as well as dubious tips on how to make “a profit ery, handbuilt earthenware vessels by Minnesota artist James margin of about one thousand percent” by creating fakes. Time, while sharpening the value of their work, seems to blunt the insistence on how rotten potters are as individuals. The Pew Group, also by Anthony Oliver, lovingly describes “a small piece of white pottery... crudely but endearingly fashioned with three little figures sitting stiffly on a high-backed settee.” This piece, which is, of course, worth millions, is offered for sale as a worthless gimcrack at a church fair. Through means fair or foul (mostly foul), it passes through many hands before the book dashes toward its final frenzied collapse. Quoting some expert, the book says about these English pottery groups: “Sometimes attributed to Aaron Wood, their exact origin is of little consequence.” Get that. The individual potter, who no doubt is a dirty fellow with clay under his fingernails, no longer matters. He no longer merits vilification. It is too late to murder him. Only the work now counts and the person who owns it is now the one under threat. The more dense the antiquity, the more the questionable habits of potters can be smoothed over and their work be placed in ever more appropriately reverential light. In A Thiefof Time by Tony Hillerman, a book so exciting that it shouldn’t even be discussed in this essay, the lust for polychromed Anasazi pots triggers a gripping series of events. An anthropologist has been able to trace the work of one potter with a special talent “back­ ward and forward in time through scores of pots, arranging them chronologically as this talent developed.” The potter is spoken of in respectful tones. Of course, she has been dead a James Klueg’s “Scrapbook,” 18 inches in height, earthen­ long time. Nowhere does Hillerman suggest she was vile, dirty ware; at MC Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota. or clay smeared, and possibly she wasn’t even murdered, but people are certainly slaughtering each other to get their hands Klueg were on view recently at MC Gallery in Minneapolis. on her work. These works, according to Klueg, “are a way for me to examine A little respect, you might ask. Well, all right, but only for how things fit together, both visually and conceptually.” your work. Get it straight, though—in these books, living or dead, amateurs are “ga-ga,” and they and their creations are Ohio Clay Perspectives invariably heaped with withering scorn. Here, we are speaking “Ohio Perspectives: Explorations in Clay” was on view through only of the dead professional potter. By murder-fiction stan­ March 31 at the Akron Art Museum. Featured were works by dards, the work of a professional potter, if he or she would just Mary Jo Bole, Denise Romecki (Columbus); George Bowes, drop dead, is probably marvelous. Even the nasty Garcia did William Brouillard, Kristen Cliffel and Angelica Pozo (all of work that was “passionately sincere.” The scheming potter in Cleveland); Steven Parker Bradford (Bratenahl); Jack Earl

22 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 23 Up Front A big truck with a dish antenna pulled into the driveway. Too bad it was dark; the neighbors couldn’t see. One man took some equipment out of back of the truck, then kicked the door shut. His name was Mark, and he was the “team.” He set up the camera and lights, focused on the punch bowl and asked several questions. Ernie looked dignified and sounded sensible. We called all our friends and relatives to tell them to watch or tape between 7 and 9 A.M. the next day, then watched the Beatles special. At 11 P.M., Mark called to tell us the yellow sub stuff would be broadcast between 6 and 7 A.M. It was too late to call everyone back.

Mary Jo Bole’s “The Stuff of Self-Indulgence,” 8 feet in length, majolica-glazed porcelain beads with terra-cotta hands; at the Akron (Ohio) Art Museum.

