April 1990 1 William C. Hunt...... Editor Ruth C. Butler ...... Associate Editor Robert L. Creager ...... Art Director Kim Schomburg...... Editorial Assistant Mary Rushley...... Circulation Manager Mary E. Beaver...... Circulation Assistant Jayne Lohr ...... , Circulation Assistant Connie Belcher.... Advertising Manager Spencer L. Davis ...... Publisher

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Ceramics Monthly (ISSN 0009-0328) is pub­ lished monthly except July and August by Professional Publications, Inc., 1609 North­ west Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43212. Second Class postage paid at Columbus, Ohio. Subscription Rates:One year $20, two years $36, three years $50. Add $8 per year for subscriptions outside the U.S.A. Change of Address: Please give us four weeks advance notice. Send both the magazine address label and your new ad­ dress to: Ceramics Monthly, Circulation Of­ fices, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. Contributors: Manuscripts, photographs, color separations, color transparencies (including 35mm slides), graphic illustra­ tions, texts, announcements and news re­ leases about ceramics are welcome and will be considered for publication. A booklet describing standards and procedures for the preparation and submission of a manu­ script is available upon request. Mail sub­ missions to: The Editor, Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. Infor­ mation may also be sent by fax: (614) 488- 4561; or submitted on 3.5-inch microdisk- ettes readable with an Apple Macintosh™ computer system. Indexing: An index of each year’s articles appears in the December issue. Addition­ ally, articles in each issue of Ceramics Monthly are indexed in the Art Index; on-line (com­ puter) indexing is available through Wilson- line, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10452. A 20-year subject index (1953- 1972), covering Ceramics Monthly feature ar­ ticles, the Suggestions and Questions col­ umns, is available for $1.50, postpaid, from the Ceramics Monthly Book Department, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. Copies and Reprints: Microfiche, 16mm and 35mm microfilm copies, and xero­ graphic reprints are available to subscribers from University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Back Issues:When available, back issues are $4 each, postpaid. Write for a list. Postmaster:Please send address changes to Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. Form 3579 requested. Copyright © 1990 Professional Publications, Inc. All rights reserved

2 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 3 4 C eramics Monthly Volume 38, Number 4 • A pril 1990

Feature Articles

Summer Workshops 1990 ...... 25

The Old Pecos Museum ...... 31

Form and Function ...... 32 Matthew PattonCritic Matthew Kangas shows us the work of an unsung talent Matthew Patton; Interrupted Gesture by Matthew Kangas ...... 36 from the Pacific Northwest; page 36. Anything Goes by Jacquelyn Rice...... 38

Living for Pottery David Shaner, An Autobiography ...... 41

Fitzwilliam Museum Treasures ...... 49

Gary DiPasquale’s Geometric Forms ...... 50

Cone 5—6 Iron Glazes by Beatrice and Robert Pearson ...... 83

Anything GoesJacquelyn Rice (Rhode Fillers by Robert Tichane ...... 84 Island School of Design) found making tableware is “a gathering of all thoughts about what magic an object should have, useful in the utilitarian sense and de­ manding to be taken home”; page 38. Departments

Letters...... 6 Comment: George Ohr: Outsider Ceramics Where to Show ...... 8 by Richard Zakin ...... 18 New Books...... 10 Suggestions ...... 80 Itinerary ...... 12 Classified Advertising ...... 86 Questions ...... 16 Index to Advertisers ...... 88

Form and FunctionSome new ideas on an old subject may jog your sense of what 8c is form and what is function in art or News Retrospect craft. Shown from an Indiana exhibition addressing these concepts is a tea service George Fetzer, 1912-90...... 57 Clay Studio Residents...... 62 by Gail Russell, Delaware, Ohio; page 32. On-Line Arts Health Information ...... 57 Opening Night by Mary Forker...... 64 Emmanuel Cooper ...... 57 Robert Carlson ...... 68 Red Glaze Correction...... 59 The cover Montana potter David Shaner Explorations in French Ceramics ...... 68 talks candidly about his life, work and TambaJoe: Slipping One By ...... 59 Christine Pendergrass ...... 68 long studio career in an autobiography beginning on page 41. “It’s no use be­ Sally Barbier Feats of Clay II ...... 68 coming involved in pottery if you have by Sandra Tivy ...... 61 Italian Renaissance Maiolica not decided to live for pottery,” he Larry Eisner by William U. Eiland ...... 76 comments. Photo: Marshall Noice. by Patrick Williams ...... 62 Ellen Shankin ...... 88

April 1990 5 Letters firing. It is only in recent time that fuels ries.” I enjoy CM’s coverage of experimen­ other than wood have been used [in ce­ tal uses of clay because they are not as ramics generally]. Wood firing has a di­ accessible to me through other magazines, verse history as long as the history of ceram­ nor do I get around to galleries. ics (in the Song dynasty, German salt-glazed Tom Ward stoneware, Southern folk potters, as well as Petaluma, Calif. Ceramic National Selection countless others). An answer for Susan Graf, the reader Wood firing doesn’t have to be an event More on Tiles and Tilemakers who questioned [in February’s Letters col­ or Olympic feat. I live in an area where I’d like to see more attention being paid umn] the Everson Museum request for vi­ scrap wood is plentiful and inexpensive. I to tile artists. We are a strong, new force in tae as part of the application for the 28th use it to fuel a two-chambered kiln, which I the ceramic field. I’d also like to see more Ceramic National: fire in 18 hours with the help of my wife. “business” articles and pricing of art pub­ We [the jury] looked at slides (2478, to I think it is inaccurate to use the term lished in the magazine. be exact). We did not know or ask for “wood firing” to represent only one aspect Linda Janos names, nor did we look at resumes or vitae. of wood firing. Santa Barbara, Calif. After the selection process was over, we Willem Gebben asked for some names, locations, etc. It Colfax, Wis. Could we perhaps hear more about: wasn’t the situation that [Ms. Graf] sug­ ceramists who are not “pots & pans” pot­ gested. It was a normal jurying process. I MacKenzie Explains Choices ters, like tilemakers; some historic pottery don’t have “old boy” buddies when I jury. I want to thank CM for publishing the of the Victorian era; encaustic tiles of me­ Ken Ferguson photos and comments from the exhibition dieval monasteries and churches; kiln- Shawnee, Kans. Wayne Higby and I did at Kansas City building; “how to weld” for the complete [“Potters’ Choice,” March 1990]. However, bozo. We need more meat, less artsy debate Mino Competition Scam? I would like to correct the statement in the over aesthetics. Last spring CM printed an advertise­ introduction that said I couldn’t find Diane Cavallero ment for the International Ceramics Com­ enough exemplary pots at the museum Ypsilanti, Mich. petition in Mino, Japan. I entered, and and so provided some from my own collec­ have just received a bill of nearly $300 for tion. Since the purpose of the show was to Better Indexing Requested the return of my entry—two tiny sculptural demonstrate two different ways of looking As a long-time subscriber and one who whistles less than 2 inches long and weigh­ at pots, I felt that my concerns with the enjoys each issue of CM, I have a suggestion ing about 2 ounces each. I turned the mat­ everyday pot would be better illustrated by I hope will be taken seriously: please reor­ ter over to the staff of the Vermont Con­ several pieces which I owned. There were ganize the index in the December issue to sumer Assistance Program after they and many pots in the Nelson collection that include a list of people—alphabetically by the local postmaster stated [the excessive could have been selected, but they would name rather than just by the title of the return charge] smelled strongly of a scam. not say what I wanted to say. article. It is so frustrating to have to read Any other CM readers who fell for this WTiat terrific Spanish wine jars [in “The each of those titles to try to locate a specific farce contest should immediately take simi­ Last Tinajeros,” same issue]. Beautiful! article about a specific potter. lar steps when they receive their bills and Warren MacKenzie I finally found the December 1987 ar­ not send any money until the matter is Stillwater, Minn. ticle on Chris Staley by determination rather cleared up to their satisfaction. than with ease. It would be so helpful and Delia Robinson Letters Kudos not difficult. Montpelier, Vt. The person who writes the letters to the Many thanks for the magazine—we do editor column should write the rest of the love it, save it, and use it for years and years. Video Review Resented magazine. Trish Inman I am writing in response to the review Just kidding. Keep up the good work. Swarthmore, Pa. [February 1990] of our video “The Art of Clay Dunster Tilemaking.” In particular, I am writing in Somerville, Mass. The Art Index, a resource available in most regard to the “Zzzzzzz.” libraries, indexes Ceramics Monthly in the man­ What kind of illiterate comment is this? December Recipe for Success ner you seek (subject and author).—Ed. We sent CM a sample video to be reviewed The article by Paul Lewing [“Tile Illus­ by a mature writer in a balanced fashion. tration,” December 1989] was so helpful, Attitude Appreciation Instead of an honest review, discussing the informative and well-illustrated; and, know­ I was especially pleased with the recent “pros and cons” of its production, we got a ing Paul, he didn’t “leave out the vanilla.” Warren MacKenzie profile (September flippant comment. What a nice present. 1989). He’s got a good attitude. I resent the printing of such a stupid Anne Duke Michelle Maslowski comment. Spokane, Wash. Winona, Minn. Robert Hudovemik Cascade, Wis. Accessible Support Canadian Ceramics Ceramics Monthly functions as a “support Could CM publish something positive More to Wood Firing than Bizen group,” offering validation and support about daywork being done in Canada? While I find the discussion about wood during times of difficulty. CM often is a P. Sherk/D. Schulman firing [December 1989 Comment] inter­ reminder that I am not alone as I struggle Charlottetown, P.E.I. esting—especially the passing off as con­ through production problems. Canada temporary the mere imitation of a style of Linda B. Timberlake wood firing that involves large deposits of Forestville, Calif. Share your thoughts with other readers. All letters ash due to inefficient kilns requiring moun­ must be signed, but names will be withheld on tains of wood and days to reach tempera­ I’m not a traditional potter, but a sculp­ request. Mail to The Editor, Ceramics Monthly, ture—the Bizenlike technique should not tor using clay to explore architectural and Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212; or fax to be confused with the general term wood archaeological forms, and historical “sto­ (614) 488-4561.

6 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 7 Send resume and sase to A. Houberbocken, 230 present Rhode Island residents. Juried from Where to Show West Wells Street, Suite 202, Milwaukee 53203; hand-delivered works; up to 6 entries. Juror: Lee or phone (414) 276-6002. Rexrode, head of ceramics at Worcester Center Exhibitions, Fairs, Festivals and Sales April 27 entry deadline for Crafts. Awards: $500. Entry fee: $5. Contact University Park, Pennsylvania “Crafts National” S.C.A.A., Helme House Gallery, Attention: Suzi (July 5-30) is juried from slides. Cash awards. Caswell, 2587 Kingstown Road, Kingston 02881. Fee: $20. Send sase to Crafts National, Zoller June 23 entry deadline Gallery, 102 Visual Arts Building, Penn State Huntsville, Alabama “The Red Clay Survey: A University, University Park 16802; or phone (814) Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Southern International Exhibitions 865-0444. Art” (September 9-October 28) is open to resi­ April 30 entry deadline dents of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, May 4 entry deadline Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “Invitational Artist Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caro­ Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand “Fletcher Series” (begins October) is juried from slides. lina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Juried from Challenge Ceramics Award” (opens June 1) is Two solo/dual exhibitions and one group show 1-3 slides. Juror: Harry Rand, National Museum juried from actual works. No entry fee. Awards: will be selected. Open to all media. No entry fee. of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Fee: NZ$10,000 (approximately $5963); plus 5 merit Send sase to the Clay Studio, 49 N. Second St., $25. Over $6000 in awards. Contact the Red Clay awards of NZ$1000 (approximately $596). Con­ Philadelphia 19106; or phone (215) 925-3453. Survey, Huntsville Museum of Art, 700 Monroe tact the Organizer, Box 13-195, Onehunga, Auck­ May 1 entry deadline Street, Southwest, Huntsville 35801; or phone land 6; or phone (09) 643-622. Cooperstown, New York “55th Annual National (205) 535-4350. June 1 entry deadline Art Exhibition” (July 15-August 17), open to all Memphis, Tennessee “International Arts Com­ media except photography, is juried from slides. petition” (permanent display in lobby of the Entry fee: $10. Awards: over $3500. For further Fairs, Festivals and Sales National Civil Rights Museum) is juried from information send sase to Cooperstown Art Asso­ April 9 entry deadline slides. Open to all media. Funding up to ciation, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown 13326; or Fort Wayne, Indiana “Festival Arts and Crafts $300,000. Send legal-sized SASE to the Hyde Foun­ phone (607) 547-9777. Show” (July 7-8) is juried from 5 slides, 1 of dation, Call for Entries, 3030 Poplar Avenue, Harrisonburg, Virginia “National Art Review” booth. Awards: $1000, first; $750, second; $500, Department 4070, Memphis 38111; or phone (September 1-30) is juried from 6-12 slides. third. Booth fee: $50 for a lOxlO-foot space. Donna Leatherman (901) 325-4523, or Marga­ Open to all media. Entry fee: $5. Send self- Contact Betty Newton, 1707 Kensington Blvd., ret Smith 325-4528. addressed, stamped postcard and resume to Di­ Fort Wayne 46805; or phone (219) 422-6949. June 30 entry deadline rector, Sawhill Gallery, Art Department, James April 10 entry deadline New York, New York “International Art Com­ Madison University, Harrisonburg 22807; or Layton, New Jersey “20th Annual Peters Valley petition” (August 10-31) is juried from a mini­ phone (703) 568-6407. Craft Fair” (July 28-29) is juried from 5 slides. mum of 3 slides. Jurors: Frederick Brandt, cura­ June 15 entry deadline Entry fee: $12. Booth fee: $125. Contact Craft tor, Virginia Museum of Fine Art; Cusie Pfeifer, New Haven, Connecticut “Celebration of Amer­ Fair, Peters Valley Craft Center, Layton 07851; owner/director, Marcuse Pfeifer Gallery, New ican Crafts” (November 11-December 23) is ju­ or phone (201) 948-5200. York; Michael Schantz, director, Woodmere Art ried from slides. No fees. For prospectus, send April 13 entry deadline Museum, Pennsylvania. Fee: $7 per slide. Awards: sase to The Celebration, Creative Arts Work­ Coeur d’Alene, Idaho “Art on the Green” (Au­ $7000. Contact IAC, Dept. ED, Box 1058, Lodi, shop, 80 Audubon Street, New Haven 06510; or gust 3-5) is juried from slides or photos. Booth New Jersey 07644; or phone (201) 646-0222. phone (203) 562-4927. fee: $15, plus 15% commission. Minibooth fee June 21 entry deadline for artists under age 18: $1. Contact the Citizens National Exhibitions Wichita, Kansas “Wichita National 1990” (Sep­ Council for the Arts, Box 901, Coeur d’Alene tember 1-October 7) is juried from slides; up to 83814; or phone (208) 667-9346. April 6 entry deadline 3 entries. Juror: Jane Kessler, owner, Curators’ April 15 entry deadline Lincoln, California “Third Annual Feats of Forum, Charlotte, North Carolina. Fee: $20 for Augusta, Georgia “Lock ’n Ham Jam” (June Clay” (June 2-30) is juried from a maximum of 3 1-3 entries. Commission: 30%. Cash, merit and 2-3) is juried from slides/photos. Booth fee: slides; works should not exceed 24 inches. Juror: purchase awards. For prospectus, send 25£ stamp $40. For further information send SASE to Greater Jack Earl. Over $4000 in place, purchase and and self-addressed mailing label to the Wichita Augusta Arts Council, Box 1776, Augusta 30903; merit awards. Fee: $10. Send SASE to Dick Ketelle, National, Wichita Art Association, 9112 East Cen­ or phone (404) 826-4702. Lincoln Arts, Box 1166, Lincoln 95648; or phone tral, Wichita 67206; or phone (316) 686-6687. Sheboygan, Wisconsin “20th Annual Outdoor (916) 645-9713. July 6 entry deadline Arts Festival” (July 21-22) is juried from 5 slides. April 16 entry deadline Bethlehem, Pennsylvania “National Juried Ex­ Entry fee: $35. Jurying fee: $5. Awards: $2000, Chicago, Illinois “4th Annual Great Lakes hibition of Contemporary Crafts” (October plus purchase prizes. Contact John Michael Show” (June 9-July 29) is juried from slides. 6-November 4), open to all craft media, is juried Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Ave., Box 489, Open to all ceramists. Juror: Ron Nagle, faculty from a maximum of 3 slides per work; maximum Sheboygan 53082; or phone (414) 458-6144. artist at Mills College, Oakland, California. Pur­ of 3 works. Jurors: Grace Nellis, gallery owner; April 18 entry deadline chase and merit awards, as well as two- or three- Sandra Brownlee-Ramsdale, weaver; and Mark Greensburg, Pennsylvania “Westmoreland Arts person shows. Contact Lill Street, 1021 West Lill Sfirri, woodworker. Entry fee: $15. Awards: $1000. and Heritage Festival” (July 5-8) is juried from Street, Chicago 60614; or phone (312) 477-6185. Send sase for prospectus to Lynn Berkowitz, slides. Entry fee: $25. Cash awards. Send legal- April 17 entry deadline Luckenbach Mill Gallery, 459 Old York Avenue, size sase to WAHF-CM, Box 203, RD 12, Greens­ Mesa, Arizona “True Blues” (September Bethlehem 18018; or phone (215) 691-0603. burg 15601; or phone (412) 836-1703. 7-October 6) is juried from slides. Open to July 30 entry deadline April 20 entry deadline works in all media inspired by the color blue. Burbank, California “15th Annual Multimedia Chautauqua, New York “Chautauqua Crafts Awards: $1500. For prospectus write True Blues, Exhibition” (September 16-28) is juried from a Festival ’90” (July 6-8 and August 10-12) isjuried Galeria Mesa, Box 1466, Mesa 85211; or phone maximum of 3 slides. Entry fee: $7. Awards: from 4 slides. Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $100 per (602) 644-2242. $2000. Send 250 stamp to Juried Art Show, Box show. Send sase to Gale Svenson, Director, April 20 entry deadline 6459, Burbank 91510; or phone (818) 953-8763. Chautauqua Crafts Festival, Box 89, Mayville, Denton, Texas “Primarily the Figure” (May New York 14757. 22-June 22) is juried from slides or photos. Regional Exhibitions Garrison, New York “21 st Annual Arts and Crafts Open to all media. Purchase awards. Entry fee: Fair” (August 18-19) is juried from 4 slides. $15. Contact Graham Horstman Gallery, 114 April 30 entry deadline Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $175 for a lOxlO-foot West Congress, Denton 76201; or phone (817) Los Alamos, New Mexico “1990 Craft Biennial” space. Contact the Garrison Art Center, Box 4, 382-6558. (June 22-August 5) is juried from 3 slides. Entry Garrison 10524; or phone (914) 424-3960. April 25 entry deadline fee: $15, Fuller Lodge members $12. Awards: May 1 entry deadline Milwaukee, Wisconsin “His and Hers” (May $750 plus purchase prize. Send SASE for prospec­ Beaver Creek, Colorado “Curious Enchantment” 11-June 23), open to male and female artist tus to Fuller Lodge Art Center, Box 790, Los (August 4-5 and 11-12) isjuried from 4 slides teams producing individual or collaborative Alamos 87544; or phone (505) 662-9331. plus 1 of booth. Entry fee: $10. Booth fee: $160 works, is juried from slides. No entry fee. “Callio­ Chester Springs, Pennsylvania “Studio Days ’90” for a 10x10- or 8x12-foot space. Cash awards. pes and Clowns” (June 29-August 4) is juried (September 21-30) is juried from slides of 5 Contact Pamela Story, Vail Valley Arts Council, from slides. Open to all media. No entry fee. works, 2 views per work. Open to artists living in Box 1153, Vail, Colorado 81658; or phone (303) Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New 476-4255. Send announcements of juried exhibitions, fairs, festi­Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Dubuque, Iowa “Dubuquefest” (May 19-20) is vals and sales at least four months before the event s Entry fee: $10. Send sase to Chester Springs juried from 3 slides or photos. Booth fee: $50 for entry deadline (please add one month for listings in JulyStudio, Box 329, Chester Springs 19425; or phone a 10x10-foot space. Awards: best of show, $100; and two months for those in August) to Where to Show,(215) 827-7277. plus purchase and merit. For further informa­ Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio May4 entry deadline tion send sase to Dubuquefest, 422 Loras Boule­ 43212; or phone (614) 488-8236. Fax announce­ Kingston, Rhode Island “Rhode Island Earth­ vard, Dubuque 52001; or phone (319) 588-9751. ments to (614) 488-4561. works 1990” (May 10-28) is open to past and Please turn to page 58

8 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 9 New Books sible for the extraordinary dynamism which in the postfire building boom, Chicago drives Knapper’s life and work.” 215 pages, lawyer William Day Gates decided to take including chronology, bibliography and advantage of clay deposits on farmland he plate notes. 165 color and 285 black-and- owned about 45 miles from the city to found white photographs, including process, the Spring Valley Tile Works. Soon, an old tools/equipment and firing images; plus a mill had been refitted to grind clay, and drawing of Knapper’s five-chamber climb­ kilns were built to fire an assortment of Gerd Knapper ing kiln, with dimensions and firing infor­ bricks and drain tiles, which were much in Clay Works mation. $85, plus $7.50 shipping. Tarosaka demand by local farmers. By 1885, orna­ When German-born potter Gerd Studios, Ibaraki-Ken, Kuji-Gun, Daigo Town, mental building materials, such as chim­ Knapper went to Japan, his plan was to stay Hanawa 1222, Japan 319-35. ney tops and finials, were also in produc­ in Mashiko for just two years. But Knapper tion, and Gates renamed the venture the became an overnight sensation after re­ Clay Bodies Terra Cotta Tile Works. Two years later, a ceiving the Prize of by Robert Tichane fire partially destroyed the pottery, but Gates the Minister of Cul­ rebuilt and incorporated as the American Written as a guide for the artist-potter, ture and Education Terra Cotta and Ceramic Company. this in-depth study of clay properties states at the first Japanese “By then it was clear that [his] gamble that it is primarily concerned with the for­ Ceramic Exhibition. on architectural terra cotta as a viable prod­ mulation of high-fire (Cone 8-10) bodies. Rumor has it that the uct would pay off. Nevertheless, much of the data presented jurors, working with­ Through the 1920s, is relevant to all bodies. Following a brief out benefit of artists’ architectural terra history of ceramic production, the author, names, thought they cotta enjoyed great a former research scientist for Coming Glass were selecting an im­ success, both as clad­ Works, gives the chemical compositions and portant Japanese master. On discovering ding for some of the characteristics of the various clays (kaolins, that they had awarded the prize to a for­ country’s most strik­ ball clays, stoneware, fireclays, bentonites). eigner, it was was too late to change the ing skyscrapers and Next, he discusses the effects of various winner without calling into question their as ornamentation fillers and fluxes on body composition. abilities or causing embarrassment. Now, used in combination Simple-to-accomplish experiments at the 20 years have passed since Knapper set up with brick on a vari­ end of each section are intended to help his first studio, and his professional roots ety of structures, ranging from elaborately the ceramist evaluate/understand charac­ are firmly established in Japanese soil. facaded movie theaters to simple commer­ teristics of each material. This largely pictorial biography shows cial structures.” The next section, on tools and processes, the development of Knapper’s style, with It was this solid market for architectural includes such suggestions as adding acetic works in chronological order, from that ware that allowed Gates to develop what acid to make a clay prizewinning ash-glazed stoneware plate to had been an avocation into a subsidiary art body more plastic recent tile murals. Also included are pho­ pottery line for his terra cotta business. (for throwing, jigger- tos of his home and studio, plus essays With the construction of a two-story brick ing or pressing), add­ (published in English, German and Japa­ workshop in 1899, he began producing ing barium sulfate to nese) by Seiro Maekawa, director of the Teco ware, the “te” derived from terra and overcome excessive National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo; the “co” from cotta. “We needed a distinc­ calcium sulfate in the Gerhard Bott, director of the German Na­ tive name,” said Gates, “So I invented this.” water supply, and tional Museum in Nurmberg; Kozo Yoshida, Gates’s aim was “to produce ware whose adding organic or in- art critic and former chief curator of the beauty would derive from line and color, organic agents to National Gallery of Art in Tokyo; and Dierk rather than elaborate decoration. It would deflocculate casting Stuckenschmidt, of the German Academic conform to the highest artistic standards, slips. Also discussed are advantages of vari­ Exchange Service, Tokyo office. yet be sold at modest prices.” But he was ous mixing processes. These first-person commentaries some­ also aware of the talent required to create A section on firing covers drying, oxida­ times contain contradictory statements original shapes, and turned to some of the tion and reduction techniques, firing faults, about the man and his work: “Gerd top architects of the day (including Frank and formation of mullite plus its effect on Knapper’s creations are morejapanese than Lloyd Wright) for designs of new forms. the physical characteristics of the clay body. the works of many Japanese,” notes Seiro This catalog/book, published in con­ A final section includes recipes for stone­ Maekawa. “And still the origins of his art junction with the exhibition of the same ware, porcelain, raku and earthenware bod­ remain undoubtedly German, as expressed name presented at the Erie (Pennsylvania) ies that “may be used as points of...departure clearly in the massive feeling of its shapes.” Art Museum and the Chicago Historical for making a body from [available] materi­ But a more realistic overview is also in­ Society, traces the evolution of Teco ware, als.” 339 pages, including bibliography, glos­ cluded: “A whole array of special circum­ from its turn-of-the-century inception, sary, compositions of materials, and index. stances, beyond those created by geographi­ through its award-winning years, to eco­ 118 black-and-white illustrations. $30, plus cal distance, is at work within him,” says nomic setbacks of the early twenties, and $2 postage and handling. The New York Glaze Dierk Stuckenschmidt. “Perhaps more than eventual demise just four months after the Institute, 511-513 North Hamilton Street, Knapper himself wants to realize, he is stock market crash of 1929. Painted Post, New York 14870. Also available influenced by the tension arising from his Included is a chapter on technology, from the Ceramics Monthly Book Department, living in a different culture than the one written by Richard Zakin, in which he de­ Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. he was born in. He draws benefit from this scribes methods of production, and ana­ fact in aesthetic and thematic areas. Living Teco lyzes sample clays and glazes. 191 pages, within a dialectic relationship between the including brief biographies of Teco de­ Art Pottery of the Prairie School typically German and the typically Japa­ signers, bibliography and index. 38 color nese, although he himself might not always by Sharon Darling plates, 85 black-and-white illustrations, plus be aware of it, does move and inspire him. In the early 1880s, encouraged by the catalog of shapes. $34.95. Erie Art Museum, This circumstance is at least partly respon­ demand for terra-cotta building materials 411 State Street, Erie, Pennsylvania 16501.

