22 ABLAZE with SPIRIT PUCKER GALLERY • BOSTON Brother Thomas’ Copper Glazes THE RITUAL OF FRIENDSHIP ur lives are framed by ritual. Thousands of years ago we were organized in tribes, villages, families, and our daily lives were set by acts in response to the natural world as O we struggled to survive. Today, we are organized around all of the technological devices that surround and entangle us. Clearly human communities are saturated by the all-encompassing Internet. A hug, a handshake, a kiss, a handwritten letter, a home-cooked meal, an act of loving kindness all shine in the midst of the myriad forms of electronic communications. Not so for Brother Thomas. He was constantly in communication through his ceramic creations, which shared his spirit with all in his universe. He also handwrote letters and faxes to keep the flow of wisdom and friendship alive. His words, his ideas, his profound understanding of all of life’s happenings were shared daily with me. As the day at the Gallery came to a close, I would try to describe people and their responses, events and experiences for him. It proved to be a diary of the days at the Gallery and of our lives. The next morning his fax, always handwritten, would await me in the Gallery’s fax machine. He had re-focused the experiences of the previous day and managed to abstract wisdom, guides for living, and common sense solutions to all I had shared. Our friendship was and remains a continuous sharing of ideas, experiences, perceptions and feelings. Brother Thomas always brought a profound sense of awe before the magic, marvel and mystery of daily life. He shared his deeds and dreams; he helped me and so many others with his words, his wisdom and enduringly so with his creations. His art was an act of friendship, an act of love, an act of affirmation. He wrote, “Good is what we do, holy is what we become.” And we now understand that his good opened the door to holiness and friendship for each of us. Thank you, Brother Thomas. —Your friend, Bernie On the Eve of Passover, 5771: A time of renewal, hope and dreams Boston, Massachusetts COvEr: vAsE, textured copper red glaze 13 x 14 x 14˝ TH1600B All works are porcelain CREDITS: Design: Leslie Anne Feagley • Editors: Destiny M. Barletta and Justine H. Choi • Photography: Keith McWilliams Printed in China by Cross Blue Overseas Printing Company 3 Canteen FOrM VasE, copper red and purple glaze 19 x 16 x 8˝ TH849B 4 Plate, lavender copper glaze 1 x 11 ¾ x 11 ¾˝ TH427B Tsubo FOrM VasE, textured turquoise and copper glaze 7 ¾ x 8 ¾ x 8 ¾˝ TH431B vAsE, turquoise copper glaze 9 ¼ x 9 x 9˝ TH358B 5 AmphorA FOrM VasE, purple copper glaze 16 x 8 ¼ x 8 ¼˝ TH565B Tall VasE, purple copper glaze 17 ½ x 5 x 5˝ TH935B 6 Plate, variegated copper blue glaze 2 ½ x 20 ¼ x 20 ¼˝ TH1416B vAsE, fumed copper glaze Globular FOrM VasE, opalescent copper blue glaze 8 ¼ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ 7 x 7 ¼ x 7 ¼˝ TH1954B TH2125B 7 vAsE, purple copper and green glaze 11 ¾ x 12 x 12˝ TH48B vAsE, purple copper glaze 13 x 4 ½ x 4 ½˝ TH863 Plate, purple copper glaze 1 ¼ x 12 ¼ x 12 ¼˝ TH701B 8 Infinity FOrM VasE, purple copper glaze 9 ¼ x 8 ¾ x 8 ¾˝ TH1899B Tall VasE, purple copper glaze 19 ½ x 4 ¾ x 4 ¾˝ TH816B vAsE, chrysanthemum copper glaze 12 ¾ x 11 x 11˝ TH1958B 9 Long Neck VasE, fumed copper glaze COvEred VasE, copper red on opal white glaze 15 x 9 ¾ x 9 ¾˝ 14 ½ x 13 ½ x 13 ½˝ TH1299B TH1603B vAsE, opal white with flambé glaze 10 x 9 x 9˝ TH1961B 10 vAsE, copper red on white glaze DOuble CurvE FOrM COvEred VasE, purple copper on opal white glaze 9 x 5 ¼ x 5 ¼˝ 11 x 7 x 7” Mv-2 TH1155B Globular VasE, copper red on opal white glaze 12 x 