(Lakeview); Dana Goodman (Marshallville); Kirk Mangus (Kent); Charles McWeeny and Brad Schwieger (Athens); and Robert Yost (Akron). The participants in this exhibition “represent a selection rather than a survey of the many talented artists working in Ohio,” noted curator Wendy Kendall-Hess. “Although each strives to realize an individual aesthetic goal, all are helping to Ernie Horvath’s “Yellow Submarine” punch bowl, based on the Beatles movie of the same name, form the current link in a chain of daywork in Ohio that goes approximately 16 inches in height. back for centuries and will extend to future generations.” Shown from the exhibition is “The Stuff of Self-Indulgence,” The next morning (Thanksgiving Day), we turned the TV an 8-foot-long porcelain necldace held by terra-cotta hands, by on at 6 A.M. Fifteen minutes later, the yellow sub punch bowl Mary Jo Bole. The “beads” are held together by metal pieces and appeared, and Ernie got his 15 seconds. joined at the top by a clasp designed for industrial boat use. At 9:45 A.M, the phone rang. It was the daughter of an 86- Each bead depicts a thing or place that holds meaning for Bole. year-old neighbor saying that her mother kept watching her tape and asking “Where are they?” The only friend who saw the Getting Ink with the Yellow Submarine yellow sub segment was up early stuffing a huge turkey. by Sally Horvath At 2:00 P.M., we met our family for dinner. Their tapes I had finally retired—made my name as a librarian. Now I worked, but they still wanted to know “Where were you?” could return to art and make my name as an artist/potter, along Next: Networking! with my artist/potter husband, Ernie. At a lecture on “How to Get Ink as an Artist,” we were told Obituaries to “grasp opportunities” and “try networking,” so when I heard Jeff Cox, director of the 92nd Street YMHA/YWHA Clay Studio about the release of a new Beatles anthology and the accompa­ in New York City from 1984 to 1995, died February 20; he was nying series of TV shows, I thought of one of Ernie’s pieces, a 40. In addition to his work at the Y, Cox also produced func­ large stoneware punch bowl with a yellow submarine sculpture tional daywork (see page 33 of the January 1996 issue as well as in the middle, based on the Beatles movie. It was time to grasp page 76 of the October 1989 CM), served on several crafts opportunities! I called the local TV station. The news-desk organization boards and taught courses and wortahops at woman giggled, but said to fax all the yellow sub info. colleges and craft centers throughout the Northeast. We drove fast to the drugstore to send a fax—a new adven­ Peter von Wilken Zook died on March 4 in Pahoa, Hawaii; ture. We’d never sent one before. It cost just $3.00. We then he was 45. He worked for the Mendocino Art Center in Cali­ rushed home and waited for the phone to ring. A friend called. fornia as an interim director, head of the pottery program and, A relative called. The Tai Chi teacher called. Oh well! for eight years, as the instructor of the Regional Occupational At 6 P.M., the phone rang. It was the TV director saying that Program in Pottery. His work appeared in CM several times; see he would be “sending a team out.” Our house was never cleaned page 81 of the December 1982 issue and page 39 of the Sep­ so fast. Ernie changed clothes. I curled my hair. tember 1985 issue.

24 CERAMICS MONTHLY

states. “The many tests we have performed New Books over the years show clearly that it is calcium which creates both the satin-matt, jade-like surface, and the blue-grey-green color of the Out of the Earth, Into the Fire stoneware celadon glaze. An analysis of Song A Course in Ceramic Materials for the dynasty shards reveals the presence of sub­ Studio Potter stantial amounts of calcium. Without cal­ by Mimi Obstler cium, the incomparable celadons of the Song dynasty could never have existed.” A guide to clay bodies and glazes (with The final chapter explains the properties, recipes and materials analyses throughout), sources and glaze functions of auxiliary silica “this book seeks to restore the geological and alumina minerals. 246 pages, including context from which appendixes on glaze calculation techniques; our ceramic materials additional glaze core substitution tests; chart have been extracted.” of glaze core substitution tests; analysis of After a brief introduc­ stoneware glaze surface (Cone 9-10); analy­ tion to the structure sis of structure of Sanders Celadon; primary of clay bodies and function of common ceramic materials in glazes, firing tempera­ clay bodies and glazes; and molecular struc­ ture and atmosphere, ture of feldspar, kaolin, stoneware clay body, as well as an explana­ and Cone 04, 5—6, 9—10 glazes. 6 color tion of the lab tests photographs. $59, hardcover; $49, softcover. found in each chapter, the author discusses The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic “glaze cores,” or the primary materials used in Place, Westerville, Ohio 43081. glazes. “The key characteristic of these mate­ rials is their combination of glassmaker, ad­ Shoji Hamada hesive and melter functions,” she explains. Glaze cores include feldspars, mica, gran­A Potter’s Way & Work ite rocks, some clays, volcanic ash, wood ash,by Susan Peterson boron minerals and man-made frits. Most of In this reissue of a book first released in the discussion is about feldspars and felds- 1974, the author recounts her visit with pathic rocks (the main ingredients in most J apanese potter Shoj i Hamada (1894-1978), stoneware glazes), but Obstler also talks aboutduring which they discussed his career, life lithium glaze cores, volcanic ash and Rotten and ideas about ceramics while he worked. Stone. Although it is manufactured for in­ “Hamada is turning his wheel, the beautiful dustrial use as a soft abrasive and used for chestnut hand wheel,” Peterson writes. “Sit­ brake linings, she has found “that Rotten ting cross-legged on the same level as his Stone, more than any other ceramic material,wheel, in a position impossible for most produces incomparable, sensuously satin glazeWesterners, he begins rotating the heavy and clay body surfaces.” wooden head clock­ The second chapter loota at clays and clay wise with the fingers bodies (kaolins, ball clays, fireclays, stone­ of his left hand, look­ ware clays, iron-rich melter-rich clays, and ing out at the cool Montmorillonite clay minerals), as well as morning across his their function as glaze materials. It also in­ land and the valley.” cludes an introduction to the clay-making Peterson follows process and the characteristicslkinds of clay Hamada through the minerals. “It is possible to transform any clay, entire process, from even one with high amounts ofkaolinite, into the making and glaz­ a glaze core, by adding melters and quartz,” ing to loading, firing observes Obstler. “It is important to remem­and unloading the kiln, even to a Tokyo ber that the terms ‘clay body’ and ‘glaze core’exhibition. “Hamada has lived and worked a are not absolutely fixed....They are func­ life,” she says. “He is a recognized Japanese tional terms, and the materials which they national treasure. There are professionals and identify often change their roles, and thus students following his way, some without their classification, depending upon the fir­ knowing that he led the way, and others ing temperature and the balance of the mate­searching for the way he has proven. Because rials in the formula.” of Hamada’s own dedication and desire to Obstler addresses auxiliary melters next, show the way, many will find it. Few, if any, focusing on limestone- and calcium-based could ever again achieve it on such a scale.” melters and their sources because of their 239 pages, including glossary-index and ap­ importance to the stoneware glaze. “Calcium pendixes on Hamada’s glazes, his handwheel, or calcium oxide is the most important aux­ technique notes to the plates, Hamada chro­ iliary melter of the stoneware glaze,” she nology, and household members and work-

