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I still vividly recall my early days training as a studio potter in New Delhi . The internet and access to WWW were still very limited. What may be considered archaic now – books – were our only source to open up the world of information. There were two […]

Many of us who began working with clay in the 60’s and 70’s felt deeply inspired by Hamada… a few people I knew actually went and studied with him. What we found was what seemed simple and straightforward in his work was actually condensed history of centuries and centuries of clay work. It wasn’t so simple! One amazing thing about his work is despite the fact it feels so familiar (and even more so now after decades of seeing his work) there still is the mark of individuality in his work. You can still see a piece by him standing alone among many others which aspire to but never meet the level of the master’s work!

Click here to view original web page at www.stirworld.com

Tony Marsh: Perforated Vessel, with Attachments, 2022. Earthenware, glaze H: 12; Diam: 20 in (Collection of Judi Roaman and Carla Chammas) Ceramicist Tony Marsh does everything wrong. He mixes up weird clay formulas, he fires chunks of pure glaze, he layers assorted materials in topsy-turvy orders, he pokes tons […]

When I see work being created at various universities and schools I keep seeing the same thing over and over again, the same figures, the same clay expressions, the repetition of the professor’s work. The thing about Tony Marsh is you can’t copy it because every time he makes something he’s ten steps ahead of you on his own path. I was in Southern California a few days to early to see this show but if any airplanes are flying in a week or so, I’m going back to see this show.

Click here to view original web page at www.laweekly.com

As the Edo period was nearing an end, the conventions restricting female artists persisted. Shoen Uemura fought to open doors. © Uemura Shoen ‘Firefly’, 1913 and ‘Mother and Child’, 1934 – Wikimedia Commons TDR A woman of the people who was appointed court painter, Shoen Uemura (1875-1949) spent her […]

She fought hard to make a place for women artists… not by clamoring or complaining, but by doing exquisite art that could not be ignored.

Click here to view original web page at pen-online.com

Image Credit : INAH Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have revealed a collection of stucco Maya masks from the pre-Columbian city of Toniná. Toniná, meaning “house of stone” in the Tzeltal language, was originally called Po or Popo in Classic Maya texts. The city […]

So much can be learned from traditional art – art which was without guile or pretense. Guile and pretense and cuteness and cleverness seem to permeate 99% of contemporary art and though it is “grabby” it’s mostly empty and boring… doesn’t hold your attention. These old pieces rivet you to the wall with their genuineness and humanity.

Click here to view original web page at www.heritagedaily.com

Here is an artist who seems to create out of nowhere but who still speaks directly to the audience through his art. As he says, “Through Ceramics I found other fathers and big brothers.” In this statement he is referring to his literal and soul connection with Japanese artists.

Click this link to see a marvelous 11 minute video of this wonderful artist

Click here to view original web page at www.bloomberg.com ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. All Rights Reserved

Chinese archaeologists recently discovered a large group of terracotta figurines from a tomb in a group dating to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in Datong, Shanxi province. Numerous burial items, primarily earthenware figurines, were found in tomb 113 and contained dozens of burial objects, the majority of which were […]

I do wish modern ceramic artists would take a hint from the depth of form and meaning of traditional arts. Often what we see in current artists is a focus on being clever, cute and funny. Nothing really wrong with that, but where did the depth go, and how do we return to it? Is the world today too materialistic and without meaning that true art that is spiritual and meaningful has no place in it?

Click here to view original web page at arkeonews.net

Art “Auk Morai R,” clay, plaster, and resin. All images © Tomàs Barceló, shared with permission Following a series of fantastic steampunk busts, Tomàs Barceló continues to sculpt figures that infuse classical foundations with otherworldly, mechanical visions. The Cala Millor, Mallorca-based artist shapes faces and limbs from fragmented shards […]

It’s always exciting to see an artist move in directions that are totally unexpected. Tomas Barcelo takes off in directions no one could anticipate, combining ancient imagery with modern fusion techniques.

Click here to view original web page at www.thisiscolossal.com

Betty Woodman was known as an artist who pushed boundaries in the art world. The art dealer David Kordansky, in a recent interview, called her one of the first ceramists “to be treated seriously.” He said she forced the point “that ceramics could contend with the greatest high art.” […]

Betty Woodman was and is celebrated as a groundbreaking artist. I will add that she also made work that could definitely bring a smile to your face. So much of “art” is brooding or angry or frustrated. Even with her most intricate and accomplished pieces, there was always something friendly and connecting about her work. I think this is because she came up as a functional potter and only later expanded into doing large scale art work.

Click here to view original web page at dnyuz.com

Beatrice Wood, 1908 We need to talk about Beatrice Wood. The last surviving member of the American Dada movement, the ceramicist, the artist, the writer, the actress, the lover, and let’s not leave out, the inspiration behind the headstrong character of “Rose” in the movie Titanic . Beatrice was […]

Click here to view original web page at www.messynessychic.com

When those of us who are of a certain age heard about the ceramic works of Beatrice Wood and her amazing life, she was already quite advanced in age. It was an inspiration to see what she was still doing even into her 80’s and 90’s. She was and is an inspiration to all of us who might think “I’m too old to start doing ceramics.”