From Painter to Potter to Painter Again

92 Pages·2014·12.77 MB·English

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December 1989
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
Editorial, Advertising
and Circulation Offices
1609 Northwest Boulevard
Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212
[phone]
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Copyright © 1989
Professional Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved
2 Ceramics Monthly
3
December 1989
4 Ceramics Monthly
Volume 37, Number 10 • December 1989
Feature Articles
A Search for Form and Place:
Wayne Higby, An Autobiography ......................................................................... 27
Rebuilding at Lejsta by AnnaKarin Boode .......................................................... 38
Something to Say by Debra Norby with Cale Kinne ............................................ 40
A Stove Project in Kenya by Hugh Allen............................................................42
Yih-Wen Kuo .......................................................................................47
A Stove Project in Kenya
We often see
Tile Illustration
coverage of big U.S. aid projects in the
news because of their importance to in­ From Painter to Potter to Painter Again by Paul Lewing...................................... 50
ternational relations, or because of waste
and mismanagement. But there’s another
Potters of the Upper Amazon by Dorothea and Norman Whitten, Jr. ............. 53
side to U.S. aid—smaller (often Third
World) programs such as this one which
uses ceramic technology to save nearly Danish Potters by Lisa Engqvist .............................................................................57
50,000 tons of wood each year in
a country where deforestation threatens
the ecology; turn to page 42 for a look at
the process and equipment developed to
help make this project a success. Departments
Tile Illustration
A growing segment of
studio ceramists is earning significant in­
Letters ........................................... 6 Questions .......................................80
come through tile illustration, working
on handmade or commercial tile. In ei­ Where to Show ............................. 8
Suggestions .................................. 82
ther case, the results have broad applica­
tions in architecture; page 50. Itinerary ........................................ 14
Classified Advertising ................. 84
New Books ................................... 18
Annual Index:
Comment:
January-December 1989 ......................... 86
Plagiarism and Wood Firing
by Terry Davies .................................... 22 Index to Advertisers ......................88
News 8c Retrospect
Danish Potters
1950s design has given
way to a variety of ideas about simplicity Free Summer Workshop Listing ................ 65 Daleene Menning ........................................ 68
and natural materials; see some of these
potters’ latest works starting on page 57. New Views in Toronto Clayton Thiel ...............................................70
by Heidi Burkhardt ................................. 65 William Yonker
The cover Wayne Higby and a “land­ Ceramics in the Pretty Big One .................. 65 by Michael Rubin .................................... 72
scape bowl” nestled in hay (his raku fuel
Jim Kraft ...................................................... 66 Indiana Illusions and Realities .................... 72
of choice). The wooden, lidded box is a
chamber he built specifically for post­ Marja Hooft/Danielle Janssen .................... 66 Beth Changstrom ........................................ 72
firing reduction. Higby’s revealing auto­
Martha Gittelman Retrospective ................. 66 Jerry Caplan ................................................. 78
biography, “A Search for Form and Place,”
begins on page 27. Photo: Steve Myers. Gail Kristensen ............................................ 68 Teco Art Pottery .......................................... 78
5
December 1989
Letters
commend Ceramics Monthly for patience and
the space awarded to this person.
His catalog of old-timers reads like a
who’s who of American ceramists; and, as I
recollect, most have been mentioned in
CM. However, he did leave out one fine ol’
timer, my neighbor, Paul Soldner.
