Pottery artist

By AMAY

Soda fired stoneware by current resident artist and director Wally Bivins.

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Community class with instructor Robbie Lobell.

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Soda fired pot by current resident artist Damian Grava.

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White stoneware pot by past resident artist Britt Dietrich.

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Porcelain by current resident artist Nana Kuo.

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Community class with instructor Robbie Lobell.

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Annual Valentine’s Couple’s Night open studio.

Pottery Northwest Celebrates 40th Anniversary

By AMAY

In the 1950s, three neighbors in Seattle—Kay Perrine, Connie Jarvis, Iva Rose Bovingdon—formed the “Clay Club,” recruiting others interested in regular discussion and explorations in the medium. Following the Seattle World Fair, they found, on the mezzanine of the Food Circus building at Seattle Center, space for a communal studio for individual work and classes. Spearheaded by Fred Jarvis, husband of Connie, they incorporated, secured initial grants for start-up, and Pottery Northwest was born in December 1966. Interestingly, the original space is now home to the Center School, an alternative public high school capitalizing on the rich arts venue on the campus. And Pottery Northwest provides a supplementary ceramics program for the school.

Jean Griffith, then a graduate student at the University of Washington and president of the Clay Club, became one of the first instructors for the new nonprofit educational institution. Jarvis was president of the Board. In need of a director, they approached Paul Soldner at Scripps Institute for a recommendation and hired Ken Hendry for the position. Hendry served the organization well for those always-crucial first five years.

Soldner, already familiar with the Clay Club, took an interest in the new organization, and has been a life-long supporter, assisting in 1974 with kiln design and construction when the Pottery moved to a new facility, still on the Seattle Center campus. He has returned for numerous workshops and the occasional guest-instructor visit to our classes. He returns again this September for the anniversary celebrations.

Griffith was hired in 1971 as the director, a position which she held, with one brief retirement (she hated retirement) until 2003 when she became the current president of the Board. Griffith’s vision, energy, and perseverance can be credited with the growth and continued robust well-being of the organization. While fiscally tight fisted, Griffith is a risk taker. Remember that Seattle billboard in the 70s: Will the last person out, please turn off the lights. What was Pottery Northwest doing? Moving, remodeling a car barn into a studio, building three natural gas kilns, and beginning a sturdy, steady growth. From two classes a week in the old facility to three, four, five. From half a dozen resident potters to twenty or more. All pitching in to do the maintenance, to build those kilns, to organize fund raising auctions and pottery sales. Week-long or longer workshops continued in the summers, usually focusing on the art of the craft, but kilns were built with paying students’ hard labor, and Frank Boyden’s first workshop constructed a heat exchange system for the studio. He’s provided more typical workshops and other significant support, and he returns again in September to team with Soldner.

The new facility also provided space for a small gallery, and the opening show in 1975 was of Ken Ferguson’s work in conjunction with his workshop. While always a careful adjunct to the educational and developmental focus of the Pottery, the Gallery’s spring and fall sales were, for many years, a Mecca for would be collectors and bargain hunters. And many studio potters launched their first formal show in the Gallery. It has also gathered an extensive collection of fine 20th century American ceramic art.

Faced with a new growth plateau in the 1990s, Griffith and the Board worked diligently to secure an expansion site for the Pottery at a nearby military facility being vacated and ceded to the city for a park. As the economic climate changed from boom to gloom, it was simply not to be, despite strong support from local and state government officials. Disheartening, but a challenge to rethink and rework the potential of the existing facility. A challenge met. A new heating system, new generation lighting, updated electric kilns, two new gas kilns, studio spaces in the storage loft, a library and photography studio, new glaze material storage bins, more space-efficient shelving, an enclosed spray booth, new equipment. And the old 1940s commercial dough mixer for making clay is still mixing.

Pottery Northwest has served and benefited from over 200 resident studio potters in its forty years. Providing, in particular, a transitional venue for those preparing to set up their own studios or those preparing themselves for a graduate academic degree. Many of them served as the class instructors. Pottery Northwest has taught roughly 2000 students, serious and hobbyist, and offered more than a hundred workshops by the greats, should-be-greats, and will-be-greats of each decade. There are now 22 resident artists, and nine classes being offered this spring, along with three weekend workshops. And there is money in the bank. What are the critical success factors for managing and nurturing such and institution? Jean Griffith, named an Honorary Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1996, could write the book. We hope she will.

Celebrations, launched at the 40th anniversary conference of NCECA this past March, included workshops by Sam Chung, Deborah Schwartzkopf and Terry Siebert. And there will be collaborations with other ceramics organizations in the Seattle area: two community firings and a show of work by pottery instructors from four local institutions.

On the weekend of September 7-10th: A grand reunion with a banquet, an auction, a show and sale of studio potter and alumni work, and three workshops simultaneously ongoing:

Paul Soldner and Frank Boyden (two friends of Pottery Northwest since the early days);

Tip Toland and Beth Cavener Stichter (back to back winners of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Sculpture Award);

And the celebrated ceramics faculty of the University of Washington: Doug Jeck, Akio Takamori, Jamie Walker (winners of The Brotman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, and whose MFA program in ceramics is rated one of the top three in the nation); and professor emeritus Patti Warashina.

Beth was recently awarded the first Jean Griffith Fellowship by Pottery Northwest. Tip and Jamie are Pottery Northwest alumni, and Patti was a classmate of Jean’s at UW. It will be a wonderful family reunion.

All this builds for the future. Wally Bivins, executive director since 2004, says, “This place has amazing energy, and we have the resources and the focus to build on the best of past and present: great resident artists perfecting their craft, wanting to learn, willing to share and teach, a growing body of students with many loyal return customers who form the nucleus of our wonderful volunteer support, generous patrons and donors, and many eager new faces to keep us inspired. The future is bright, very bright.”

Cochucho Urns

By AMAY

Delfina Pasaye begins to form an urn.

Pasaye smooths a pot with a corncob.

Pasaye’s husband builds a tent of wood around the pot.

The pot is removed from the fire.

Pasaye spatters the pot with a mixture of corn and water for post-firing decoration.

A pot the author purchased from Delfina Pasaye.

Cochucho Urns:Searching For Pots In Michoacan

By AMAY

Some of the finest ceramics in Mexico come from the state of Michoacan. But finding the good stuff is not so easy. Don’t expect to see it in the markets or in the stores selling artesenias. Most of the finer and more original ceramic artwork is purchased by dealers and sold in galleries at very inflated prices. My husband and I had driven to Patzcuaro, the center for crafts in Michoacan, in hopes of finding lots of ceramics for our new home. We had timed our trip to be able to visit the Friday pottery market. That was a major disappointment, as only very mass-produced, ordinary ware could be found there. After searching around for a few more days, we decided that we had to visit the studios of the artists to find what we were looking for at a price we could afford.

Our primary interest was locating the large, wood-fired urns we had seen all over Patzcuaro. Our hotel desk clerk assured us they were made in Cucuchucho, a small village on the shore of Lake Patzuaro. That was a wild goose chase, as no one in the village worked in ceramics. The local tourist office was out of maps and had no knowledge of potters. None of our guidebooks had the information we desired. We were fortunate to finally find the office of Aid to Artisans, which not only had a wonderful gallery of lead-free pottery, but supplied us with names of potters, villages and a good map. Our destination was Cocucho, a small, mountainous village about a two-hour drive from Patzcuaro.

We arrived mid-morning and walked around the village square. Within minutes, the word was out that tourists had arrived, and we were besieged by several women, all wanting us to buy their pots. After so much frustration and misinformation, this was heaven.

Our first stop was the workshop of Delfina Pasaye and her family. She explained that each pot was fired individually. They had just removed a large 5-foot urn from the fire, but would fire a small one to show us how it was done. The embers were still smoking as her husband placed a burnished pot on them. He then made a tent of burning wood over the pot and explained that it would take about an hour before the pot was ready. Larger pots take three to four hours.

In the meantime, Delfina gave us a demonstration on how the pots were made. She started with a small plastic pail turned upside down. Using a very gritty, dark clay, she quickly built up the sidewalls from the bottom of the pail. It took only a couple of minutes to get them about 6 inches high. She used a corncob to smooth out the clay. Smaller coils were added until it was closed over. This was the base of the pot. It would have to set up until leather hard and would then be turned over. The walls and lip would be formed from where the pail had been.