10 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 11 formation contact Arne Handley, 574 Sixth New Jersey, HaddonfieldApril 28-May 26 Con­ Street, Northeast, Medicine Hat T1A 5P3; or stance Bracci-Mclndoe, “Mixed Media and Shark Itinerary phone (403) 527-5316. Fin Series”; at By Hand Fine Craft Gallery, 142 Conferences, Exhibitions, Canada, Ontario, Ottawa June 1-3 “Celebrate Kings Highway East. Fusion” will include workshops with clay artists Newjersey, NewarkApril 28-July 1Albert Green, Workshops and Other Events to Attend Steven Hill and Sally Michener, a juried exhibi­ “In Retrospect”; at Newark Museum, 49 Wash­ tion of Fusion members’ works in clay and glass, ington Street. and the annual general meeting. Fee (includes New York, New YorkApril 3-21 Esther Grillo, meals and accommodations): Can$240 (approxi­ “The Fallen,” sculpture, prints and collages; at Conferences mately $202) ; members Can$205 (approximately 14 Sculptors Gallery, 164 Mercer Street. $172); students Can$ 140 (approximately $118). April 3-21 Siglinda Scarpa; at Greenwich House Arizona, Flagstaff AjfrnV 19-20 “Clay AZ Art Ce­ For further information contact Fusion, the On­ Pottery, 16Jones Street. ramics Conference” will include exhibitions, tario Clay and Glass Association, 140 Yorkville April 17-May 6 Irene Wheeler, sculpture; at Pleia­ lectures and demonstrations, firing of an ana- Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5R 1C2; or phone des Gallery, 164 Mercer Street. gama, and discussion of the “Japanese Philoso­ Elin Racine (416) 923-7406. North Carolina, Winston-Salem through April 14 phy on Architectural Relationships of Kilns and New Zealand, NelsonMay 11-13 “Return of Clay” Loretta Kaufman, slab-built stoneware wall re­ Workspaces to Houses and Gardens.” Contact will include the 32nd New Zealand Society of liefs; at the Gallery of Piedmont Craftsmen, 411 Northern Arizona University Art Gallery, Box Potters National Exhibition plus demonstrations North Cherry Street. 6021, Flagstaff 86011; or phone Joel Eide (602) by Julie Bartholomew, Peter Collis, Bronwynne Ohio, Columbus April 1-30 Tom Grabbert, “Luna 523-3471, Donald Bendel 523-2398, or Paula Rice Cornish, John Crawford, Steve Fuller, Brian Gart- Landscapes,” porcelain; at Helen Winnemore’s, 523-2622. side, Neil Grant, Peter Lange, Royce McGlashen 150 East Kossuth at Mohawk. California, Davis April 6-8 “California Confer­ and Merilyn Wiseman. For further information Pennsylvania, New CastleApril 27-May 12 Vir­ ence for the Advancement of Ceramic Art” will contact Vic Evans, Convener, 15 Hunt Terrace, ginia Scotchie, “Objects/Objectives”; at the Hoyt feature lectures by critic Donald Kuspit; Roberta Wakefield, Nelson. Institute of Fine Arts, 124 East Leasure Avenue. Laidman, Dutch exhibition coordinator; collec­ Norway, Oslo June 6-9 “Oslo International Ce­ Pennsylvania, PhiladelphiaApril 1-22 Lee Akins; tor Ross Turk; Patterson Sims, curator, Seatde ramics Symposium” will focus on the relation­ at the Clay Studio, 49 North Second Street. Art Museum; and artists Donna Billick, Robert ship between art and research. Events: lectures; April 20-May 12 William Daley retrospective; at Arneson, Stephen De Staebler, Rene di Rosa workshops; panel discussions; an international the University of the Arts, Haviland Hall Galler­ and Richard Shaw. Also includes lectures/dem­ student forum; performances; exhibitions, in­ ies, Broad and Pine Streets. onstrations by David Gilhooly, Marilyn Levine cluding an “Instant Exhibition” for artists bring­ Pennsylvania, Pittsburghthrough April 18 Ronald and John Roloff; an exhibition of works by five ing three works; plus social gatherings. Fee: Korczynski, “Functional Stoneware and Porce­ Dutch sculptors; and the fourth annual “Thirty US$150, students US$100. For further informa­ lain”; Ronald Pivovar, “Pottery: Stoneware and Ceramic Sculptors” show. Contact the Natsou- tion contact OICS-1990, Annie Gisvold, Execu­ Porcelain”; at the Clay Place, 5416 Walnut Street. las/Novelozo Gallery, 132 E Street, Davis 95616; tive Secretary, the National Academy of Art and Pennsylvania, Yorkthrough October 30 “PfaltzgrafF, or phone (916) 756-3938. Design, Ullevalsvn. 5,0165 Oslo 1; or phone 2 20 America’s Potter”; at the Historical Society of D.C., Washington April 21-22 “The Craft Week­ 1235; or fax 211 1496. York County, 250 East Market Street. end in Washington” will include “American Craft: Virginia, Hampton April 1-30 Barbara Mann, A Tradition in Excellence,” with speakers: Wil­ Solo Exhibitions raku vessels; at Acorn Incorporated Gallery, 11 liam Carlson, glass sculptor; Sharon Church, East Queens Way. jeweler; Edward Cooke, curator of “The Furni­ California, SacramentoApril 10-May 12 Yoshio Virginia, Richmond through April 19 Nan Smith, ture Show”; William Daley, ceramist; Michael Taylor, sculpture; at Michael Himovitz Gallery, “Inner Views”; at the Hand Workshop/Virginia’s Monroe, curator-in-charge, Smithsonian’s Ren- 1020 Tenth Street. Center for Crafts, 1812 West Main Street. wick Gallery; and Nance O’Banion, paper and California, San FranciscoApril 5-28]o\m Gill; at bamboo constructionist. Also includes tours of Dorothy Weiss Gallery, 256 Sutter Street. the Ed Rossbach show, the Mason and Abram­ California, Suisun April 3-May 5 Patrick Crabb; Group Ceramics Exhibitions son collections and the Sansar Gallery. Fee: $220; at Solano Community College, 4000 Suisun Val­ Arizona, ScottsdaleApril 5-May 16 “Black and Alliance members $190. For further informa­ ley Road. White: An Exhibition of Contemporary Ceram­ tion contact “Craft Weekend,” 6801 Winterberry California, West HollywoodApril 6-May 5 Dora ics,” including works by Edward Eberle, Beth Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20817; or phone (301) De Larios; at MOA Art Gallery, 8552 Melrose Ave. Forer, Thomas Kerrigan and Kurt Weiser; at the 229-2148. D.C., Washington through June 3 George Ohr, Joanne Rapp Gallery/Hand and the Spirit, 4222 Missouri, Kansas City April 5-9 “National Art “Modern Potter (1857-1918)”; at the Renwick North Marshall Way. Education Association Conference,” with key­ Gallery, National Museum of American Art, California, Claremont through April 8 “46th Ce­ note speakers Maxine Greene, professor in phi­ Smithsonian Institution. ramic Annual,” works by Adrian Arleo, Raul Baeza, losophy, social sciences and education at Teach­ April 6-28 Rob Barnard; at Anton Gallery, 2108 John Balistreri, Jim Becker, Fernanda D’Agos- ers College, Columbia University, New York City; R Street, Northwest. tino, Christopher Davis-Benavides, Michael and Howard Gardner, research psychologist and Florida, Belleairthrough April 14 Michael Simon; Gross, Abby Huntoon, Kathy Koop, Nancy codirector of Project Zero at Harvard Graduate at Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, 222 Ponce de Larkin, David Miner, Lisa Reinertson, Judith School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Leon Boulevard. Salomon and Rimas VisGirda; at Scripps Col­ Location: Hyatt Regency and Westin Crowne Georgia, Atlanta through April 21 Indira Freitas lege, Lang Gallery, Ninth St. and Columbia Way. Center Hotels. Contact NAEA, 1916 Association Johnson, sculpture; at the Great American Gal­ California, Davis April 6-28 “California Clay Drive, Reston, Virginia 22091. lery, 1925 Peachtree Road, Northeast. Competition Exhibition”; at the Artery, 207 G St. North Carolina, Asheboro April 21-22 The “3rd April 4-28 Tom Suomalainen, sculpture; at Sig­ California, Downey through May 6 “Ceramics North Carolina Pottery Conference” will include nature Shop and Gallery, 3267 Roswell Rd., NW. Now/1990”; at the Downey Museum of Art, 10419 lectures by folklorist Henry Glassie and by Wil­ Illinois, Chicago through April 8 Annette Siffin, Rives Avenue. liam Hunt, editor, Ceramics Monthly. Location: “The Sensuous Form”; at Lill Street Gallery, California, Oakland April 9-May 18 “Conversa­ W. H. Morting, Jr. Art Center. Contact the Ran­ 1021 West Lill Street. tions in Clay,” works by disabled adults; at the dolph Arts Guild, Box 1033, Asheboro 27204; or through April 18 George Timock, “Raku Abstract Creative Growth Art Center, 355 24 Street. phone (919) 629-0399. Vessels”; at Esther Saks Gallery, 311 West Supe­ California, Sacramento April 10-May 12 “Clay rior Street. Month at the Himovitz,” featuring works by International Conferences through April 21 Karen Ami, sculpture; at ARC Miriam Davis, Michael Hough, Armin Muller Gallery, 1040 West Huron Street. and Yoshio Taylor; at Michael Himovitz Gallery, Canada, Alberta, Medicine HatMay 11-13 “Third Kansas, Great BendApril 2-20 Peter Pinnell; at 1020 Tenth Street. Biannual Medicine Hat Ceramic Symposium” the Fine Arts Building, Barton County Commu­ Colorado, Denverthrough May 27 “Contempo­ will include workshops, lectures and the Alberta nity College. rary Chinese Ceramics from Taiwan”; at Denver Potters Association annual meeting. Presenters Maryland, Bethesdathrough April 30 Emily Art Museum, 100 West 14 Avenue Parkway. include Pat Bovey, Tam Irving, Allan Jensen, Les Rossheim, vessels; at Appalachiana, 10400 Old Connecticut, GreenwichApril 28-June 2 “Tea­ Manning, Michael Obranovich, Greg Payee, Georgetown Road. pots, Teapots, Teapots”; at the Elements, 14 Shirley Rimer, Dave Settles and Don Wells. Fee: Michigan, Royal Oakthrough April 28 Curtis and Liberty Way. Can$125 (approximately $105). For further in- Suzan Benzie, translucent porcelain vessels and Florida, Lakeland through April 29 “Italian Ren­ lighted sculptures; at the Swidler Gallery, Wash­ aissance Maiolicafrom Southern Collections”; at Send announcements of conferences, exhibitions, ju­ington Square Plaza, 308 West Fourth Street. the Polk Museum of Art, 800 East Palmetto Street. ried fairs, workshops and other events at least two Missouri, Saint Louis through April 7 Eva Kwong, Florida, Saint PetersburgApril 20-June 8 “All months before the month of opening (add one monthsculpture; for Gina Bobrowski, sculpture; at Pro-Art, Fired Up: Florida Ceramists,” works by Rene listings in July and two months for those in August)5595 to Pershing. Aguilar, Susan Banks, Michelle Coakes, Tim Itinerary, Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, April 20-June 1 Susan Griswold, “Nurturing De­ Ludwig and Ed Ross; at Florida Craftsmen Gal­ Ohio 43212; or phone (614) 488-8236. Fax an­ cay”; Brian Klapmeyer, vessels and drawings; at lery, 235 Third Street, South. nouncements to (614) 488-4561. Saint Louis Design Center, 977 Locust. Georgia, Maconthrough June “Studio3 Folk Tra-

12 Ceramics Monthly

Itinerary Booth, Bacia Edelman, Bruce Gholson, Joy Illinois, Chicago through June 3 “Private Taste in Hanken, Susan and Steven Kemenyffy, Jim Ancient Rome: Selections from Chicago Collec­ Romberg, David Shaner and James Watral; at tions”; at Art Institute of Chicago, Michigan Ave. American Crafts Gallery, 13010 Larchmere. Illinois, Highland Park April 28-June 5 A dual ditions,” featuring contrasts between studio and Oregon, EugeneApril 8-June 3“Ashen Beauty: exhibition featuring ceramist Curtis Hoard; at folk pottery; at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Wood Fired Ceramics,” works by Frank Boyden, Martha Schneider Gallery, 2055 Green Bay Road. 4182 Forsyth Road. Peter Callas, Paul Chaleff, Chuck Hindes, Karen Illinois, Quincy April 8-29 “40th 4-State Illinois, Carbondale through April 22 “The Clay Karnes, Eric Nelson, Jeff Oestreich, Carol Roor- ILMOIAIN Juried Exhibition; at the Quincy Art Cup III,” juried national; at Southern Illinois bach, David Shaner and Jack Troy; at the Univer­ Center, 1515Jersey. University, University Museum. sity of Oregon Museum of Art. Kansas, Topeka April 1-26 “Topeka Competi­ Illinois, Chicago through April 8 “Philadelphia in Texas, San AngeloApril 19-May 27 “5th Annual tion 14”; at the Gallery of Fine Arts, Topeka Chicago,” sculpture and functional ware by 20 Monarch Tile National Ceramic Competition”; Public Library, 1515 West Tenth. artists from the Clay Studio in Philadelphia; at at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 704 Bur­ Louisiana, Baton Rouge April 9-May 4 “Made in Lill Street Gallery, 1021 West Lill Street. gess Street. the Shade”; at the Louisiana Crafts Council Gal­ April 20-May 29 “Sculpture,” with Christine Fed- Wisconsin, Sheboyganthrough April 22 “Hold lery, 307 Riverside Mall. erighi, Indira FreitasJohnson andJudy Moonelis; Everything! Clay Vessels by Emerging Artists,” Massachusetts, Lexingtonthrough June 15 “Cura­ at the Esther Saks Gallery, 311 West Superior featuring works by Chuck Aydlett, Jane Dillon, tor’s Choice,” includes ceramics from the deco­ Street. Frank Martin, Janet Neuwalder, Liz Quack- rative arts collection; at the Museum of Our Illinois, Highland Park through April 25 Works by enbush, Julie Terestman, Eric Van Eimeren and National Heritage, 33 Marrett Road. CanadiansJeannot Blackburn, Leopold Foulem Bruce Winn; at John Michael Kohler Arts Cen­ Massachusetts, Northamptonthrough April 28 and Richard Milette; at Martha Schneider Gal­ ter, 608 New York Avenue. “Underwater,” works depicting aquatic imagery; lery, 2055 Green Bay Road. atFerrin Gallery, Pinch Pottery, 179 Main Street. Illinois, Rockford through April 22 “Putting Pot­ Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions Massachusetts, Worcesterthrough April 7 “New tery in Perspective: Past, Present and Future,” Traditions: 1990,” three-person show featuring including works by Tom Bohnert, Richard De- Alabama, Huntsville through April 6“Courageous the daywork of Jeff Oestreich; at the Worcester Vore, Ken Price, Robert Turner and Peter Voices,” two- and three-dimensional works by Craft Center, 25 Sagamore Road. Voulkos; at the Rockford College Gallery. women; at the University of Alabama, Huntsville Michigan, Dexterthrough April 7Juried national; Indiana, Indianapolis April 20-May 26 “Indiana Church Gallery. at the Farrington-Keith Creative Arts Center, Artists Vase Exhibition III,” works by Vlasek Hails, Arizona, Tucsonthrough April 19 A dual exhibi­ 8099 Main. Tom Keesee, Margie Marx, Will Northerner, tion featuring clay flutes and sculptures by Mal­ Michigan, Grand Rapids through April 15 Dual Rick Paul, A1 Pounders, Eric Schuster and Orie lory Randle, through May 14 “Primavera: A Cele­ exhibition featuring ceramist Mary Doezema; at Thomas Shafer; at Patrick King Contemporary bration of Women in the Arts” April 18-June 11 Grand Rapids Art Museum, 155 Division North. Art Gallery, 427 Massachusetts Avenue. “An Expression of Inner Harmony”; at the Missouri, Saint Louis through April 7 “Perspec­ Maine, Portland April 6-May 10 “Clay Invita­ Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. tive: A View of Things in the Craft Media,” na­ tional,” with works byJohn Frantz, Jeff Oestreich through April 24 “Four Women of the West,” fea­ tional invitational. April 14-29“First Annual Saint and lohn Rohfling; at Nancy Margolis Gallery, turing clay sculpture and bas reliefs by Susan Louis Gallery Association Exhibit”; at Craft Alli­ 367 Fore Street. Gamble; at Obsidian Gallery, Saint Philip’s Plaza, ance, 6640 Delmar Boulevard. Maryland, Baltimore April 6-23 “Mid Atlantic Suite 90, 4340 North Campbell Avenue. New Hampshire, ConcordApril 1-June 1“Sculp­ Region NEA Fellowship Recipients,” works by California, Los Angelesthrough June 1 “Hands tures with Tales,” three-person show with Dorothy Pat Alexander, Syd Carpenter, Paul Chaleff, On! Objects Crafted in Our Time,” from the Abram, clay sculpture; andJane Kaufmann, raku Woody Hughes, Shirley Keys, Patrick Loughran collection of the Craft and Folk Art Museum; at sculpture; at the League of New Hampshire and Paul Sherman; at Baltimore Clayworks, 5706 the May Company, Wilshire and Fairfax. Craftsmen, 205 North Main Street. Smith Avenue. California, Ontario through April 29 “Ligh tworks,” New York, Brooklynthrough August 6 “The Blue Massachusetts, BostonApril 9-June 24 “Imperial a dual exhibition of neon/ceramic sculpture by of Jintai: The Samuel P. Avery Collection of Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Kim Koga and David Svenson; at the Museum of Chinese Cloisonne Vessels,” includes 15 ceramic Foundation”; at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 History and Art, 225 South Euclid Avenue. objects; at Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy. Huntington Avenue. California, San FranciscothroughJune 17“Treas­ New York, New Yorkthrough April 8“Explora­ Michigan, Detroitthrough April 21 Sculpture by ures of American Folk Art from the Abby Aldrich tions: the Aesthetic of Excess,” works by 9 artists, Anne Currier and vessels by Wayne Higby. April Rockefeller Folk Art Center”; at M. H. de Young including ceramists Mark Burns, Michael Lu­ 2 7-May 26 “Four Pueblo Potters,” works by Wanda Memorial Museum, Golden Gate Park. cero and Jeff Perrone; at American Craft Mu­ Aragon, Anthony Durand, Robert Tenorio and California, Santa Barbara through July 15 “Two seum, 40 West 53 Street. Tina Garcia Trujillo; at Pewabic Pottery, 10125 Private Views: Asian Art from Private Collec­ through May 14 “Crossing Boundaries,” clay/fiber East Jefferson Avenue. tions,” with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and South­ work by 5 international artists, including ceram­ through April 28 Susan Garson and Tom Pakele; east Asian ceramics from the 14th to the early ists Tony Hepburn and Gertrud and Otto Natzler; at the Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts, 20th centuries; at the Santa Barbara Museum, at Bellas Artes Gallery, 584 Broadway, Soho. 104 Fisher Building. 1130 State Street. through July 29 “Japanese Art from the Gerry Michigan, Grand Rapids through May 6 “Ameri­ California, Walnut Creekthrough April 14 Three- Collection”; at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, can Studio Ceramics”; at the Grand Rapids Art person show including ceramic sculpture by Dick 1000 Fifth Avenue. Museum, 155 North Division Avenue. Kakuda; at Banaker Gallery, 1373 Locust Street. New York, Schenectadythrough May 31 “12th Michigan, Royal Oakthrough May 5 Works by April 4-May 5 “Mexican Folk Art”; at Civic Arts Northeast Fine Crafts Exhibit”; at Schenectady Carole Aoki, Christina Bertoni and Philip Cor­ Gallery, 1632 Locust Street. Museum and Planetarium, Nott Terrace Heights. nelius; at the Sybaris Gallery, 301 West Fourth. Connecticut, Waterburythrough April 8 ‘Society North Carolina, Winston-Salem through April 14 Minnesota, WayzataApril 6-May 19 Barbara of Connecticut Craftsmen 55th Annual Exhibi­ ‘Worth Doing Well,” with daywork by Geri Cam- Diduk and Winnie Owens-Hart; at the Art Cen­ tion,” includes ceramics by Mary Lou Alberetti; arda, Patrick Dougherty and Brad Tucker; at ter of Minnesota, 2240 North Shore Drive. at the Mattatuck Museum, 144 W. Main St. Piedmont Craftsmen, 411 N. Cherry St. Missouri, Saint Louis April 1-May 15 Functional D.C., Washington through May 11 “Transforma­ Ohio, Clevelandthrough April 15 “The Year in works show featuring Sandy Simon, porcelain; at tions,” featuring clayworks by Eve Watts; at Wash­ Review: Selections 1989.” April 4-May 27 “1990 Pro-Art, 5595 Pershing. ington Square, 1050 Connecticut Avenue. May Show”; at the Cleveland Museum of Art, New York, SyracuseApril 28-August 26 “28th Florida, Belleair through April 14 “Uncommon 11150 East Boulevard. Ceramic National: Clay, Color, Content”; at the Vessels,” with clayworks by Christina Bertoni, Ohio, Columbus April 1-May 13 “The Best of Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison Street. David Crane, John Gill and Jamie Walker; at the 1990”; at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center, North Carolina, Penland through April 6 Pottery Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, 222 Ponce de 139 West Main Street. by Angela Fina and sculpture by Yih-Wen Kuo. Leon Boulevard. Ohio, Lima through April 28 “Sakura in Buckeye April 9-21 Doug Casebeer and Steve Howell; at Florida, Jacksonvillethrough April 20 “New Faces Country: Japanese Artists in Ohio,” featuring Penland School of Crafts. for a New Decade,” works by 7 Florida artists ages clayworks by Melinda Ishida Forester, Keiko Ohio, Ada April 3-21 ‘Japanese Ceramics Ex­ 18-30, including ceramists Timothy Baker, Mi­ Hergesheimer and Ban Kajitani; at the Lima Art hibit”; at Elzay Gallery of Art, Ohio Northern chael Chomick, Kim Kirchman and McKenzie Association’s Alma Gallery, Memorial Hall. University. Smith; at Jacksonville Community College. Pennsylvania, Harrisburgthrough April 22 Three- Ohio, Cincinnati through May 27 “French and Georgia, Atlanta through May 6 “Treasures from person exhibit featuring ceramic sculpture by American Studio Ceramics,” works by Laura the Fitzwilliam Museum”; at the High Museum Jeremy Jernegan; at Doshi Center for Contem­ Andreson, Jean Besnard, Rene Buthaud, Emile of Art, 1280 Peachtree Street, Northeast. porary Art, 441 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Decoeur, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Henry through May 18 “eARTh,” works by 7 artists, in­ Pennsylvania, Philadelphiathrough April 14 Dual Varnum Poor, Mary and Edwin Scheier, Carl cluding ceramist Loretta Kaufman; at Novus, exhibition featuring ceramic sculpture by Nancy Walters and Vally Wieselthier; at Cincinnati Art 116 B Bennett Street, Northwest. Carman; at the Helen Drutt Gallery, 1721 Wal­ Museum, Eden Park. Idaho, PocatelloApril 16-May 11 “Big Sky Bien­ nut Street. Ohio, Clevelandthrough April 29 “National Ce­ nial VI/Works on Canvas/Paper and Small Sculp­ April 6-May 12 Three-person exhibit featuring ramics Invitational,” featuring works by Carol ture”; at the Idaho State University. Please turn to page 53

14 C eramics Monthly

Questions Answered by the CM Technical Staff

Q I’d like to know the ratio for plaster and water when making molds from pottery plaster. How do you figure ahead of time how much plaster you will need for a certain size of a mold ? Also, is there a way to retard the time it takes for plaster to setf—K.F. Add 2 pounds, 12 ounces of plaster to each quart of water for an average batch. (The mold’s width x length x height in inches divided by 80 will give you the number of quarts needed for your specific mold.) Some potters prefer not to measure, but rather to slowly sift plaster into a bucket of water until a short cone of plaster appears above the surface—this being a relative means of achieving by eye the approximate ratio. Plaster ought to be added to water rather than the other way around. One to two percent by weight sodium citrate can be mixed with the water prior to sifting in the plaster in order to retard setting time of the wet batch.

Q I recently wrote a glaze calculation program for my computer, adapt­ ing for this purpose a standard spreadsheet program I use to keep the books for my pottery business. Since I now have this tool to get more accurate glaze calculations, I would like to know some specifics about manufacturers’ analyses of various ceramics supplies: Does it matter much whether I use an idealformula or a formula derived from one of their analyses? Are these analyses generally accurate ? If not, is there a way to get a better EMF [em­ pirical molecular formula] or percent analysis for each specific material I’m using?—R. W. The answers to your questions really depend on what you want your calculations to do—predict melting point, recreate a previ­ ous glaze that contains an extinct material, alter an existing recipe’s color, etc. Experiment remains the ultimate test of a glaze, but intelligent use of calculation can lead to a higher rate of successful results, and to reducing the number of tests required to confirm a desired result. With the advent of inexpensive glaze calculation programs and spreadsheet adaptations for popular brands of microcompu­ ters, the potter now has access to easily calculated formulas and recipes, even when all the materials in the glaze are represented by complex analyses. For those without a home computer, calcu­ lations can still be carried out at local libraries where computer use is often available free. Still, everything isn’t solved just because you have access to a mine’s or processor’s data sheets. A recent software release of the glaze calculation program (for IBM or Macintosh computers), called “Insight,” contains the following comments which explain further: “...materials constantly change, and a manufacturer’s data sheet always shows an average analysis. Individual analyses done during mining, and provided with loads of product, are always different. The higher quality a material is, the less the analysis will vary. But it will always vary.... If all of this makes no sense to you, then pick a native clay, or some other material, and have it analyzed at a number of labs, or a number of times at the same lab. You will get an education when you see the variation! But don’t lose heart; calculations are still the best thing since soft toilet paper!” So use a mine’s analysis as a best available choice, particularly if you can do the more complex calculations by com­ puter. Otherwise, the ideal formulas will do fine for predicting the cone of glaze melt and other simple calculations.

Subscribers ’ questions are welcome and those of general interest will be answered in this column. Due to volume, letters may not be answered per­ sonally. Address the Technical Staff, Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212.