Warren MacKenzie on Pricing As for the third annual Marble Colo­
Maybe it’s a small point, but it is really rado Art Fair, he’s right! Not only were
irritating to read again and again [see No­ there crocheted ducks; but, when you
vember Letters] that my approach to pric­ squeezed them, they pooped jelly beans—
ing my work (so that people can easily an astute fact that our detractor somehow
afford it and use it in their everyday lives) is overlooked.
dependent upon supplementing my pot­ No, I was not the only potter there. A
tery income with a teaching salary. For the neighboring potter had above-average,
last four years, I have not been teaching, ex­ wheel-thrown tableware, too. Adjacent to
cept for short workshops which are actually that booth was a sculptor with fine wood
an expense to me. In those four years, my and bronze sculptures that could grace the
income from pot sales alone has exceeded finest gallery collection. Down the line,
what I used to get from teaching. What is another potter, whose skill with brush and
the explanation for those people who teach eye is a challenge to decal specialism, had
and charge high prices for their work? Is it pieces as op/pop art as you can get. The
the cushion of the academic salary that marble sculptor was also remarkable, with
allows them to raise their prices? semiabstract sculptures. This was his first
No one seems to have caught on to the show; and behind him, his mentor
fact that the pots I make are simply con­ had children and adults enthusiastically
ceived and can be easily and quickly made chipping away at a vertical block of mar­
by any competent potter. I make a lot of ble. On display were his very sophisti­
pots in a year’s time. At the same time, I try cated, double-helix sculptures, carved out
to keep looking for those qualities in pieces of 3-foot-high blocks of our local, pure
which will lift them above the ordinary white, Colorado Vule marble—a subtle tour
utilitarian pot. Not all of them succeed. But de force that eluded the ken of our detract­
those that do are there for anyone who can ing commentator.
recognize expression and respond to it. Be­ The alleged real estate booth was in­
cause I want to keep my prices down, I stead an informational display set up by the
refuse to ship pots, since packing and mail­ newly revived Colorado Vule Marble Com­
ing take me away from the studio. My show­ pany. The marble quarrying operation in
room is set up so that people select and our town was closed down back in 1941.
pack their own pots without my having to Among significant monuments that were
stop work to wait on them. This, of course, fabricated from this marble are the Lin­
cannot work everywhere, but it is possible coln Memorial and the Tomb of the Un­
where I live. This location was selected with known Soldier.
that in mind, and it has worked well. The fair encouraged “art in action,”
When I sell through exhibitions and which included an exhibiting local painter
galleries, the price of my pots must reflect who is well known in our valley for her
gallery overhead, but I will not agree to sensitive landscapes. I also demonstrated
justify these galleries by charging their prices throwing on the hand wheel, much to the
at my own showroom. Anyone who comes delight of young and old alike.
here and wraps her/his own pots deserves As for the rocky, dusty location, this is
to purchase at a price that reflects that the town basketball court (donations ac­
situation. I am always surprised at potters cepted). It is situated next to the national
who agree never to undersell a gallery price, historical Colorado Vule Marble Mill site.
even if the gallery is in the middle of the The perimeter is bordered with towering
high-rent district of a large city and the spruces and graceful, willow-leaf cotton­
potter has much lower expenses. It is the woods, backed by lofty peaks. Yes, our town
gallery owner’s choice of location and he/ is located in the incomparable beauty of
she must charge for it. the Crystal River Valley, which is adjacent
Incidentally, I never tell my students to the Maroon Snowmass Wilderness area.
what to charge for their work. Most of them The fair was well attended and, already,
charge more than I do for similar pieces. serious artists and craftspersons are con­
But as long as I can live on my income, I see tacting us from afar, as this is the type of
no need to raise prices. The differences are non-glitzy fair they prefer to associate with.
probably explained by the fact that I can Our fourth annual Marble Art Fair will be
work quite fast and I keep the concept of held June 30-July 1, 1990.
my work as simple as possible without Thanos A. Johnson
sacrificing richness and quality. Marble, Colo.
Warren MacKenzie
Stillwater, Minn. Share your thoughts with other readers. All letters
must be signed, but names will be withheld on
Generations and Fairs Redressed request. Mail to: The Editor, Ceramics Monthly,
I am responding to the carping “Gen­ Box 12448, Columbus, Ohio 43212; or FAX to
eration Gap” letter in the October issue. I [phone].