The art of making these urns is to know when they are ready to be taken from the fire. If it is not removed at the right moment, the pot will crack. They did not explain how they knew, but soon after Delfina finished her demonstration, it was announced that the pot was ready. Her husband and son used long sticks to brush away the firewood and then lift the pot away from the coals. Delfina was ready with a bowl of ground corn and water. Using a brush, she splattered the mixture all over the hot pot., where it sizzled and danced, leaving the characteristic black markings. The whole process took only a few seconds, and there it was: a beautiful Cocucho urn.

On the walk back to the store, we learned a bit of the history of pottery making in Cocucho. Delfina’s grandmother’s grandmother was the first woman to make these pots. At that time the village was very poor, and there was no work. A priest brought clay from a neighboring village, and she began by making small pots. Now almost everyone in the village makes pots with clay imported from San Jose de Gracia. But few are as skilled as the members of the Pasaye family; as Delfina’s husband proudly proclaimed, they have fewer cracked pots than anyone else.

We arrived back at their small store and had no difficulty on deciding which urn we would buy. We couldn’t get away from town without visiting several other potteries and buying a few more pots. Then it was off to San Jose de Gracia in search of pineapples. But that is another story.

African Artistry in Clay

By AMAY

The tall cylindrical rain spouts are set upright in the center and supported by chunks of alluvial mud that will later be ground and sifted as temper. Cracked and broken pots form a shield around the edge of the pile. Sissingué, Mali.

The women climb in around the stacked pots to position smaller pots on top of the pile. Sissingué, Mali.

Large pots are stacked upright with smaller ones nestled on top closing their openings. Dogbèlèdougou, Mali.

The entire pile is then covered with straw. Dogbèlèdougou, Mali.

After the initial blaze of flames dies down, the women look for openings in the straw and run to toss fresh armloads where they appear. Sissingué, Mali.

A water jar, chicken watering vessel, two incense burners, a sauce pot and a “crocodile” pot. Sissingué, Mali.

Fatoumata Kouyaté piercing holes in a pot that will be used as a colander, or to steam grains and smoke fish, as needed. She allows the pot to become leatherhard but not too dry because she still needs to complete the bottom. Sissingué, Mali.

African Artistry in Clay: Women Potters of the Folona, Mali

By AMAY

It is mid-day. I am positioned with my tripod and camera on a hillock near the edge of the village looking back toward the houses. One by one, women emerge from between mud walls and thatched roofs carrying baskets loaded high with small cooking pots or balancing large storage vessels on heads with strong necks and straight backs. Adolescent girls help their mothers with the larger pots, younger children carry pots that are greater than their small frames, even children three and four years old are given something to carry to the firing ground. The men are not in evidence, though some do make an appearance later, perhaps more to check out what I am doing, than to offer support to their wives.

It has been about three weeks since the last communal firing and the women have produced nearly a thousand pots to be fired. On this occasion, the pots assembled represent the labors of primarily eight women, with a few others each contributing a handful of vessels to be fired with those of daughters and friends. Pots ready for firing are spread in all directions, for a last bit of drying in the sun. The women have laid a huge circle of wooden branches to serve as the base for stacking. Although they work together on the process, each woman assembles her own supply of wood and straw, and each will be responsible for properly stacking her own pots and tending the fire.

At the signal of the senior potter, the women take up the long cylinders that will ultimately serve as downspouts carrying rainwater from the flat adobe roofs of regional houses and mosques. These are set upright in the middle of the circle, supported by chunks of alluvial mud that will be ground for temper in future clay mixtures. Large jars for storing water and cooking are placed upright around the downspouts, with their openings closed by smaller vessels tipped on their sides. Tall wide rimmed bowls are placed upside down among the larger jars. Lids and smaller pots are placed inside, in between, and on top of the larger vessels, stacked high in the center. Around the edge are placed pots with chipped rims and serious cracks from previous firings to provide a shield from the wind and help retain the heat within during the firing. The stacking takes several hours. To the untrained eye it may look haphazard, however, the women know just how critical it is that every pot be well placed and secure. A single pot that breaks loose during the firing could cause an entire section to shift, potentially ruining the pots around it. The older women watch the younger ones like hawks, barking out revisions and occasionally moving in to reposition a vessel. When all of the pots have been placed, more branches are stacked up around the edge, stones are positioned to ring and support the circle, and the entire pile is covered with straw. The women stand back as the senior potter gives the signal to light the fire.

This is surely the most dramatic moment of the entire process, as flames leap into the air. It marks the moment when the women must turn the fate of their labors over to nature. They will tend the fire over the next 12-14 hours until just before dawn, racing into the heat with armloads of straw to throw on openings in the straw when they appear. Of the dozen or so firings I witnessed in the region, all but one was remarkably successful, with few broken or poorly fired pots.

On one occasion, however, no sooner had the fire been lit, than black clouds appeared on the horizon. The skies opened up and the rains fell hard for several hours. It did not take long to begin to hear the unmistakable ping of pots bursting. Several small vessels tumbled out from the upper reaches of the pile. The women stood back, clucking and sighing with disappointment. Eventually they insisted that I take cover, both out of concern for my welfare (and that of my camera equipment), but also to be able to focus their attention on salvaging what they could of the disaster. When the rain let up a bit around midnight, I walked back to the firing ground to find that most of the women had given up and returned to their compounds. A couple of teenage girls, soaked to the skin, sat shivering in the darkness. Only one of the senior women was still present, patching holes in her section of the fire with damp straw. In the end, her efforts paid off as she lost fewer pots than anyone else in what was a disastrous firing. The mood was grim the following morning as the women removed one after another of the poorly fired and broken vessels, quietly surveying the damage all around.

The predawn dismantling of the fire is usually a festive occasion. Smoldering ashes are brushed from still warm pots carefully removed to assemblages of each potters’ works. By day’s light, the women are making the rounds to critique and compliment the success of their own and their neighbors’ efforts, bending to tap the large storage jars, admiring the surface shine or decorative patterns on the vessels, turning the smaller ones in their hands, speculating on the prices their works will command. The pots are then loaded into baskets and onto heads to be taken back to the individual compounds for storage and transport to local and regional markets.

The entire production process begins again with a trip to one of a number of clay pits in the area. The best quality comes from digging a couple of meters into a dried up riverbed not far from the village. While the women may share a single clay pit for the season, the clay they dig with the help of their sons and daughters is theirs. The clay is broken up and spread on mats to dry. Obvious impurities such as small stones or sticks are removed. It is stored in large vessels, slaked down with water the night before it is to be used. For temper, the chunks of pre-fired alluvial mud and shards of old pots are broken and ground in mortars similar to those used for food processing and then sifted to a fine powder.

To mix the clay body, the women sweep clear a well-worn spot within their workrooms, or they may spread out a mat in the courtyard of the family compound. A basin of temper is deposited onto the ground and carefully raked with the hand into a large circle. Wet clay is plunked in the center and this is covered with more of the sifted temper. The women then begin a kind of dance, using only the right foot, moving clockwise, rocking back and forth to mix the temper into the clay with the force of their bodies. Every so often they will bend at the waist to check the consistency, adding more temper or a sprinkle of water as needed. When the clay body is mixed to their satisfaction—something the best of them know by feel—they will scrape the excess from their foot and roll the clay into balls. The clay body is remarkably plastic for the high percentage (as much as 30%) of temper it contains.

When a woman is ready to begin the forming process (often after the family meal and other domestic chores have been attended to), she positions herself on one end of a plank of wood placed flat on the ground, legs extended on either side. The balls of clay are carefully wedged and kneaded and shaped into cylinders sized according to the volume of the intended vessel. A cylinder is then placed on a broken pottery shard that will serve as a palette on which to turn the vessel as it is formed. The potter begins by pounding a depression in the cylinder with the heel of her hand, shifting to pounding with the tips of her fingers until the appropriate depth has been reached. She then begins to draw the walls up and out from the inside to form a loose hemispherical shape. Large coils are added to complete the sides and the vessel is shaped using little more than the potter’s hands and a shell-shaped seedpod. The larger the vessel the more difficult it is to maintain the walls during the building process. On more than one occasion, Fatoumata Kouyaté, the potter with whom I spent the most time, was called to restore the proper shape to the elastic walls of a large vessel under construction by a less-talented neighbor.

More coils are added to complete the neck and create the rim. Again the vessel is set aside while others are being finished. It is at this point that the upper surfaces and rims are completed and given decorative treatment according to local conventions and the stylistic hand of the artist. The shoulders and rims of water jars are carefully smoothed, to be polished and slipped when the vessel is leather hard. A small wooden roulette may be used to impart a pattern just below the rim, but most of the textured decoration appears around the belly of the vessel. Here the potter uses one or more plaited fiber roulettes to create zigzag or crosshatched patterns. A red iron-rich stone is used to draw a design on top of the leatherhard textured surface, and raised ridges marked by the impression of a dentelated calabash wheel separate the two surface areas. Additional marks may be impressed with peanut shells or with the caps from tubes of toothpaste, and nodules may be added at intervals around the vessel. Except for final polishing and slipping, the upper surfaces are by and large completed before the vessel is removed from the palette. The bottom and lower sides are then scraped and smoothed to remove excess clay and consolidate the surface. A foot may be added at this time, and the appropriate texture is applied to the base.