16 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 17 Comment George Ohr: Outsider Ceramics

by Richard Zakin

Last fall a body of work by George portant, however, are the pots shown He then reduced those designs to Ohr was exhibited at the American in the exhibition and in the book’s their bare essentials to create his own Craft Museum in New York City; it is large color plates; from them one can forms. Ohr’s pots are direct, their now on view at the Renwick Gallery get a picture of the wide range of his glazes very rich and the bond be­ in Washington, D.C. (through June work and its development. tween the two very strong. Particu­ 3), and will go on to New Orleans and A ceramist must notice that the larly noteworthy are those pots that Syracuse, New York. After seeing this speed with which these pieces were were stretched and twisted. They are exhibition, and reading the accom­ made is remarkable, that every ele­ virtuosic examples of the thrower’s panying book, The Mad Potter of Biloxi: ment has been made quickly, and art, beautifully and quickly formed, The Art and Life of George Ohr; I found indeed that a principle of their de­ often enhanced with expressive and myself trying to understand this high­ sign is that they could be made quickly. fanciful handles. ly individual figure and to assess the We can wonder why Ohr chose to Though highly awkward and un­ importance of his work to contempo­ work with such speed. He cannot have conventional, they remain very much rary ceramists. done this because he wanted to make rooted in the tradition of utilitarian About 150 pieces are included in money; he is said to have left 6000 pottery. If we look carefully, we can the exhibition, enough to make a unsold pots in his garage. Nor can we see that Ohr’s forms are very useful. very strong impression, but not so ascribe this to lack of commitment. His handles, which have been com­ many as to overwhelm. The book, in In a phrase that is typical of his writ­ mented upon often, are a good ex­ turn, is full of fascinating biographi­ ing he talked of “Real—head— ample of this. While extremely auda­ cal material, including a number of heart—hand—and Soul ‘ART.’” cious, they are also wide open, grasp- direct quotations—most of which are I would suggest that these pieces able and holdable. Furthermore, if either proclamations of his own were made at fever pitch because he we examine those pieces with no uniqueness or strong polemics against needed the concentration and unity handles, we see there is often an his favorite targets (and Ohr had that he could find only by working at everted lip or a bulge or a torqued many of them). There is also a great such speed. Working at a slower pace area near the shoulder for the con­ deal of photographic documentation, he could have finished his pots more venience of the person who might including many images of his studio cleanly and perhaps arrived at a more wish to pick up the piece for use. and exhibition booths at fairs, com­ decorous effect, but they would not Contemporary potters, who cre­ plete with outrageous signs designed have had the level of intensity that we ate utilitarian ware, should look at to grab attention. In fact, Ohr took associate with an Ohr pot. Ohr’s pots very carefully. They can signage and publicity to new heights The springboard for his work was serve as a reminder of what pottery of of eccentric showmanship. Most im­ popular European ornamental ware. this type should be—fluent; full of

Ohr took publicity to new heights of eccentric showmanship with bizarre self-portraits.

18 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 19 Comment they were isolated and quite inde­ and very possibly half mad (perhaps pendent from either prevailing fash­ from exposure to powdered lead, a ion or the avant-garde. necessary ingredient in his colorful It is important to emphasize the glazes). But, while this might account energy; chance taking; expressing a isolated character of Ohr’s work. He for his outlandish behavior, it would strong personality. Such an approach was unaligned with any group or not account for his mastery of the requires the skill of an experienced movement. He avoided the high material and understanding of form production potter combined with in­ finish that characterized the work of and glaze. Ohr called himself “the dependence and confidence to cre­ most American art potters; he was greatest variety potter in the world,” ate new and unusual forms. also completely unaware of the avant- and in the end I think that we must George Ohr’s work falls into the garde of the day (which was far away take his words at face value, accepting category of “outsider art.” He began in Europe). When he talked of art he this as a clear-eyed and intelligent as a folk potter, but as his work ma­ talked only of his own approach and evaluation of his place in ceramics. tured, he moved away from this tradi­ boasted of its unique character. Outside any system, impossible to cate­ tion. At the turn of the century, there Ohr is an important figure in gorize, restless and crackling with en­ were a number of artists whose roots American ceramic history precisely ergy—he was indeed great. were in folk art but who, by dint of because he is impossible to catego­ What can we late-20th-century clay- education (usually outside of any rize. Was he a folk potter? If so, he workers learn from Ohr? Utilitarian official center of learning), were able would have catered to the needs of potters can consider how to reinvent to make an “end run” around tradi­ the people around him. Was he an pitcher, teapot and bowl shapes, and tional imagery. A prime example of art potter? Then he would have given so revitalize the craft. Nonutilitarian this is the painter Henri Rousseau. his pieces the “fit and finish” required vessel makers and sculptors can study Rousseau, like Ohr, had little formal by fashion, and he would have tried his ugly/beautiful surfaces and auda­ education; in fact, neither of them tojoin the group rather than alienate cious forms. Finally, we can all appre­ had any schooling in the arts. Both its members. Was he a ceramic sculp­ ciate his strong response to the mate­ were eccentric and independent. tor? No, for he worked almost exclu­ rial, his directness and his energy. Both maintained the folk artist’s sively with the vessel form and his commitment to direct and energetic pieces have many of the characteris­ The author A frequent contributor to imagery, which limited their accep­ tics associated with useful pots. Was Ceramics Monthly, Richard Zakin is a tance by society. Their work evolved he merely a half-mad, self-taught ec­ faculty artist at the State University of from folk art to a position in which centric? He certainly was eccentric New York, Oswego.

George Ohr at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta,

20 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 21

24 C eramics Monthly Linda Christianson (second from left) discusses a kiln load of salt-glazed work with students at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine. Summer Workshops 1990

Various types of workshops are offered each summer;Fee: first­ $275; includes materials, lodging and meals; tinuing Education, 2401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los time participants should be aware of their differences. $225 without lodging. Contact Debra Denker, Com­ Angeles 90057; or phone (213) 251-0550. Typically, workshops are hands-on experiences; however,munications Director, Geltaftan Foundation, 303 Georgetown Place, Claremont 91711; or phone (714) California, Mendocino August 20-24 shorter sessions of one-half to two days may be observa­625-4383. “Spirit into Clay: Burnished Earthenware” with Kaye tion oriented only. A few one-day sessions are strictly Like, includes handbuilding and primitive firing. In­ lectures or lecture/discussions. While nearly all work­California, Fremont July 8-14 termediate through professional. Fee: $175, includes shops are good experiences, the quality of presentation “Pipe Sculpture Workshop West” with Jerry Caplan, firing. Contact Mendocino Art Center, Lansing St., involves working with sewer pipe extrusions. Interme­ Mendocino 95460; or phone (707) 937-5818. varies widely. If possible, ask others who have attended diate through professional. Fee: $250, includes mate­ previous workshops for their opinion of the talentsrials of and any some firing. Rustic camping available. Loca­ California, Ojai July 6-29 particular leader. Then contact organizers for specifics.tion: Mission Clay Products Company. Send slides “Centering in Clay” with M.C. Richards, focusing on and SASE by June 11 to Jerry Caplan, Director, Pipe the meditative and spiritual dimensions of working Sculpture Workshop Selection Committee, 5819 Al­ with clay (July 6-8); fee: $195; includes materials, Arizona, Flagstaff July 16-August 6 der Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232; or phone firing, campsite and meals. Handbuilding, throwing, “Firing the Noborigama (Wood Fired) ” with Donald (412) 661-0179. mask-making and firing with Gary Sontum and Lola Bendel and Yukio Yamamoto. Advanced and profes­ Wymer (July 6-29); fee: $650; includes materials, sional. Instruction in English and Japanese. Fee: $318, California, Idyllwild June 24-August 31 firing, campsite and meals. Beginning through ad­ includes firing. University housing and camping fa­ “Handbuilding/Colored Clay” with Virginia Cart­ vanced. Contact Lola Wymer, Ojai Foundation, Box cilities available. Contact Donald Bendel, Northern wright and Ingrid Lilligren (June 24-29). “Saggar 1620, Ojai 93023; or phone (805) 646-8343. Arizona University, School of Art and Design, Box Firing” with Sana Krusoe and Ingrid Lilligren (July 6020, Flagstaff 86011; or phone (602) 523-2602 or 1-6). “Raku” with Patrick Crabb and Ingrid Lilligren California, Santa Ana June 30 523-2398. (July 8-13). “Ceramic Sculpture” with Ingrid Lilli­ Low-temperature, salt/saggar firing with Rico Piper. gren and Richard White (July 15-20). “Specialized Fee: $25. Contact Patrick Crabb, Rancho Santiago Arkansas, Hindsville June 11-22 Ceramics: Musical Instruments” with Brian Ransom, College, 17 and Bristol Streets, Santa Ana 92706; or “War Eagle Arts and Crafts Seminar” with Hugh handbuilding, glazing and firing original musical phone (714) 667-3173 or 667-3195. Hudgens, clay sculpture. Fee: $100 two weeks, $75 instruments (July 22-August 4). “Adult Ceramics” one week. Camping facilides available. Contact Shirley with Greg Kennedy, handbuilding, wheel throwing, California, Walnut Creek June 9-August 15 Sutton, War Eagle Mills Farm, Route 1, Hindsville kiln loading/unloading, glaze mixing and firing “Master Potter Workshop” with Gary Holt, decorat­ 72738; or phone (501) 789-5398. (August 19-31). All skill levels. Fee: $395 per week, ing techniques in porcelain with emphasis on air- includes materials and firing. Live-in accommoda­ brushing, includes slides/video of potter’s tour of Arkansas, Little Rock June 4-August 25 tions and camping facilities available. Contact Steve Japan (June 9); fee: $30. Sessions in sculpture, saggar, “Handbuilding” with Gayle Batson, an introductory Fraider, Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, 849 sawdust, salt and raku firing with Peter Coussoulis, course in clay, glazes and kilns (weeknights). Begin­ South Broadway, Suite 816, Los Angeles, California Skip Esquierdo, Larry Henderson, Leslie Jensen, ning level. Fee: $95, includes firing. Contact Gina 90014; or phone (213) 622-0355. Sherry Karver and Andree Thompson (June 18-Au- Sipes, Arkansas Arts Center, Ninth and Commerce, gust 15). All skill levels. Contact Peter Coussoulis, Little Rock 72202; or phone (501) 372-4000. California, Los Angeles July 2-31 Civic Arts Education, City of Walnut Creek, Box 8039, “Clay in L.A.” with Jody Baral, handbuilding, throw­ Walnut Creek 94596; or phone (415) 943-5846. California, Claremont June 23-24 ing, tilework and glazing. Intermediate through pro­ “Ceramic Architecture Workshop” with Nader Khalili, fessional. Fee: $600, includes firing. Live-in accom­ Colorado, Arvada June 22-August 10 designing, constructing, firing and glazing structures modations available. For further information contact “Kilnbuilding” with Jim Cooper, rebuilding a sprung- built with adobe and rammed earth. All skill levels. Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design, Con­ arch gas kiln (June 22-24). “Raku” with Bob Smith,

April 1990 25 throwing, handbuilding, glazing and firing (July with Stephen Mickey and Jeff Noska (July 1-August lodging and meals. For further information contact 10-13,16). “Large-Scale Handbuilding” with Richard 4). Skill requirements and fees vary. For further infor­ Sharon Pollock-Deluzio, Director, Watershed Center Usrey (July 10—31, Tuesday evenings). “Handbuild­ mation contact Stephen Mickey, Evanston Art Cen­ for the Ceramic Arts, Box 62, North Edgecomb 04556; ing” with Bill Daley (August 4-5). Slide lecture on ter, 2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston 60201; or phone or phone (401) 461-3528. Europe and Japan with Jim and Nan McKinnell (708) 475-9139. (August 10). All skill levels. Fees: $50-$125. Contact Maryland, Baltimore June 4-August 28 Regina Hogan, Arvada Center for the Arts and Hu­ Illinois, Northfield May 20-August 30 “Throwing Functional Pottery” (June 4-July 23, manities, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada 80003; -Eight-week sessions on wheel throwing, handbuild­ Monday evenings); fee: $150, includes materials and or phone (303) 431-3080. ing and raku. Instructors: Jill Grau Danesi, John Kev- firing. Hands-on teapot workshop with Deborah ern and John Klimstra. Fee: $245, includes materials Bedwell (June 15-16); fee: $60, includes materials. Colorado, Cortez July 1-August 18 and firing. All skill levels. Live-in accommodations “Totemic Sculpture” with Ingrid Zwaard, large-scale “Sand Canyon Primitive Pottery Workshop” with Lean- available. For further information contact Jill Grau handbuilding (June 18-22); fee: $160, includes mate­ der Gridley and Clint Swink (July 1-7, 8-14, August Danesi, Director of School Administration, Northfield rials and firing. Instruction in English and Dutch. 5-11 or 12-18). All skill levels. Fee: $500 per week; Pottery, 1741 Orchard Lane, Northfield 60093; or “Handbuilding Sculptural Earthenware” with Sana includes materials, firing, lodging and meals. Contact phone (708) 446-3470. Musasama (June 23); fee: $25. Instruction in English Laura Livingston, Kelly Place, 14663 County Rd. G, and French. “Raku: Making, Firing, Kilnbuilding” Cortez 81321; or phone (303) 565-3125. Indiana, New Harmony June 11-July 13 with Patrick Caughy (July 10-August 28, Tuesday “University of Evansville Ceramic Workshop” with evenings). “Ceramic Color and Decoration” with Colorado, Marble July 16-August 10 Les Miley, emphasizing salt glazing and raku firing, Deborah Bedwell (July 24-August 14); fee: $45. Skill Throwing on a hand-turned wheel, handbuilding, handbuilding and throwing. All skill levels. Live-in requirements vary. Contact Deborah Bedwell, Balti­ glazing, kiln design, stoneware and raku with Thanos accommodations and camping facilities available. more Clayworks, 5706 Smith Avenue, Baltimore 21209; Johnson. Fee: $800; includes materials, firing and or phone (301) 578-1919. campsite. Beginning through advanced. Instruction in English, Greek and Japanese. Contact Thanos Massachusetts, Allston June 11 -September 15 Johnson, 118 East Silver Street, Marble 81623; or Handbuilding, throwing, glazing and raku; at Rad- phone (303) 963-2022 after May 25. cliffe Ceramics Studio. Instructors: Warren Mather, Shawn Penepinto and Makoto Yabe. All skill levels. Colorado, Snowmass VillageJune 4-September 9 Fee: $370, includes materials and firing. Contact “Exploring the Lidded Form” with Victor Babu, throw­ Radcliffe College Ceramics Summer Session, Office ing and handbuilding porcelain, surface embellish­ of the Arts, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachu­ ment and decoration (June 4-15); fee: $450. setts 02138; or phone (617) 495-8676. “Handbuilding” with Ken Price (June 4-15); fee: $310. “Teapots as an Art Form” with Chris Gustin, Massachusetts, Truro July 2-August 31 handbuilding and throwing, functional and nonfunc­ “Wheel and Handbuilding” (July 2-6); fee: $165, tional (June 4-15); fee: $450. “Soldner’s Turf’ with includes materials. “Beginning and Advanced Throw­ Paul Soldner, handbuilding, throwing, low-fire clays ing” with Ilsejohnson (July 9-20); fee: $165, includes and field trips (June 18-22); fee: $310. “Materials materials and firing. “Raku” with Philip Homes (July from the Earth: Developing a Dialogue” with John 23-27); fee: $165, includes materials. “Handbuilding Roloff, searching the Aspen area for indigenous clays Techniques” with Ilsejohnson (July 23-27); fee: $165, (June 25-29); fee: $285. “Handbuilt Constructions” includes materials. “Porcelain” with Mark Bell (July with Andrea and John Gill, handbuilding and press 30-August 3); fee: $165, includes materials. ‘Yes, You molding (June 25-July 6); fee: $500. “Archaeology as Can Throw on the Wheel” with Maree Nicholson Metaphor: Digging through the Subconscious” with (August 4-25, Saturdays); fee: $129, includes materi­ Aurore Chabot, handbuilding earthenware, low-fire als. “Sculptural Surfaces” with Peter Gourfain, highl­ glazes (July 2-13); fee: $450. “Glaze and Clay Body and low-relief on vessels and slabs (August 6-10); fee: Calculation” with Pete Pinnell (July 9-13); fee: $285. John Gill with his vessels made at Anderson $165, includes materials. “The Natural Way to Throw” “Clay Sculpture” with Judy Moonelis (July 9-20); fee: Ranch, Snowmass Village, Colorado. with Harry Holl (August 7); fee: $50. “High-Fire $450. “Basic Firing and Pottery Techniques” with Glazes” with Mark Bell (August 20-24); fee: $165, Doug Casebeer and Pete Pinnell, emphasis on pitch­ includes materials. “Pit Firing” with Philip Homes ers, bowls, cups and plates (July 16-27); fee: $450. Contact Les Miley, University of Evansville, 1800 Lin­ (August 20-24); fee: $165, includes materials. “Clay “Teapots: East Meets West” with A-Leon and Richard coln Avenue, Evansville, Indiana 47722; or phone Jewelry” with Mary Stackhouse (August 27-31); fee: Notkin, emphasis on unglazed stoneware in the tradi­ (812) 479-2043. $130. Skill requirements vary. Contact M. Stackhouse tion of Chinese Yixing ware (July 23-August 3); fee: or K. Manson, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, $525. “Back to Basics” with Ron Nagle, reevaluating Kansas, Pittsburg June 5-28 Box 756, Truro 02666; or phone (508) 349-7511. preconceptions and working methods, emphasis on Handbuilding and throwing with Malcolm Kuchar- experimentation (August 6-10); fee: $310. “Finding ski. All skill levels. University housing available. Con­ Massachusetts, WilliamsburgJuly 1-August 12 Form and Inspiration” with Chris Bertoni, throwing tact Malcolm Kucharski, Pittsburg State University, Pottery for high school students with Maria de la and handbuilding (August 6-17); fee: $450. “Inten­ Department of Art, 1701 South Broadway, Pittsburg Macorra (July 1-21 and July 23-August 12). Begin­ tions of Form” with Robert Turner, throwing and 66762; or phone (316) 235-4302. ning through advanced. Fee: $1385/3 weeks; includes handbuilding (August 13-24); fee: $470. “Post-Every- thing Ceramics: An Examination of Sources for Con­ Kentucky, Lexington June 16-July 20 temporary Pottery in the Global Village” with Adrian “Raku” with Rick Berman (June 16-17); fee: $100, Japanese potter and kiln master Yukio Yamamoto Saxe, includes demonstration of slip-casting porce­ includes materials and firing. “Cone 10 Oxidation, demonstrating throwing techniques at Northern lain techniques (September 8-9); fee: $145. Skill New Attitudes” with Jill Coldiron (June 23-24); fee: Arizona University, Flagstaff. requirements vary. All tuition fees include materials $100, includes materials and firing. “Saggar-Fire Raku, and firing. Live-in accommodations with meals avail­ Low-Fire Salt” with Thomas Zwierlein (June 30-July able for $235 per week. Contact Laura Dixon, Ander­ 1); fee: $100, includes materials and firing (bring son Ranch Arts Center, Box 5598, Snowmass Village bisqueware). “Dynamics” with Thomas Zwierlein (July 81615; or phone (303) 923-3181. 9-13 or 16-20); fee: $210, includes 24-hour studio access. All skill levels. Camping facilities available. Connecticut, Middletown August 6-10 Contact Jill Coldiron, Boonecreek Studio, 7525 “Throwing and Altering Methods” with Bruce Coch­ Grimes Mill Road, Lexington 40515; or phone (606) rane, emphasis on form exploration and risk-taking. 276-1598. Intermediate and advanced. Fee: $200. Contact Melissa Schilke, Wesleyan Potters, 350 South Main Maine, Deer Isle June 3-August 31 Street, Middletown 06457; or phone (203) 347-5925. “Section Construction for Larger Sculptural Forms” with Christine Federighi (June 3-15). “The Autobio­ Hawaii, Kualoa Beach Park June 8-10 graphical Still Life Environment” with Mary Jo Bole “Raku Ho’olaule’a ’90” with Bruce Lenore. Fee: $10. (June 17^July 6). Unusual functional pottery forms All skill levels. Camping facilities available. Contact with Chris Staley (July 8-20). Working on one piece Renee Meislohn, Chairperson, or Audrey Halsall, from start to finish with Wayne Higby (July 22-27). Publicity, Hawaii Craftsmen, Box 22145, Honolulu, “Wheel-Thrown Functional Pots” with Warren Mac- Hawaii 96822; or phone Audrey Halsall (808) 737- Kenzie, emphasizing expression over production (July 5190 or 538-7750 (day) or 926-3211 (evening). 29-August 17). Wheel throwing and majolica tech­ niques with Walter Ostrom (August 19-31). Skill Illinois, Edwardsville July 16-28 requirements vary. Fees: $195-$475; includes some Terra-cotta handbuilding, wheel-throwing and firing room and board. For further information contact techniques with Susan Bostwick. Fee varies for in- and Stuart Kestenbaum, Director, Haystack Mountain out-of-state residents; includes materials and firing. School of Crafts, Box 87, Deer Isle 04627; or phone Intermediate through professional. Contact Dan (207) 348-2306. Anderson, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Department of Art and Design, Box 1774, Edwardsville Maine, North EdgecombJune 9-August 31 62026; or phone (618) 692-3071. “Free Pre-Session,” preparation for paid sessions (June 9-15). “Session I” with John Glick (June 18-July 6); Illinois, Evanston May 28-August 4 fee: $900. “Session II” with Linda Christianson (July “Wood Firing” with Fred Batson and Stephen Mickey 9-25); fee: $900. “Session III” with Winnie Owens- (May 28-June 30, Mondays plus one weekend). “Al­ Hart (August 1-17); fee: $600. “Session IV” with Ed­ ternative Firing Processes: Raku, Pit and Saggar” with die Dominguez (August 20-31); fee: $600, Profes­ Stephen Mickey (May 28-August 4). “Salt Firing” sional level. All fees include local earthenware clay,

26 Ceramics Monthly lodging and meals. Contact Jane Sinauer, New Eng­ Lake Tahoe, Box 4269, Incline Village 89450; or 6-15); fee: $230. “Anagama” with James Jansma (July land Craft Program, 374 Old Montague Rd., Amherst, phone (800) 332-8666. 18-August 5); fee: $425-$650, includes 6-cubic-foot Massachusetts 01002; or phone (413) 549-4841. of kiln space. “Restoring Ceramics” with Shirley Nevada, Tuscarora June 16-August 1 Koehler (August 10-12); fee: $110. “Functional Pots?” Michigan, Ann Arbor July 9-27 “Throwing” (June 16-30). “Raw Glazing” (July 2—16). with Ken Ferguson (August 10—16); fee: $195. ‘The “Low-fire Ceramic Workshop” with Donna Webb. All “Oil Firing” (July 18-August 1). Instructor: Dennis Potter’s Wheel: An Expressive Tool” with Gregory skill levels. Fee: $450, includes firing. Live-in accom­ Parks. Skill requirements vary. Fee: 1 session $590, 2 Zoerlin (August 24-31); fee: $210. Skill requirements modations and camping facilities available. Contact sessions $1060,3 sessions $1590; includes firing, lodg­ vary. Limited campus housing available. Contact San­ Barbara Carr, Registrar, University of Michigan/ ing and meals. Contact Dennis Parks, Tuscarora Pot­ dra Ward, Peters Valley Craft Center, Layton 07851; School of Art, 2000 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor tery School, Box 7, Tuscarora 89834; or phone (702) or phone (201) 948-5200. 48109; or phone (313) 764-0527. 756-6598. New Jersey, LoveladiesJune 25-August 17 Michigan, Detroit June 18-July 27 New Hampshire, KeeneMay 21-June 28 “Clay as Sculpture” with Mark Davies (June 25-29 or “Throwing and Wood Firing” with Jeff Oestreich “Primitive, Raku and Wood Firing” with Samuel Az- July 2-6); fee: $50. “Tile Making” with Liza Portnoff (June 18-29); fee: $385. “Tile Workshop” with Diana zaro. All skill levels. Live-in accommodations and (July 18-20); fee: $60. “The Painted Surface/Low Kulisek (July 9-27); fee: $425. “Tile Workshop” with David Ellison (July 9-27); fee: $385. All fees include materials, firing and lunch. All skill levels. Contact Mary Roehm, Pewabic Pottery, 10125 East Jefferson, Detroit 48214; or phone (313) 822-0954. Michigan, Kalamazoo June 15-17 Throwing and glazing with I. B. Remsen. Fee: $20, includes materials. Intermediate through professional. Camping facilities available. Contact Tom Kendall, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 South Park Street, Kalamazoo 49007; or phone (616) 349-7775. Michigan, Saugatuck July 22-August 4 “Raku” with Kris Nelson, forming, glazing, firing tech­ niques and kilnbuilding (July 22-28). “Pit Firing” with Kris Nelson (July 29-August 4). All skill levels. Fee: $425, $545 for academic credit; includes materi­ als, firing, lodging and meals. Contact Douglas Greene, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 37 South Wabash, Chicago, Illinois 60603; or phone (312) 899-5130. Minnesota, Duluth July 8-14 “Raku” with Thomas Kerrigan. All skill levels. Fee: approximately $280; includes materials and firing. Camping facilities available. For further information contact Vivien Oja, Registrar, Split Rock Arts Pro­ gram, Department CM, 306 Wesbrook Hall, 77 Pleas­ ant Street, Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; or phone (612) 624-6800. Missouri, Bethel July 15-21 “Native American Pottery” with Sandra Eccles-Walz, focusing on authentic replication of prehistoric In­ dian pottery. Beginning and intermediate. Fee: $165. Lodging and meals: $118. Camping facilities avail­ able. Contact Liane G. Smith, Executive Director, Bethel Colony School of the Arts, Box 127, Bethel 63434; or phone (816) 284-6493. Missouri, East Prarie June 4-July 18 “Setting Up a Mosaic Studio” with Mel Riley, design and construction techniques (June 4-13, 18-27 or July 9-18). Limited to 6 participants. Fee: $350; in­ cludes materials, firing and 2 meals daily. Live-in accommodations available. For further information contact Phoenix Pottery, Mel Riley, Route 1, Box 25, Alesia Drive, East Prarie 63845. Montana, Billings July 2-17 “Raku” with Marcia Selsor. Beginning through ad­ vanced. Live-in accommodations available. For fur­ ther information contact Eastern Montana College, 1500 North 30 Street, Billings 59101; or phone (406) 657-2203. Michelle Nichols throwing a vase at Glenville State College, Glenville, West Virginia. Montana, Missoula July 1-31 Handbuilding, throwing, mural construction, clay prospecting and processing, raku kilnbuilding/firing, camping facilities available. For further information Fire” with Alan Willoughby, handbuilding, throwing, photographing ceramics, health hazards in ceramics contact the Division of Continuing Education, Keene making plaster molds, decorating with slips, terra and repairing electric kilns. Beginning through ad­ State College, Keene 03431; or phone (603) 352- sigillata, underglazes and glazes (July 23-27); fee: vanced. Fee: $125 per week (2-week minimum), in­ 1909, extension 322. $60. Building sculpture from simple modules with cludes firing and lodging. Contact Douglas Grimm, Peg Feudi (July 31-August 2); fee: $60. “Raku/Low- Grimmstone Pottery, 2524 Sycamore, Missoula 59802; New Jersey, Belvidere June 22-July 29 Fire Techniques” with Bruce Lenore (August 6-10 or or phone (406) 543-7970. Anagama workshop with Peter Callas and Takeo 13-17); fee: $60. Skill requirements vary. Contact Okazaki (June 22-July 1 or July 20-29); fee: $350, Meg Mathews, Long Beach Island Foundation of the Nevada, Incline Village June 25-August 10 includes 3 cubic feet of firing space. Demonstrations Arts, 120 Long Beach Boulevard, Loveladies 08008; Throwing, glazing and firing with David Shaner (June by Peter Voulkos (June 30-July 1 or July 28-29); fee: or phone (609) 494-1241. 25-29); fee: $225, includes materials and firing. $80 both days, $50 one day. Skill requirements vary. Handbuilding, throwing, decorating techniques, glaz­ Live-in accommodations and camping facilities avail­ New Mexico, Taos June 18-July 27 ing and firing with Fred Olsen (July 9-13); fee: $225, able. Contact Peter Callas, RD 2, P.O. Box 213, Bel­ “Form, Pattern and Color with Earthenware” with includes materials and firing. “Sculpture” with Doug videre 07823; or phone (201) 475-8907. Nausika Richardson, handbuilding and throwing Taylor (July 16-20); fee: $225, includes materials and (June 18-29). “Production Pottery” with Steve Kil- firing. “Sculpture” with Margaret Ford, slip casting New Jersey, Layton June 9-August 31 born (June 25-29). “Primitive Pottery” with Skip Miller and low-fire glazing (July 23-27); fee: $225, includes “Clay Sculpture about Pots” with Tony Hepburn, (July 2-13). “Tile Explorations” with Alliah Sage (July materials and firing. “Porcelain” with Catharine Hier- demonstration and discussion of current issues in 16-27). All skill levels. Fee: $250 per week. Live-in ac­ soux, throwing, glazing and firing (July 30-August 3); clay/sculpture (June 9-10); fee: $85. “Not the Usual commodations available. For further information fee: $225, includes materials and firing. “Clay Dig” Pit Fire” with Bennett Bean, lecture and demonstra­ contact Taos Institute of Arts, Box 1389, Taos 87571; with Carol Sphar (August 4-5); fee: $60, includes pit tions of decorating, firing, painting and gold leafing or phone (505) 758-2793. firing. Throwing, glazing and firing with Jack Troy (June 16-17); fee: $85. “Kiln Design” with David (August 6-10); fee: $225, includes materials and firing. Frederickson, hands-on building of a car kiln (June New York, Brooklyn June 13-16 Live-in accommodations and camping facilities avail­ 23-30); fee: $210. “Pottery” with Kirk Mangus, throw­ Acoma Pueblo pottery workshop with Dolores Lewis able. Contact Carol Sphar, Sierra Nevada College, ing, press molding, handbuilding and salt firing (July Garcia and Emma Lewis Mitchell (daughters of Lucy