6 Ceramics Monthly

Where to Show
tion. Send SASE to Uptown Arts Gallery, 2340 Contact Bob Owens, Department of Fine Arts,
N.W. Westover, Portland 97210; or phone (503) North Georgia College, Dahlonega 30597; or
229-0412. phone [phone].
December 30 entry deadline March 23, 1990 entry deadline
Exhibitions, Fairs, Festivals and Sales
Gatlinburg, Tennessee “From Here to There: Jamestown, New York “Aging: the Process, the
Vehicles for New Forms/New Functions” (Feb­ Perception” (September 7-October 27, 1990) is
ruary 24-May 19, 1990) is juried from slides. juried from no more than 20 slides. No entry fee.
Juror: Michael Monroe, Renwick Gallery cura- Contact the Forum Gallery, Jamestown Commu­
tor-in-charge. Awards. Entry fee: $15. Contact nity College, 525 Falconer Street, Jamestown
International Exhibitions Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Box 567, 14701; or phone Dan Talley (716) 665-5220,
Gatlinburg 37738; or phone (615) 436-5860. extension 478.
December 31 entry deadline December 31 entry deadline April 16, 1990 entry deadline
Toronto, Ontario, Canada “Second Annual Syracuse, Neio York “28th Ceramic National” Chicago, Illinois “4th Annual Great Lakes
Total Art Award International Exhibition” (Feb­ (April 27-August 26, 1990) is juried from slides. Show” (June 9^July 29, 1990) is juried from
ruary 11-25, 1990) is juried from actual work. Jurors: Matthew Kangas, Seattle critic and cura­ slides. Open to all ceramists. Juror: Ron Nagle,
Entry fee: $30. Commission: 40%. Awards: grand tor; Ken Ferguson, Kansas City Art Institute fac­ faculty artist at Mills College, Oakland. Purchase
prize of $1000 purchase, or solo exhibition in ulty artist; Daniel Jacobs, collector; and Marcia and merit awards, as well as two- or three-person
the Total Art Gallery; first prize, $300; second, Manhart, director of Philbrook Art Center. shows. Contact Lill Street, 1021 West Lill Street,
$200; third, $100. Contact Total Art Gallery, 80 Awards: $10,000 in purchase prizes. Entry fee: Chicago 60614; or phone [phone].
Spadina Avenue, Suite 307, Toronto M5V 2J4; or $25. Contact C.N. Prospectus, Everson Museum April 27, 1990 entry deadline
phone [phone]. of Art, 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse 13202; or University Park, Pennsylvania “Crafts National”
January 15, 1990 entry deadline phone [phone]. (July 5-30, 1990) is juried from slides. Cash
Santa Fe, Nezu Mexico “Santa Fe ArtFest” (June January 15, 1990 entry deadline awards. Fee: $20. Send sase to Crafts National,
4—10, 1990) is juried from slides; up to 5 works. Berkeley, California “The Berkeley Art Project” Zoller Gallery, 102 Visual Arts Building, Penn
$700,000 in awards; including $130,000 grand (February 5-March 3, 1990 showing for finalists; State University, University Park 16802; or phone
prize. Entry fee: $100 for adults, $50 for under permanent display for winner) is juried from [phone].
age 19. Contact ArtFest, 535 Cordova Rd., Suite proposals for a permanent, site-specific work to
208, Santa Fe 87501; or phone [phone]. be created on Sproul Plaza at the University of Regional Exhibitions
Geneva, Switzerland “Biennale Orlandi” California. Jurors: Richard Andrews, director of
(Spring 1990), a design contest for walls and the Henry Gallery at the University of Washing­ December 15 entry deadline
floors, is juried from a proposal describing the ton, Seattle; Joseph Esherick, professor emeritus Topeka, Kansas “Topeka Competition 14”
design and specifications for ceramic tiles at the University of California; artist David Ire­ (April 1-26,1990) is open to residents of Kansas,
measuring 21.6x21.6 centimeters (or a standard land; Suzanne Lacy, artist and dean of the School Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma, working in
proportion thereof). Juried by an international of Arts at the California College of Arts and clay, glass, metal/jewelry, fiber or wood. Juried
panel of artists, designers, architects, curators Crafts, Oakland; author Lucy Lippard; and Ray­ from slides. Juror: Wendell Castle, woodworker.