At some point in the decorative process, the potter adds her personal signature—a pair of parallel indentations, a circle inscribed by a pair of lines, impressed dots in triplicate. These marks are often passed from mother to daughter, or more rarely, from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. Virtually every potter I asked said that the marks are not essential to distinguishing the work of one woman from another, even when two women produce the same type of vessel. And indeed, I came to recognize the hands of the women with whom I worked most closely. It was in part a matter of quality, but also one of style, even when creating the simplest of vessel forms.

The most ubiquitous of pots made by these women are the jars used to store and cool water and pots of various sizes destined for the cooking of grains or sauces. Still in demand are the long rain spouts and steamers. An unusual vessel is a small spherical pot with 3-4 circular holes evenly placed around the shoulders. These will provide drinking water for chickens and guinea fowl since the openings are too small for goats or sheep to deplete the supply intended for the birds. Other types of pots are attempted by only the most experienced of potters. These include the colander-like pierced bowl used for smoking fish and for preparing locust bean paste for flavoring sauces. One of the most interesting vessels is the pot known as “bamadaga” (lit. “crocodile pot”), a lidded vessel used to store sacred medicines. The knobby surface that gives the pot its name serves as a warning to all that this is not a vessel to be touched or tampered with. Huge jars used to store grains are glimpsed in the dark recesses of women’s kitchens but are no longer being produced.

Life is not easy for these women. However, they are proud of their skills and of their ability to support their families with their artistry. While their concerns are for the future, I see the past, a rich tradition of ceramic production preserved in their artistry. The past is present in the style of their technology, in the range of vessels they produce, in the style of the surfaces, and in their identity as potters. It is their heritage.

the author Barbara Frank is an art historian on the faculty of Stony Brook University, New York, who has done extensive research on African craft traditions. She is the author of Mande Potters and Leatherworkers: Art and Heritage in West Africa (Smithsonian 1998, 2001) and co-editor of Status and Identity in West Africa: Nyamakalaw of Mande (Indiana 1995). Articles on African ceramics include “More Than Wives and Mothers. The Artistry of Mande Potters,” in African Arts, 27, 4 (1994): 26-37, 93-94, and “Reconstructing the History of an African Ceramic Tradition: Technology, Slavery and Agency in the Region of Kadiolo (Mali),” in Cahiers d’Etudes africaines,131, XXXIII, 3 (1993):381-401. Her research has been supported by a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship, a Social Science Research Council Grant, and a Senior Fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.

The Folona region is in the southeastern corner of Mali, West Africa bordering Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. The potters here are Dyula, one of a number of ethnic minority artisan groups providing their services for the dominant Senufo farmer majority. This research was initiated with a collaborative collection and documentation project with a team from the National Museum of Mali, funded in part by the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA, and the West African Museums Program (WAMP) based in Dakar, Senegal.

Fatoumata Kouyaté begins the forming process pounding the heel of her hand into a cylinder of clay. Sissingué, Mali.

Fatoumata Kouyaté mixes clay and temper with her right foot in a rocking dance-like motion. Sissingué, Mali.

Abhay Pandit: Seascapes

By AMAY

“I have always been fascinated by the waves and currents of the sea, of the waves at high and low tide,” says ceramist Abhay Pandit, adding that watching the repetitive patterns of waves always immerses him in a trance. It is this enchanting flow of water that he seeks to recreate by infusing a silent and static slab of clay with life and movement. He says he is simply crafting an illusion; one that alludes to the beauty and incessant flow of waves.The play of lines, color, form and composition meld on Abhay’s platters to create an impression of the continual sweep of wind over water, of waves soft or swirling, blue or brown, yet always eternal, white-edged and rhythmic. He captures “currents” in his turquoise, zig-zagged platters using a wire-cut technique that involves cutting through a slab of clay with a stretched spring. By varying the stretch of the spring and the pressure applied on the clay, Abhay creates a spectrum of thick and thin lines, channels and grooves. Glazed in hues of blue with white highlights, the platters come alive, resonating the calmness of a cove.

“Though the platter is a lifeless object, I feel this play of lines gives it a life of its own,” he explains. “In two-dimensional animation, the artist creates 24 frames to produce the effect of one movement. Similarly, on these platters I create thirty or more lines to create an impression of an action taking place, of an illusion of the movement of waves.” While Abhay’s platters attracted appreciation and interest for their beauty and freshness, Abhay longed to evolve his expression. Fortuitously in 2005, he received a scholarship from the Charles Wallace India Trust, through the British Council, to study ceramics in the UK for three months, where well-known ceramist Peter Fraser Beard accepted him as an apprentice.

Abhay was particularly pleased as Beard is known for his simple yet strong forms, graced with complex and interesting glaze treatments, exquisite textural surfaces and refined aesthetics. Once Abhay started working under Beard, all of his apprehensions dissolved as Beard extended Abhay kindness, generosity and encouragement to evolve his personal style. Abhay recalls, “Under Beard’s guidance, I experimented with different techniques to move forward from the conventional wire-cut technique.” At the studio, Abhay refined his skills and thoughts, as he attempted to create newer versions of lines and patterns. Beard introduced him to galleries, museums and ceramics fairs where Abhay saw the works of many ceramic masters, including pots by Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, Shoji Hamada, Bernard Leach and Mich Casson.

Back from the UK and inspired by his experience, Abhay assembled an assortment of extruders, combs, mats, brushes, spatulas, needles and boards with depressions and set to work. Leaving behind the spring used earlier, he started working on carefully affixing thin, noodle-like, extruded clay strips by hand to create textures, effects and compositions. Generally commencing the process with an off-centre vortex, Abhay affixed clay as either straight lines radiating from this core or as curved lines swirling from the centre to the periphery.

Then, by tapping the affixed clay strips with a spatula, Abhay flattened them, and by varying the pressure on the spatula, he created thick and thin bands on the platter. He deliberately tapped the coils lightly near the centre, thus keeping them thin, and progressively tapped them harder as he moved towards the edge, gradually flattening them out and broadening them. This play of lines, radiating or churning, and flattening out, draws the eye into moving from the centre outwards or the edge inwards.

Keen to develop the effect, Abhay took up a needle and cut concentric circles, with expanding radii from centre to edge, into the radiating lines. The circles set into motion another interesting dialogue on the platter’s surface, as the straight lines and circles of expanding girth intersected. At first glance, the centre seemed as if set at a depth, with the lines emerging towards the viewer. At second glance, the centre seemed as if at the top of a cone, and the lines were receding away from the eye. And then the viewer’s realization, after a few moments, that it is actually just a platter with lines on the surface.

On another platter Abhay affixed a long coil, moving out from the centre with its pattern, and he enhanced the effect by curvy lines emerging from the centre outwards. In other platters, he indicated the core by scooping out clay to create a depression and a focal point, and then allowed the matrix of lines to form from the edges of the cavity. In some, he brushed the entire surface of the platter to create a soft textured surface over which he affixed the clay strips. In one piece, he affixed strips of clay, tapped them down and then gently threw the platter from a low height; the slight movement gave the slab a shape and realigned the lines to create a wave-like pattern that he accentuated by cutting the edges of the platter. On one platter, Abhay affixed strips in radiating lines and concentric circles, and then retained only the spots where they overlapped by cutting away the rest with a knife. In each of the spots that were left, he made a small cavity with a needle.

In another interesting effort, Abhay rolled a slab, placed it on a rubber mat with an all-over crisscross pattern and gently pressed it down. On peeling the mat, the slab came off neatly and a uniform textured surface emerged. Abhay then placed this mat on a board that had a cavity cut into it. Next, the board with the clay slab was placed on four glasses (one in each corner) and tapped firmly. Gravity played its part and the section of the slab over the cavity sank ever so gently into it. The lines in the cavity stretched and thinned, and accentuated the hollow on the platter, as well as the play of lines. Taking a hair dryer, Abhay quickly dried the slab so that the cavity would hold and set the platter aside to dry completely before firing.