26 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 27 New Books

ers in 1970. 18 color and 253 black-and- white photographs. $22.95, softcover. Weatherhill, Inc., 568 Broadway, Suite 705, New York, New York 10012.

Painting on Porcelain Composition and Technique by Dony Alexiev Intended for decorators, “the aim of this book is first and foremost to provide ex­ amples of landscapes, flowers and other com­ mon designs.” Along with giving examples, the author also traces the history of porcelain painting, from its be­ ginnings in China to Japan and Europe. “Chinese painting on porcelain is imbued with respect for tradi­ tion and for the work of the country’s great painters,” Alexiev ex­ plains. “On the tech­ nical level, two main styles stand out. The first opts for a relatively detailed approach and makes considerable use of patterns clearly outlined in the Chinese ink-drawing tradi­ tion. The second...is called in Chinese the ‘no bones’ style; the name is due to the absence of ink-drawing, the subjects being treated ex­ clusively in terms of color.” The approach most commonly used by Japanese painters was to divide the piece into broad and narrow bands—“the former were decorated either with a figurative design or stylized plant shapes, while the latter were given over to geometrical patterns or flowery foliage in a stylized and symmetrical form.” Porcelain wasn’t produced in Europe until the 18th century, when Johann Bottger, a German chemist, discovered the secret of “hard-paste” clay. He was soon set up in a workshop in a fortress in Meissen, near Dres­ den. “This high-security system had numer­ ous advantages,” Alexiev observes, “in particular that of making it all but impossible for the workers to flee elsewhere,” thus ensur­ ing that Bottger’s recipe was kept secret. Lealcs did occur, though, and other Euro­ pean porcelain factories soon were estab­ lished, including one in Sevres, France. “The discovery of kaolin near Limoges in 1768 meant that Sevres could undertake the manu­ facture of the hard-paste porcelain pieces which would rapidly come to dominate the European market.” 80 pages. 43 color photo­ graphs; 163 color, 61 black-and-white sketches. $19.95, softcover. Andre Deutsch; distributed by Trafalgar Square, North Pomfret, Vermont 05053.

28 CERAMICS MONTHLY May 1996 29

Maria Alquilar A Perspective on Public Art by Joe Valencia

In every artist is the desire for a wide audience, one that includes a variety of people who can reflect upon and draw emotion from the work. California^ Maria Alquilar is no different. For her, the perfect outlet is public art. She de­ scribes her work as an attempt to ex­ plore “common threads that unite, rather than divide us. “Public art affords the artist the op­ portunity to work on a grand scale,” Alquilar says. “If the work is good, it will affect the viewers aesthetically and spiritually. I have had very gratifying responses to my work.” Alquilar can reflect on many tan­ gible responses. She has completed 7 public art commissions: 18 ceramic pavement insets for the Sacramento Light Rail System; a ceramic mural at the San Jose International Airport; a metal and clay sculpture at the United States Port of Entry at San Luis, Ari­ zona; a ceramic mural at the Arizona State University in Tempe; a ceramic mural with fountains and pools at the administrative offices of the Sacramento Water and Sewer Department; 6 ce­ ramic murals for a Denver, Colorado, freeway project; and 100 feet of ce­ ramic tiles for the Fairbairn Water Qual­ ity Laboratory in Sacramento. Alquilar attributes a large degree of One of eight “A Life in Harmony with her success in landing public commis­ All of Creation” tile murals installed in sions to meticulous research. Her Santa 1992 at the 15th Street underpass in Cruz home is filled with reference books; Denver, Colorado, 7 feet long. plus, anytime she works in an unfamil­ iar setting, she takes copious notes at morial in Washington, D.C., as com­ tance, is to ensure I do not denigrate local libraries and explores sites around pared to Claes Oldenbergs oversized the average persons ability to relate to the city. Western hats in a Salinas, California, the art. The piece should offer multiple In the following interview, Alquilar city park. To each, there will be an emo­ levels of emotional and aesthetic inter­ discusses what it takes to receive a com­ tional interaction. pretations. mission for public art: This relates to my second principle Interviewer: What recommendations of public art: the work must be site would you make for artists interested in Interviewer: What is your philosophy specific, which means I consider several public art? concerning public art? or all of the following ideas, depending Alquilar: First, lets assume that the Alquilar: I follow three principles. Pri­ on the site: the ancient and historical artists resume includes exhibitions, col­ marily, I believe people viewing and/or past of the area; the ethnic background lections and clearly marked slides docu­ using the site must be able to interact of most of the users of the site; and the menting various aspects of previous with the art on different levels. For ex­ natural environment—past and pres­ work. It is important that the slides ample, there will be a vastly different ent—including plants and animals. represent the artist s work in a cohesive, reaction to the Vietnam Veterans Me­ My third principle, of equal impor- rather than eclectic, display.