and journalists. Awards: first place, SFrl 2,000 mond Saunders, artist and professor at the Cali­ Entry fee: $15. Contact Gallery of Fine Arts,
(approximately $7020); second, SFr8000 (ap­ fornia College of Arts and Crafts. Up to $70,000 Topeka Public Library, 1515 West Tenth, Topeka
proximately $4680); third, SFr6000 (approxi­ funding (covering fee, travel expenses and fabri­ 66604; or phone [phone].
mately $3510); and six prizes of SFr2000 (ap­ cation) for the winner; the 2-4 finalists will re­ February i, 1990 entry deadline
proximately $1170) each. The three first prizes ceive $2000 each. Contact Berkeley Art Project, Quincy, Illinois “40th 4-State ILMOIAIN Juried
include reproduction rights. Contact Biennale Department of Art, University of California, Exhibition” (April 8-29, 1990) is open to artists
Orlandi, Mat Securitas Express S.A., Box 289, Berkeley 94720; or phone [phone]. residing in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa.
CH-1211 Geneva 26. January 30, 1990 entry deadline Juried from slides. Juror: Ron Isaacs, Eastern
January 20, 1990 entry deadline
Cedar City, Utah “Exhibition ’49” (April 7-29, Kentucky University art professor. Awards: $3000
Zagreb, Yugoslavia “World Triennial Exhibi­ 1990), open to all media, is juried from a maxi­ in cash and purchase prizes. Entry fee: $16,
tion of Ceramics/Zagreb” (June 21-September mum of 3 slides. Purchase awards. Entry fee: $10 members $12. For prospectus, send SASE to
13, 1990). Awards. Contact Ulupuh, Starcevicev for 1-2 slides; $15 for 3 slides. Send sase to Cedar Quincy Art Center, 1515 Jersey, Quincy 62301;
Trg 6-2, 41000 Zagreb. City Art Committee, Braithwaite Art Gallery, or phone [phone].
January 26, 1990 entry deadline Southern Utah State College, 351 West Center, February 5, 1990 entry deadline
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania “62nd Annual Inter­ Cedar City 84720. Pocatello, Idaho “Big Sky Biennial Vl/Works
national Juried Art Exhibition” (April 7-May 19, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada “4th National on Canvas/Paper and Small Sculpture” (April
1990) open to all media. Juried from slides. Fee: Biennial of Ceramics” (June 12-August23,1990) 16-May 11, 1990) is open to residents of Arkan­
$12.50. Cash awards. Contact the Art Association is open to artists living in Canada. Juried from 3 sas, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,
of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg 17101; slides. $18,000 in awards. Entry fee: $25. Contact Washington and Wyoming. Juried from slides.
or phone [phone]. National Biennial of Ceramics, C.P. 1596, Trois- Awards. Entry fee: $5. Contact Big Sky Biennial
April 30, 1990 entry deadline
Rivieres G9A 5L9; or phone [phone]. VI, Box 8004, Idaho State University, Pocatello
Vallauris, France “12th International Biennial January 31, 1990 entry deadline 83209; or phone [phone] or 236-2488.
of Ceramic Arts” (July 1-October 31, 1990) is Denton, 7>ms “National All Media” (February February 24, 1990 entry deadline
juried from slides. Awards: 40,000 francs (ap­ 26-March 30, 1990) is juried from slides or pho­ Las Cruces, New Mexico “From the Ground Up
proximately $5600), 15,000 francs (approxi­ tos. Jurors: Ann Graham and Ken Horstman, IX” (March 4—26, 1990) is open to residents of
mately $2100), and 4 gold medals. For further dealers. Purchase awards. Entry fee: $15. Con­ Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Juried from
information contact the Biennial Committee, tact Graham Horstman Gallery, 114 West Con­ actual works; up to 3 entries. Send SASE to Karen
Hotel de Ville, 06200 Vallauris. gress, Denton 76201; or phone [phone]. Ni, 4809 Falcon Drive, Las Cruces 88001; or
February 1, 1990 entry deadline
phone [phone].