Once Abhay is satisfied with the surface treatment of the platters, they are bisque fired to 1652ºF (900ºC). Glaze is applied to reinforce the effect of the lines: for a muted brown glaze he sprays the platter with manganese dioxide, for a rich turquoise glaze he sprays it with a barium copper glaze. In most cases, the ridges are wiped with a sponge to highlight them, and sprayed with a transparent barium base glaze or nickel base transparent glaze. Once fired at 2327ºF (1275ºC), the raised lines turn white and the channels turn brown or deep blue.

And in these cooled platters, in their lines and tones, emerge changing patterns. A swirl catches and leads the eye from centre, moving out and then from the fringes inwards. Straight lines deftly merge and diverge, thin and thicken, advance and recede. White ridges seem closer and deep blue grooves appear a step away. Platters morph into waves, an eroded sea shore rock or a shell lapped underwater. Abhay’s quest to experiment, with the simplest of tools and with clay itself, gives us stunning and engaging works reminiscent of the magic of the sea, it eternal ebb and flow, its serenity and splendor.

Conferences, Exhibitions, Workshops, Fairs

By AMAY

Alabama, Tuscaloosa February 8?0 ?3^rd Alabama Clay Conference,?includes lectures, exhibitions and demonstrations by Ching-Yuen, Jason Briggs and Curtis Benzle. Fees: $135; after December 30, $160; student rates available. For more information, visit www.alclayconference.org.

Arkansas, Fayetteville January 31朏ebruary 2 揅rafting Content: Ceramic Symposium 2008,? includes panel discussions and lectures with Tanya Batura, David East, Jeannie Hulen, Nicholas Kripal, John Perreault, Jeanne Quinn and Benjamin Schulman. Contact Jeannie Hulen, University of Arkansas, 116 Fine Arts Center, Fayetteville 72701; jhulen@uark.edu; http://art.uark.edu/ceramics/info; (479) 575-2008.

Georgia, Athens February 22?3 揊ourth Henry D. Green Symposium of the Decorative Arts.? Registration deadline: January 25. Contact Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St., University of Georgia, Athens 30602; www.uga.edu/gamuseum; (706) 542-4662.

Maryland, Baltimore February 21?3 揝ynergy I: Moving Forward/Looking Back,?includes panels and seminars with Robert Dancik, Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Kathleen Dustin, Carol Duval, Tim McCreight and Cynthia Tinapple. For more information, visit www.npcg.org.

Michigan, Jackson March 12?4 揓ackson抯 Three Days of Clay,?includes presentations by Bill van Gilder. For more information, visit www.ellasharp.org.

North Carolina, Asheboro March 7? ?1^st Annual North Carolina Potters Conference: Three Women, Three Countries, Three Ways of Working with Clay,?includes presentations with Jane Hamlyn, Mary Law and Robin Best. For more information, visit www.randolphartsguild.com.

Virginia, Sweet Briar May 30朖une 1 揅ommunity of Fire,?includes panels and presentations with Svend Beyer, Robert Compton, Kevin Crowe, Stephen Driver, Victoria Hansen, Mark Hewitt, Micki Schloesingk and Jack Troy. Fee: $395; after March, $425. Contact Kevin Crowe; tyeriverpottery@aol.com; www.kevincrowepottery.com; (434) 263-4065.

solo exhibitions

Arizona, Scottsdale February 14?5 揓ennifer Moquino: Birds, Bees and Butterflies? at King Galleries of Scottsdale, 7100 Main, #1.

Arizona, Tempe through January 6 揊ollowing the Rhythms of Life: The Ceramic Art of David Shaner? at Ceramics Research Center, ASU Art Museum, NE corner of 10^th St. and Mill Ave.

California, Pomona through February 23 揙hr Rising: The Emergence of an American Master? at AMOCA, 340 S. Garey Ave.

January 12朚arch 1 揇on Reitz: Hands on the Goddess? at Armstrong抯 Gallery, 150 E. 3^rd St.

California, San Francisco January 3朏ebruary 2 Robert Brady; at Braunstein/Quay Gallery, 430 Clementina.

through January 27 揈dith Garcia: Contemporary Monsters Mini? at Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 55 Yerba Buena Ln.

Connecticut, Washington through January 1 Ann Mallory; at The Gunn Library and Museum, The Gunnery, 99 Green Hill Rd.

Florida, Gainesville through January 20 揟he Ceramics of Toshiko Takaezu: Function, Form and Surface? at the Harn Museum of Art, SW 34^th St. and Hull Rd.

Illinois, Chicago January 11朚arch 1 ?/span>Barbara Hashimoto Retrospective? at Dubhe Carre駉, 1841 S. Halsted St.

Missouri, Kansas City January 3朏ebruary 2 Michael Baxley; at Red Star Studios, 821 W. 17^th St.

Missouri, Sedalia through January 27 Peter Callas, 揝parks? at Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, 3201 W. 16^th St.

New Jersey, Clinton through January 6 揝hellie Jacobson: Clay and Paper? at Hunterdon Museum of Art, 7 Lower Center St.

New Mexico, Santa Fe through January 3 Z Jacobson, 揑ndulgence? at Counter Culture, 930 Baca.

New York, Alfred January 24朚arch 21 Jeffrey Mongrain; at Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, NYSCC, 2 Pine St.

New York, New York January 3朏ebruary 2 Anna Siok. February 13朚arch 15 Barry Bartlett; at Jane Hartsook Gallery, Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones St.

New York, Port Chester January 5?6 揂lbert Pfarr: Making Space? at Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St.

North Carolina, Seagrove through February 29 揥ood Fired Elegance: The Work of Donna Craven? at North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave.

North Dakota, Grand Forks through January 20 揥arren Mackenzie: Legacy of an American Potter? at North Dakota Museum of Art, 261 Centennial Dr.

Ohio, Columbus through January 15 John Balistreri; at Sherrie Gallerie, 694 N. High St.

February 3朚arch 30 揅hristina Bothwell: Invisible Realities? at Ohio Craft Museum, 1665 W. 5^th Ave.

Ohio, Springfield January 12朏ebruary 23 Stephen Hill; at Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Rd.

Ohio, Zanesville through January 1 揟he Hand of Toshiko Takaezu? at Zanesville Art Center, 620 Military Rd.

Oregon, Portland through January 6 揈den Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser? at Museum of Contemporary Art, 724 Northwest Davis St.

January 3朏ebruary 2 Betsy Wolfston; at Butters Gallery, 520 NW Davis, 2^nd Fl.

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through January 26 Karen Shapiro; at Works Gallery, 303 Cherry St.

January 4?7 Rob Kirsch. Alec Karros. February 1朚arch 2 Munemitsu Taguchi. Alison Reintjes; at The Clay Studio, 139 N. 2^nd St.

Texas, Lufkin February 14朚ay 30 David Hendley, 揚ots and Process?at Museum of East Texas, 503 N. 2^nd St.

Virginia, Charlottesville January 3?7 Cri Kars-Marshall, 揗orphing Forms: Ceramic Vessels and Other Shapes Marked by Fire? at The McGuffey Art Center, 201 2^nd St., NW.

Washington, Bellevue February 12朅pril 19 揈den Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser? at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE.

Washington, Seattle through January 26 揂 Ben Waterman Project: Reckoning of Mile? at Drop City Gallery, 964 Denny Way.

group ceramics exhibitions

Alabama, Mobile through January 6 揂labama Folk Pottery? at Mobile Museum of Art, 4850 Museum Dr., Langan Park.

Arizona, Scottsdale January 31朏ebruary 9 揢p, Up and Away: The New Native American Super Hero? at King Galleries of Scottsdale, 7100 Main, #1.

Arizona, Surprise through January 6 揂nnual All Arizona Ceramic Exhibition? at West Valley Art Museum, 17420 N. Ave. of the Arts.

Arizona, Tempe January 26朅pril 26 揟he Figurative Impulse: The Diane and Sandy Besser Collection? at Arizona State University Art Museum, Tenth St. and Mill Ave.

Arkansas, Fayetteville January 9朏ebruary 15 揅eramic Objects/Conceptual Material? at University of Arkansas, Ceramics Program, 116 Fine Arts Center.

Arkansas, Little Rock February 8朚arch 30 揑nnovation and Change: Great Ceramics from the Permanent Collection of the Ceramics Research Center, Arizona State University Art Museum? at Arkansas Art Center, 501 E. Ninth St.

California, Claremont January 19朅pril 6 揅eramic Annual 2008: 64^th Scripps Ceramic Annual? at Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, 11^th and Columbia Sts.

California, Los Angeles through January 27 揨ulu Fire: Ardmore Ceramics from South Africa? at Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd.