April 1990 27 Lewis), forming, decorating and cowchip firing; at quirements vary. Camping facilities available. Con­ Annie Schliffer, Rochester Folk Art Guild, 1445 Up­ Home Pottery and Long Island University, Brooklyn. tact Maggie Rood, Thousand Islands Craft School per Hill Road, Middlesex 14507; or phone (716) 554- Contact Lillian Dodson, 133 Crooked Hill Rd., Hunt­ and Textile Museum, 314John Street, Clayton 13624; 3539 or 554-6401. ington, New York 11743; or phone (516) 427-2950; or or phone (315) 686-4123. Jan Breslin, Home Pottery, 449 Rutland Rd., Brooklyn New York, New Paltz May 29-June 25 11203; or phone (718) 774-7082 or (718) 756-1999. New York, Lake Peekskill August 3-5 “Wood Fired Workshop” with Mike Serfis, clay formu­ “Wood-Fire Workshop” with Roger Baumann; at lation, throwing, handbuilding, slip decoration, plus New York, Chautauqua June 17-August 18 Hollowbrook Pottery. Beginning through advanced. anagama firing as well as alternative wood-firing tech­ Biweekly workshops in throwing, handbuilding, glaz­ Fee: $100, includes materials and firing. Camping niques. Intermediate and advanced. Fee: $180. Live- ing, tile making, kilnbuilding, etc. Intermediate and facilities available. Contact JoAnne Ruggeri, in accommodations and camping facilities available. advanced levels. Instructors include William Daley Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones Street, New York, Contact Mike Serfis, State University of New York and Dianna Gillispie. Fee: $80, includes materials New York 10014; or phone (212) 242-4106. College at New Paltz, SAB 102, New Paltz 12561; or and firing. Live-in accommodations and camping fa­ phone (914) 257-3834 or 339-6955. cilities available. For further information contact The New York, Long Island June 7-10 School Office, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua Acoma Pueblo pottery workshop with Dolores Lewis New York, New York June 4-July 18 14722; or phone (716) 357-6233. Garcia and Emma Lewis Mitchell (daughters of Lucy “Porcelain and Color,” handbuilding, wheel throw­ Lewis), forming, decorating and cowchip firing. Lo­ ing, glazing, nerikomi and raku. Beginning through New York, Clayton June 30-September1 cation: Hofstra University. Contact Lillian Dodson, advanced. Instructors: Carole Aoki, Angela Combs, “Children’s Pottery” with Cindi Grant (June 30-Sep- 133 Crooked Hill Rd., Huntington, New York 11743; Jeff Cox, Roberta Griffiths, Mary Roettger, Carmen tember 1); fee: $8 per Saturday. Basic techniques in or phone (516) 427-2950; or contact Jan Breslin, Sariano, Claire Weissberg and David Wright. Instruc­ wheel throwing, handbuilding, glaze firing and deco­ Home Pottery, 449 Rutland Rd., Brooklyn, New York tion in English, Japanese and Spanish. Contact Jeff rating with Julie Bettinger (July 16-27); fee: $160. 11203; or phone (718) 774-7082 or (718) 756-1999. Cox, 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., New York “Clay Is Not Dirt” with Keith Walker, basic techniques 10128; or phone (212) 415-5565. in handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, firing and New York, Middlesex July 29-August 5 decorating with lead-free colors (July 30-August 10); Throwing, handbuilding and decorating functional June 17-July 22 fee: 1 week $145, 2 weeks $240. “Clay Sculpture” with pots. Instructors: Beth Barnet, Roger Lipsey, Ragnar Lecture and demonstration with Takeo Okazaki (June Holly Silverthorn (July 30-August 10); fee: 1 week Naess, Helene Oldweiler and Annie Schliffer. All skill 17); fee: $25. “Wheel as a Handbuilding Tool” with $135, 2 weeks $230. “Electric Kiln Ceramics” with levels. Fee: $250. Live-in accommodations and camp­ Woody Hughes, assembling and altering forms (July Richard Zakin (August 20-24); fee: $145. Skill re­ ing facilities (both with meals) available. Contact 13-15, 22); fee: $150, includes materials. Skill re­ quirements vary. ContactJoAnne Ruggeri, Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones Street, New York 10014; or Guest artist Sara Musasama with her sculpture in progress phone (212) 242-4106. at Tuscarora Pottery School, Tuscarora, Nevada. June 28-August 16 “Ceramic Restoration” with Margaret Simonds, Thurs­ day sessions covering bonding, filling-in and airbrush- ing. All skill levels. Fee: $400, includes materials. Contact Margaret Simonds, Earthworks Pottery, 1705 FirstAve., New York 10128; or phone (212) 534-9711. July 9-August 30 Various courses on earthenware handbuilding, throw­ ing, glazing, press molds and slip decorating tech­ niques. Instructors: Janet Belden, Amy Kolar and Kate Missett. Beginning and intermediate. Fee: $120-$160, includes materials. Live-in accommoda­ tions available. Contact West Side Y Pottery Studio, c/o Center for the Arts, West Side YMCA, 5 West 63 Street, New York 10023; or phone (212) 787-6557. New York, Oneonta July 1-21 “Studio Arts Workshop” with Milly D’Angelo; ceram­ ics (throwing, handbuilding, decorating and various firing methods) is one of six areas of instruction. High school students only. Fee: $875; includes mate­ rials, firing, lodging and meals. Contact Office of Special Programs, Hartwick College, Oneonta 13820; or phone (607) 431-4415. New York, Otego July 30-August 21 Handbuilding, glaze production and firing a gas kiln with Elizabeth Nields (July 30-August 12); fee: $525; includes materials, firing and lunch. “Raku” with Elizabeth Nields (August 13,14, 20,21); fee: $125; in­ cludes lunch. All skill levels. Contact Elizabeth Nields, Clay Workshop, RD 1, Box 300, Otego 13825; or phone (607) 783-2476. New York, Port Chester June 2-July 22 Traditional Acoma pottery with the family of Lucy Lewis (June 2-3); fee: $125, members $95. “Pinching Large Forms” with Elsbeth Woody (June 11-14); fee: $195, members $150. “Kachelofen” with David Lyle and Sigrid Schem-Pratt, lecture and demonstration on the history and building of large masonry and tile stoves (June 23-24); fee: $125, members $95. Slide lecture and demonstration of large-scale coiled and solid sculpture with Bruno La Verdiere (July 7-8); fee: $125, members $95. Slide lecture and demon­ stration of wheel throwing and assembling large sculp­ ture with Paul Soldner (July 21-22); fee: $125, mem­ bers $95. Contact the Clay Art Center, 40 Beech Street, Port Chester 10573; or phone (914) 937-2047. New York, Rochester June 4-July 13 “Wood Kilnbuilding” with Robert Schmitz (June 4-9). Handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing and firing with Robert Schmitz (June 11-26 orjune 27^July 13). Skill requirements vary. Live-in accommodations and camping facilities available. Contact E. Beikirch, Roch­ ester Institute of Technology, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Box 9887, Rochester 14623; or phone (716) 475-2920. New York, Saratoga Springs May 21-August 10 Handbuilding, throwing, decorating, glazing and firing with Regis Brodie and Ted Camp (May 21-June 29 or July 2-Augyst 10). Fee: $150, includes firing and some materials. Beginning through advanced

28 Ceramics Monthly levels of instruction. Live-in accommodations avail­ able. Contact Marianne Needham, Administrative Coordinator, or Regis Brodie, Director, Summer Six Art Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs 12866; or phone (518) 584-5000, extension 2372. New York, Scarsdale June 12-14 “Painting with Clay” with Gloria Sherman, working with various methods of colored clay patterning. Fee: $165, includes materials. Contact Carol Stronghilos, YM and YWHA of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale 10583; or phone (914) 472-3300. New York, Southampton July 9-27 “Raku Firing” with Carolyn Bistrian (July 9-13); fee: $275. “The Potter’s Wheel” with Phyllis Kudder-Sulli- van (July 9-20); fee: $775. “Primitive Firing Tech­ niques—Sawdust and Saggar Firing” with Mark Gor­ don (July 23-27); fee: $275. All fees include materials and firing. Skill requirements vary. Contact the Fine Arts Department, Long Island University-Southamp- ton campus, Southampton 11968; or phone (516) 283-4000, extension 427. New York, Troy May 30-July 11 “Ceramics of the Cave Period” with Jane Shatz, coil building, handbuilding, pit firing. All skill levels. Fee: $125, includes materials and firing. Camping facili­ ties available. Contact Rensselaer County Council for the Arts, 189 Second Street, Troy 12180; or phone (518) 273-0552. New York, Walton July 30-August 12 Designing and building a Japanese-style, wood-burn- Raku firing on Kualoa Beach in Hawaii. ing kiln scaled for the individual potter with Hideo Okino (July 30-August 12). Firing a Japanese-style, wood-fired kiln with Hideo Okino (August 9-12). Rainbow: Color in Clay, Slips and Glazes” with Con­ noted above): $390, includes firing. Live-in accom­ Intermediate through professional levels of instruc­ nie Sherman (June 15); fee: $18.50. All skill levels. modations available. Skill requirements vary. Contact tion. Location: the Craft Farm. Instruction in English Contact Abre Chen, Westchester Art Workshop, the Registrar, Penland School, Penland 28765; or or Japanese. Live-in accommodations available. Con­ Westchester County Center, White Plains 10606; or phone (704) 765-2359. tact Summer Office, Long Island University, phone (914) 684-0094. Southampton campus, Montauk Highway, Southamp­ Ohio, Cleveland June 11-July 20 ton, New York 11968; or phone (516) 283-4000. North Carolina, Asheville May 28-July 27 “Ceramics: Vessels” with Akio Takamori, transform­ New York, West Nyack June 24 “Ceramic Wheel Throwing” with Robert Wager (May ing two-dimensional drawing into three-dimensional 28-June 15). “Mold Making” with Robert Wager (June vessel form, includes work with porcelain, overglazes “Raku” with Rosemary Aiello. Fee: $50. Participants 18-29). “Ceramic Handbuilding” with Virginia and underglazes, and salt glazing (June 11-22). “Ce­ should bring bisqueware. Contact the Rockland Cen­ Scotchie (July 9-27). All skill levels. Fee: $200 per ramics: Tile Making” with Farley Tobin, designing ter for the Arts, 27 South Greenbush Road, West session. Live-in accommodations and camping facili­ and making tiles for architectural use (June 25-July Nyack 10994; or phone (914) 358-0877. ties available. For further information contact Elma 20). Fee: $900. Campus housing available. Contact New York, White Plains June 1-15 Johnson, University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1 William Martin Jean, Director, Continuing Educa­ University Height/Art Department, Asheville 28801; tion, Cleveland Institute of Art, 11141 East Boule­ “2-Day Intensive Handbuilding Workshop” with John or phone (704) 251-6559. vard, Cleveland 44106; or phone (216) 229-0995. Volpacchio (June 1,8); fee: $44.50. “The Ceramic North Carolina, Brasstown May 27-September 9 Ohio, Logan June 3-9 Hands-on workshop on coil construction with Bruno “Pipe Sculpture Workshop East” with Jerry Caplan, Robert Turner demonstrating at Anderson Ranch, La Verdiere (May 27-June 2); fee: $175. Raku involves working with sewer pipe extrusions. Fee: (handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, firing) with $250, includes materials and some firing. Intermedi­ Snowmass Village, Colorado. James Tisdale (June 3-9); fee: $150. Throwing and ate through professional. Location: Logan Clay Prod­ handbuilding funcdonal earthenware (red and white), ucts Company. Send slides and SASE by May 14 to plus decorating with stains and oxides, with Lucy Jerry Caplan, Director, Pipe Sculpture Workshop Se­ Hamilton (June 10-15); fee: $138. Handbuilding lection Committee, 5819 Alder Street, Pittsburgh, techniques to create pottery and jewelry with Marcia Pennsylvania 15232; or phone (412) 661-0179. Bugg (June 16-22); fee: $150. Figurative sculpture with abstract and nonobjective themes, plus sawdust Oregon, Corbett August 5-18 smoking techniques and applied patinas, with Judith Handbuilding earthenware and low-fire underglaz­ Williams (June 24-30); fee: $150. Colored terra sigil- ing with Debbie Norby (August 5-11).Japanese raku lata and smoke-fired effects on handbuilt forms with and American variations with Judy Teufel (August BarbaraJoiner (July 1-7); fee: $150. Improving throw­ 12-18). Fee: $400 per session; includes firing, lodg­ ing techniques with Bonnie Staffel (July 8—14); fee: ing and meals. All skill levels. Contact John Kinyon, $150. Handbuilding/press molding functional ware, Creative Arts Community, Box 4958, Portland, Ore­ plus working with lusters, stains and millefiore in gon 97208; or phone (503) 760-5837. stoneware, with Susie Duncan (July 15-21); fee: $150. Slab and coil construction in stoneware with Barbara Oregon, Portland June 30-August 22 Joiner (July 29-August 4); fee: $150. Colored terra “People and Pots” with Chris Staley, emphasis on sigillata and smoke-fired effects on handbuilt forms wheel throwing innovation, salt and wood firing (June with BarbaraJoiner (August 12-17); fee: $138. Im­ 30-July 1); fee: $100. “Teapots—East Meets West” proving throwing techniques with Bonnie Staffel with Ching-Leon (A-Leon) Chen and Richard Notkin, (September 3-9); fee: $150. Live-in accommodations comparing how Eastern and Western traditions and and camping available. Skill requirements vary. For aesthetics are reflected in the use of the teapot (July 7 further information contact the Registrar, John C. and 9); fee: $49. “Pictorial Vessels” with Akio Taka­ Campbell Folk School, Route 1, Box 14 A, Brasstown mori, experimenting with pictorial images through 28902; or phone (704) 837-2775. multiple firing (August 17-22); fee: $236. Skill re­ quirements vary. Contact Becky Banyas, Oregon North Carolina, Cullowhee June 13-29 School of Arts and Crafts, 8245 Southwest Barnes Handbuilding/modeling with Daniel Jocz. All skill Road, Portland 97225; or phone (503) 297-5544. levels. Live-in accommodations available. Contact James Smith, Western Carolina University, 291 Belk, Pennsylvania, Chester SpringsJune 20-July 25 Cullowhee 28723; or phone (704) 227-7210. Handbuilding and wheel throwing earthenware and raku clay with John Matthews (June 20-July 25, twice North Carolina, Penland May 28-August 24 weekly). “Sculpture—Clay Modeling” with Jim Victor “Throwing and Altering” with Mary Law; “Handbuild­ (June 26-June 30). “Clay Sculpture for Children,” ing” with Charles Malin (May 28-June 8). “Making ages 6-13, with Ruth McGee (July 5-9). Reduced fees Pots” with Kirk Mangus; “Building Forms” with Eva for members. Skill requirements vary. Contact the Kwong (June 11-22). ‘Teapot Form” with Chuck Chester Springs Studio, Art School Road, Box 329, Hindes and Ron Meyers (June 25-July 6). “The Ves­ Chester Springs 19425; or phone (215) 827-7277. sel” with Mary Roehm; “Sculpture/Coil Process” with Bruno La Verdiere (July 23-August 8); fee: $495. Pennsylvania, Elkins Park July 2-August 11 “Stoneware Pottery” with Clary Illian; “Ceramic Sculp­ Handbuilding, throwing, raku and salt glazing with ture” with James Tanner (August 13-24). Fee (unless Jennifer Adams. Contact Pegg Samsak or Jennifer

April 1990 29 sity of Puget Sound, 1500 North Warner, Tacoma 98416; or phone (206) 756-3348. West Virginia, Elkins July 8-20 Wheel-thrown and handbuilt stoneware, glaze mix­ ing, raku and reduction firing with Duke Miecznikow- ski, Christy Sams and Steve Sienkiel. All skill levels. Fee: $440; materials $25-$50. Campus housing and camping facilities available. Contact Doug Hill, Pub­ licity Coordinator, Augusta Heritage Arts Workshops, Augusta Heritage Center, Davis and Elkins College, 100 Sycamore Street, Elkins 26241; or phone (304) 636-1903. West Virginia, Glenville June 11-July 20 “Porcelain and Stoneware Pottery” with Charles C. Scott, 3- or 6-week session on handbuilding, throwing and glazing. Beginning through advanced levels. Fee: $110-$330 out-of-state participants, $36-$ 108 in-state. Live-in accommodations and camping facilities avail­ able. Contact Charles C. Scott, Art Department, Glen­ ville State College, 200 High Street, Glenville 26351; or phone (304) 462-7361 or 462-7186. Wisconsin, Milwaukee June 18-July 14 Throwing workshop with Gary Schlappal. Fee: $42, includes materials and firing. All skill levels. Live-in accommodations available. For further information contact Gary Schlappal, University of Wisconsin, Department of Art, Box 413, Milwaukee 53201; or phone (414) 229-4250. Wisconsin, River Falls June 10-23 Throwing, handbuilding, sawdust firing, pit firing, high-fire-salt kilnbuilding, low-fire-salt kilnbuilding and 55-gallon drum kiln construction and firing; with Michael Padgett and Kurt Wild (June 10-16 or June 17-23). Fee: $170 in-state; includes materials, firing, lodging and meals. Intermediate through profes­ Warren MacKenzie critiquing student work at the Peters Valley sional. Contact Kurt Wild, Art Department, Univer­ Craft Center, Layton, New Jersey. sity of Wisconsin, River Falls 54022; or phone (715) 425-3308 or 425-3266.

Adams, Temple University, Tyler School of Art, Beech out-of-state $205, in-state $135, in-county $41; in­ and Penrose Avenues, Elkins Park 19126; or phone cludes firing. Live-in accommodations available. Con­ International Workshops (814) 667-2291. tact Lisa Ehrich, Brookhaven College, 3939 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244; or phone Austria, Moosburg July 9-August 31 Rhode Island, ProvidenceJune 25-August 3 (214) 620-4733 or 620-4732. “Earth and Fire” with Gerhild Tschachler-Nagy, primi­ Handbuilding, throwing, slip casting and glazing with tive ceramic techniques, plus building kilns and firing, Linda Arbuckle and Gregory Zeorlin. Beginning Texas, Ingram June 11 -August 3 includes open-air, sawdust and raku firing (July 9-20 through advanced levels. Fee: $730. Live-in accom­ “Slip Techniques on Large and Double-Walled Forms” or August 20-31). For further information contact modations available. Contact Laura Hart, Rhode Is­ with Don Herron (June 11-15); fee: $140; includes Gemeindeamt Moosburg, Kirchplatz 1 (Herr Peball) land School of Design, 2 College Street, Providence some materials and all firing. Handbuilding, wheel A-9062 Moosburg. 02903; or phone (401) 331-3511, extension 415. throwing, decorating and glazing techniques, load­ ing and firing kilns, plus aesthetics of form and func­ Barbados July 9-27 South Dakota, Aberdeen June 4-29 tion, with Gary Huntoon (July 30-August 3); fee: Raku workshop with R. L. Studham, using local mate­ “Ceramics” with Mark Shekore, handbuilding, throw­ $125; includes some materials and all firing. For rials. All skill levels. Live-in accommodations avail­ ing, raku and low firing. Beginning through advanced. further information contact Betty Vernon, Hill Coun­ able. Contact R. L. Studham, McGill University, 3700 Fee: $150; includes materials and firing. Live-in ac­ try Arts Foundation, Box 176, Ingram 78025; or phone McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2, Can­ commodations available. Contact Mark Shekore, Art (512) 367-5121. ada; or phone (514) 398-6946. Department Chair, Northern State University, Aber­ deen 57401; or phone (605) 622-7765. Utah, Logan July 16-August7 1 Belgium, Rochehaut August 20-25 Thrown and altered forms in porcelain, raku and “Gas Firing—Glazes” with Denise Frankinet, includes Tennessee, GatlinburgJune 4-August 10 residual salt with Paul Dresang (July 16-20). ‘The handbuilding and throwing. Advanced. Instruction “Clay Tiles” with Roger Bauman Qune 4-8). “Salt- Twain Meets in Logan” with Yukio Yamamoto, cross- in Dutch, English and French. Fee: BF10,000 (ap­ Glaze Kiln Construction” with Tom Malone (June cultural approaches to pottery and ceramic sculpture proximately $280); includes materials, firing, lodging 4-8). “Salt-Glaze Firing—Stoneware/Porcelain’’with (August 13-17). Intermediate through professional. and meals. Contact Denise Frankinet, Route de Poupe- Tom Malone (June 11-15). “Tight or Loose Pots” Instruction in English and Japanese. Live-in accom­ han 62, Rochehaut 6839; or phone 0614 66480. with Chris Staley, salt and reduction firing (June modations and camping facilities available. Contact 18-22). “Clay—Pots or Not” with Paul Dresang, throw­ John Neely, Utah State University, Logan 84322; or Canada, Alberta, Red DeerJuly 2-August 3 ing and handbuilding porcelain (June 25-July 6). phone (801) 750-3340 or 750-3566. Weekly sessions on throwing, casting, sculpture, low- “Wood Firing” (anagama) with Paul Chaleff (June fire techniques, glaze decorating and raku. All skill 25-July 6). “Raku” with Karl Borgeson (July 9-13). Utah, Park City August 7-31 levels. Instructors include:Judi Dyelle, Gordon Hutch­ “Functional Stoneware” with Jeff Oestreich (July “Ceramic Tile Painting” with Lark Lucas (August ens, Greg Payee, Ron Roy and Anne Marie Schmidt- 16-27). “Altering Wheel-Thrown Forms” with Bill 7-11); fee: $195, university credit $220. Instruction in Esler. Live-in accommodations and camping facilities Boulware (July 30-August 3). “Color and Clay” with English and some Spanish. “Porcelain: A Traditional Workshops continue on page 70 Steve Howell, applying colored slips, underglazes and Japanese Method” with James Srubek (August 7-11 stains (August 6-iO). Skill requirements vary. Fee: and 13-17); fee: $295, university credit $320. “Useful $150 per week. Live-in accommodations available. Pots: The Personal Approach” with Joseph Bennion Contact Jodie Champoux, Arrowmont School of Arts (August 20-24 and 27-31); fee: $295, university credit and Crafts, Box 567, Gatlinburg 37738; or phone $320. Skill requirements vary. Camping facilities avail­ (615) 436-5860. able. For further information contact Kimball Art Center, Box 1478, Park City 84060; or phone (801) Tennessee, Oak Ridge June 2-August 1 649-8882. “New Forms: Sculptural and Functional” with Helene Ricker (June 2-3); fee: $35, members $25. “Tile De­ Washington, Bellingham July 9-27 sign and Techniques” with Fred Gerber (June Handbuilding, throwing, slip casting, glazing and 6-August 1); fee: $50, members $40. “Raku—A Per­ kiln loading and firing with Patrick McCormick. Be­ sonal Viewpoint” with Richard Thor Taylor (June ginning through advanced. Fee: $330. Contact Pat­ 16-17); fee: $35, members $25. “New Dimensions in rick McCormick, Art Department, Western Washing­ Handbuilding” with O. J. Bergeron (July 28-29); fee: ton University, Bellingham 98225; or phone (206) $35, members $25. All skill levels. Instruction in Eng­ 676-3660. lish and French. Live-in accommodations available. Contact Oak Ridge Community Art Center, Box 105, Washington, Tacoma June 11-August 10 Oak Ridge 37831; or phone (615) 482-1441. Open-studio sessions with John McCuistion and Ken Stevens (June 11-July 11 or July 12-August 10). Be­ Texas, Dallas July 12-26 ginning and intermediate. Fee: $930. Live-in accom­ “The Figure in Clay—An Expressive Vehicle” with modations available. For further information contact Carved decoration demonstration at the Rochester Lisa Ehrich and Claudia Reese. All skill levels. Fee: Kenneth Stevens, Art Department Chairman, Univer­ Folk Art Guild, Middlesex, New York.