11 ¾ x 11 ¾˝ TH159B 11 squArE VasE, copper red on opal white glaze vAsE, purple copper on opal white glaze 10 ¼ x 3 ½ x 3 ½˝ 10 ¼ x 6 ¾ x 6 ¾˝ TH1936B TH1305B Tall VasE, copper red on opal white glaze 15 ¼ x 3 ½ x 3 ½˝ TH443B HExagonal Plate, copper red on celadon glaze 2 ½ x 19 ¼ x 19 ¼˝ TH103B 12 vAsE, purple copper glaze 10 x 6 ¼ x 6 ½˝ TH1042B vAsE, purple copper glaze 16 x 8 ½ x 8 ½˝ TH624B Cylinder FOrM COvEred VasE, purple copper glaze 12 x 4 x 4˝ TH653B 13 Globular FOrM VasE, opalescent copper red glaze 8 ¾ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH2080B Tall VasE, textured copper red and green glaze 17 ¾ x 4 ¾ x 4 ¾˝ TH770B vAsE, turquoise and purple copper glaze 9 ¼ x 9 x 9˝ TH507B 14 COvEred VasE, chrysanthemum copper glaze 13 ¼ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH1533B EllipsE FOrM VasE, copper red, blue and green glaze 12 ¼ x 17 x 3 ½˝ TH757B 15 vAsE, turquoise blue and green copper glaze 17 x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH712B vAsE, turquoise blue and green copper glaze vAsE, turquoise copper glaze 11 ½ x 6 ¾ x 6 ¾˝ 11 x 9 ½ x 9 ½˝ TH742B TH1638B 16 Bowl, tender green celadon with copper glaze 5 ½ x 16 ½ 16 ½˝ TH1521B 17 vAsE, tender green celadon glaze vAsE, tender green celadon glaze 11 x 9 x 9˝ 9 x 5 x 5˝ TH912B TH1672B vAsE, tender green celadon glaze 13 ½ x 13 ¾ x 13 ¾˝ TH1743 18 vAsE, copper red glaze 11 ¾ x 5 ½ x 5 ½˝ TH665B Tall VasE, copper red glaze 18 x 5 ¾ x 5 ¾˝ TH771B vAsE, copper red glaze 15 ½ x 12 x 12˝ TH1123B 19 vAsE, copper red glaze 12 ½ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH2189 vAsE, copper red glaze 15 ½ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH2185 COvEred VasE, ashes of roses copper glaze 13 ¾ x 9 x 9˝ TH631 20 vAsE, copper red glaze vAsE, copper red glaze 12 ½ x 9 ¾ x 9 ¾˝ 12 ½ x 9 ½ x 9 ½˝ TH1320B TH857B vAsE, copper red glaze 9 ½ x 6 ½ x 6 ½˝ TH1311B 21 vAsE, copper red glaze 10 ¾ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH1635B Long Neck VasE, copper red glaze 18 ¼ x 6 x 6˝ TH273B Tsubo FOrM VasE, textured copper red glaze 10 ¼ x 8 x 8˝ TH504 22 Canteen FOrM VasE, copper red glaze 9 ½ x 8 ½ x 2 ¾˝ TH2216 Tall VasE, copper red glaze 19 ¼ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ TH1459B VasE with Ribbands, copper red glaze 10 ¾ x 9 ¾ x 9 ¾˝ TH2139B 23 vAsE, copper red glaze 13 x 9 ½ x 9 ½˝ TH2084B Tall VasE, textured copper red glaze 20 ¼ x 4 ½ x 4 ½˝ TH815B vAsE, copper red glaze 10 ½ x 5 ½ x 5 ½˝ TH1175B 24 vAsE, rose red copper glaze 7 x 7 x 7˝ TH1834B COvEred VasE, rose red copper glaze COvEred VasE, rouge flambé glaze 17 ¼ x 9 ¼ x 9 ¼˝ 15 x 9 ¾ x 9 ¾˝ TH853B TH1173B 25 HearT FOrM VasE, rose red copper glaze 10 ¾ x 13 ½ x 13 ½˝ TH2140B HearT FOrM VasE, copper red glaze 9 ¼ x 11 ¼ x 11 ¼˝ TH2085B 26 vAsE, copper red and purple glaze 11 ½ x 6 ¾ x 6 ¾˝ TH660B Millennial Egg VasE, copper red and purple glaze 15 ¼ x 9 ½ x 9 ½˝ TH1264 Millennial Egg VasE, copper red glaze 13 ½ x 8 ½ x 8 ½˝ TH1253B 27 Plate, copper red with blue glaze 1 ½ x 18 ½ x 18 ½˝ TH528B 22 BIOGRAPHY Brother Thomas Bezanson 1929 Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 1950 Graduated from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. 1951-58 Worked in business. Advisor to the Nova Scotia Handcraft Centre. 1953 Began pottery, with the encouragement of friendsF oster and Sandy Beveridge, potters, and Fritz Weber, ceramic engineer. 1958-59 Traveled and studied in Europe. 1959 Entered the Benedictine Monastery at Weston Priory, VT. 1968 Graduated from University of Ottawa with a Master’sD egree in Philosophy. Awarded University Gold Medal. 