California, Pomona through February 23 揙ther Mad Potters: A Corollary Exhibition to Ohr Rising,?works by Steve Horn, Lisa Orr, Don Pilcher and Mary Roehm; at AMOCA, 340 S. Garey Ave.

through January 5 揂ll of It? at Armstrong抯, 150 East 3^rd St.

California, San Francisco through January 10 揌oliday Show and Sale? at Ruby抯 Clay Studio and Gallery, 552A Noe St.

Massachusetts, Brockton through January 6 揅eramic Sculpture: Fire and Ash,?works by Joy Brown, Chris Gustin, Karen Karnes, Don Reitz, Tim Rowan, Jeff Shapiro and Malcolm Wright; at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St.

Massachusetts, Dedham January 7朏ebruary 8 揟hree Potters: Mark Shapiro, Karen Swyler and Steven Branfman? at Foster Gallery, Noble and Greenough School, 10 Campus Dr.

Minnesota, Minneapolis January 11朏ebruary 24 ?008 Jerome Artists Exhibition,?works by Donna Flanery and Peter Jadoonath. 揓erome Artists in Retrospect: Reflections on 17 Years of Ceramic Artists Project Grants.?揊ogelberg and Red Wing Artists Exhibition,?work by Donna Flanery, Kathy Mommsen and Mike Helke; at Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E.

Missouri, Kansas City February 1朚arch 1 揇ynamic Ceramic Duos: Couples Who Share a Love For Clay? at Red Star Studios, 821 W. 17^th St.

New Mexico, Santa Fe January 4朏ebruary 2 揟he Seven Deadly Sins.?February 8朚arch 8 揜ED? at Santa Fe Clay, 1615 Paseo de Peralta.

New York, New York through January 2 揃reaking the Mold/Kata o Yaburu: Leading Women Ceramists of Japan? at Joan B. Mirviss Ltd., 39 E. 78^th St., 4^th Fl.

through February 11 揊ragile Diplomacy: Meissen Porcelain for European Courts? at The Bard Graduate Center, Studies in Decorative Arts, Design and Culture, 18 W. 86^th St.

New York, Port Chester January 5?6 揚arts and Pieces? at Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St.

North Carolina, Asheville through January 19 揃reaking New Ground: The Studio Potter and Black Mountain College? at Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, 56 Broadway.

through January 13 揥estern North Carolina Pottery: The Rodney Henderson Leftwich Collection? at Folk Art Center, MP 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy.

North Carolina, Winston-Salem through January 19 揊rom This Earth: Ceramics by Winnie Owens-Hart and Her Followers? at Delta Arts Center, 2611 New Walkertown Rd.

Ohio, Springfield January 12朏ebruary 23 揟he Contemporary Ceramic Collection from the Canton Museum of Art? at Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Rd.

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia January 4?7 揘ew Year朜ew Residents.?February 1朚arch 2 揃eyond Tradition: Yixing Teapots? at The Clay Studio, 139 N. 2^nd St.

Pennsylvania, Phoenixville through January 12 揟hrough the Looking Glass: An Adventure into Contemporary Ceramics? at Barnstone Gallery, 388 W. Pothouse Rd.

Texas, Houston January 5?1 ?^nd Annual Texas Teapot Tournament? at Houston Potters Guild Shop and Gallery, 2726 White Oak Dr.

Texas, Lubbock through February 17 揅lay on the Wall: 2007 Clay National? at Texas Tech School of Art, Landmark Arts, 18^th St. at Flint Ave.

Virginia, Richmond through June 29 揅eramic Portraits: Selections from the Georganna Yeager Johns Collection of Royal Doulton Character Jugs? at Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature, University of Richmond Museums.

Washington, Kirkland February 15朚arch 29 揅lay? II? at Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St.

ceramics in multimedia exhibitions

Arizona, Tucson through January 5 揌oliday Exhibition? at Obsidian Gallery, 4320 N. Campbell Ave. #130.

California, San Diego through January 27 揅raft in America? at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado.

California, San Francisco through January 13 揟he Diane and Sandy Besser Collection? at the de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.

through January 27 搼C?Change: Craft in our Future, Recent Alums from the California College of the Arts? at Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 51 Yerba Buena Ln.

Colorado, Denver through January 6 揂rtisans and Kings: Selected Treasures from the Louvre? at Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14 Ave. Pkwy.

Florida, West Palm Beach January 24朏ebruary 23 揗aster Artist Workshop Exhibition? at Armory Art Center, 1700 Parker Ave.

Massachusetts, Beverly through January 12 揥himsical? at Redbrick Art Center, 95 Rantoul St.

Massachusetts, Boston through January 6 揝hy Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft? at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Ave. of the Arts, 465 Huntington Ave.

Massachusetts, Brockton through January 6 揚ulp Function? at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St.

Minnesota, Minneapolis February 24朚ay 25 揂rts of Japan: The John C. Weber Collection? at Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3^rd Ave. S.

New Mexico, Santa Fe February 1朚ay 11 揊lower Power: A Subversive Botanical Exhibition? at New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe抯 Plaza at 107 W. Palace Ave.

New York, Corning through February 1 揅lay and Glass Invitational 2007,?including ceramics by Ron Hand, Matt Jacobs, Jill Lawley, Missy McCormick, Lynn Munns, Steve Schaeffer and Tara Wilson; at Atrium Gallery of Corning Community College, 1 Academic Dr.

New York, New York through March 9 揅heers! A MAD Collection of Goblets? at Museum of Art and Design, 40 W. 53^rd St.

March 7朖uly 6 揜ococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730?008? at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2 E. 91^st St.

North Carolina, Chapel Hill through January 5 ?0^th Annual Holiday Art Exhibition? at Somerhill Gallery, 3 Eastgate, E. Franklin St.

North Carolina, Charlotte January 26朅pril 20 揗ade in China? at Mint Museum of Art, 2730 Randolph Rd.

North Carolina, Hendersonville February 5朚ay 9 揃lue Ridge Residencies? at Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, 1181 Broyles Rd.

Ohio, Cincinnati through January 20 揤anishing Frontier: Rookwood, Farny and the American Indian? at Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr.

Ohio, Columbus February 3朚arch 30 揘ature/Culture: Artists Respond to their Environment,?including ceramics by Kim Abeles and Susan Beiner; at Ohio Craft Museum, 1665 W. 5^th Ave.

Oregon, Portland through March 23 揟he Living Room? at Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 Northwest Davis St.

Pennsylvania, Wayne through January 25 揅raft Forms 2007.?揑nspiring Craft? at Wayne Art Center, 413 Maplewood Ave.

Texas, Houston February 22朚ay 4 揅raft in America: Expanding Traditions? at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main St.

fairs, festivals and sales

Arizona, Tempe February 23?4 ?^th Annual Self-guided Ceramic Studio Tour.? For more information, visit www.asuartmuseum.asu.edu/ceramicsresearchcenter/studiotour08.htm.

Arizona, Tubac February 6?0 揟he Tubac 49^th Annual Festival of the Arts? at the Tubac Village.

California, San Francisco March 8? 揅ontemporary Crafts Market? at Fort Mason, Festival Pavilion. For more information, visit www.craftsource.org.

California, Santa Monica February 22?4 揝anta Monica Arts Festival? at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St.

Connecticut, Hartford March 28?0 揝ugarloaf Craft Festival? at Connecticut Expo Center, 265 Reverend Moody Overpass.

Florida, West Palm Beach January 11?4 揚alm Beach 3? at Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd.

Maryland, Baltimore February 22?4 ?2^nd Annual American Craft Show? at Baltimore Convention Center, One W. Pratt St.

New Jersey, Somerset March 7? 揝ugarloaf Crafts Festival? at Garden State Exhibit Center, 50 Atrium Dr.

New York, New York January 16?9 揘ew York Ceramics Fair? at the National Academy Museum, 5^th Ave. at 89^th St.

March 27?0 揜ed Dot New York? at Park South Hotel, 122 E. 28^th St.

March 27?0 揃ridge Art Fair New York 2008? at The Waterfront, 222 12^th Ave.

March 28?1 揑nternational Asian Art Fair? at Park Ave. Armory, Park Ave. at 67^th St.

South Carolina, Columbia March 2? 揅raftsmen抯 Classic Arts and Crafts Festival? at SC State Fairgrounds, Cantey and Ellison Bldgs., 1200 Rosewood Ave.

Virginia, Chantilly January 25?7, 2008 揝ugarloaf Crafts Festival?/span>; at the Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center.

March 23?5 揅raftsmen抯 Classic Arts and Crafts Festival? at Dulles Expo Center, South Hall, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center.

