Peter and Sam Tomich on sat 19 sep 98
Hi Fellow Clay Lovers!
I miss all of you. I have been saving all of my clayart mail and will someday
read it. I have been outta here for a while for numerous reasons, one of which
is that I am busy working on my last year of my BA in art. Which brings my to
my quandery. I am not very well read on Modern Art, and I just started a
class about this subject which I know little of, and I was wondering if (since
I have to start a research paper and have to justify the topic) there would be
information about (mainstream) Modern Art's impact on ceramics and the ceramic
artist. This has to be pre- 1950's but can go back til right before
Impressionism. Where could I start? Does anyone know of any books written
about this or ceramic artists that I could concentrate on. I doubt my teacher
will go for this angle but if I had something to go on I might get a go ahead.
Otherwise, I am clueless as to topics that I could go for. I know too little
to make a hypothesis about anything at all. Any ideas at all would be great.
Send to my e-mail address if possible: aphesis@interpac.net.
Good news, I am working with my kids' elementary school to do a tile mural
with the kids. They gave me $1000 for materials, and it's a labor of love,
and exposure possibilities.
Thanks again for any assistance on paper ideas and areas to search out.
Samantha Tomich
Paauilo, Hawaii
Pam Myam on sun 20 sep 98
In a message dated 9/19/98 10:20:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
aphesis@interpac.net writes:
(edit)
> class about this subject which I know little of, and I was wondering if (
> since
> I have to start a research paper and have to justify the topic) there would
> be
> information about (mainstream) Modern Art's impact on ceramics and the
> ceramic
> artist. This has to be pre- 1950's but can go back til right before
> Impressionism. Where could I start? Does anyone know of any books written
> about this or ceramic artists that I could concentrate on. I doubt my
> teacher
> will go for this angle but if I had something to go on I might get a go
> ahead.
> Otherwise, I am clueless as to topics that I could go for. I know too
little
(edit)
===
Ceramics Art and Perception, issue29, had an article "Abstract Expressionism
Revisited, The Otis Years 1954-59." While this is just after the time frame
you need, perhaps it would give some ideas and you might find an angle in the
time leading up to that particular focus. The website for the magazine is
http://www.ceramicart.com.au/
There is an area where you can order back issues for $12. In case you're not
familiar with the publication, each issue is like a book and considering the
quality of the printing, etc., it's not all that expensive.
Pam
Vince Pitelka on mon 21 sep 98
>> I have to start a research paper and have to justify the topic) there would
>> be
>> information about (mainstream) Modern Art's impact on ceramics and the
>> ceramic
>> artist. This has to be pre- 1950's but can go back til right before
>> Impressionism. Where could I start? Does anyone know of any books written
>> about this or ceramic artists that I could concentrate on.
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism had a powerful impact on the
development of the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau, which in turn
provided the primary foundation for American Art Pottery around the turn of
the century - artist/potters like Mary Louise McLaughlin, Susan Frackleton,
Adelaid Alsop Robineau, and Frederick Hurton Rhead. Quite a few late 19th
and early 20th century European Modernist painters also worked in clay,
including Gauguin, Miro, Kandinsky, Chagall, and Picasso. This work, and
European Modernism in general, had a powerful impact on many pre-1950
American ceramics artists, including Victor Schreckengost, Wayland Gregory,
Henry Varnum Poor, Maija Grotel (sp?), Tony Prieto, F. Carlton Ball, and
early Peter Voulkos. All my books are at school, so this is off the top of
my head. You should be able to follow up on quite a bit of this in Garth
Clark and Marjorie Hughto's AMERICAN CERAMICS. The bibliography in that
text should point you to lots of other sources.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Sheilah Bliss on mon 21 sep 98
Hi Samantha -
Awesome choice! Some really amazing clay art designs came out of the Art
Deco/Moderne period from the 20's, 30's, and 40's: pottery, sculpture, tile,
murals.
The era of Modern Art is just FULL of clay folks. Artists like Clarice Cliff,
Wassily Kandinsky, Wayland Gregory, Viktor Schreckengost, Maija Grotell, Cowen
Pottery (ok... I'm cheating... some of the names I'm reading as listed under
photos of their work in the books ART DECO by Eva Weber & ART DECO by Alastair
Duncan). There were so many people! And so many styles, from cubism to
neoclassical to geometric to streamlined. Some people worked in other mediums
as well as in clay, like Jean Luce & Marcel Goupy (I believe they're French)
who did glass as well as ceramic work.
There's so many books! There's so much info on the Moderne/Art Deco era...
from reference books to art books to books on antiques and collectibles...
encompassing that era beginning, I believe, around 1908 and really taking off
with the 1925 World's Fair - Exposition Internationale in Paris.
The impact of Modern Art on today's ceramics and ceramic artists is SOOO huge
and evident - examples: Fiesta Ware, Noritake China, Clarice Cliff's
abstractions, even in houses, furniture, wall sconces, desk & table lamps!
Your instructor should go absolutely giddy for your idea.... they'd better
anyway if they're worth their salt.
I've gone giddy myself!
Sheilah Bliss
BlissPots@aol.com
Milton Markey on tue 22 sep 98
I'd like to add one more American ceramic artist whose name isn't yet on the
list: Robert Arneson. His art is quite popular, particularly in the San
Fransicso Bay Area, where he lived and created for most of his short life.
I saw an incredible exhibition of his self-portraiture, almost entirely
ceramic (one room in the gallery was devoted to wall-size sketches), at the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art last year.
The exhibition consisted of Arneson as Arneson--tongue in cheek, consistenly
poking fun at himself and the more traditional ceramic artists and potters.
Most of the work was life-size, or greater-than-life size, and required a lot
of time on the part of the viewer, to walk around each piece.
In the permanent collection at the SFMOMA is one of Arneson's famous self-
portraits, titled "California Artist." The statue, which is life-size consists
of Arneson's head and chest, propped on a marijuana-and-beer-can littered
brick pedistal(entirely ceramic--the man was a genius!). The eyes are
conspicuously absent from the dark sunglasses. According to many art experts,
this was Arneson's "answer" to the laid-back, neer-do-well stereotype many
East Coast artists attributed to their West Coast counterparts, in the '60's
and 70's.
Another exhibit of Arneson's work appeared at the MH DeYoung Museum in San
Francisco. His depiction of "things," such as typewriters with feminine nails
attached, a room-size ceramic (high-fire, mind you)scale model of his house in
Benecia, CA, and a porcelan self-portrait of Arneson as chef , his hands
spread out in admiration of his many concoctions (all white porcelan, high-
fire, with clear glaze)on an equally pristine white table.
I suggest that anyone wanting further information about Robert Arneson check
out the SF MOMA website, or visit the museum, to see the permanent collection.
I'm also a fan of Paul Voulkos. His rough, gigantic sculptures are an
inspiration! I saw a retrospective of his work at the Oakland Museum Of
California (Oakland, CA) several years ago. My ceramic sculpture instructor
referred me to this exhibit, since my own work is rough and sometimes
tempostious. Several of his earlier metal sculptures, as well as one or two of
his recent ceramic works are in the Oakland Museum permanent collection. I
think the Oakland Museum has a website.
Good luck in your search!
Milton MiltonsLin@AOL.COM
The Mojave Desert is finally cooling down. The migrating birds are beginning
to arrive on the trees and in the brush here at the ranch.
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