30 Ceramics Monthly The Old Pecos Museum

WITH THE INSTALLATION of his clay been well-known for a long time, but and mixed-media sculpture at Inkfish only to a few individuals. Whatever Gallery in Denver, artist Rodger Lang may later be said for, or about, the (Lakewood, Colorado) intended to Old Pecos Museum collection, it must “foster the illusion of a small, road­ be said once and for all that it con­ side, tourist museum.” Available at the tains many objects which clearly defy door were the usual postcards, wood- significance. (At this point the origi­ en-nickel-like souvenirs and folded nal text [this is the original text] is brochures on the history of the re­ unclear, perhaps it reads ‘deify’ gion and of the museum: significance.) “The Old Pecos Museum alleges ‘Juan de Dios appears to have ar­ to have been begun soon after the rived at Pecos in 1598 with Fray Fran­ first permanent Spanish Missionary cisco de San Miguel. The Museum was sent to Pecos (Cicuye). proposes to have been begun during “Many of the early displays pur­ the period from 1598-1619, perhaps port to contain items located and as an outgrowth of an attempt to take collected by a Donado named Juan ‘ritual objects’ out of local circula­ de Dios. These obscure ‘relics’ have tion. Perhaps not.” ▲

“Surprising Objects26 inches in height, and (right) “Toolmaking Site” 32 inches in height, slip-cast, altered and saggar-fired clay “artifacts” inside wood, glass, plaster and clay cases, by Rodger Lang, Lakewood, Colorado.

April 1990 31 Form and Function

Set of stoneware dinner plates,8 V2 inches in diameter, with layered glazes, reduction fired, by John Glick, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

“FORM AND FUNCTION in Clay,” a re­ ments. The works in this exhibition “For better or worse, paintings are cent invitational at the Evansville are primarily visual statements about still bought most often because of the (Indiana) Museum of Arts and Sci­ the form and function of clay vessels. function of matching the decor, per­ ences, featured works derived from Perhaps this is fitting as questions have haps the color of the couch. They’re traditional pottery forms by artists/ pervaded the field of ceramics dur­ acquired by museums for the func­ potters from Indiana and its border­ ing this century. What is art? What is tion of rounding out a particular col­ ing states—Dan Anderson, Edwards- craft? What is function?” lection, or goosing another impor­ ville, Illinois; Wayne Bates, Murray, In response to that last question, tant donor with the recognized phi­ Kentucky; Harris Deller, Carbondale, Ceramics Monthly editor William Hunt lanthropy of a competitor. Now that’s Illinois;John Glick, Farmington Hills, provided the following commentary form and function. Michigan; Dennis Kirchman, Mar­ for the exhibition catalog: “Art or craft that functions poorly tinsville, Indiana; Tom and Ginny “Form and function...is the con­ is neither bought nor acquired, re­ Marsh, Borden, Indiana; Tim Mather, cept alive, kicking? Why should any­ gardless of looks. Inside the artist’s Lucas, Ohio; Richard and Marj Peeler, one care about this as a problem, a studio, a work of either might exist in Reelsville, Indiana; Brad Schwieger, unique way of looking at things? Has some rarified philosophical air, but Vincennes, Indiana; and Gail Russell everything been said about this issue? the art/craft our civilization knows is and Tom Turner, Delaware, Ohio. (Answer: almost.) that which has escaped the studio by “The definition of function is as “Serve beans on a Cezanne oil and being good enough to acquire, cu­ varied as the individuals whose works it’s bound to lose something aesthetic rate, preserve for the function of comprise this exhibition,” noted cu­ in the state of being beaned. Yet func­ (forgive me) decorating homes, of­ rator Les Miley, University of Evans­ tional pots are designed for just that fices and museums. (‘Do you have a ville art professor. “Perhaps the dif­ purpose and the good ones survive Renoir with a little more forest green?’ ferences in approach each person dis­ well aesthetically in that state. Func­ asked the sheik.) plays in his/her work reflect the age tion, by the way, is not the exclusive “Art functions to advance careers, in which we are living—an age where province of craft. The Sistine chapel to fill unsightly blank space; often its freedom and individual rights are of ceiling is clearly a functional object— strongest function is to state that its utmost importance. teaching its wordless text about the owner has a certain amount of dis­ “My conviction is that art should unseen to the illiterate of yesteryear posable income, if not taste. Put Mi­ either ask questions or make state­ and the ‘aestheterate’ of today. chelangelo’s ‘David’ in a bathroom,

32 CERAMICS MONTHLY “Stack Vase,” 22V2 inches in height, slab-built porcelain, with inlaid glaze patterning, by Harris Deller, Carbondale, Illinois.

April 1990 33 '

no matter how high the ceiling, and the result is very bad taste. ‘You see, function is really an issue of context. Art doesn’t exist in a vac­ uum, no matter what some sculptors, painters and critics say. The decora­ tive arts of painting and sculpture are very dependent on the decor. We’ve just seen them in snazzy neutral con­ texts so often we’ve started to believe

these media really are so good that PHOTOS: DIRK BAKKER, DONAHUE STUDIOS, KEN VANDYNE they live independent of the outside world. Function is not just pouring spouts, not just the seen. Like art, it too involves the unseen in important ways. In this broader but more truth­ ful context, function loses its pejora­ tive meaning and cannot be seen as a shotgun loaded with anti-aesthetic buckshot. “The works in this show are abso­ lutely, positively fine art, and some may be fine craft as well. And as with all art, form counts more, but func­ tion is inescapable.” ▲

34 CERAMICS MONTHLY left Thrown bottle, 16 inches in height, protoporcelain, with native ash glaze, by Ginny and Tom Marsh, Borden, Indiana. below Incised and ash-glazed porcelain jar,22 inches in height, by Tom Turner, Delaware, Ohio.

OPPOSITE page: TOP “Wabash ContoursXXV” lidded jar, 11 inches in height, wheel-thrown stoneware, salt glazed, by Les Miley, Evansville, Indiana. bottom “Jar with Lid and Base,” 16 inches in height, wheel-thrown stoneware with handbuilt additions, glazed, reduction Jired and sandblasted, by Tim Mather, Lucas, Ohio.

April 1990 35 Matthew Patton: Interrupted Gesture by Matthew Kangas

Matthew Patton, Bothell, Washington.

MATTHEW PATTON is part of the cur­ tions, it suggests interrupted gesture. 4%) to each batch. The results are rent Pacific Northwest renaissance in Tape-resisted patterns create geo­ different intensities of the same blue. strong functional pottery. But instead metric sections that complement the After applying the glaze, the tape re­ of limiting his throwing and glazing central calligraphic brushstrokes. sist is removed and Patton painstak­ skills exclusively to everyday ware, he Some circular platters use double ingly repaints each glazed passage has combined this ability with a flair glaze coverage; others combine con­ with latex resist. The intersecting lines for more elaborately decorated pots. trasts of rich temmoku with matt slip- are then sprayed with iron oxide and His earliest studies were with pot­ decorated areas. after the latex is removed, the plate is ters Robert Iverson andjim Romberg, By having some parts of the stone­ fired at Cone 10. and sculptor Clair Colquitt, at the ware showing through and other parts Thus, the two predominant strains magnet arts program in Seattle’s drenched in glaze, Patton suggests of Patton’s imagery, interrupted ges­ Garfield High School (1967-69). Tal­ the plate form is a collision point for ture and the geometric grid, offer ented arts and crafts students were decorative fragments. Indeed, stress­ great potential for variety within attracted from all across the city dur­ ing the fragmentary or imaginary specific limits. Call them sensual and ing the 1960s to this program, which artifact character even further, some intellectual poles, or intuitive and provided top-notch instruction and a pieces have deliberate cracks, which deductive, they co-exist within the well-equipped ceramics facility. Fol­ contribute greatly to the plate’s unex­ potter’s realm as more than material lowing that, Patton studied briefly at pected character. This can lead to solutions to a common problem: how the University of Washington with material overload at times, but usu­ to cover a pot. Fred Bauer (1969) and Howard Kot- ally he knows when to stop. With surface decisions wed to tler (1975), before branching out on The distance Patton has covered forms, Patton’s pots and plates are his own by first renting firing and since the early 1980s has been consid­ buoyantly optimistic and enthusiastic throwing facilities at Pottery North­ erable. Deep reds and cobalt blues without being tediously cheerful. The west, and eventually settling in his are hallmarks; and the squirted-on, endless variety of color, glaze combi­ own home/studio a few miles north slashing strokes have always spread nations and liquid-versus-dry areas of Seattle in Bothell, Washington. over the entire diameter of the plate, accumulates into a rich and deepen­ A recent exhibition at the Puget reaching from edge to edge. ing body of work that alludes to a re­ Sound area’s oldest continuous pot­ A few circular wall platters from gional heritage and offers its own tery showplace, Northwest Craft Cen­ 1985 evoke sunsets over desert hori­ contemporary statement to the na­ ter 8c Gallery, spotlighted Matthew zons. In stark contrast, a few others tional trend toward high-quality func­ Patton’s extraordinary progress over use strict geometric grids set at diago­ tional ware. the past several years. Working with nal angles to one another with close both porcelain and stoneware, he has values of blue and lavender. The author Seattle critic Matthew Kan­ extended calligraphic decoration into Often, Patton begins with clear and gas is currently a RenwickFellow in Ameri­ a freer, polychromatic style that is all white base glazes, to which he then can Crafts at the National Museum of his own. With its abrupt demarca­ adds cobalt in 1% increments (up to American Art, Washington, D. C.

CERAMICS MONTHLY PHOTOS: SARA PATTON, ROGER SCHREIBER

Thrown porcelain platter, 19 inches in diameter, with splashed and trailed copper- red glaze and airbrushed iron highlights, fired to Cone 10 in reduction, 1989, $200.

Stoneware platter, 20 inches in Wheel-thrown, 15-inch, porcelain Pair of decorative wall plates, each 17 inches in diameter, with poured, trailed platter, with double-dipped glaze diameter, stoneware, thrown and rim-cut, 1989, and sprayed glazes, 1985, $250. to encourage drip, 1984, $ 75. $275for the pair, by Matthew Patton.

April 1990 37 Anything Goes byjacquelyn Rice

An ENDURING FASCINATION for the this part of the state is desertlike and bribed to practice—the mood alter­ ornamental, that urge to embellish has been made to bloom with water ing effects of music were to permeate and enhance—from food, fashion from the Columbia River dam proj­ much that would come later. For me, and flowers—is the key to my work. ect. My grandfather irrigated with this music is a visionary form of expres­ Functional work needs to be tactile in water, which moved across the land sion that helps in understanding how a delicious sense, the way the petal of via small hand-hoed channels in the to take an abstraction such as a lump a flower is slightly bumpy or wrinkled soil. These tiny rivers were where I of clay and transform it into an object to the eye, but velvetlike to the touch; first started making things: mud vil­ with resonance. it needs to look unpremeditated in lages, docks, dams, boats of leaves In 1959 I found myself at the Uni­ form, selfless, but showing the hand, and twigs. Of course, I was supposed versity of Washington in Seattle, ma­ and in color, rich, like a lemon sa- to be helping with the harvest. joring in interior design—I thought. bayon, piquant. Luckily, my parents recognized this It was a good idea, practical too. The It’s such a strange thing to write desire to always build, draw and best part of this program was my year about oneself. It’s like trying to find dream—they enrolled me in art in the School of Architecture. It last summer’s flowers in a compost classes. At the University of Washing­ opened up the whole subject of struc­ pile. Perhaps if I tell about the past, ton, I got to create a papier-mache tural form that ultimately served as a you’ll get a glimpse at what my ideas alligator; it was purple with orange major tool of my expression. are about. dots. Other extracurricular activities To earn money, I worked for Norm My grandparents had a cherry included lessons in figure skating, and Helen Hillis at their Bridal Gown farm in eastern Washington. We swimming and, more germane to the and Formal Shop near the university. would go there each summer from topic of what influenced my creativ­ I had started working there when I Seattle to help harvest their cash ity, piano. Even though I was a very was 15 and continued for 5 years. crops. Unlike western Washington, reluctant piano student—I had to be This provided an experience that

Vase, 29 inches in height, handbuilt red earthenware, Platters, to 20 inches in length; fascination for the ornamental, an with brushed glaze “crackle ” urge to embellish or enhance, is the key to Jacquelyn Rice’s work.

38 CERAMICS MONTHLY Plates and tumblers: “Functional work needs to be tactile in a delicious sense; it needs to look unpremeditated in form, selfless, but showing the hand ” helped connect me to the world of vised. I was enamored with pottery self-indulgent response under wraps fashion. They encouraged me to do making and tried very hard to learn by using structural systems. everything related to running their how to throw; but being foiled by the Over the years there have been business, from commercial art, to kick wheels and a lack of instruction, bouts with making functional ware. modeling, selling, buying and win­ I began handbuilding. During my first teachingjob with Ken dow display. Eventually, I went back to the Uni­ Ferguson and Victor Babu at the Much of this training facilitated versity of Washington where Fred Kansas City Art Institute, I learned my getting a job in San Francisco as a Bauer, Robert Sperry and Howard something about the language of fashion coordinator, with a staff of Kottler were teaching. Kottler, my pottery, and observed their fascina­ seven window decorators, for a primary mentor, was incredibly sup­ tion for it. This teaching experience women’s specialty shop. We had balanced my graduate studies at 14 windows to change each week, the U. of W., and filled in the plus six floors of displays to con­ blanks. During that period (the ceive and arrange. My job was to early ’70s), I started thinking seri­ select and coordinate the display ously about designing tableware, of all the merchandise, which and why that was important to me. meant I had to be tuned into the So much at this time was depen­ latest in the ever-changing fashion dent on Oriental and English ideas, world. I managed to do the selec­ and I was convinced a personal tions quickly enough so that I could vision could be expressed through also help make display props. pottery. Although I didn’t actually accomplish making tableware Meanwhile I started taking ce­ “Lunch Box ” 15 inches in length, glazed ramics classes at night, as it was a earthenware plates in a painted wood box. then, I did learn the process of ceramic elective in my undergradu­ decal making, and applied such ate days that turned out to be one of portive. My work during graduate custom-made images to semifunc- my favorite experiences, and I wanted school was handbuilt, sculptural—an tional porcelains. more. During these classes at a high orchestration of clay parts as sensu­ Real tableware didn’t come about school in San Francisco, my teacher ally touched and colored as possible. until just over four years ago, when I simply sat behind a desk and super­ Gradually, I learned how to keep this received a Mellon Grant to study in­

April 1990 39 left Bowls, 8 inches high, handbuilt earthenware, with low-fire glazes.

by this time, I was reintroduced to the world of fashion—Barney’s of New York was buying my Grazia ware and I met with them to discuss designs. Eventually, I decided that, yes, I might be able to make my own dishes, and started with an oval box covered by a painted wood lid and a collection of oval dinner plates stacked inside. These pieces were a revelation—a gathering of all thoughts about what magic an object should have, an ele­ ment of surprise, useful in the utili­ tarian sense and demanding to be taken home. For me, purpose comes through the act of making, looking at the work and then making more. What I love digenous Italian ceramics. While in United States. Finally, I had some real most about being an artist is the feel­ Umbria, I came upon a factory in dishes of my own out in the world. So, ing that anything goes, that there are Deruta, run for the past 450 years by I asked the directors of what was then no answers, just a search. the Grazia family. I loved their work: my gallery (Hadler/Rodriguez) if majolica pottery beautifully crafted they would like to carry these manu­ The author Jacquelyn Rice is dean of in an old world setting. I became in­ factured wares. They said the work fine arts at Rhode Island School of Design volved with them and they began to didn’t really relate to their goals; but in Providence. A solo exhibition of her produce my designs, which the owner, then asked why didn’t I actually make functional ware was featured recently at Ubaldo Grazia, marketed here in the some dishes, you know, with clay. Well, the Works Gallery in Philadelphia.

Glazed earthenware wall vases, 9 inches in length, by Jacquelyn Rice, Barrington, Rhode Island.

40 CERAMICS MONTHLY Living for Pottery

David Shaner, An Autobiography

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series our thinking while each was pur­ of autobiographies by well-known potters suing his own artistic endeavors. and ceramic artists, selected and com­ piled for CM by Carl Paak of Albuquer­ After a brief four years of que, New Mexico. teaching at the University of Illi­ nois (1959-1963), the time Like MOST POTTERS of my gen­ seemed ripe to strike out on my eration, I did not begin as a pot­ own. It appeared the universities ter. Thirty years ago I was a were all educating potters to be teacher. Not even in a vague sense David Shaner, studio potter, Bigfork, Montana. teachers, who in turn were pre­ did I dream that someday I would paring more teachers. Few were support myself as a potter and follow a path that would testing the waters and dedicating themselves to the mak­ lead to a life’s commitment to clay. Somewhere, some­ ing of pottery as a life’s work. how, the affinity to work with such a responsive, plastic In 1962, I spent the summer working at the Archie medium seduced me to become a potter. Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana. The vastness of My formal studies were at the College of Ceramics at the landscape, the feeling of space, light and color, but Alfred University. I studied with Charles Harder, Theo­ most of all the people attracted us to the West. Ken dore Randall, Daniel Rhodes, Robert Turner, Val Cush­ Ferguson was the director and resident potter at the ing and John Wood. It was an exciting time. Daniel Bray. I was in awe of Ken’s production, enthusiasm and Rhodes had just published his book on clay and glazes, ambition. I wondered why any person would choose to and the graduate students were eager to put it to the test. labor so strenuously with so much dedication for so little In 1958, Ken Price also pursued a degree at Alfred. monetary reward. Little did I realize that one year later I Observing his work was my first direct exposure to the would resign my university teaching position, and move West Coast approach to clay. Previously, I had seen an ex­ my family to Montana in order to pursue the same goals. hibition of Peter Voulkos’s work at Bonniers in New York To me, this was an opportunity for creative growth. City. Those unglazed, stacked forms dazzled the imagi­ The Bray is a unique institution [see “The Archie Bray nation and strained comprehension. Foundation,” page 18, May 1972, and “Evolution at the Alfred is noted (and many times has been criticized) Bray,” page 87, June/July/August 1985 Ceramics Monthly]. for its strong commitment to the study of form, tech­ There is no other place quite like it. The challenge seems nique and technical information. It seems paramount to breed good potters. While working in relative isola­ for a potter to know materials and understand processes. tion, you learn to become your own teacher. There is greater freedom if you are on top of your craft. It was my good fortune to have had the opportunity to Not that you become a slave to technique, but a solid guide the Bray during seven critical years. In retrospect, foundation of technical knowledge opens up opportuni­ few potters would accept the risk, responsibility and hard ties and fosters self-confidence. I am constantly grateful work necessary to keep it alive. But our family of potters for the two and a half years spent at Alfred. I have the pulled together to meet the challenge. highest respect for the teachers there. They challenged To leave academia and strike out on my own was a

April 1990 41 difficult decision—equally as tough was leaving the Bray By this time, my family and I had established ourselves and choosing a place to live. I began to look around for as Montanans. The mountains, lakes, streams and wild- other potters making pots for a living, and realized there flowers seemed to be a part of us. We wanted to establish were few old potters. This disturbed me until I went to roots. Teaching positions within Montana have always New York to build a kiln for my good friends, Sue and been limited; therefore, at that time, teaching was not Alfred Rossin. Down the road from their residence in considered an option. We chose to build our home and New City, New York, lived Henry Varnum Poor. He was studio in the vicinity of Bigfork, and pursue pottery then in his eighties and still making beautiful pots; not as making for a livelihood. if the world had passed him by, but as a mighty bulwark Bigfork is a village of 500 people located in northwest who believed in his art. He spent a lifetime producing a Montana on the north shore of Flathead Lake, the larg­ strong body of work, which reflected a slow evolution of est natural fresh water lake west of the Mississippi River. expression. He had integrated his work with his life. Our property is 3 miles north of town and overlooks the After meeting him, I was assured that a lifetime might be Swan Mountains and the Jewel Basin Wilderness Area. too short to do all that needs to be done. I needed the Glacier National Park is in close proximity. time to be what I am. Our land was undeveloped with about two-thirds of it Thoreau once said: “I went to the woods because I forested. In order to preserve the natural setting, we wanted to see if I could learn what life had to teach and chose to build on the edge of the pine forest. The three not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” months necessary for the construction of the house and

“Pod Form,” 9 inches in height, porcelaneous stoneware, each lobe formed in a bisque mold, then assembled, Cone 13 wood fired, 1989, by David Shaner.

42 CERAMICS MONTHLY “Gourd Jar with Lid, ”12 inches in height, wheel thrown and altered, heavily grogged porcelaneous stoneware, wood fired “ash-wind” glaze, 1982. shop were all-consuming and frustrating, but by autumn exactly alike, no two people see in the same way. The my family was reasonably settled and the kiln was finished. artist’s gift is seeing keenly and communicating that reve­ Those months marked my longest period of not being in­ lation to others. volved in clay. Then you must learn to perceive—be aware of all that A reality about my work was emerging. Although I is around you. In this awareness you gain a broader spec­ would be potting for a living, I also realized that there was trum of life. A synthesis of ideas and processes evolves; more to life than glazing pots with Shaner’s Red and you get involved and develop as a human being. Passion selling them in mountain gift shops. I then became overtakes knowledge. A sense of being and place emerges. aware of the contrast between simply the production of Emerson once wrote: “It is not what is past you, not what more wares and the organic growth of self. is ahead of you, but what is within you.” To go into your studio alone requires a discipline that Besides having a beautiful place to live, you should must be reconciled almost daily. It takes a long time to have a place to dream about. A contrast to the long Mon­ feel comfortable with who you are and the way you work. tana winters, the Southwest and the American desert is If your art is real, it will come about naturally. It might be that place for us. I have long admired the culture of the natural to think of other artists’ work as greater or more Pueblo Indians. Their pots are a reflection of their envi­ creative than your own, but you can’t pretend. You come ronment, landscape and the people themselves. The to terms with yourself. To be truly yourself, you must al­ strength and integrity of their work dissipated only when low originality and creativity to prevail. they stopped making pots for their own use and became To make fine pots, you must first learn to see. Seeing is pottery merchants. an art, just as listening is an art. Just as no two people hear A recent trip to Cuzco, Peru, extended my admiration

April 1990 43 to the culture of the high mountain Andes. Like bread Beauty is not on the surface, but rather comes from and water, their art, too, is an integral part of their within the form. The pots carry with them their own everyday lives. history of the open, intense fire. These are not like In 1978,1 received a grant from the National Endow­ anagama-fired pots. In fact, many of our favorites are ment for the Arts. That made it possible for me to those that do not reflect a scorching effect but have research wood-fired ceramics and to construct a wood- subtle, softer tones. Many appear as ripening fruit. burning kiln. It seemed a natural step, considering the Wood-firing has allowed me to work with clay in a abundance of wood scrap from small lumber mills in the more plastic, fluid way. The pots don’t just happen, I try area. I also welcomed the aesthetic quality of the ash and to happen with the pots. I trust they reflect a gesture, flashing on my work. rhythm and movement of both clay and potter. In retro­ With the aid of Whitefish, Montana, potter Mike Jen­ spect, I realize that I was destined to explore wood firing, son, I began to sift out all available information about because for years I was trying to achieve wood-fired ef­ wood kiln construction, which turned out to be quite fects with synthetic ash glazes. little. The kiln we built is a 200-cubic-foot, double-cham- Somehow, my best pots reflect form reduced to the bered, sprung arch design with a Bourry box (self-stok- bare essentials, a wholeness of form. A simple statement ing firebox). After 25 firings, we are able to control the seems paramount. I feel art should also involve an act of kiln as much as we desire. play. Certainly every production potter needs a creative Probably the best pots I’ve ever made are coming energy apart from production. A salt kiln, raku kiln or from this wood-burning kiln. They have a quiet strength wood kiln can provide a stimulus to sustain and broaden and a gentle authority about them. I enjoy the spontane­ your interest in ceramic process. ity of meeting the pot only halfway and allowing process For me, slowing the pace—getting off the wheel and to determine the end result. handbuilding—was a welcome flowering. Presently, my

“Pillow Form with Celtic Cross Opening,99 12 inches in diameter, porcelaneous stoneware, wood fired, 1986.

44 CERAMICS MONTHLY “It is no use becoming involved in pottery if you have not decided to live for pottery.”

Shino-glazed teapot, 12 inches in height, porcelaneous stoneware, wheel thrown, wood fired, 1982.

April 1990 45 “Chimney Form,” 16 inches in height, glazed stoneware, Teahowl, 5 inches in height, porcelaneous stoneware with fired to Cone 9 in reduction, 1989. stones and coarse feldspar wedged in, wood fired, 1988.

“Pillow Form with Mirror Opening,” 12 inches square, slab-built/drape-molded and assembled stoneware, Cone 9 reduction fired, 1989.

46 CERAMICS MONTHLY PHOTOS: MARSHALL NOICE

“Arch Form with Birds ,” 16 inches in height, slab -built porcelaneous stoneware, wood fired, 1986.

