This coiled vessel was made by the late potter, Maria Martinez. Maria worked in the tradition of her families village, the San Ildefanso Pueblo. The work of Maria is notable in many ways, the first and most obvious is the elegance and mastery of the work, but possibly more significant is the way the these …
Category Archives: ceramic art
Pinch Pots
These pinch pots, by Kate Tremel, capture exactly what I love about pinched forms. Delicately crafted, the rims become landscape and describes perfectly the action of the fingers in making. Simple glazing accentuates the directness of form. The only addition to these wonderful bowls, is subtraction in the form of pierced openings in the clay …
International Top 10: Lin Tianmiao
Though the relationship to ceramic with the work of artist Lin Tianmiao is not specific, I do feel it has a place in this group because of her strong commitment to the use of video in her installations and her ongoing collaboration with her husband, the video artist Wang Gongxin. The other obvious relationship to …
International Top 10: Hayashi Shigek
It is the work itself of Japanese ceramist Hayashi Shigek that employs technology. On the surface, the work is inspired by science fiction and manga, and the look is that of mass produced manufactured goods. Looking deeper the work reveals strong associations with traditional Japanese ceramics and culture. Shigek is from Tajimi City, a …
International Top 10: Aaron Nelson
The work of Canadian artist Aaron Nelson is in my mind one of the most important social commentaries happening in ceramics today. Rather than moaning that the smart phone pulls us out of our bodies, he notes the complex dexterity needed to operate a touch screen and finds that we may be growing closer to …
International Top 10: Grayson Perry
It is difficult to know where to begin in writing about Grayson Perry. He is such a complex and multi faceted artist, for one, ceramic is only a part of what he does, though it does seems to be his primary medium. But also that his work can not be discussed with out discussing him …
International Top 10: Keith Harrison
I have been thinking over which artist I wanted to add to my International Top 10 for a few days now. Then today I was included in a conversation that helped make up my mind. The discussion was about the intentional breaking of a work by Ai Weiwei , whom I featured in my last …
International top Ten: Ai Weiwei
One of the parameters of this semesters assignment is that I may only choose two artists from any single country. For the most part this is no problem. There are many great artists in the world and looking for inspiration is a wonderful opportunity for growth. In the case of China though this is a …
International Top 10: Alexandria Engelfriet
The second artist in my personal international top 10 is Alexandra Engelfriet. I have a very strong personal connection to the work of this artist that relates to the way I discovered her. Almost two years ago I divorced a man who was not only marriage partner but a ceramist and a collaborator. The first …
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Beatrice Wood
“We are here on account of sex, though we do not understand its force. There is glory when the sexual force is used creatively, when it is open to the magic of the universe” The above quote and photo were taken from Playing Chess with the Heart, a book of photographs by Marlene Wood taken …