National Exhibitions McPherson, Kansas “Aesthetics ’89” (April February 28, 1990 entry deadline
4-29, 1990) is juried from slides. Open to all Rockville Pike, Maryland “The Crafts Collec­
December 15 entry deadline media. Juror: Wayne Conyers. Cash awards. En­ tion” (June 7-July 7, 1990) open to clay, fiber,
Minot, North Dakota “13th Annual North try fee: $20. Send sase to Artists League, Box 252, glass and metal artists living in Maryland, Vir­
Dakota National Juried Art Exhibition” (March McPherson 67460. ginia or Washington, D.C. Juried from actual
4-25, 1990) is juried from minimum of 2 and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania “Fish Images: A Com­ works. Awards: $2400. Fee: $8, Creative Crafts
maximum of 6 slides. Juror: Brian Paulsen, fac­ petition” (May5-June 10, 1990) is juried from 3 Council members $5. Contact Madeleine Tier­
ulty artist at the University of North Dakota, slides. Open to all craftswork utilizing fish im­ ney, 250 Holly Ridge Circle, Arnold, Maryland
Grand Forks. Cash and purchase awards. Fee: $7 agery. Jurors: Amy Orr and Robert Behr. Entry 21012; or phone [phone] or 923-0137.
per slide. Send sase to Minot Art Gallery, Minot fee: $10. Send sase to Lynn Berkowitz, Lucken- March 5, 1990 entry deadline
Art Association, 2005 Burdick Expressway East, bach Mill Gallery, 459 Old York Road, Bethle­ Hobbs, New Mexico “Southwestern Regional
Minot 58701. hem 18018; or phone [phone]. Exhibition” (April 19-May 4, 1990) is open to
Portland, Oregon “Creatures from the Ark (and March 9, 1990 entry deadline artists living in Arizona, California, Colorado,
Some of Them Missed the Boat)” (February Denton, Texas “Contemporary Crafts” (April Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
1-March 31, 1990) is juried from photos or 9-May 11, 1990) is juried from slides or photos. and Utah. All media. Juried from slides. Juror:
slides of animal-inspired works in all media. All Open to all craft media. Jurors: Elmer and Diane Nick Abdalla, chairman of the Fine Arts Depart­
submissions must be for sale. Commission: 45%, Taylor, artists. Purchase awards. Entry fee: $15. ment, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
with 10% donated to African Wildlife Founda- For further information contact the Graham Awards: $2000. Contact Community Develop­
Horstman Gallery, 114 West Congress, Denton ment, New MexicoJunior College, Hobbs 88240.
Send announcements of juried exhibitions, fairs, festi­ 76201; or phone [phone]. May 4, 1990 entry deadline
vals and sales at least four months before the event's March 15, 1990 entry deadline Kingston, Rhode Island “Rhode Island Earth­
entry deadline (please add one month for listings in Dahlonega, Georgia “Mountain Images Small works 1990” (May 10-28, 1990) is open to past
July and two months for those in August) to The Sculpture Exhibition” (May 1-June 10, 1990) is and present Rhode Island residents. Juried from
Editor, Ceramics Monthly, Box 12448, Columbus, juried from 3 slides. Open to all media. Juror: hand-delivered works; up to 6 entries. Juror: Lee
Ohio 43212; or phone [phone]. FAX an­ Henry Setter, faculty artist at West Georgia Col­ Rexrode, head of ceramics at Worcester Center
nouncements to [phone]. lege. Cash and purchase awards. Entry fee: $10. for Crafts. Awards: $500. Entry fee: $5. Contact
8 CERAMICS MONTHLY