April 1990 47 “Chasm Form ,” 12 inches high, porcelaneous stoneware, fired“Square on Square” 15 inches square, stoneware, double­ to Cone 13 in a wood-burning kiln, 1986, by David Shaner. wall construction, Cone 9 reduction fired, 1989.

production is about half handbuilding. Wheel work seems standing of its potential—the wholeness of form. It takes to be so much tied to the Oriental aesthetic. Not having a long time to fully comprehend some forms. Going back to concern myself with the neck, the shoulder and foot of to them over a period of time is like meeting old friends. the pots seems to lessen my affinity to Oriental tech­ You discover strengths unnoticed before. When you tire niques. Handbuilding has made me more aware of the of a particular form, it will diminish in spirit. You lack the negative space surrounding the pot. These forms are joy in making it, and therefore you stop producing it. To soft, yet a hint of the geometric gives strength. As in all avoid stagnation while potting for a living over an ex­ my work, the vessel form is dominant—whether made by tended period of time, you must constantly reexamine slab, coil or a combination of forming techniques. The the reality and the relevance of your work. best ones seem to reflect an abstract communication The nature of the process is always beckoning you. beyond themselves. Hopefully, they also reflect the love Each kiln should have the potential of some new excite­ and joy I find in making them. ment—pulling you back with renewing riches. If you will One should always strive for excellence...whatever only look and learn to see, your craft will gain new dignity that is perceived to be. I am willing to accept less than the and you will become more involved in the process. best, but never to strive for less than the best. To do Gardening and music have had definite impact on my otherwise is like taking aim without setting your sights work. I have been an avid gardener since age five. It’s a on the bull’s eye. We must pursue our work with outright joy to observe the growth of plant forms and to watch the enthusiasm—live and love our work so that it becomes a renewal of life. Every garden is an act of faith. self-portrait. When it comes to music, I am a zealous listener. Al­ I am interested in history and enjoy museum collec­ though I do not read music, I do have a fine musical tions. Our historical roots give us an abundance of knowl­ memory. Music is so pure, direct and spiritual. It is a edge. We have inherited the rich traditions of the past, catalyst for creativity. It can be an infinite storehouse for but the spirit of those ages is gone. There is a difference creative, power-releasing energies and a hope for a new between imitations and echoes. No matter how hard we presence. This directness of energy captures all our might try to revive the objects of the past, it is unnatural. creative powers and recycles them back through our Imitation never succeeds in any art field. We can accept bodies into our work. guidance from the Japanese potter, Shoji Hamada: “Don’t Pottery making requires commitment, discipline and learn what I learned; learn from where I learned it.” dedication, and sometimes results in obsession. It is no At times I feel we change form too rapidly, as if chang­ use becoming involved in pottery if you have not decided ing a shirt. In so doing, we fail to gain the full under­ to live for pottery. ▲

“I am willing to accept less than the best, but never to strive for less than the best. To do otherwise is like taking aim without setting your sights on the bull’s eye”

48 Ceramics Monthly Fitzwilliam Museum Treasures

BRITAIN’S Fitzwilliam Museum was centuries, “the Fitzwilliam Museum is founded in 1816 by Richard, Viscount perhaps Britain’s pre-eminent small Fitzwilliam of Merrion, with a bequest museum,” noted J. Carter Brown, di­ to the University of Cambridge that rector of the National Gallery of Art included £90,000 “for the purpose of in Washington, D.C. “Like the British promoting the Increase of Learning Museum, the Fitzwilliam addresses the and other great Objects of that Noble history of culture in terms of the vi­ Foundation.” But early administrators sual forms it has assumed, but it does took a rather cavalier view of these so from the highly selective point of ideals, and the museum was known view of the collector-connoisseur. (as recorded in Victorian guidebooks) Works have been added to the collec­ for its disordered collection in which tion not only for the art historical masterpieces were hung next to curi­ information they reveal, but for their osities such as boxes of Indian crabs beauty, excellent quality and rarity.” and scale models of the Taj Mahal. Included in a touring exhibition Systematic development of the col­ featuring some 160 “treasures” from lections began in 1876 with the ap­ the Fitzwilliam Museum (which pointment of the museum’s first di­ opened at the National Gallery of Art rector; holdings were significantly en­ and is now on view at the High Mu­ “Head of Jupiter ” 6 inches in height, hanced by timely purchases and gifts seum in Atlanta through May 6) are terra cotta, lst-2nd century A.D. from a variety of collectors. significant works of early terra-cotta Now a reflection of some of the sculpture, tin-glazed earthenware and above Tin-glazed earthenware dish, best in English taste of the past two soft-paste porcelain. A 16 inches in diameter, circa 1500-1530.

April 1990 49 Gary DiPasquale’s Geometric Forms

SlAB-BUILT “silhouettes” by Gary DiPasquale were pre­ With this latest series of slab-built vessels, DiPasquale sented recently in a solo exhibition at Wallengren USA in focused on geometric form and pattern, first sketching New York City. Derived from classical shapes, these vases, designs to transfer to clay slabs. “Drawing plays an impor­ cups and amphoras are essentially dimensional concepts— tant role in helping me explore shapes and clarify them,” flattened representations of functional form. he noted. “Once I have selected a shape, I make a cutout DiPasquale’s initial involvement with clay was hand­ pattern to the size of the intended vase. By flattening the building nonfunctional sculpture. Then “a commission vessel to a silhouette, I create a canvaslike surface for for goblets prompted me to study traditional vessel forms incised geometric pattern.” and to learn to throw,” he recalled. “Frequent trips to New Design elements were further accented by limiting the York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, with its fine collec­ glaze palette to black and buff matts, “using black incised tion of Chinese, Greek and Egyptian pottery, increased lines against a buff background, or juxtaposing black geo­ my interest in making vessels.” metric patterns with buff.” A

Slab-built stoneware vases, 12 and 9V2 inches in height, $350 and $250, with brushed glaze and incised lines, fired to Cone 4 in oxidation, 1989.

50 CERAMICS MONTHLY PHOTOS: JOHN WHITE

Gary DiPasquale with works in progress in his New York City studio.

Vase, 17 inches high, stoneware, assembled from template- “Silhouette” vases, 16 and7 inches in height, $400 and $250, cut slabs, with incising and Cone 4 glazes, 1989, $450. matt-glazed stoneware, 1989, by Gary DiPasquale.

April 1990 51 52 C eramics Monthly Itinerary Contact Bryan Vansell, Box 2062, Fremont 94536; or phone (415) 797-3239. Continued from page 14 California, Los Altos May 20 A session with Frank Boyden. Fee: $20. Location: Foothill College, sculpture by Joan Rosenberg-Dent; at AartVark 12345 El Monte Road. Contact Barbara Brown, Gallery, 17 at Locust. Association of California Ceramic Artists, 1225 April 22-July 8 “Contemporary Philadelphia Art­ Manzano Way, Sunnyvale, California 94089; or ists: A Juried Exhibition”; at the Philadelphia phone (408) 736-3889. Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway. California, San FranciscoMay 5 “Health Haz­ Tennessee, Gatlinburgthrough May 19 “From ards in the Arts and Crafts” with Monona Rossol, Here to There: Vehicles for New Forms, New president and founder of Arts, Crafts and The­ Functions,’’juried national; at Arrowmont School atre Safety (ACTS). Contact Alice Boatwright, of Arts and Crafts. University of California, Berkeley Extension, 2223 Tennessee, SmithvilleApril 22-May 31 “Patterns Fulton Street, Berkeley, California 94720; or from the Past,” dual exhibition featuring ceram­ phone (415) 642-4111. ist Kevin Hluch; at Appalachian Center for Crafts, California, Suisun May 5 Throwing, handbuild­ Route 3. ing and glazing demonstration with Patrick Texas, Denton April 9-May 11 “Contemporary Crabb. Fee: $20. Contact Marc Lancet, Solano Crafts”; at the Graham Horstman Gallery, 114 Community College, Rm. 1306,4000 Suisun Val­ West Congress. ley Rd., Suisun 94585; or phone (707) 864-7114. Texas, San Antonio through May 5 “In House/ Colorado, Boulder April 8 Steven Hill, the tech­ Recent Works of SWCC Faculty,” including ce­ nique of single firing. Fee: $40. Contact Lydia ramist Dennis Smith; at Southwest Craft Center, Pellow, 350 30 Street, Boulder 80303; or phone 300 Augusta. (303) 499-5656. Utah, Logan through August 26 “Permanent Col­ Connecticut, BrookfieldApril 21-22 “Ceramics: lection Exhibition”; at the Nora Eccles Harrison Mastering the Craft” with Richard Zakin. Con­ Museum of Art, Utah State University, 650 North tact the Brookfield Craft Center, Box 122, Route 1100 East. 25, Brookfield 06804; or phone (203) 775-4526. Wisconsin, Milwaukeethrough May 5 “Flora and D.C., Washington April 7“The Myth of Mingei— Fauna,” interpretations of wildlife and plantlife; An Examination of the Folk Craft Movement in at A. Houberbocken, the Upper Gallery, 230 Japan,” lecture by Janet Koplos. Contact Anton West Wells, Suite 202. Gallery, 2108 R Street, Northwest, Washington 20008; or phone (202) 328-0828. Florida, Saint PetersburgMay 5 A session with Fairs, Festivals and Sales Tim Ludwig. Fee: $35, members $25, students Arkansas, Mountain View April 20-22 “28th $15. Location: Eckerd College. For further in­ Annual Ozark Foothills Craft Guild Spring Show formation contact Florida Craftsmen, 235 Third and Sale”; at the Arkansas Craft Gallery. Street, South, Saint Petersburg 33701; or phone D.C., Washington April 19-22 “1990 Washington (813) 821-7391. Craft Expo”; at the Departmental Auditorium, Illinois, Palos Hills April 28 Raku workshop with 1301 Constitution Avenue, Northwest. Kirk Lockhart. Fee: $25. Contact the Moraine Florida, Indiatlantic April 7-8 “Annual Indiatlan- Valley Community College, 10900 S. 88 Ave., tic Art Fest”; on State Route 192. Palos Hills 60465; or phone (708) 974-4300. Florida, Ormond Beach April 14-15 ‘John D. Indiana, Indianapolis April 7, 14 and 8, 15 “Pit- Rockefeller Ormond Beach Art Festival”; on Fired Pottery” with Debra Manfree. Fee: $93, Granada Boulevard. members $63. For further information contact Florida, Sarasota April 28-29 “10th Annual Si­ the Indianapolis Art League, 820 East 67 Street, esta Fiesta”; on Ocean Boulevard. Indianapolis 46220; or phone Debra Manfree Illinois, Chicago April 13-June 3 “4th Annual (462) 895-0453. Spring Show and Sale”; at Lill Street Gallery, Massachusetts, WilliamsburgMay 19-21 “Sur­ 1021 West Lill Street. face Decoration of Pots” with Bennett Bean. Fee: Maryland, GaithersburgApril 20-22 “Spring Arts $250. Contact Horizons/The New England Craft and Crafts Fair”; at the Montgomery County Program, 374 Old Montague Road, Amherst, Fairgrounds. Massachusetts 01002; or phone (413) 549-4841. Minnesota, Minneapolis April 6-8 “American Massachusetts, WorcesterApril 7-8 Pottery ses­ Craft Expo ’90”; at the Minneapolis Convention sion with Jeff Oestreich. Contact Worcester Center. Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Road, Worcester North Carolina, Durham April 6-8 “Carolina 01605; or phone (508) 753-8183. Designer Craftsmen Spring Craft Fair”; at the Michigan, MidlandApril 28 “How to Take Profes­ Durham Omni Hotel and Convention Center. sional Slides of Your Artwork” with S. Preston Ohio, Massillon April 7-8 “Invitational Indoor Jones. For further information contact the Mid­ Pottery Sale”; at the Massillon Museum, 212 Lin­ land Art Council, Midland Center for the Arts, coln Way, East. 1801 West Saint Andrews, Midland 48640; or Oklahoma, Oklahoma City April 24-29 “Festival phone (517) 631-3250. of the Arts”; at the Festival Plaza and Myriad Minnesota, Saint Paul May 18-19 Slide lecture Gardens, downtown. and demonstrations by Barbara Diduk and Win­ Texas, Round Top April 7-8 “23rd Annual Wine- nie Owens-Hart. Fee: $60, members $45. Con­ dale Spring Festival”; at the University of Texas tact the Northern Clay Center, 2325 Endicott at Austin, Winedale Historical Center. Street, Suite 209W, Saint Paul 55114; or phone Texas, San AntonioApril 21-22 “Fiesta Arts Fair”; (612) 642-1735. at the Southwest Craft Center, 300 Augusta. Missouri, Kansas City April 20-22 Demonstra­ Wisconsin, Stevens PointApril 8 “18th Annual tion and slide lecture with Linda Christianson. Festival of the Arts”; at the University of Wiscon- Fee: $65, Kansas City Clay Guild members $50. sin-Stevens Point, Fine Arts Building, Interior Limited to 40 participants. May 20-26 “Making Courtyard. Functional Pottery in the ’90s/Single Firing” with Steven Hill. Fee: $500, includes materials and firings. Contact Carla Crook, Director, Con­ Workshops tinuing Education, Kansas City Art Institute, 4415 California, Davis April 28 Moldmaking demon­ Warwick, Kansas City 64111; or phone (816) stration and slide lecture by Marc Lancet. Fee: 561-4852. $25, students/seniors $20. Contact Yolo County New York, ScarsdaleApril 22 “Porcelain Jewelry” Arts Council, Box 2252, Woodland, California with Gloria Sherman. Fee: $75. Contact the YM 95695; or phone (916) 662-4145. and YWHA of Mid-Westchester Arts School, 999 California, Fremont April 21-22 “Pipe Sculpture Wilmot Road, Scarsdale 10583; or phone (914) Symposium” with Christine Federighi and Ron 472-3300, extension 348. Nagle, includes demonstrations, discussions and New York, White PlainsApril 13, 20 “The Wheel audience participation. Fee: $45, students $40. as a Handbuilding Tool” with Woody Hughes.

April 1990 53 Itinerary Century” with Ron Meyers. Contact Jane Dillon, mately $41). Contact the Craft Studio at Har- Appalachian Center for Crafts, Box 430, Route bourfront, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto M5J 3, Smithville 37166; or phone (615) 597-6801 or 2G8; or phone (416) 973-4963. 597-6802. Canada, Quebec, Montrealthrough April 14 Fee: $48.50. May 4 “The Potter’s Wheel: Throw­ Three-person exhibition featuring Walter Dex­ ing Large” with Cliff Mendelson. Fee: $22. Con­ ter, raku; and Kathryn Youngs, sculpture. April tact the Westchester Art Workshop, Westchester International Events 20-May 12 Four-person exhibition featuring County Center, White Plains 10607; or phone Australia, MelbourneApril 26-June 10 “Benwell ceramists Marie Andree Cote and Rebecca Rupp; (914) 684-0094. and Potter,” clayworks by Stephen Benwell and at the Franklin Silverstone Galerie, 1618 ouest, North Carolina, Brasstown April 15-21 Wheel- David Potter; at the National Gallery of Victoria, rue Sherbrooke. thrown porcelain with Leah Leitson. May 6-12 180 Saint Kilda Road. England, London April 5-28 Solo exhibition by Low-fire processes with Floy Shaffer. May 13-18 Belgium, Brusselsthrough April 7 Aline and Loul Peter Bodenham, “Vehicles in Transit”; at Mi- Earthenware techniques with Terry Gess. May Combres, “Temps Du Plein Tendre Un Vide”; at chaelson and Orient, 318 Portobello Road. 20-26Design/decoration with Allen Monsarrat. Gallery Atelier 18, Rue du president 18. France, Nancaythrough May 13 “Nue,” 600 works May 25-2 7 Discussions and demonstrations with Canada, British Columbia, Osoyoos May 4-6 by 100 international artists; at Galerie Capazza, Toshiko Takaezu and Bruno La Verdiere. Con­ “Ceramic Sculpture Workshop” with Zeljko Grenier de Villatre. tact thejohn C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown Kujundzic. Fee: Can$50 (approximately $42). Netherlands, Amsterdamthrough April 25 Dual 28902; or phone (800) 562-2440. Location: Osoyoos Art Gallery Studio, Main exhibition featuring ceramic objects by Ad van North Carolina, Penland April 9-21 “Basic Pot­ Street. Contact Zeljko Kujundzic, RR 2, Station Aart. April 28-May 26 Solo exhibition of ceramic tery” with Doug Casebeer, and “Painterly Ap­ 6/Comp. 9, Osoyoos V0H 1V0; or Elizabeth containers by Mieke de Groot; at Galerie De proach to Clay” with Steve Howell. May 14-25 Campbell, Box 462, Entiat, Washington 98822; Witte Voet, Kerkstraat 149. “Form and Decoration” with Cynthia Bringle, or phone (509) 784-1823. Scotland, Edinburgh through April 24 Solo exhi­ and “Slipware” with Irma Starr. Contact the Reg­ Canada, British Columbia, Vancouverthrough bition of ceramics by Julian King-Salter; at the istrar, Penland School, Penland 28765; or phone May 20 “Designed for Production, Made for Scottish Gallery, 94 George Street. (704) 765-2359. Use”; at the Cartwright Gallery, Canadian Craft Switzerland, Aubonnethrough April 28 A dual Ohio, Ada April 20-21 A session with Paul Sold- Museum, 1411 Cartwright Street. exhibition featuring ceramics by Claude Albana ner. Contact Elzay Gallery of Art, Ohio Northern Canada, Ontario, Toronto April 5-June 11 “Con­ Presset; at Galerie de l’Amiral Duquesne, Rue de University, Ada 45810; or phone (419) 634-9921. temporary Ceramics from the Smits Collection.” l’Amiral Duquesne 6. Ohio, Wooster April 19-21 “Functional Ceram­ April 29 Lecture by Joe Fafard, ceramic and Switzerland, Zurichthrough April 29 “The City of ics Workshop” with Jackie Cohen, Reina Kohl- bronze sculptor. Fee: Can$10 (approximately Carouge Award for Decorated Ceramics,” juried meyer, Drew Lewis, Mark Nafziger, Jeff Oestreich, $8), ROM and Gardiner members/ OCC/Fusion/ international exhibition of ceramic jewelry; at Vaughan Smith and Joe Weingarten. Fee: $85, seniors Can$8 (approximately $7), students the Museum Bellerive, Hoschgasse 3. students $40. For further information contact Can$6 (approximately $5). May 13“The Univer­ West Germany, Dusseldorfthrough May 13 Theo Phyllis Blair Clark, 102 Oakmont Court, Woos­ sality of Pottery,” workshop with Magdalene Schmuz-Baudiss; at Deutsches Keramikmuseum, ter 44691; or phone (216) 263-2388 (days) or Odundo. Fee: Can$40 (approximately $33); Schulstrasse 4. (216) 345-7576 (evenings). members/seniors/students Can$35 (approxi­ West Germany, Frankfurt am Mainthrough May Pennsylvania, Chester SpringsMay 7“Raku” with mately $29). Contact George R. Gardiner Mu­ 20 “Con Fuoco,” Italian ceramists; at Museum George Pearlman. Fee: $45, members $40. Mate­ seum of Ceramic Art, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto fur Kunsthandwerk, Schaumainkai 15. rial/Firing Fee: $7.50. Contact Chester Springs M5S 2C7; or phone (416) 593-9300. West Germany, Sandhausenthrough May 15 “Die Studio, Art School Road, Box 329, Chester April 6 Lecture by Xavier Toubes. April 1-8 A Farbe Blau in der Kunstkeramik”; at Galerie fur Springs 19425; or phone (215) 827-7277. session with Xavier Toubes. Fee: Can$100 (ap­ englische Keramik Marianne Heller, Allmend- Tennessee, SmithvilleApril 6-8 “Crafts: The 21st proximately $82), students Can$50 (approxi­ strasse 31.

54 C eramics Monthly April 1990 55 56 C eramics Monthly News & Retrospect answering inquiries on-line (as bulletin erences they make, and as dynamic arrange­ boards do), OSHBBS will eventually have ments of positive and negative space. In available art hazards data sheets. our postmodern world, where origins and “The telephone number for OSHBBS is roots have become less important, the (212) 385-2034. Communications pa­ power of such items to retain their sym­ rameters for access to OSHBBS are 8 bits, bolic associations is well demonstrated by no parity and 1 stop bit.” their ability to maintain a presence. George Fetzer, 1912-90 “The long, delicate spouts of ancient GeorgeFetzer, founder of one of the coun­ Emmanuel Cooper Persian jugs, able to dispense their con­ try’s oldest ceramics supply businesses (af­ A traveling exhibition of porcelain and tents with elegance and economy, or the ter American Art Clay and Denver Fire­ stoneware bowls and “shelf jugs” by British more sturdy snips used by the ceramic in­ clay), died March 10. He was a pioneer in potter/author Emmanuel Cooper opened at dustry, contribute to my references—es­ the business, formulating original dry ce­ the City Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke- sential parts of the ceramic vocabulary. Flat­ ramic bodies and glazes, and making bulk on-Trent and concluded its tour at Leigh tening shape, exaggerating spout length, supplies available to individual artists and Gallery in London. With these forms, Coo­ and making the handle a humorous ques­ schools. Well versed in materials, he knew not only the chemistry but the story behind the clay and glaze ingredients he carried, and could tell a customer how, why and what to do when those changes and sur­ prises sometimes occurred at the mine or in the kiln. A graduate in ceramic art at the Ohio State University, Fetzer worked at Claycraft, a glazed brick and tile manufacturing firm in Galena, Ohio, before opening George Fetzer Ceramic Supplies in a Columbus, Ohio, storefront just before World War II. Over the years, he ignored many of the standard business practices—for example, he never advertised, relying solely on word of mouth—but eventually sold supplies throughout the country because of his commitment to personal service and rea­ sonable price. Until retirement in 1981, he worked hard to keep the business small and service oriented. Fetzer also manufactured some studio equipment, including a treadle wheel, one of the earliest U.S. wheels to be offered for sale. Many of today’s famed potters started out throwing on the Fetzer WTieel, which was constructed mainly of wood actually grown and aged on family property. For a time, he also manufactured banding wheels and gas or electric kilns, many of which are still in use.

On-Line Arts Health Information The Center for Safety in the Arts (CSA) has announced the establishment of a computer bulletin board. Through this sys­ tem, anyone with health and safety con­ cerns can “exchange information, get tech­ nical assistance with occupational problems, and gain access to a variety of information resources. One feature will be on-line ac­ cess to Occupational Safety and Health Ad­ British potter Emmanuel Cooper at home with “shelf jugs” in London ministration (OSHA) regulations.” Arts Conference, another special area, per explored the use of controlled colors tion mark, add an element of surprise as “is reserved for hazards in the arts. Besides and textures on thrown/handbuilt forms. the effect of one upon the other is appreci­ “Traditional forms, such as jugs and ated. Exploring silhouette and changing bowls, have a long association with func­ relationships of shape, spout and handles, You are invited to send news and photos tion and ritual,” he commented. “Some are part of the pleasures of ceramics. about people, places or events of interest. We need a glaze to make them usable, but oth­ “Bowls, too, offer similar opportunities will be pleased to consider them for publica­ ers have a more decorative intent. Jugs and for expressing human emotions and aes­ tion in this column. Mail submissions to bowls can be admired in their own right, thetic qualities. Width of the foot ring, News & Retrospect, Ceramics Monthly, Box containers that symbolize plenitude, nour­ depth of the walls can, for example, convey 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212. ishment, objects of interest both for the ref­ calm or animation, movement or rest. In-

April 1990 57 Where to Show Continued from page 8

May 11 entry deadline Lewiston, New York “24th Lewiston Outdoor Art Festival” (August 11-12) is juried from 5 slides/photos. Entry fee: $65. Awards: over $2500. Contact Mamie Simonson, Lewiston Council on the Arts, Box 1, Lewiston 14092; or phone (716) 754-8375. May 14 entry deadline Evergreen, Colorado “24th Annual Evergreen Fine Arts and Crafts Fair” (August 26) is juried from 4 slides. Entry fee: $7. Booth fee: $45 for a 10x10-foot space. Awards: approximately $1425. Contact Evergreen Artist’s Association, 1990 Fine Arts and Crafts Fair, Box 1511, Evergreen 80439. May 15 entry deadline Sausalito, California “38th Annual Sausalito Art Festival” (September 1-3) is juried from slides. Entry fee: $10. Booth fee: $350. Awards: $5000. For further information send postcard to Sausalito Art Festival, Box 566, Sausalito 94966; or phone (415) 332-4252. New York, New York “19th Annual WBAI Holi­ day Crafts Fair” (November 30-December 2, December 7-9 and 14-16) is juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $695-$735. Send sase to Matthew Alperin, WBAI Crafts Fair, Box 889, Times Square Station, New York 10108; or phone (212) 279-0707. Marietta, Ohio “Indian Summer Festival” (September 14-16) is juried from 5 slides. Booth fee: $90 for a 10x10-foot space. Cash awards. Contact Indian Summer Festival, Box 266, Mari­ etta 45750; or phone (614) 373-8027. May 20 entry deadline Madison, Indiana “Chautauqua of the Arts” (September 22-23) is juried from 4 slides-3 of work, 1 of booth. Entry fee: $100 per booth. Send legal-size sase to Chautauqua of the Arts, Dixie McDonough, 1119 West Main Street, Madi­ son 47250; or phone (812) 265-5080. June 1 entry deadline Gaithersburg, Maryland “15th Annual National Craft Fair” (October 12-14) is juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $10. Booth fee: outdoor, $225; roofed, $290; indoor, $350. Contact National Crafts, Noel Clark, Director, 4845 Rumler Road, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201; or phone (717) 369-4810. Richmond, Virginia1990 Richmond Craft and Design Show” (November 16-18) is juried from slides. Entry fee: $12. Contact Barbara Hill, Hand Workshop, 1812 West Main Street, Richmond 23220; or phone (804) 353-0094. June 15 entry deadline Oak Park, Illinois “36th Annual Village Art Fair” (September 9) is juried from slides. Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $30. Cash awards. For further information contact Village Art Fair, Box 483, Oak Park 60303. July 1 entry deadline Manitou Springs, Colorado “Commonwheel Artists 16th Annual Labor Day Festival” (Sep­ tember 1-3) is juried from slides. Fee: $55. Commission: 10%. Contact Commonwheel Art­ ists Labor Day Festival, Box 42, Manitou Springs 80829; or phone (719) 685-1008. July 11 entiy deadline Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania “A Fair in the Park” (September 7-9) is juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $95 for an 8xl0-foot space, $120 for a lOxlO-foot space. Contact A Fair in the Park, Box 10128, Pittsburgh 15232; or phone Kay Christy (412) 361-8287 or (412) 562-3712. July 15 entry deadline Mobile, Alabama “26th Annual Outdoor Arts and Crafts Fair” (September 29-30) is juried from slides. Entry fee: $10. Booth fee: $75. Awards: up to $6500 in purchase, distinction and merit. Contact the Fine Arts Museum of the South, Attention: Nita Ruland, Outdoor Arts and Crafts Fair, Box 8426, Mobile 36698; or phone (205) 343-2667.

58 Ceramics Monthly News & Retrospect

“Shelf Jug,” 8 inches in height, thrown and slab built, fired to 125CPC (2282°F) in an electric kiln, by Emmanuel Cooper

ternal and external space, enclosed and se­ cretive, or open and flowing, can be sug­ gested by the curve of the bowl and the way it relates to the surface on which it sits. “Bringing together form with surface and finish, to suggest the object has been carved or modeled from one material in a single process, is part of my search. Matt surfaces, some with lavalike texture, seem to be a part of the clay, one method of bringing about unity of shape and finish. A few pots succeed; others open up new areas of experiment, suggesting further explora­ tions with the various components of this perplexing puzzle called ceramics. I want the pots I make to be colorful, subtle but strong, pieces that relate to and are in­ tended for the domestic setting. Pots to look at and enjoy, belonging to the tradi­ tion from which they come, and of which they are a part.”

