From the Publisher
"Garth Clark's friendship with Beatrice Wood began in 1978, when he interviewed her for his book A Century of Ceramics in the United States: 1878-1978. It was a turning point for both. Wood, a ceramic artist and famously free spirit of the Dada era, was 85 years old. Although she was still producing pottery, her sales were slow and she despaired over her financial future. Clark, a much admired art historian and author, became her patron and close friend. Three years later, when the Garth Clark Gallery opened in Los Angeles, its premiere exhibition was Beatrice Wood: A Very Private View. The show - a financial and commercial success - was the first of dozens of Beatrice Wood exhibitions hosted by Clark over the next seventeen years, until her passing in 1998 at 105 years of age." Now, three years after her death, Clark has produced an illustrated memoir of his cherished friend. Gilded Vessel presents Wood's incomparable ceramic forms in photographs of exceptional beauty and clarity; it is the first book to feature this work extensively in large-format color reproductions. Biographical photographs document her friendships with fellow artists ranging from Marcel Duchamp to Anais Nin to Lily Tomlin. These images are perfectly complemented by Clark's wry and affectionate narrative.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

In CERAMICS, Philip Rawson, a prolific writer and art critic, gives a fascinating and lucid examination of the evolution and aesthetics of ceramic form. He states, "One of the prime reasons why ceramics is such an interesting art is that it fills the gap which now yawns between art and life as most people understand their relationship."(6) Rawson then introduces ideas critical to looking at and fully understanding ceramics such as the relationship of function to the origins of most ceramic forms and how that relationship affects our experience of ceramic objects. He also addresses the inherent attraction of a recognizable material transformed by the human hand into a new object with symbolic or metaphorical value.

Buy Now From:

Reviews:
Remarkably, no reviews yet of this collection of works from and essay about one of the most dynamic forces in all of Contemporary Craft, let alone his incredible impast in Ceramics. Perhaps all are content to let the man's work speak for itself.

If however, you'd like to review this book and have it included here, just CLICK.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Reviews:
Midwest Book Review
Porcelain is prized for its vivid whiteness; but those creating it have been well aware of its quirky qualities. Lane provides a strong history and celebration of porcelain in the last two decades of the 20th century, examining technical achievements and working practices common to cermacists who work with porcelain. Numerous black and white and color photos of porcelain explore its many qualities and artistry.

Beautiful book, June 5, 2000
Reviewer: mdickman1 from Arlington, VA
A treasure trove of information, techniques and examples of the best in porcelain today. Excellent for the collector as well as those working in this demanding medium. The photos are breathtaking and Lane knows what he is talking about. This is the latest edition of what is clearly a labor of love.

Synopsis:
Provides first-hand knowledge of the significant technical developments that have occurred in the porcelain industry in the past 20 years. Readers will investigate working methods and aesthetic concerns of ceramists who work with this popular medium and its close relative, bone china, including the form and forming process, throwing and turning, surface treatments, and glazes.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Reviews:
Publisher Comments:
In this lavishly illustrated reference book, Ian Gregory provides an introduction and practical handbook to the subject of sculptural ceramics. He provides essential technical information for the would be sculptural ceramicist, including: the basics of clay; tips for modifying the clay for strength and color; methods for forming the clay (coiling, casting, modeling, among others); and an in-depth look at kilns. The book is rounded off with an international survey of work that is currently being done in this exciting field.*

Synopsis:
In this lavishly illustrated reference book, Ian Gregory provides an introduction and practical handbook to the subject of sculptural ceramics. He provides essential technical information for the would be sculptural ceramicist, including: the basics of clay; tips for modifying the clay for strength and color; methods for forming the clay (coiling, casting, modeling, among others); and an in-depth look at kilns. The book is rounded off with an international survey of work that is currently being done in this exciting field.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

From the Publisher
The 'studio pottery' movement of the twentieth century has been influential throughout the world. This book is the catalogue of the national collection of British studio pottery, which is held by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and contains over 700 pieces dating from the beginnings of the movement to the 1980s. As well as being rich in masterpieces by such famous names as Bernard Leach, Hans Coper and Lucie Rie, it contains significant and representative works by nearly 200 potters of note. Organized in the form of a biographical dictionary, with a substantial introduction, this book is recognized as the definitive work on the British studio potters. It is a key sourcebook for all those working and designing in ceramics.