1976 Visiting lecturer at Alfred University School of Ceramics in Alfred, NY. 1978 Traveled in Japan and met with five “Living National Treasure” potters. Traveled to Taipei as a guest of Dr. Paul Chiang, Director of the National Palace Museum. 1983 Awarded National Endowment for the Arts grant. 1985 Became Artist-in-Residence at Mount Saint Benedict in Erie, PA. vAsE, copper red with green glaze 2007 Died at Mount Saint Benedict in Erie, PA. 16 x 5 ¾ x 5 ¾˝ TH740B MUSEUM AND GALLERY EXHIBITIONS 1972 G. W. V. Smith Art Museum, Springfield, MA 1993 Queensborough Community College Art Gallery, Bayside, NY 1974 St. Mary’s University Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA, “Vessel and Visions” 1980 G. W. V. Smith Art Museum, Springfield, MA Canton Art Institute, Canton, OH 1982 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Benedicta Art Center, College of St. Benedicta, St. Josephs, MN 1983 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Dimock Gallery, George Washington University, Washington, DC 1984 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA 1994 Catharine G. Murphy Galleries, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN 1986 Carlyn Gallery, New York, NY Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “Of Measures Beyond the Perfect” Galerie Kieff, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1995 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “Gifts from the Fire II” 1987 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA 1997 St. Vincent’s College, Latrobe, PA, “Gifts from theF ire: The CeramicA rt of New Acquisitions Gallery, Syracuse, NY Brother Thomas” 1988 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “Continuity and Renewal” Mount Saint Benedict, Erie, PA Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, “Gifts from the Fire: The Porcelains of Brother Thomas Bezanson” Olin Museum, Roanoke College, Salem, VA 1998 Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Thronja Gallery, Springfield, MA 1999 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “A Time for Celebration” 1989 Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, MA Green Gallery, Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan Seton Memorial Gallery, Saint Peter’s School, New Brunswick, NJ Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA, “Reflections from the Fire” Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA 2001 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “The Beauty of the Seen” Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT 2003 Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT 1990 Dee Erlien Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Sagendorph Art Gallery, Keene State College, Keene, NH, “Visions in Cloth and Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Clay” Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “Creator of Luminaries” 1991 Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA, “The ContinuingS earch for the Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA, “40 Years of Ceramic Art” Beautiful” 2004 Soufer Gallery, New York, NY, “From the Earth: The CeramicA rt of Brother Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, “Brother Thomas: Vessels Thomas” from 1980 to 1990” 2005 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “How Great is our Joy!” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, “Collecting American Decorative Arts and Sculpture, 1971-1991” 2006 Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Erie, PA, “The Journey and the Gift” 1992 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, “Recent Gifts” Soufer Gallery, New York, NY, “Porcelains by Brother Thomas” Nada/Mason Gallery, Northfield Mt.