May 1996 31 “Mural with Two Whale Fountains,” 10 feet long, made from one large slab, carved and cut into irregular shapes, installed in the courtyard of the Water and Sewer Administration Building in Sacramento, California, 1986.

Maria Alquilar cleaning grout from the surface of one of the seven tile murals that comprise “La Vida Natura.”

Detail of “La Vida Natura (The Natural Life),” installed at the Fairbairn Water Treatment Facility in Sacramento, California, 1994.

32 CERAMICS MONTHLY “Bien Venda Y Vaya Con Dios, (Welcome and Go With God),” 15 feet in height, designed for the U. S. General Services Department port of entry in San Luis, Arizona.

May 1996 33 Its also important to note that al­ to be a lot of give-and-take and mutual most every major city in the United respect between the participants. States and the federal government check Interviewer: Can you describe how you slide banks as a reference for public art. go about creating the actual work? Slide registry addresses and opportuni­ Alquilar: While everyone will have their ties for commissions are listed in art own system and style, here are some publications. Apply for those that relate guidelines to follow: to your work. The type of clay used for outdoor Finally, the artist should be aware sculpture will depend on the climate. that he or she is often required to create As a general rule, if the temperature a scale model with little or no compen­ reaches freezing for any length of time, sation. The artist must research and I use a high-fire sculpture clay. complete the model with success in For indoor sculpture and outdoor mind, but this is often the reverse. Time sculpture in a moderate climate, I use a and energy are used preparing and cre­ low-fire white clay. In the past, I have ating a winner, when only one design used a 2300°F terra cotta that I pur­ will be chosen. That is the chance taken chased as wet tiles. The red color works in public art. well and makes glaze colors more subtle. Interviewer: What about preparation “A Life in Harmony with All of Creation” It should be noted that the desert mural, 10 feet in height, installed at the and design? 15th Street underpass in Denver, by climate is not suitable for low fire in Alquilar: Sometimes the research will Maria Alquilar, Santa Cruz, California. many cases. It is all right to use in a manifest on its own, as for the Denver confined space; but, in San Luis, near project. The area was exciting architec­ the border where there is extreme heat turally and rich in Indian spiritual his­ Interviewer: What has it been like work­ and cold, it was not advisable. tory. On top of that were the incredible ing with the other people involved in When firing high, I use commercial natural resources. The result was six 8- these projects? underglazes that hold their color at Cone to 10-foot-high relief murals relating to Alquilar: In the 14 years I have been 5 or 6. Purples, pinks, reds and some the designs and myths of the Plains producing public art, there have been greens do not. The second firing is low, Indians. many difficult working situations. As Cone 05, using glazes and underglazes The architect for this project, upon with all endeavors that include several of the watercolor variety. my request, supplied me with artifacts decision-making individuals, there are The third firing is for a clear Cone from the site, such as railroad ties, spikes, bound to be complications or levels of 06 glaze. The fourth firing is for china sandstone, brick pottery and bottles, friction. Sometimes an artist can run paints and sometimes lusters, but nor­ which were incorporated into the mu­ into engineers who don’t share a con­ mally lusters do not hold up well out­ rals. This represented a past connecting cern for the integrity of the art. How­ doors. with today. ever, in my case, these painful encounters I use an electric kiln for all firings. To Another project that reflects physical have been offset by wonderful experi­ avoid fractures as much as possible, I and spiritual aspects of the site is “Bien ences dealing with administrators, ar­ heat the kiln on low overnight, with the Venda Y Vaya Con Dios,” which was chitects and the public. The painful peepholes open and the lid propped 2 designed for the U.S. General Services experiences, like the pain of childbirth, to 2½ inches. Department port of entry in San Luis, soon fad