Virginia, Richmond March 9?1 揅raftsmen抯 Classic Arts and Crafts Festival? at Richmond Raceway Complex, Exhibition and Commonwealth Bldgs., 600 E. Laburnum Ave.

workshops

Arizona, Tucson January 12?3 揌andbuilding: Form+Surface+Spirit?with Tom Kerrigan. Fee: $100. March 14?5 揜elief Tiles?with Stephani Stephenson. Fee: $90. Contact Jan Bell, Southern Arizona Clay Artists; jrbell@u.arizona.edu; www.sa-clayartists.org; (520) 326-6709.

California, Berkeley January 11?3 揈xplore the Surface Regional Workshop?with Virginia Cartwright, Sam Chung, David Hendley, Gerald and Kelly Hong, Willie Hulce and Julia Kirillova. Fee: $380; Potters Council Member, $335. Contact Potters Council, The American Ceramic Society, L-2625, PO Box 600001, Columbus, OH 43260; www.potterscouncil.org/explorethesurface; (866) 721-3322.

California, Mendocino January 19?0 揋laze Basics Made Simple for Beginners?with Chic Lotz. February 23?4 揈ncaustic Workshop Using Fiber and Other Materials on Ceramics?with Meredith Dalglish. Fee: $170. Fee (unless noted above): $175. For more information, visit www.mendocinoartcenter.org. Contact Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake Street, PO Box 765, Mendocino 95460; mendoart@mcn.org; (800) 653-3328.

California, Ojai February 2 揤entura County Potters?Guild Workshop?with Malcolm Davis. Fee: $70; members, $50. Contact Diana Farrell; dianafarrell@gmail.com; (805) 643-2418.

California, San Diego March 8?2 Workshop with Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson. Fee: $465. Contact Jackson Gray, Clay Artists of San Diego, PO Box 22524, San Diego 92192; jackpots@speakeasy.net; www.clayartistsofsandiego.org; (858) 270-3828.

California, Sunnyvale February 2? 揅hina Painting with Water-Based Mediums?with Paul Lewing. Contact Judy Lee, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild, PO Box 71046, Sunnyvale 94086; workshops@ovcag.org; www.ovcag.org; (866) 841-9139, ext. 1075.

California, Walnut Creek January 26 揝hino-man: A Day at the Wheel?with Malcolm Davis. February 24 揅arving Pots?with Lynne Meade. Fee/session: $85. Contact Walnut Creek Civic Arts, Arts Education: Ceramics, 1313 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek 94531; artsed@arts-ed.org; www.arts-ed.org; (925) 943-5846.

Colorado, Denver January 5 揚laster Workshop?with Jonathan Kaplan. Fee: $100. Contact Ceramic Design Group/Plinth Gallery, 3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver 80216; www.plinthgallery.com; www.ceramicdesigngroup.net; (303) 909-5488.

Connecticut, Kent January 26?7 揂nimal Sculptures for Wood-fire?with Alison Palmer. Fee: $195. Mid-March 揥est African Vessels?with Barbara Allen. 揝moke Fire Resist?with Barbara Allen. May 3? Workshop with Jack Troy. Contact Nancy Magnusson; ncmagnusson@joimail.com; (860) 309-8267.

Florida, St. Petersburg January 12?3 David and Tracy Gamble Workshop. Contact St. Petersburg Clay Company, 420 22^nd St. S., St. Petersburg 33712; stpeteclay@stpeteclay; www.stpeteclay.com; (727) 869-2529.

Florida, West Palm Beach January 14?6 揈xtruding: New Methods…New Ideas?with Michael Sherrill. Fee: $500. January 25?7 揈xpanding Possibilities with Clay? with Lisa Clague. Fee: $375. February 9?0 揚ouring Vessels: New Forms/New Surfaces?with Richard Burkett. Fee: $300. February 23?4 揋enerating and Assembling Pottery Forms?with Sanam Emami. Fee: $325. March 8? 揙rnately Functional: Form and Surface? with Kristen Kieffer. Fee: $325. March 29?0 揝urface Surplus?with Erin Furimsky. Fee: $325. Contact Armory Art Center, 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach 33401; www.armoryart.org; (561) 832-1776.

Georgia, Watkinsville February 9?0 揚laster Mold Making Instruction and Demo?with Tom Spleth. Fee: $135, includes lunch. Contact Nancy Green; astadizzy@yahoo.com; (706) 769-5659.

Illinois, Warrenville January 12?3 揟ile: Making, Decorating, Marketing?with Paul Lewing. Contact Anne Gary, anne@davegary.com; (630) 561-7611.

Maryland, Frederick January 12?3 揈lectric Kiln?with Phil Berneburg. Fee: $175. February 7?0 揗asters?Throwing? with Joyce Michaud. Fee: $300. February 16?7 揝lip-Cast Porcelain from Original Modeled Plaster Molds?with John Albert Murphy. Fee: $185. March 1? 揅hinese Brushwork?with Xiaosheng Bi. Fee: $175. March 6? 揅hinese Yixing Teapots?with Hui Wang and Zhengzhong Zhang. Fee: $300; yixing clay available for additional fee. Contact Hood College, Ceramics Program, 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick 21701; www.hood.edu/academic/art; (301) 696-3456.

Nevada, Las Vegas February 2 揗aster Throwing Class?with Tom Coleman. Fee: $120. February 14?7 揟hrowing Techniques and Crystalline Glazing?with Xavier Gonzalez. Fee: $400. February 23?4 揟hrown and Altered Pots?with Ellen Shankin. Fee: $200. April 19?0 揊unctional Pots: Handbuilding Forms with Slabs?with Sam Chung. Fee: $490, includes lodging. May 3? 揌andbuilding the Human Form?with Patti Warashina. Fee: $490, includes lodging. May 26?1 揊unction, Sculpture and Marketing? with Bill van Gilder. Fee: $1270, includes lodging. Contact Pottery West, 5026 N. Pioneer Way, Las Vegas 89149; potterywest@cox.net; www.potterywest.com; (702) 987-3023.

New Jersey, Lincroft January 9 揚recious Metal Clay: Syringe Filigree Drawing.?January 19 揚ottery Glaze Technique?with Susan Johnson. Fee: $38. February 6 揚recious Metal Clay: Artistic Ring.?Fee (unless noted above): $85. Contact Thompson Park Creative Arts Center, Monmouth County Park System, 805 Newman Springs Rd., Lincroft 07738; www.monmouthcountyparks.com; (732) 842-4000, ext. 4343.

New York, Port Chester January 12?3 揕andscape and Texture?with Matt Hyleck. Fee: $180. January 23?5 揌andbuilding Colorful Masks, Animals and Figures?with Lynn Ainsworth. Fee: $250. Contact Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester 10573; mail@clayartcenter.org; www.clayartcenter.org; (914) 937-2047.

New York, White Plains February 19?1 揝ymbiosis in Sets?with Todd Wahlstrom. Tuition: $144. Contact Westchester Art Workshop, 196 Central Ave., White Plains 10606; (914) 606-7500.

North Carolina, Brasstown January 6?2 揚itchers and Tumblers?with Mark Peters. Fee: $524. January 13?9 揂dvanced Wheel Throwing: Following Hunches, Taking Risks? with Kevin Crowe. Fee: $524. January 20?7 揟ricks of the Trade?with Susan Vey. Fee: $748. February 3? 揃eginning Portraits in Clay?with Mike Lalone. February 17?3 揌andbuilding Plates and Trays?with Mary Kay Botkins. February 24朚arch 1 揔itchen Pots for Baking and Serving?with Mary Dashiell. Fee (unless noted above): $478. Contact John C. Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd., Brasstown 28902; www.folkschool.org; (800) 365-5724.

North Carolina, Charlotte February 23?4 Workshop with Mark Hewitt. Fee: $115. Contact Carolina ClayMatters Pottery Guild, 5008 Glenbrier Dr., Charlotte 28212; goodallpottery2@bellsouth.net; www.carolinaclaymatters.org; (704) 537-9248.

North Carolina, Durham January 5? 揟echnique and Content: Coil Building Large Figurative Ceramic Sculpture?with Adrian Arleo. Fee: $215. Contact Claymakers, 705 Foster St., Durham 27701; info@claymakers.com; www.claymakers.com; (919) 530-8355.

North Carolina, Wentworth January 26?7 揅arolina Clay Guild Workshop: Functional Teapots?with Dan Finnegan. Fee: $90; members, $70. Contact Molly Lithgo, mlithgo@triad.rr.com; (336) 275-1202.

Ohio, Cleveland April 12?3 揚aperclay?with Graham Hay. Fee: $180; after January 20, $210. Contact Orange Art Center, 31500 Chagrin Blvd., Pepper Pike, OH 44124; www.orangeartcenter.org; (216) 831-5130.