Reviews:
A must have book for pottery!, March 15, 1999
Reviewer: drake@ gci.net from Anchorage, Alaska
Shows at least 1,000 examples of shapes and textures that can give anyone ideas to throw at. Now that I can not have it, I want it! Oh well. Let me know when this book becomes available.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Book Description
This unprecedeted survey of the most outstanding ceramics being created today offers a sweeping close-up look at the work of more than 260 artists from more than thirty countries. A special feature of this collection is the range of work from China, almost unknown outside of this country until now. Organized by the distinctive categories of functional ceramics, figurative pieces, and installation works, the book gives a complete picture of the latest developments in each area of contemporary ceramic art. Chapters on materials, firing techniques, ethnic influences in design, and related topics delve into every aspect of ceramics creation that would be of interest to crafters, collectors, and other readers who are drawn to contemporary art. Stimulating essays by the author tie together the wide range of work shown in superbly detailed color photographs.
Reviews:
"The book is lavishly illustrated and delights the eyes with the exuberance and variety of ceramic art in the 20th century." Mills Quarterly

"This volume surveys outsanding ceramics produced in various parts of the world in the last few years. It presents the work of about 260 artists and includes color illustrations, artistic statements, and a brief biography. An introductory essay outlines the historical context of the pieces." Booknews

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
North America's premiere showcase for new ceramic art. Finally, a smart reference that spotlights the most captivating, cutting-edge ceramic art being produced today. More than 100 winners - chosen from almost 1,000 submissions -of the Monarch National Ceramic Competition are featured in this awe-inspiring work. The Best of Ceramic Art is an unforgettable, insightful testament to the innovations of today's best ceramic artists. Brilliant photographs of each winning piece show a variety of methods and styles. A must-have resource that will stir artists' and collectors' imaginations!

beautiful book of contemporary work, July 14, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from New Orleans
This book is mostly a picture book, full of images of strong and interesting ceramic creations. Truly inspirational!

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
Throughout the 20th century, prominent artists from Pablo Picasso to A. R. Penck have experimented with ceramics. The works they produced have complemented and often expanded upon their styles and techniques in painting and sculpture, but they have rarely been studied by art historians. Here for the first time are ceramic works by 23 European artists, all from the extensive collection of artists' pottery at the Museum Het Kruithuis in the Netherlands -- the only such collection in the world. Ceramics by Miro, Leger, Chagall, Braque, Dufy, and Cocteau are beautifully illustrated and discussed, as is the work of Karel Appel, Asger Jorn, and other members of the mid-century CoBrA movement, and that of contemporary artists such as Mimmo Paladino and Bruce McLean. Essays set the ceramics in context, and documentary photographs show the artists at work

No additional information available. If you've read this book, submit a review HERE

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Book Description
Drawn from the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Color & Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000 accompanies a major touring exhibition on the history of ceramic art in the second half of the twentieth century. Illustrated with more than 250 color photographs, Color & Fire explores the roles of key artists and the major stylistic movements they developed during the decades of pioneering innovation.
Based on the premise that the history of studio ceramics can be regarded as a series of breakthroughs or milestones, Color & Fire highlights the moments when talented artists came together to produce work in clay that challenged traditions and promoted aesthetic freedom. In the early years of the twentieth century, pottery was primarily mass-produced in factories, where specialists in wheel throwing, glazing, and kiln firing worked under a system of divided labor. In the 1930s and 1940s, ceramists such as the renowned team of Gertrud and Otto Natzler began to perform all of these exacting functions-from mixing clay to firing kilns-in their own studios, creating one-of-a-kind pots, breathtaking in design and construction. Since that time, ceramic art has followed a metaphorical journey from the earth to the air, as concerns with utility, materials, and techniques have given way to abstract conceptual considerations.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Book News Annotation:
New edition of a beautifully illustrated account of pottery-making. Cooper (a potter, writer, broadcaster, and editor) begins with the earliest civilizations of the Near and Middle East and follows the production of pottery chronologically around the globe, from the Mediterranean and the Orient to the Islamic world and Ancient America, from neolithic Britain to the factories of Wedgwood and de Morgan, and from contemporary Africa and India to Scandinavia and Australasia. In the final chapters, he analyzes the development of ceramics as a medium of personal expression by artists and studio potters during the 20th century. The color illustrations are drawn from museums, collectors, and practicing potters around the world.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
Artists love to view the work of other artists and to contemplate the inspiration that drives the creative process. Now noted ceramist Richard Zakin has brought the "ways of creation" to light through insightful stories of 36 ceramic artists who share the way they create their inventive and vital works. Zakin has filled this volume with exciting color photos and compelling stories about the artists whose work is broadly representative of the many strands of contemporary ceramics. By working closely with the artists, he enables readers to experience their explorations of ceramics and how they develop their highly individual methods and techniques.

Synopsis:
Insightful stories of 36 ceramic artists who share the way they create their inventive and vital works. Filled with exciting color photos and compelling interviews with the artists

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
North America's premiere showcase for new ceramic art. Finally, a smart reference that spotlights the most captivating, cutting-edge ceramic art being produced today. More than 100 winners - chosen from almost 1,000 submissions -of the Monarch National Ceramic Competition are featured in this awe-inspiring work. The Best of Ceramic Art is an unforgettable, insightful testament to the innovations of today's best ceramic artists. Brilliant photographs of each winning piece show a variety of methods and styles. A must-have resource that will stir artists' and collectors' imaginations!

beautiful book of contemporary work, July 14, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from New Orleans
This book is mostly a picture book, full of images of strong and interesting ceramic creations. Truly inspirational!