Red Glaze Correction I n the Semimatt Red Glaze recipe given in the article “A Rogue’s Gallery of Reds” (February 1990, pages 48-49), the feldspar should have been listed as G-200 and the tin oxide addition should have been 0.9%. CM regrets these errors.

Tamba Joe: Slipping One By Submitted (unsolicited) just in time for an April 1 deadline was this transcript of an open­ ing night conversation between Tambafoe (a.k.a. Greg Seigel, Owenton, Kentucky) and a self ap­ pointed reporter at the Refractory Factory Gallery, somewhere in the backwoods of Kentucky. Por­ tions have been edited to avoid offending nearly everyone. Whether or not we succeeded remains to be seen.—Ed. Reporter: What makes your work special? Joe: That’s easy. I say it is. Next question. Reporter: What about your firing and glaze secrets? Joe: I do a blend of functional ware and sculpture, serious and sometimes humor­ ous or maybe even blasphemous like my “Over 21” pieces. Oh, all right. You want formulas. Well, my clay body is whatever I can scrounge at the time: Cedar Heights,

April 1990 59 News & Retrospect

Louisville Fireclay, Foundry Hill Creme, A. P. Green. I add a little OM 4 [Kentucky ball clay], potash feldspar, flint and maybe bentonite and a little Sparta Gold (from down the road). Sometimes it won’t throw well, so I make flat things or sculpture. Just so it gets done; that’s all. My best glaze is one that works in both kilns and always comes out no matter what. I call it “Vanna White”: 71.4% nepheline syenite, 23.8% dolomite and 4.8% ball clay, plus 2.8% bentonite and 9.5% tin oxide. I also use variations of Bernie’s Basic Ash: 40% wood ash, 40% potash feldspar and 20% ball clay, plus various oxide combina­ tions. Another winner is Sparta Gold, which is just that clay from down the road with all the rocks and beer bottle fragments sifted out (Sparta is in the nearest “wet” county), mixed with a little water. Reporter: What direction do you see your­ self going in the future? Joe: What’s the best that anyone can do in this country? Teach college and do occa­ sional workshops and lectures. Sounds nice. But since that doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now, I’ll continue to concen­ trate on the ongoing research here at the Table-Mud Art Works. Currently, the staff is wrapping up plans to market the newest in kilns and firing technologies. We’ll soon be releasing the latest innovation in the ever-expanding field of art-pottery lifestyle labor-saving devices—the electric anagama. This kiln allows the potter all the acclaim associated with that mystical, age-old firing method without the mess associated with wood. Our series of kiln components re­ semble normal electric kilns, which are in effect bisected vertically, then laid on their sides much like little Quonset huts. A set of hinges facilitates loading and unloading (no crawling in dark tunnels) and the elec­ tric elements are computer controlled (no over- or underfiring). We’re also negotiat­ ing for the production patents for our newly developed selection of clay bodies and

Tamba Joe with slip coating—has this guy seen one too many George Ohr shows?

60 Ceramics Monthly Tamba Joe and one of his “crocks ”—working within a long tradition of crock makers glazes that mature in the microwave. Reporter: What do you think your place i history will be? Joe: I’m not sure; probably a footnote i Chapter 9 or 10. We’ll have to wait and se< Reporter: Finally, tell us about that clay a over your body. Joe: I think I can sum it up with the Tamb Joe family motto: “Clays make the man Okay, woman, too. Photos: Jay Bachemii Reba Rye.

Sally Barbier by Sandra Tivy Canadian ceramist Sally Barbier aj proaches clay as a tool for the expression c contemporary fine art concerns, both of personal and a formal nature. As head c the ceramics department at the Albert College of Art, Barbier has developed respect for the traditions and technic; aspects of the medium, and her latest wor (shown recently at the New Gallery in Ca gary) embodies a return to these traditior after many years of experimentation wit materials and decoration. The content of her exhibitions fror five years ago might have included pape wall pieces along with large sculpture ii corporating wood, fabric, enamel paini and glitter. She now employs red earther ware and some commercial glazes. For current work, she solid casts a mb ture of equal parts earthenware slip an

“Maison avec Squid, ” 24 inches in height, slab-built, glazed earthenware, with colored waxes and polish

April 1990 61 News & Retrospect artists were interested in the way I deal with the form. I was told they find it refreshing.” In the context of Japanese art, Eisner describes his work as being in the “mod­ em” realm, not avant-garde. His sculpture and vessels are coil built from a commer­ cial clay mixed with perlite. “In coil building, I have to know where I am most of the time to maintain uniform wall thickness. Every stage depends on the previous stage.” Scraping is an ongoing process from “Squid Blanche, ”35 inches in length, by Sally Barbier, Calgary the very beginning. The final lines and patterns are scratched into the surface when perlite into cardboard molds, which are the clay is dry. The work is then bisque fired peeled away when the clay stiffens. After to 1800°F, and brushed with slips. glaze firing, the unglazed areas are layered Some variations in color are achieved by with colored waxes and wood polish. grinding after the form has been Cone 6 The imagery in the reliefs is surprising fired. “I like something to feel good when I and often humorous. In 1- to 2-foot-wide touch it,” Eisner explained. “I also like the pieces, architectural facades and colon­ strong texture of stone. With the clay I use I nades are combined with awning or pillar can get the texture of stone. When I grind shapes, reminiscent both of classical this clay, it’s stonelike enough that even the temples and the grand, French-style build­ odor is the same as grinding natural vol­ ings of Barbier’s Louisiana birthplace. An canic material.” influence from her recent travels in South­ Eisner does use on the interiors of his east Asia is also apparent. To the basic containers and vessels a black glaze “which structural components, Barbier adds sen­ isn’t too glossy so it works with the exterior. suous forms of sea creatures (shrimp and squid) to achieve a thought-provoking effect. Photos: Ric Kokotovitch, Wes Raymond.

Larry Eisner by Patrick Williams Solo exhibitions of ceramic sculpture and vessels by Larry Eisner, faculty artist at Utah State University, Logan, were featured recently at Mori Gallery in Tokyo and at Nakamura Gallery in Kyoto, Japan. About the context of his shows, Eisner explained that art in Japan can be divided into four areas: “avant-garde, modern, tra­ ditional and folk art. Of course, there are variations within each of these four. Gener­ ally, avant-garde art doesn’t sell in Japan. French impressionism is still the most popu­ “Cats-Eye, ” approximately 14 inches in lar art style there. Many Japanese artists height, by Larry Eisner, Logan, Utah split their time between making traditional, functional items and creating more abstract “All matter is composed of particles in work. They have to make a living, and this motion,” he commented. “To express traditional work supports their other crea­ macro and micro movements in a material tive endeavors. that appears still to the eye is a constant “The work I’m doing is different challenge to the artist. enough, yet not too different to be foreign ‘The work from creative ideas begins to the Japanese public,” Eisner said. “Their with movable particles and water; it ends crystalized in the intense heat. As reflected “From Union to Conception, ” approximately in the cyclic and rhythmic force of nature, 10 inches in height the result is not always predictable; there­ fore, one’s search with clay is humbling.”

Clay Studio Residents An exhibition of works by artists-in-resi- dence was presented last fall at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia. Though united by a common material as well as a common workspace, the studio’s residents represent a broad cross section of ages, backgrounds and aesthetic sensibilities. Included in “A

62 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 63 News & Retrospect One was a local artist I have admired for years. Her commentary on my work was warm and nurturing, and we arranged to make a trade. I am having more than a bit of trouble believing all this is happening to me. What happens now? The tiles I’m making are absorbing my attention, but my head is still operating in the third dimension—sculpture. I know I could keep two bodies of work going if I could just find a way of gaining time, mak­ ing time. It’s all physics. I knew I should have studied harder in graduate school. Just last week I was lamenting to a friend how much I missed making sculpture. We talked on, not about sculpture, but rather about the act of glazing. Wasn’t it just as satisfying to feel your way around a shape with a brush, redefining edges and angles, she suggested. She was right, of course. That can be a delicious addiction. I love the “Brick Chair, ” 40 inches in height, rectangles, circles, rhomboids, trapezoids by Michael Morgan and all that falls between. I can bisect, dis­ sect and redirect them; cover them with Common Space” were realistic and abstract checkerboards; riddle them with holes. sculptures, wall reliefs, vessels and func­ They have this inherent beauty that can be tional tableware by Gene Daub, Cate Fetter- reexposed in so many ways. man, Janet Grau, Yih-Wen Kuo, Michael Mor­ I must admit there were times when the gan, George Pearlman, Fran Scott, David Shan- tiles frightened me. They exploded or mul­ delman and Sybille Zeldin. tiplied at exponential rates. Just when I Later, Shandelman also presented a solo believed a piece was complete, I would exhibition of new work at the Clay Studio. unload the appendages from the kiln only A resident artist there since January 1987, to discover they no longer “fit.” The forms and surfaces had regrouped. The body had split into several offspring—mitosis. I had three works in progress. None completed as I had anticipated one day earlier. It would go on like this for a couple of weeks. Just when I thought I was going crazy, the forms would end suddenly, and four or five would complete themselves. It was almost cycli­ cal—so different from my earlier experi­ ence with sculpture. There I had a strong­ hold or maybe a foothold. I could predict their completion and evolution. These parts and pieces were maddening, and the deci­ sion-making was demanding and draining. At the same time, there was an inordi­ nate amount left to chance. The colors and surfaces were the property of the kiln. I was the facilitator and sometimes the termina­ tor. I became very involved with the shapes “Soup Set, ” tureen 10 inches in height, by David Shandelman during the glazing process, and firing would transfer them into found objects. I no longer knew them as I had. It was a chal­ he works primarily with majolica glazes, lenge, a new way of making for me. It was producing a line of playfully decorated about letting go of preconceptions, about tableware; but the show also included whim­ allowing things to be out of control. sical ceramic tables and lamps often incor­ Back to the show. The space is intimate porating other materials such as wood, and unusual. You must wind your way metal and concrete. through a long, gray labyrinth before you actually reach the hallway that contains my Opening Night work. Turn the corner and you come face by Mary Forker to face with this large winged creature held Tonight I had my exhibition opening. together with black, criss-crossing lines. It’s The evening was delightful in that it held angled upward with tail feathers shaped many surprises. I sold close to half the like a pacifier. I find its bulbous shape pieces in the show. I met artists, gallery amusing; it always makes me smile. I had owners, art consultants and their patrons. copied the panel that forms the creature’s

64 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 65 News & Retrospect dangling—I wanted them to go on forever, to keep falling away from themselves like earrings with long, trailing miscellanea. As it is now, there are two quasitriangles stand­ ing in for shoes and sporting a pair of spiked heels; no, more like cleats. It is won­ derful to watch the pieces influence each other, in spite of my repeated attempts to impose order. The most mysterious work in the show has five eyes and is shaped in a honeycomb. I overheard someone describe the eyes as teardrops. That felt right, then. Drips of vibrant color stare out at you from beneath Untitled wall form, 40 inches in length, their veil. The work changed dramatically handbuilt, with low-fire glazes from its inception. I saw it as a plant form with brilliant dots of color like one you midriff from a painting I had done earlier. might see on a barren tundra. But it turned For some reason, I had and have this desire itself upside down and grew three more to put wings/ears on rectangles. And the eyes before it had ended. head and tail seemed to come as a matter of Then there is the headdress. A tuft of fact. It will fly in any direction. A swarm of purple hair, actually more like a spiked them, a ballet of these lumpy figures mean­ coiffure, sprouting from a bright yellow dering about would be delightful. mouth with one lone tooth, sits atop a The next piece is orange (brilliant spatula covered with splotchy dots resting a “sunset” orange says the glaze bag). That’s a little awkwardly on a somewhat cubistic good one-word description. It is full of looking fish. It is a composite, a very un­ shape, positive and negative, with nooks usual group of bedfellows gathered to­ and crannies that all speak to one another. gether, looking somewhat dignified. At They talk about each other in a syntax of least, it tries very hard to look dignified. circles, hooks and crosses. They interlock I want to wind up this guided tour with like fabric. I was thinking about a Peruvian my father’s bug zapper—a curly scorpion textile book which shows fragments of bur­ with a twisting, toothed tail. The lower end ial cloth. They have no finite edges, just is a lantern with a bright yellow light spill­ these beautiful, delicate trails with bits of ing out of its center in the form of glaze. fiber held loosely together in the center. There are lush, warm red hooks on both The space of the page flows in and out of ends. For security, I suppose. But the ani­ these loose ends. That’s how I envisioned mal, the machine, is undulating, and it this piece. It really is kinetic. It moves for looks as though capture would be difficult. me. You mustn’t forget it is orange. It intimidates. I like that. It’s no easy catch. The nearest one to it is my favorite. It The surface is mottled with splotches of was a glaze test, just simple rows of tri­ orange on lime green and deep purple, angles. Glaze tests are my most successful like an insect that wants to remain hidden works—egoless and carefree, but with a beneath the ground cover, but whose beau­ certain role. This one is in the shape of a tiful red head and tail will wave to attract a cummerbund, with a spotted caterpillar or mate on those lonely summer nights. a centipede marching across a horizon line. I haven’t told you about all the works. Supporting these two bands is a glowing There are 28, a large show by my standards; red and black sun. For me, it’s a mouth. I have a friend who believes you can find a face in any piece of art, and that’s what we Ceramic murals need not all be rectangular; all really are looking for, so why not get all they can branch out across the wall, such as our cards on the table right now. I must say this handbuilt tile wall form, 47 inches the two nails in the center make a pretty in height, by Mary Forker, Columbus convincing pair of beady eyes. I hung the tiles a bit askew. I wanted them to breathe and relax. Hanging nearby is a small oval with wa­ tery, bright rings of color trailed across the surface. It survived multiple firings. When I held the final version in my hands I was ready to discard all I had done up to this point and begin again, here, at what ap­ peared to be the vortex. It was all so loose, loopy and wet. Earlier work looked stiff. My emotions rose and fell that day—elated with newness and saddened by my critical reevaluation of the past. More hangings follow. Pants, trousers covering legs with shoes and more shoes

66 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 67 News & Retrospect Mussel were exhibited recently at Kunst 8c Keramiek Galerie in Deventer, the Nether­ lands. Among the works shown in “Explo­ it’s a sizable body of work for eight months rations in French Ceramics” was this wheel- out of my lifetime. thrown stoneware vessel, with applied and carved porcelain that has been encouraged Robert Carlson to separate from the vessel during drying Solo exhibitions of clay and mixed- and firing, by Arnaud Lang. media sculpture by Robert Carlson, Cooke­ ville, Tennessee, were on view recently at Christine Pendergrass A solo exhibition of fan-shaped wall sculpture by Oregon ceramist Christine Pendergrass was presented recently at the Justice Center in Portland. Many of these forms “can be thought of as triangles sliced from a circle,” Pendergrass noted. Each fan originates as a wheel-thrown stoneware disk, 24 inches in diameter. The disk is then cut into thirds to become three fan shapes, which are in turn textured, incised or impressed. For example, actual strips of 35mm negatives and slide mounts were pressed onto the surface of “Film Fan,” below. To minimize warping, each fan is subse­ quently divided into wedges and hollowed from the back. The sections are fired sepa-

“Mounted Bowl Form, ”18 inches high, pit- fired bowl with gold leaf, on aluminum base

del Mano Gallery in Los Angeles, the Cyrna Field Collection in Chicago, and the Appa­ lachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee. Previously, Carlson’s work had centered on vessels with copper matt and gold leaf finishes. But after moving to Tennessee in “Film Fan, ” approximately 18 inches in 1987, his work “took a turn that was not length, wheel-thrown stoneware, assembled anticipated,” Carlson observed. “Remodel­ on wooden backing ing and construction on the new studio led to some pieces that refer to architectural rately (to Cone 6 in oxidation), then reas­ elements as well as vessels.” sembled and affixed with silicone onto a While some clay forms are still enhanced wooden backing. with gold leaf, he has turned to smoking (pit firing) for surface variation, and often Feats of Clay II completes the work with unfired media: The second annual “Feats of Clay,” a enamel paints and Prismacolor. juried national exhibition of ceramic sculp­ ture and vessels, was again displayed in the Explorations in French Ceramics “beehive” kilns of Gladding, McBean 8c Sculpture and vessels by French ceram­ Company (the country’s oldest extant terra­ ists Thiebaut Chague, Aline and Loul Combres, cotta manufacturer) in Lincoln, Califor­ Charles Hair, Arnaud Lang and Franfoise nia; see page 26 of the January 1989 CM. “The title of the show is apt,” noted the late Daniel Rhodes, who juried the entries. Stoneware vessel with porcelain relief figures “Many of the 60 selected objects exemplify by Arnaud Lang Webster’s definition of feat: ‘an accom­ plishment showing unusual daring, skill, endurance, etc.; a remarkable deed; an exploit.’ “Clay workers certainly are not in lock­ step anymore, if they ever were. The focus is on originality at any cost and on ways to exploit the medium. “It is not always easy to distinguish a genuinely creative and meaningful state­ ment from one which is merely eccentric Please turn to page 76

68 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 69 mier (July 9-13). Instruction in English. Intermedi­ Summer Workshops 1990 ate. Fee: Can$67 (approximately $56) per session, Continued, from page 30 seniors Can$10 (approximately $8); includes firing. Live-in accommodations and camping available. Contact Audrey Jubien, 1000 Islands Summer available. For further information contact Yvette School of the Arts, Saint Lawrence College, 2288 Brideau, Red Deer College, Box 5005, Red Deer Parkedale Avenue, Brockville K6V 5X3; or phone T4N 5H5; or phone (403) 342-3130. (613) 345-0660, ext. 3220. Canada, B.C., VancouverJuly 3-August 10 Canada, Ontario, Haliburton July 2-August 3 “Sculpture” with Bruce Taylor, various methods of “Clay Relief Sculpture” with Richard Gill (July 2-6). construction, molds, glazing, surface treatments “Beginners’ Pottery” with Barb Peel (July 2-6). and firing (July 3-20). “Stoneware Pottery” with “Earthenware Vessels” with Dale Pereira (July 9-13). Lari Robson, forming, decorating and firing (July “Majolica” with Dale Pereira (July 16-20). “Raku— 23-August 10). Intermediate. Fee: Can$245 per Special Effects” with Michael Sheba (July 23-27). session (approximately $200), includes materials “Handbuilding Clay Sculpture” with Dzintars Me- and firing. Contact Isabel Spalding or Tam Irving, zulis (July 23-27). “Throwing and Pre-Fire Decora­ Emily Carr College of Art and Design, 1399Johnston tion” with Scott Barnim (July 30-August 3). Skill Street, Vancouver V6H 3R9; or phone (604) 687- requirements vary. Fee: Can$76 (approximately 2345. $63) per session. Camping facilities available. Con­ tact Sir Sanford Fleming College, Haliburton School Canada, B.C., Victoria June 24-July 7 of Fine Arts, Box 339, Haliburton K0M ISO; or “Ceramics—Glaze and Color Development” with phone (705) 457-1680. Robin Hopper (June 24-July 7); fee: Can$300 (ap­ proximately $250), includes materials and firing. Canada, Ontario, North Bay July 9-August 3 Registration deadline: April 20. “Pottery: Function “Handbuilding Clay Sculpture (Part I)” with Dzin­ and Surface Enrichment” with Alan and Meg Bur­ tars Mezulis (July 9-13). “Advanced Handbuilding gess (June 30^July 1); fee: Can$75 (approximately Clay Sculpture” with Dzintars Mezulis (July 16-20). $62), includes lunch. Skill requirements vary. Con­ “Smoke Firing—Pottery” with Monica Johnston tact Elizabeth Travis, Metchosin International Sum­ (July 16-20). “Glaze Technology” with Jane Agnew mer School of the Arts, 911A Linden Avenue, Victo­ (July 23-27). “Decorative Porcelain” with Keith ria V8V4G8; or phone (604) 384-1698. Campbell, handbuilding, throwing, glazing and firing (July 30-August 3). Skill requirements vary. Canada, Manitoba, Snow Lake June 11-22 Fee: Can$60 (approximately $50) per session. Ma­ “Primitive Wood Firing” with Emily Crosby, wheel terials: Can$20-$25 (approximately$17-$21).Live- throwing and handbuilding. Intermediate. Live-in in accommodations and camping facilities avail­ accommodations available. Contact Northern able. Contact Artsperience ’90, Canadore College, School of Art, Box 484, Snow Lake ROB 1M0. 100 College Drive, North Bay P1B 8K9; or phone (705) 474-7600 or (800) 461-7340. Canada, Ontario, Brockville July 3-13 Handbuilding, sculptural and decorative techniques Canada, Ontario, Toronto May 28-July 9 with Peter Hiort Peterson (July 3-7). Instruction in “High Fire/Low Fire” with Debby Black and Gerry English or Danish. “Raku Pottery” with Leta Cor­ Johns, throwing, decorating and glazing techniques

Back view of “Shedway,” with artist Robert Harrison, at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Portland, Maine.

70 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 71 Instruction in French or English. Beginning through Summer Workshops 1990 advanced. Fee: Fr3850 per two weeks (approxi­ mately $670); includes materials, firing, lodging and meals. For further information contact Michel Simonet, Mas Cassac, Saint Ambroix, Allegre F- (May 28-June 15). “Pottery Form: Color” with Ian 30500; or phone (66) 24 85 65. Symons (June 18-July 9). Skill requirements vary. Fee: Can$189 (approximately $157) per session; in­ France, Saint Nectaire July 22-29 cludes materials and firing. University housing avail­ Handbuilding, throwing, glazing, kiln design and able. Contact Debby Black or GerryJohns, George pit firing with Marcel Legras. Instruction in French Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology, and some English. Beginning through advanced. Box 1015, Station B, Toronto M5T 2T9; or phone Fee: Frl640 (approximately $285); includes mate­ (416) 944-4465. rials and firing. Live-in accommodations and camp­ ing facilities available. Contact Marcel Legras, Canada, Quebec, Val David July Centre dTnitiation aux Metiers d’Art, 11 rue du Handbuilding, throwing, glazing and firing with Cap Horn, Bordeaux, Merignac 33700, France; or Robin Hutchinson. Intermediate through profes­ phone (56) 34 33 40. sional. Instruction in English and French. Fee: Can$150 per week (approximately $125); includes France, Thonon les BainsAugust 20-27 materials. Camping facilities available. Contact Handbuilding, throwing, glazing, kiln design and Robin Hutchinson, RR 1, 886 Tour du Lac, Val pit firing with Andre Gaillard. Instruction in French David JOT 2N0; or phone (819) 322-7096. and some English. Beginning through advanced. Fee: Frl640 (approximately $285); includes mate­ England, Great Dunmow July 1-August 19 rials and firing. Live-in accommodations and camp­ Handbuilding, throwing, salt glazing (July 1-14); ing facilities available. Contact Marcel Legras, Cen­ fee: £450 (approximately $760), includes materi­ tre dTnitiation aux Metiers d’Art, 11 rue du Cap als, firing, lodging and meals. Handbuilding, throw­ Horn, Bordeaux, Merignac 33700, France; or phone ing, decorating, glazing, raku, sawdust and bonfire (56) 34 33 40. firing (July 15-August 19, Sundays); fee: £205 (approximately $345); includes materials, firing, Greece, Evia Summer lodging and meals. Skill requirements vary. Con­ Two-week courses on throwing and handbuilding tact Deborah Baynes, White Roding Pottery, Brett’s earthenware and stoneware, includes glaze and Farm, White Roding, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 clay preparation, raku, wood, gas and sawdust firing, 1RF; or phone (279) 76326. with Alan Bain and Rosemary Herrin. Instruction in English and French. All skill levels. Fee: £395 (ap­ England, Ipswich Summer proximately $666); includes materials, firing, lodg­ One-week research and cultural courses tailored to ing and meals. Contact Alan Bain, Candili Moun­ individual needs. Instructors: Alan and Patt Baxter. tain Pottery, 340-04 Procopi, Evia; or phone 0227- All skill levels. Fee: £185 (approximately $312); in­ 41298. cludes materials, firing, lodging and meals. Contact the Alan Baxter Pottery Workshop, White House Hungary, Kovagoors July 7-August 17 Studio, Somersham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 4QA; or “Local Traditions” with Jozsef Pattantyus, hand­ phone (473) 831256. building, glazing and pit firing (July 7-18 or August 6-17). Instruction in German or English. Begin­ England, Loughborough July 30-August 9 ning and intermediate. Fee: US$300 per session; Throwing, handbuilding, press molding, decorat­ includes materials, firing, lodging and some meals. ing and glazing with Gus Mabelson and Geoff For further information contact Gy Szomjas, Kali Townsend; plus one-day seminar with John Leach. Basin Environment Protection Society, 8254 Beginning through advanced. Fee: £360 (approxi­ Kovagoors P.F. 9. mately $607); includes lodging and meals. For fur­ ther information contact Mrs. S. R. Sandover, Italy, Arezzo July 2-September 14 Loughborough Summer School, Summer School “Handbuilding: Terra Cotta of Florence” with Silvia Office, University of Technology, Loughborough, Fossati (July 2-14, 16-28, August 2-14, 18-30 or Leicestershire LE11 3TU; or phone (509) 222773. September 2-14). Instruction in English and Ital­ ian. All skill levels. Fee: 800,000 lire (approximately England, Maidenhead Summer $636); includes materials and lodging. Contact Two- to four-day courses on handbuilding, throw­ Studio Giambo, Associazione Culturale, Via Giano ing and glazing with Renee Rubinstein. All skill della Bella 22, Firenze 50124, Italy; or phone 0552 levels. Instruction in English and French. Live-in 24447; or fax 0552 29125. accommodations available. Contact Kingsbury Pot­ tery, Renee Rubinstein, 4 Boyn Hill Road, Maiden­ Italy, Cortona Summer head, Berkshire SL6 4JB; or phone (628) 27984. “Ceramics with Dan Anderson.” Contact University of Georgia Studies Abroad, Visual Arts Building, England, Peasmarsh Summer Athens, Georgia 30602. One-week courses on slipware and high-fired earth­ enware with John Solly. All skill levels. Fee: £100 Italy, Faenza July 1-22 (approximately $170); includes materials and firing. “Arte Aperto,” emphasis on preparation of clay Live-in accommodations and camping facilities avail­ bodies and glazes (July 1-8 or 15-22). Instruction able. Contact John Solly, Goldspur Cottage, Flack- in English, German and Spanish. Intermediate. ley Ash, Peasmarsh, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6YH; or Camping facilities available. Contact Emidio Ga- phone (797) 21276. lassi, Arte Aperto, Via Castellina 4, Faenza 48018; or phone 0546 661655. England, Queen CamelJuly 23-August 18 One-week courses on throwing, once firing and July 23-August 10 wood firing with Douglas and Jennie Phillips. Inter­ “Ceramics” with Anna Calluori Holcombe. Instruc­ mediate and advanced. Fee: £145 (approximately tion in English. Beginning through advanced. Fee: $245); includes materials, firing and one meal per US$2275; includes materials, firing, lodging, meals day. Live-in accommodations and camping facili­ and travel. For further information contact Anna ties available. Contact Douglas Phillips, Ridge Pot­ Calluori Holcombe, Art Department, S.U.N.Y. tery, Queen Camel near Yeovil, Somerset BA22 Brockport, Brockport, New York 14420; or phone 7NF; or phone (935) 850753. (716) 395-2209. England, Tenbury Wells Summer Italy, Florence July 9-August 17 Weekend, one- and two-week courses on all aspects “Handbuilding” with Allan Rosenbaum. Instruc­ of making pots, emphasis on throwing, with Martin tion in English. Beginning through advanced. Fee: Homer. Instruction in English and some French. US$2250; includes materials, firing and lodging. All skill levels. Fee: £89-£218 (approximately Contact Sue Ann Messmer, Assistant Dean, School $150—$368); includes materials, firing, lodging and of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, meals. Contact Tina Homer, Lower Aston House 325 North Flarrison, Richmond, Virginia 23284; or Pottery and Painting Summer School, Aston Bank, phone (804) 367-1700. Knighton on Teme, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire WR15 8LW; or phone (584) 79404. Italy, Livorno June 2-28 “Tiles: Drawing and Painting” with Silvia Fossati France, Allegre July-August (June 2-14 or 16-28). Instruction in English and One- or two-week courses on throwing, glazing and Italian. Beginning and intermediate. Fee: 800,000 firing with Veronique Leukers and Michel Simonet. lire (approximately $636); includes materials and