Ohio, Springfield February 2? Workshop with Stephen Hill. Contact Charlotte Gordon, Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Rd., Springfield 45504; cgordon@springfieldart.net; (937) 325-4674.

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 23?4 揚ots as Nouns朏unction as Content?with Alec Karros. Fee (unless noted above): $210; members, $195. Contact The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., 19106; www.theclaystudio.org; (215) 925-3453.

South Carolina, Edgefield February 8? Workshop with Mark Hewitt. Fee: $75. Contact Gary Clontz, Piedmont Technical College, 506 Main St., Edgefield 29824; clontz.g@ptc.edu; www.ptc.edu/pottery; (803) 637-9616.

Texas, Houston February 23?4 揂ttention to Detail?with Tom Turner. Contact Karen Fiscus, C.A.M.E.O., PO Box 131032, Houston 77219; klfiscus@swbell.net; www.cameohouston.org

Washington, Edmonds March 29?0 揃usiness of Crafts Weekend Workshop?with Pamela Corwin and Manya Vee. Fee: $160; after January 15, $190. Contact Business of Crafts, www.businessofcrafts.com; info@businessofcrafts.com; (800) 969-0869.

international events

Australia, Gulgong through January 28 Susie McMeekin; at Cudgegong Gallery, 102 Herbert St.

Canada, Alberta, Banff January 17?1 揓ohn Chalke and Barbara Tipton: New Work? at Willock & Sax Gallery, 110 Bison Courtyard, 211 Bear St.

Canada, British Columbia, Burnaby February 23?4 揇irect from Down Under?with Robert Baron. Fee: $84.80 (US$86.20); quote barcode 146897. March 6?, 12 揥ood-firing? with Robert Barron. Fee: $318 (US$323); quote barcode 146898. Contact Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Ave.

Canada, Ontario, Burlington through February 17 揟oronto Potters Guild? at Burlington Art Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Rd.

Canada, Ontartio, Toronto through January 20 Gertraud M鰄wald; at the Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen抯 Park.

Canada, Ontario, Waterloo through January 13 揧uichiro Komatsu: Spatial Juncture? at Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, 25 Caroline St. N.

Canada, Qu閎ec, Montr閍l through January 13 揋etting Together: Ceramics from Manitoba and Qu閎ec? at Mus閑 des ma顃res et artisans du Qu閎ec, 615, ave. Sainte-Croix.

Canada, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon through February 3 揇imensions 2007? at The Saskatchewan Craft Council and Gallery, 813 Broadway Ave.

Chile, Santiago January 2008 揝oda and Wood Kiln Firing Safari?with Doug Casebeer and Marilu Pelusa Rosenthal. For more information, visit www.chileanceramicworkshop.com. Contact Marilu Pelusa Rosenthal, Curaumilla Arts Center, marilurosenthal@yahoo.com; 56 2 321 6886.

Denmark, Skaelskor through February 30 揘etwork 2007? at International Ceramic Research Center, Guldagergard Heilmannsvej 31A.

England, Devon, Bovey Tracey through January 15 Terry Sawle and Blandine Anderson; at Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Riverside Mill.

England, Leeds through January 19 揅ollect,?works by Duncan Ross, Gabriele Koch, Morgen Hall and Walter Keeler. January 22朅pril 30 Jane Blackman; at the Craft Centre & Design Gallery, City Art Gallery, The Headrow.

England, London through February 17 揙ut of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft.?January 25?9 揅ollect: International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects? at the V&A, Cromwell Rd.

January 9?1 揇esigner Crafts 2008? at Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace.

January 16-20 揕ondon Art Fair? at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington.

England, Surrey, Nutfield January 19朏ebruary 29 揝elect,?including ceramics by Nicola Malkin and Matthew Chambers; at The Grace Barrand Design Centre, 19 High St.

England, West Country May 25朖une 6 揚ottery and Archaeology Tour of UK SW.?For more information, visit www.portmoodytravel.com. Contact Alan or Gillian McMillan, Port Moody Travel, 2214 St. George Street, Port Moody, B.C., V3H 2G2 Canada; mcmillan@sfu.ca;?isabella@portmoodytravel.com; (604) 937-7696.

England, Worcester January 5?4 揝tepping Out 2008? at Gallery at Bevere, Bevere Ln.

England, York through January 20 揟he Christmas Collection? at Pyramid Gallery, 43 Stonegate.

France, La Borne through January 6 揘o雔 ?la Borne? at Centre de Cr閍tion C閞amique de La Borne, 18250 Henrichemont.

France, Saint Quentin La Poterie through January 6 ?00 Bols D扙xception.?St閜hanie Raymond. Caroline Chevalier; at Galerie Terra Viva, 14 rue de la Fontaine.

France, Sarreguemines through March 10 揅af? Th? Chocolat…? at Musé–‘ de la Fa飁nce, 17, rue Poincar?

France, S鑦res through January 14 揂u service de l扙mpereur: Le Service iconographique antique du Cardinal Fresch? at Mus閑 National de C閞amique, Place de la Manufacture.

Germany, Frechen through February 10 揙ne Century of Ceramics? at Stiftung Keramion-Zentrum f黵 moderne und historiche Keramik Frechen, Bonnstra遝 12.

Italy, Fondi March 4?5 揗edieval Town朓talian Maiolica Decorative Art Workshop,? includes day trips to Rome and Vietri. Fee: $1899, includes lodging, most meals and materials. May 27朖une 7 揗edieval Town朓talian Maiolica Workshop,?includes day trips to Rome and Vietri. Fee: $1899, includes lodging, most meals and materials. For more information, visit www.gotuzzoworkshops.com. Contact Gotuzzo Workshops, PO Box 2003, Newport Beach, CA 92659; gotuzzoworkshops@gmail.com; (714) 600-9535.

Jamaica, Falmouth April 25朚ay 3 揥orking in Jamaica: Ceramic Vessels and Pottery?with John Neely, Alleghany Meadows, Doug Casebeer and David Pinto. Fee: $2850 for single tuition. Contact Doug Ellis, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, 5263 Owl Creek Rd., Snowmass Village, CO 81615; dellis@andersonranch.org; www.andersonranch.org; www.jamaicaclay.com; (970) 923-3181.

Myanmar (Burma), Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake, Yagon January 14朏ebruary 2 揃urma: Ceramics and Cultural Excursion,?includes pottery making and firing in traditional villages, cultural and historical tours. Limit/session of 12. Contact Denys James, Discovery Art Travel, 182 Welbury Dr., Salt Spring Island, British Columbia V8K 2L8 Canada; denys@denysjames.com; www.denysjames.com; (250) 537-4906.

Netherlands, Amsterdam through January 1 Helen Dahl Hansen; at European Makers Gallery, Spiegelgracht 2a.

January 5?7 Esther Stasse; at Gallery Carla Koch, Veemkade 500, 6^th Fl.

Netherlands, Delft through January 12 Philippe Dubuc; at Terra Delft, Nieuwstraat 7.

Netherlands, Deventer January 13朏ebruary 16 Sigrid Grote and Ulfert Hillers. February 24朚arch 22 Luk Versluys ; at Loes and Reinier International Ceramics, Korte Assenstraat 15.

Netherlands, Leeuwarden through March 9 Anne-Marie van Sprang, 揌anging and Standing.?through April 7 揟urkish and Dutch Ceramics.?through May 4 Johan van Loon, 揂 Life抯 Work 05? at Princessehof Ceramic Museum, Grote Kerkstraat 11.

South Korea, Gyungsangnam-do through March 30 揟he Shin Sang Ho Exhibition? at Clayarch Gimhae Museum, 358, Songjeong-ri, Jilye-myeon Gimhae-si.

Switzerland, Geneva through February 11 揓ean-Claude de Crousaz: C閞amique? at Mus閑 Ariana, Ave. de la Paix 10.

Wales, Cardiff through January 6 揜eflection.?February 29朅pril 20 揇ining In? at The Makers Guild in Wales, Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Ave.

Wales, Ceredigion, Aberystwyth through January 19 James and Tilla Waters; at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Penglais Campus.

Jesse Edwards

By AMAY

The Jesse Edwards exhibition of seven mold-cast television sets at Gordon Woodside/John Braseth Gallery (www.woodsidebrasethgallery.com) in Seattle, Washington, was an auspicious solo debut for the 30-year-old artist. Educated in art history at Seattle Central Community College and Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, Edwards studied ceramics privately for four months in 2005, learning sufficient technical details. Prior to that, he studied at another local art school, the Gage Academy of Fine Art for four years. The school抯 concentration is on realistic representational art.

Given those credentials, there is a refreshing but understandable technical crudity. Glazes were applied at first like oil paint until Edwards discovered the smoother airbrush; any appearance to earthy ceramics is entirely avoided when possible. Instead, the gallery was filled with seven wall-mounted cast-white earthenware facsimiles of a portable 1970s-era Zenith portable television the artist found at Goodwill. Upon each TV screen is an image from Edwards?imaginary cable-TV networks. The results are a series of wry commentaries on popular culture, old movies, art history, recent terrorist attacks, and, in general, the endless commercials on cable that are periodically interrupted by programs of 揷ultural interest.? 揙dalisque (The Art History Channel)?presupposes an Ovation-like network wherein Ingres?immortal female nude, 揕arge Odalisque?(1814), is on view constantly. Executed in underglazes, overglazes, white majolica glaze and platinum lusters on white earthenware, Ingres?model is further extended and distorted on the monitor screen (In the original, historians have determined that Ingres added several anatomically incorrect vertebrae to make her back longer.). Seen in black-and-white, 揙dalisque?also resembles an old art-history book reproduction. Thus, it is a facsimile of a facsimile of an original.

Edwards began the series with 揝till Life (The Most Boring Channel),?a C閦anne-like grouping of peaches. In glaring blue-and-white, it further satirizes conventions of art reproduction and how unfaithful they can be. Again, an original artwork is mediated three times: first into a photographic reproduction, then into ceramics, and finally on the imaginary television station.
http://www.cnphotoframes.com/

http://www.cnphotoframes.com/
A black-and-white view of the second World Trade Center tower just before collapse is the subject of ?11 (The Disaster Channel).?Here Edwards is not that far from reality. The endless replays of footage of the crumbling edifices seen in the days after September 11, 2001, formed their own all-channel, all-the-time film loop. At a crucial moment, Edwards is tweaking good taste yet making a serious statement about news coverage. 揙de to the Couch Potato (The Leisure Channel)?addresses television抯 damage to the average American抯 long-term health. A different kind of still life, Ode assembles generic-label beer cans beside five absurdly cut and whole potatoes and a remote control. Just as symbolic as 17th-century Dutch vanitas still lifes, Edwards?tribute is somber and telling, too, accumulating along with the others into a surprising postmodern critique of the blurring lines between high and low culture.

揟homas Kinkade (The Commercial Art Channel)?is also not far from the mark. Edwards?揔inkade?is a typically sappy scene of horses in front of a thatched-roof cottage. The colors are off, subdued, as if electronically appropriate to the poor reception of the vintage Zenith set. 揟hat抯 Entertainment (The Old Movie Channel)?uses a candid nightclub shot of Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe, the latter whom Edwards reveres as a 揾uge part of popular culture and art because of Warhol,?the Seattle artist抯 admitted influence and inspiration. A final work, 揧our Personal Moment of Fame (The Reality Channel)?is a platinum luster-glazed screen in the form of a mirror. Slick yet distorted, like reality TV, this work throws the 揵lame?for the state of affairs regarding television consumption back onto the viewer. In this sense, a darker critical note ends the exhibition. Edwards?celebration of art, TV and popular culture carries an ultimately ambiguous tone, like Warhol, but also has the perfect balance of wacky and serious that this brilliant, promising ceramics artist specializes in.

China: A New Frontier for Western Artists

By AMAY

Being invited to teach at one of China’s largest art colleges in February 2006, was a tremendous privilege for me, and a time of enormous discovery. My two previous trips involved participating in ceramics conferences located in Foshan and Shiwan, China, both of which have rich ceramics histories. During my third trip, I taught wheel throwing to Chinese students, provided a two-hour lecture of my personal history as an artist, demonstrated raku techniques, and created work for an exhibition at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (G.A.F.A). The academy, along with nine other colleges, is located on an island surrounded by the Pearl River, near the city of Guangzhou. The students were extremely friendly, talented and hard working. G.A.F.A.’s new facilities are very impressive and well equipped. They were designed to provide a variety of art training for both beginning and advanced art degrees, along with adequate housing to accommodate 5000 students.

My journeys to China have impressed me in several ways. One was the hospitable and respectful way Chinese people treated me and other westerners in every aspect of our stay in Guangzhou and Foshan. For the opening ceremonies of the International Ceramics Conference in 2003, we were royally greeted by Chinese performers as we walked down a red carpeted street for four blocks. I was very warmly received during my lecture to 400 G.A.F.A. art students and faculty in 2006. Their thunderous applause throughout the presentation made me feel like a rock star. I felt like a celebrity as I traveled throughout China, from walking down the street through throngs of Chinese nationals to eating at the academy’s cafeteria. I regularly greeted students as I walked around the G.A.F.A. campus and was rewarded with shy smiles of greeting and giggles, or boisterous “Hello’s” from students as they tried to practice their English on an obviously American foreigner. (They would laugh at my poor Chinese as I smiled at their great English!)

I was artistically impacted by the rich texture of the environment, including foods, tastes, smells and language. In this crowded and bustling place, most people live in high-rise apartment complexes that are bursting with life. There is a peculiar mix of very old versus new wherever you go. On one side of the block you see a modern building, but as you go to the back of the structure, you discover ancient Chinese culture. You will find Chinese people living in little make-shift dwellings with minimal or no utilities, selling whatever wares they can in the little alleys and byways beyond the modern forefront. In these open markets, as well as at any restaurant, you can find Chinese cuisine ranging from slightly different to downright exotic. At some point, you may even feel like a contestant on “Fear Factor” but, with all the new and different tastes and smells, you can still find something you are willing to eat, whether it be rice, vegetables or fruit.

These experiential contrasts had a strong impact on my creative work as well. I found myself speaking in a fresh, creative language I had never spoken before. It occurred to me that I was using this new language to interpret and comment on the internal and external world of China. Works I have created since visiting China seem to define and dialog this constantly changing organism. This is amusing to me because China also is in the process of defining itself. This defining process is not only true as China quickly emerges as a western-like power, but also in all other facets of Chinese culture, even the arts. Over the last 20 years, the Chinese art scene has quickly developed a taste for modern art, especially with the great appetite of the rapidly growing metropolitan areas for modern images. Like doctors and lawyers in America, artists in China receive a great deal of respect. Being an artist during this very exciting time in China is similar to being an artist in America during its prosperous economic expansions through the Fifties and Sixties. Any way you want to define it, there is great opportunity for inspiration, exploration and success. I recently had a phone conversation with a potter from Colorado who was so excited about his experiences in China that he was moving his whole ceramics operation to a factory in Foshan.

China’s ceramics culture has an interesting twist to it. Traditionally, the production of Chinese pottery has been operated by government-supervised businesses and specific families, who kept a tight grip on ceramic processes and information. From 1967 to 1977, the Chinese Revolution eradicated the educational system by targeting educators as criminals. Since then, China’s Higher Educational system has had to begin anew in seeking to fill the “knowledge” void created by these circumstances. This void has created a delightful teaching environment, as students eagerly desire to learn and have a great respect for the content and the instructor. While at G.A.F.A., I experienced this wonderful response first hand, and saw students value and find joy in all that I taught them.

Opportunities start with relationships. It is as simple as making contact with someone connected to the vast, stimulating country of China. My journey started at a N.C.E.C.A. conference in North Carolina, where I met a distinguished Chinese painter. He was invited to present a workshop at Lake Superior College (L.S.C.) and eventually began teaching part-time. Through this friend, a L.S.C. student/teacher and I were invited to attend two World Ceramics Conferences in China. While at these conferences, I developed a close relationship with the director of the event, a renowned Chinese ceramic sculptor, and was able to invite her to teach two sculpture workshops at the college. She also taught a semester at L.S.C., spring, 2005. Consequently, I was invited to teach for three weeks at G.A.F.A., something I’d never have imagined five years ago!

Chinese people are eager to develop these relationships and provide reciprocal opportunities. One does have to realize that the eight to one exchange rate influences their ability to reciprocate equally. This disparity is easy to accept if becoming a cooperative member with China is the goal. I highly recommend artists pursue opportunities to travel to China just to have exposure to this fascinating culture and absorb its powerful and vast artistic influences. Who knows what will follow? My next great Chinese adventure will be summer, 2007, when my college will host ten Chinese ceramics students for two weeks. We will then pay a return visit to China with ten L.S.C. ceramics students in the summer of 2008.

If you are looking for a burst of creative inspiration or are ready for a new direction, try a trip to China or step out and introduce yourself to someone that is Chinese. Who knows where it will take you!