72 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 73 Summer Workshops 1990 Netherlands, VeghelJune 24-September 1 Salt-glazed stoneware and porcelain with Beate Rein- heimer (June 24-30). Stoneware, porcelain, salt glazing and reduction firing with Petra van lodging. Contact Studio Giambo, Associazione Cul- Heesbeen (July 1-7). “Experimental Raku” with turale, Via Giano della Bella 22, Firenze 50124, Wim van Nuenen (August 19-25). “Decoration Italy; or phone 0552 24447; or fax 0552 29125. Techniques” with Suzanne Silvertant (August 26-September 1). Instruction in Dutch, English or Italy, Urbino June 3-July 21 German. Skill requirements vary. Fee: fll75 (ap­ Ceramic techniques with Richard Moquin (June proximately $92) per session, includes slips, glazes 3-23); and Alan Meisel (July 1-21). All skill levels. and firing. Live-in accommodations and camping Fee: US$2300; includes materials, firing, tours, lodg­ facilities available. Contact Piet van Melis, Instituut ing and meals. Contact Lynne Streeter, Corte della Pieter Brueghel, Middegall 23-25, 5461 XB Veghel; Miniera, 627 Adams Street, Albany, California or phone 4130-65675. 94706; or phone (415) 524-7115. Switzerland, Muggio July 2-September 1 Japan, Kyoto July 23-August 10 “Figurative Realization in Porcelain” with Maria Glazing and firing technique of Shigaraki ware with Geszler (July 2-7). “The Metal Armature—A Skele­ Chitaru Kawasaki. Instruction injapanese and Eng­ ton for Building Imaginative Clay Forms” with John lish. Intermediate through professional. Fee: and Susanne Stephenson (July 16-21). “Improvisa­ US$2500; includes materials, firing, lodging, break­ tion with Clay” with Peteris Martinsons (July 23-28). fast and round-trip airfare. Contact Barbara Carr, “Raku” with Gerhild Tschachler (August 6-11). Registrar, University of Michigan/School of Art, Creating large sculptures and constructing an ex­ 2000 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, Michigan perimental kiln with Fritz Vehring (August 13-18). 48109; or phone (313) 764-0527. “Material and Essence” with Till Neu, exercises for three-dimensional work (August 27-September 1). Korea, Chun-Bok, I-Ri City June 18-26 Fee: Sfrl050 (approximately $698) per session; “Broad Spectrum of American Ceramics” with: includes materials, lodging and meals. Advanced. Everette Busbee, “Low-fire Ceramic Sculpture”; Contact Elisabetta Mellier, Centro Sperimentale Manny Hernandez, “Mexican Pots”; Yoonchung d’Arte, CH 6831, Muggio. Kim, “Figurative Ceramic Sculpture”; Laura Speiser, “Inner Surface”; and Tom Supensky, “Raku Firing Turkey July 10-August 28 and Sculpture.” Advanced. Live-in accommodations Ten-day workshops on the village pottery of the and camping facilities available. Contact Professor Cappadoce, includes clay preparation and wood Dong-Hun Chung, College of Fine Arts, Ceramic firing. Beginning through advanced. Instruction in Arts, 344-2, Shinyong-dong, I-Ri City, Chun-Bok; or English, French and Turkish. Fee: US$300 per ses­ in the U.S., phone Yoonchung Kim (619) 745-8003. sion, includes materials and lodging. Contact G. M. Costello, FEU, 15 blvd. Jourdan, 75690 Paris, Cedex Netherlands, OosterwoldeJune 25-August 3 14, France; or phone (45) 89 35 79, extension 513. “Primitive and Traditional Pottery” (June 25-29). “Raku” (July 16-20). “Reduction Stoneware and Wales, WolfcasdeJune 2 7-September 15 Porcelain” (July 23-27). “Salt Glazing” (July Weekly courses on handbuilding, throwing, glaz­ 30-August 3). Instructor: Kees Hoogendam. All ing and pit firing with Philip and Maddy Cunning­ skill levels. Fee: fl200 (approximately $105) per ham. Beginning through advanced. Fee: £185 (ap­ session; includes materials and firing. Live-in ac­ proximately $312) per session; includes materials, commodations available. Contact Kees Hoogen­ firing, lodging and meals. Contact Philip Cunning­ dam, De Knolle 3a, 8431 RJ Oosterwolde, Fochte- ham, Wolfcastle Pottery, Wolfcastle, Pembrokeshire loo; or phone 5160-88238. SA625LZ; or phone (437) 87609.

Well-used stoking gloves litter the ground at the close of a noborigama firing at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.

74 C eramics Monthly April 1990 lb News & Retrospect dobaldo II Gonzaga, who expressed their Continued from page 68 admiration by ordering complete services suitably emblazoned with their heraldry. or capricious. That was my problem in view­ By the end of the 16th century, maiolica ing the 600 or so pieces submitted. After I had gained renown throughout Europe. finished making a selection, I felt that Maiolica ware was thrown on the pot­ whether we liked them or not, these objects ter’s wheel or pressed in/onto plaster molds. deserve our attention. The artists have put After bisque firing, each piece was dipped their bread out on the water to either be into a white glaze prepared by combining a picked up or to go on downstream and potash silicate (obtained by mixing wine

“Constructed Teapot, ” 9½ inches in height, with stains and low-fire glazes, by Patrick Hilferty, San Carlos, California

over the rapids. We are not only enter­ lees with sand) with lead and tin oxides. tained by them; we are also challenged.” Once the glaze had dried, purple, brown, yellow, blue or green oxide pigments were Italian Renaissance Maiolica applied with a brush, sometimes so delicate by William U. Eiland that it was made from the whiskers of mice. Italians of the 14th century thought of The decorator had to work quickly and Maiolica as an island and port (present day accurately as the glaze absorbed the pig­ Majorca) at the western extremity of the ments, and all mistakes, immediately. Mediterranean. They also identified the A second firing melted glaze and pig­ lustered earthenware they imported from ments, but if luster effects were sought, the Spain as maiolica, perhaps as a linguistic potter would apply oxides of silver and convenience or tribute to the island through copper, and fire the piece a third time in a which it was shipped. By the middle of the reduction kiln that allowed controlled in­ 15th century, when Italian potters had troduction of wood smoke. Afterward, a mastered the technique of tin glazing, they naturally referred to both lustered and unlustered pottery as maiolica. Drug jar, 6 inches in height, probably Deruta, So completely and successfully did these late 15th century artists adapt and develop the techniques of their Spanish predecessors that maiolica became one of the purest expressions of Renaissance genius and culture. Accord­ ing to one scholar of the period, Andrew Ladis, the history of maiolica “exemplifies the creativity and activism of the Italians of the Renaissance, and its development from modest utilitarian ware to a refined art form pregnant with Italian society’s aspira­ tions, attitudes and beliefs says much about the Renaissance itself.” Distinguished by the sheen and bril­ liance of its color, maiolica (recent prices for which have risen dramatically) was in great demand during the Renaissance by such collectors as Isabella d’Este and Gui-

76 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 77 News & Retrospect that elaborate narratives sometimes deco­ rated the most unlikely forms. Bowls, plaques, floor tiles, pitchers, plates, even distinctive luster, most often gold or red, flasks and their stoppers became battle­ appeared when the surface was rubbed. grounds both literally and figuratively. Form [See page 49 for an exemplary work dem­ now was at war with function, for while onstrating this technique.] Roman gods and heroes fought, made love Various towns gained renown for a color, and romped across cusps and handles, bowls a process or some other distinctive trait of and brims, function was sometimes forgot­ their ware. Orvieto and Florence became ten. Yet, these decorative objects found known early in the 15th century for the great favor with the public. One master was intense blue-black containers produced so revered and his works so often copied there. In Faenza, potters refined decora­ that even today in Britain, maiolica is some­ tion to include portraits and figurative alle­ times referred to as Raphaelware. gories, some of which repeated popular Maiolica ware can be classified as be­ homilies to ensure proper behavior. De- longing to one of four general types, ac­ ruta and Gubbio became famous for the cording to function. The historiated ob­ skill of their potters in rivaling the effects of jects served not only decorative purposes, metalworkers. Objects produced elsewhere although these may have been paramount, arrived in these two cities for the applica­ but also were instructional in that they tion of the highly prized red and gold lus­ educated the viewer to the heroism or vil­ ters. Other centers also became identified lainy of long-dead Romans. Another type with their maiolica colors: Orvieto for its served devotional purposes that have the purplish browns and greens; Siena for its effect of presenting Christian ideals or reddish browns; Florence for its cobalt blue; models. The third type served as containers and Faenza for broadening the maiolica for a variety of commodities and edibles. palette. In fact, so great was the reputation Finally, Italian Renaissance potters pro­ of Faventine ware that the city lent its name duced objects that told scurrilous or hu­ to the French term for the process, faience. morous tales, and some were adorned with It was, however, in Urbino that maiolica risque images. These objects were probably evolved from a “useful” art to a highly deco­ meant to amuse, and remind us that Ren­ rative one. Potters in that Umbrian hilltop aissance people were not all dour protocapi- city developed the style that made the 16th talists or ivory-tower humanists. century the Golden Age of ceramics in Recently, examples of the Renaissance Italy. This style, known as istoriato, meant Please turn to page 88

Mid-16th-century cooling vessel with detailed military scene, 20½ inches in diameter, Urbino (Italy)

78 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 79 Suggestions from our readers

New Life for Heater Elements Don’t throw away that old baseboard heater. The element wire is still flexible, as it has not been high fired. I have used such elements in a small test kiln, and for low- to medium-temperature bead holders. Also, the ceramic insulators surrounding the wire can be used for kiln furniture.— Stephen Plant, Revelstoke, B. C.

Rejuvenating Lumpy Clay An easy way to rejuvenate small amounts of clay that have become too lumpy to work with is to put them in the freezer (or out­ doors in winter) until thoroughly frozen. When defrosted, the clay might be on the mushy side, but that just means spread­ ing it on a wedging board until it dries to the right consistency. Freezing and thawing clay promotes the even distribution of moisture, resulting in a more uniform and plastic body.— Arlene Goldberg, West Charleston, Vt.

Recycled Eyeglass Lenses Lenses from an old pair of eyeglasses make good ribs for throwing.— Suzanne Hershey, Rocky Hill, Conn.

Quick Glazing A simple way to speed up the glazing process, which is not always obvious to be­ ginners, is to cluster the bisqueware around or on top of a woodstove or a hot kiln. Naturally, glaze applied to warm pots will dry quicker. And pots to be glazed with multiple layers can be dried faster between applications by returning them to the stove area.—-Judy Costa, Windham, N.H.

Recycling Underglaze Scraps In the interest of recycling, next time you decorate ware with commercial under- glazes, try cleaning the mixing surface (a sheet of glass or tile) with tissue paper, then laying the paper in a shallow dish in your next bisque firing. The result is usually an interesting blend of colors, which can be fixed onto the dish by pouring on some white underglaze and swirling with a brush. Then, simply cover with a clear glaze, and refire.—Stephen Arthurs, Hornby Island, B.C.

Dollars for Your Ideas Ceramics Monthly pays $10 for each suggestion published; submissions are welcome individually or in quantity. Include an illustration or photo to accompany your suggestion and we will pay $10 more if we use it. Mail ideas to Suggestions, Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212; or fax to (614) 488-4561. Sorry, but we can’t acknowledge or return unused items.

80 CERAMICS MONTHLY April 1990 81 82 Ceramics Monthly Cone 5-6 Iron Glazes by Beatrice and Robert Pearson

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, we have been developed in the Cone 5-6 range can streaks down the sides of the pot, and working with high-iron glazes fired at come close to the beauty of those we the overall background color is very mid-range temperatures in oxidation. described a few years back for use at dark brown. All aventurines seem to The following recipes are the best of Cone 04 (see the June/July/August require a fairly thick application to a great many trials. All were devel­ 1986 Ceramics Monthly). However, a develop iron oxide crystals which oped for use in a fairly rapid-firing reasonably successful Cone 5-6 aven­ produce the characteristic sparkle. kiln. Our small kiln (with about 2 turine may be formulated as follows: Rather bright red iron glazes are cubic feet internal capacity) takes often illustrated in books on pottery, about six hours to reach Cone 5-6, Aventurine Glaze but usually no glaze recipe is given. (Cone 5-6) and cools quickly enough for ware to The simplest and perhaps best iron- Cornwall Stone ...... 39.05% be removed 24 hours after the start of red recipe we have is: Sodium Bicarbonate ...... 21.89 firing. These same glazes fired in a True Borax...... 15.39 kiln with a substantially longer firing Iron Red Glaze Gerstley Borate...... 7.10 cycle are significantly altered. For (Cone 5-6) Kaolin ...... 7.10 example, the golden-brown high gloss Gerstley Borate ...... 54.88% Flint...... 9.47 glaze becomes semimatt when sub­ Talc...... 14.63 100.00% jected to a longer firing cycle. Flint...... 30.49 Add: Spanish Red 100.00% Golden-Brown Glaze Iron Oxide ...... 18.34% Add: Red Iron Oxide...... 21.95% (Cone 5-6) The reason for stressing “true” Gerstley Borate...... 58.34% Two slight variations of this basic borax in the glaze recipe is a result of red glaze are: Talc...... 9.52 our earlier experience with commer­ Kyanite...... 3.57 cial borax. At least some pottery sup­ Iron Red Glaze A Flint...... 28.57 pliers sell as borax a material that is (Cone 5-6) . % 100 00 designated industrially as 5-mol bo­ Gerstley Borate ...... 55.13% Add: Rutile...... 3.57% rax. True borax is Na B O - 10H 0, Talc...... 14.10 Spanish Red 2 4 y 2 but 5-mol borax is Na B 0 -5H 0. Flint...... 30.77 Iron Oxide ...... 15.48% 2 4 ? 2 This 5-mol borax contains only half 100.00% One variation of this golden-brown as much water of crystallization as Add: Red Iron Oxide ...... 21.75% glaze is: true borax. At first glance this seems Umber ...... 6.41% to be a better substance because the Iron Red Glaze B Golden-Brown Glaze Variation 5-mol borax is a more concentrated (Cone 5-6) (Cone 5-6) source of both sodium and boron. A Gerstley Borate ...... 57.14% Gerstley Borate...... 51.22% glaze formula needs only about three- Talc...... 9.75 Talc...... 11.43 fourths as much (76%) 5-mol borax Kaolin ...... 9.76 Flint...... 31.43 as true borax. Our problem with the 100.00% Flint...... 29.27 5-mol borax is that its rapid combina­ 100.00% Add: Praseodymium tion with water in the glaze slurry Add: Rutile...... 6.10% Yellow...... 7.14% makes a hard lumpy mass. (A method Spanish Red Red Iron Oxide...... 22.86% for converting the commercial prod­ Iron Oxide ...... 15.85% Zirconium Spinel ...... 12.86% uct into true borax was described in This variation has slight tendency that earlier aventurine article.) A fairly thick glaze application is to flow, but it can drip if applied too This aventurine glaze is fairly fluid needed to produce the red surface thickly. A reasonably thick glaze coat so we always leave an unglazed area layer. As the red top layer of glaze is needed, however, to develop the near the foot, or plan on grinding off slides down a pot, it leaves a dark golden flow patterns that give the excess glaze after firing. The aventu­ greenish layer beneath. Extended original recipe most of its appeal. rine (a sparkling microcrystalline iron firing cycles seem to accentuate the No aventurine glaze we have yet devitrification) develops in flow slide of the top red layer. ▲

April 1990 83 Fillers by Robert Tichane

OF THE TRIAXLAL clay body elements, companied by a 5% volume change, be easily negated by the presence of fillers may appear to be the least nec­ which can cause crack formation in more than 20% feldspar, which re­ essary. Indeed, as can be noted with cooling ceramic bodies. sults in the solution of the very fine Parian ware, it is possible to formu­ There are two ways in which cristo­ particles of silica in the feldspathic late bodies without the usual fillers. balite will grow. First, it can develop glass formed during firing. As this is a Nevertheless, fillers do perform a just through thermal effects on rather common percentage of feld­ number of important roles: they pro­ quartz. However, in order to form spar to have in a high-fired ceramic vide channels for the escape of gases from quartz, two factors must exist: body, we usually will not see any cris­ during drying; they provide tobalite formed after firing. support for the body at peak Therefore, quartz will usually firing temperatures; they fre­ be the sole crystalline type of quently contribute to translu- “...alumina-based bodies silica in an average porcelain cency; and they are invaluable or stoneware body. as body-expansion adjusting commonly have double the strength materials. Quartz Silica is the most common of bodies based on quartz.” Added in the form of fine filler in ceramic bodies. How­ grains, quartz acts as an inex­ ever, it can be separated into pensive filler that provides a two major categories: silica ex­ number of worthwhile fea­ isting by itself; and silica in combina­ the quartz must be of very fine par­ tures. First, because quartz particles tion with other elements. First, let’s ticle size; and high temperatures must contain no water, they undergo no consider silica as it appears alone in be reached (1250°-1350°C, or shrinkage during firing. Thus they ceramic bodies. 2280°-2460°F). The second case of form a sort of skeleton for the rest of By itself, silica can be either crys­ cristobalite formation is from the the body, and permit gases to escape talline or glassy. The crystalline (high thermal decomposition that takes during initial heating. This skeleton expansion) forms are normally either place when clay (particularly kaolin) is interspersed with the clay (which quartz or cristobalite. The glassy (low- is heated to about 1000°C (1830°F); provides plasticity for the body) and expansion) form of pure silica will it will eventually form both mullite also with the feldspar (which acts as ordinarily not be found in a ceramic and cristobalite. the flux or glue that holds the body body because the temperatures The generation of mullite is usu­ together after firing). reached will not be high enough to ally considered to be favorable, be­ Still, there are some negative as­ cause silica glass formation (which cause of its relatively low expansion pects to quartz as well. It is nonplastic would require about 1450°C, or and its needlelike crystal form. But and has a very high coefficient of 2640°F). cristobalite formation is usually thermal expansion (greater than viewed negatively because of its high lOOxlO -7 inch/inch/°C). Thus it is a Cristobalite expansion (greater than lOOxlO -7 mismatch, from an expansion stand­ Of the two crystalline forms, quartz inch/inch/°C) and previously men­ point, for the clay materials and the is the one with which we are most tioned large volume change at about glassy materials of ceramic bodies. familiar in ceramic bodies; however, 250°C (480°F). A residual particle of quartz ob­ on occasion, cristobalite crystals will Fortunately, the formation of cris­ served in a completely fired, average also be present, having formed after tobalite from quartz crystals is sel­ porcelain body will be surrounded by heat treatment. dom observed because normally the cracks due to its high expansion. The Cristobalite is of interest to us be­ quartz that is added to bodies is not quartz crystals will contract much cause it has a remarkable phase fine enough for cristobalite genera­ more than the other parts of the body change at about 250°C (480°F). This tion. Cristobalite from clay decompo­ and there will be circumferential phase change from the Beta (high- sition, however, is a genuine possibil­ cracks associated with large quartz temperature) to the Alpha (low-tem- ity. It is fortunate that this second crystals after firing is completed. perature) form of cristobalite is ac­ mode of cristobalite formation can Although these cracks may be

84 CERAMICS MONTHLY considered a source of weakness in a mented in his notebook that in order tent were it not for its high cost com­ fired body, the quartz particles may to avoid many breakage problems it pared to silica and grog. Calcined also be viewed as a source of strength was a good idea to separate and elimi­ alumina has a lower expansion than because they are crack-blocking enti­ nate the fine quartz particles by water quartz and thus can be used to lower ties. If a crack starts in a body and it elutriation (settling). This is still a the expansion of ceramic bodies. It is propagates, the route of the crack good idea as well as a suitable tech­ also relatively unreactive and remains will be from quartz particle to quartz nique today—Just make a thin water present as alumina through much particle, and will not usually pass slurry of the quartz content, then firing. In addition, alumina has a through those crystals. In a completely pour off and discard the uppermost lower tendency than silica to be dis­ glassy body, however, a crack started portions to eliminate fine particles. solved by the fluxes in a ceramic body. at one side would propagate straight However, one must never forget On the negative side, calcined alu­ through and would result in body that there are fine quartz particles in mina is not present as large transpar­ failure. Thus, quartz may be consid­ the other raw materials used in ce­ ent crystals; therefore it does not ered to be a crack terminator. ramic bodies. One example is the usually help translucency; though, if Although feldspar acts as a flux at presence of quartz in feldspars (at pure, it may increase whiteness of a high temperatures, it is definitely not times as high as 25%). Also, ball clays body. It does improve the strength of a highly fluid material, so it does not will have sizable amounts of quartz in bodies, however, and alumina-based dissolve quartz in a body as fast as, say, them (perhaps 10%-15%). bodies commonly have double the hot water dissolves sugar. There is strength of bodies based on quartz. only a slight solution of quartz by Grog As a test, to see what you may be feldspar because of the high viscosity Next to silica, the most important missing in the way of color and of the feldspathic glass formed by the filler for clay bodies is grog—frag­ strength, obtain a pound of calcined melting of the mineral. Obviously, ments of a completely fired body. alumina and make up a test body by more silica will be dissolved by the Typically, it is added to a clay body to substituting it for silica. You might feldspathic glass with: fine quartz and open the structure and thus promote find it is so remarkable that it is worth feldspar; thorough mixing; high tem­ faster drying, or to allow thicker wall paying five times the cost of silica. peratures; long firing times. The so­ sections without cracking. Grog also In an attempt to lower the cost of lution process will result in the con­ provides added strength to a body alumina additions to whiteware bod­ version of silica from its high-expan- during the drying process. ies, a test was made by James S. Floyd sion form (quartz) to a low-expan- When using coarse grog to open a in 1970. In an American Ceramic Society sion state in the glass. The accumula­ clay body, however, it is necessary to Bulletin article he described the pos­ tion of silica by a feldspathic glass will take care in selecting the appropriate sibility of using calcined bauxite ore lower the glass’s expansion by virtue material. Frequently one obtains grog rather than pure calcined alumina as of the fact that silica is increased and with a lot of fine particles in it even an additive to whiteware bodies. Us­ alkalies are decreased (by dilution). though it is described as coarse. These ing relatively pure bauxite ore (which For these reasons, it is very impor­ fines should be separated out before still had 1.5% iron oxide and 3% tant to consider the particle size of adding the grog to the body, other­ titania in it), he found that calcined any quartz that is added to a ceramic wise some of the benefits may be bauxite performed similarly to cal­ body. When the quartz grains are rela­ negated by this dust. cined alumina. When fired to high tively large (at least 50 microns), there temperatures (1500°C, 2730°F) ce­ will be little quartz solution no matter Calcined Clay ramic bodies made with this material how fine grained the feldspar is. On Calcining involves firing a clay, were found to have double the flex­ the other hand, if one uses well-pul­ such as a coarse kaolin, to 800°-900°C ural strength of the same body made verized quartz (aswithMinusil-5) and (1470°-1650°F). Such calcined clay with quartz of the same particle size. a fine feldspar, then mixes the batch has some positive as well as some nega­ In this respect, it was similar to the well, there will be a remarkable tive factors. It has lost its combined result from calcined pure alumina. change in the ceramic body. The water and a lot of its potential for However, because of the impurity lev­ expansion will become much lower, shrinkage, but it has lost its plasticity els, the body was not as white as it and it’s possible that the body can be and its ability to become hydrated would have been with either of the fired either at a lower temperature or again as well. It will also have a very other two ingredients (silica or pure for a shorter time than if large par- fine particle size, unless it has been alumina). ticle-size quartz grains were used. fired to the point where it starts to Other inert materials such as zir- Often the quartz (flint) used in sinter. Because of this fine particle conia may be used as additives to ce­ making clay bodies will include some size, calcined clay is most useful as a ramic bodies, but in most cases ex­ very fine particles. A material that is filler whenever one needs the chemi­ pense is the limiting factor. Thus the graded at 200 mesh affords no infor­ cal and physical effects of clay in a normal fillers for stoneware and por­ mation about the particle size distri­ body without having the problem of celain bodies remain quartz, grog, bution other than the fact that all of shrinkage. calcined clay and alumina. the grains are finer than 75 microns in maximum dimension. Thus, some Alumina Adapted from the hook Clay Bodies, copy­ thought must be given to quartz addi­ Another good filler for ceramic right 1990, The New York State Institute tions to bodies. bodies is calcined alumina. It would for Glaze Research, 511 North Hamilton, In 1770, Josiah Wedgwood com­ undoubtedly be used to a larger ex­ Painted Post, New York 14870.

April 1990 85 86 Ceramics Monthly April 1990 87 News & Retrospect Continued from page 78

potters’ art were drawn from public collec­ tions for a touring exhibition which opened at the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens.

Ellen Shankin Virginia potter Ellen Shankin recently received a $1000 merit award from Cedar Creek Gallery of American Crafts in Creed- moor, North Carolina. Intended for crafts­ people who “produce sensitive, challeng­ ing and functional work,” the award is given with “no strings attached”—recipients may use the cash in any way they see fit.

Stoneware butter dish, approximately 8 inches in diameter, ash glazed

88 Ceramics Monthly