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

From the Publisher
Postmodern Ceramics provides a stunning international overview of the richness and diversity of ceramic art since c. 1980. Mark Del Vecchio surveys the achievement of over 130 masters of contemporary ceramics from more than twenty-five countries, among them Ralph Bacerra, Adrian Saxe, Betty Woodman, Akio Takamori, and Andrew Lord, analyzing their various approaches by presenting the work in twelve themes: the postmodern look; post-minimalism; pattern and decoration; the multiple vessel; organic abstraction; the real/super-real; history, culture, and time; the image and the vessel; the vessel as image; figural sculpture; abstract sculpture; and post-industrialism. Garth Clark, perhaps the best-known ceramic historian in the world, shows in his Introduction how this great burst of creative energy and innovation provided an escape route from the unconsummated, antagonistic, and demoralizing relationship that had existed between ceramics and modernism.
Complete with illustrated biographies of each of the artists and a detailed bibliography, the book brims with colorful ceramics and provides the depth of information necessary for it to become the standard reference work for professionals and amateurs, makers and collectors.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

From the Publisher
Susan Peterson's The Craft and Art of Clay has long set the standard for both instructional and inspirational books in the area of ceramics. This new edition of her book has been redesigned and is even more comprehensive, with more pages, more illustrations, more color, and new information on practical and artistic topics. It combines a clear step-by-step guide to acquiring practical skills with an appreciation of the unique artistic potential of working in clay, with more and larger color illustrations for key processes.
The author clearly explains each technical term and process, and covers the whole range of hand, wheel and plasterwork techniques. She has added an important new section on marketing ceramics as well as updating and increasing the information on the use of computers, Also new to this edition are safety icons to warn beginners where they need to protect themselves from fumes, heat, or corrosive materials. The Portfolio section has been completely updated to reflect the work of new international ceramists.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
The complete manual for shaping clay without a potter's wheel. Have you ever imagined plunging your bare hands into a block of cool, moist clay? Pinching or coiling it? Smoothing or incising it? Burnishing or glazing it? Gradually transforming it into an elegant vase, beautiful platter, or distinctive tile? Let "Handbuilt Ceramics show you how. You'll discover that handbuilding (shaping clay by hand, instead of with a potter's wheel) is a wonderful place for beginners to start and a continuing fascination for experienced potters. You'll learn the basic handbuilding techniques, as well as how to decorate the surface and how to kiln fire. You'll make handsome projects, from a simple slab-built windowsill planter to an elegant extruded teapot. You'll delight in a stunning color gallery of the best of today's handbuilt ceramic art

A reader from Chicago, IL USA
This book is wonderful. The writing is clear and concise, the project instructions have enough detail to give you confidence for execution and experimentation.

The photos are good quality and inspirational. In the short time I have owned this, I have used it in adult and children's classes. For smaller children who want to rush to the wheel, the book gives excellent examples of what can be accomplished with handbuilding.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Synopsis
"...consists of whimsical ceramic pieces made from slabs and coils. The emphasis here is on creativity and distinctiveness. While the technical tips and step-by-step projects are for reasonably practical tableware, the gallery items would be fine for staging one's own Mad Tea Party....this book is full of ideas and would make a nice addition."—Library Journal. "...a beginners guide to pottery....the technical guidance is easy to follow and uses both text and photographs to illustrate details...an encouraging and motivating book..."—Ceramic Review.


From Library Journal
Like Triplett's earlier Handbuilt Ceramics (LJ 10/15/97), this offering consists of whimsical ceramic pieces made from slabs and coils. The emphasis here is on creativity and distinctiveness. While the technical tips and step-by-step projects are for reasonably practical tableware, the gallery items would be fine for staging one's own Mad Tea Party. While not an essential purchase for ceramics collections, this book is full of ideas and would make a nice addition to a specialized collection

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
In this new, revised edition of Ceramic Form (1988), the author explains the working methods of more than 150 contemporary potters and considers their approaches to design and decoration of bowls and bottles through the use of color, pattern, and texture. A unique directory of forms in profile make this at once a history and guide for collectors, an inspirational library of forms for potters, and an invaluable illustrated source for collectors.*

Library Journal
Lane documents his visually stimulating study of ceramic form with the work of over 150 potters from around the world. Though he limits his presentation to bottles and bowls on the theory that these shapes provide the basis for the majority of vessels, his offering is generous. Chosen works exemplify not only a wide range of forms but also the variety of feeling and technique that marks contemporary ceramics. Lane explains many of these techniques throughout the text, further explaining how the artists translate their sources of inspiration into original work. A rewarding book for all those interested in the ceramic arts, especially potters wishing to explore a visual vocabulary. Lucy Portland, Me.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Synopsis:
This gorgeous volume captures the very best in contemporary ceramic art. The work of over 70 internationally renowned ceramic artists showcases an array of styles

From the Publisher
New Ceramic Design presents the best works of 70 exceptional contemporary artists. It is a truly personal collection, characterized by quiet elegance, spare line and unencumbered design. The collection is displayed in 250 full-color photographs, accompanied by a commentary rich in insight and warm with appreciation of these subtle masterpieces

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Book Description
The introduction to a popular and under-published aspect of ceramics. For centuries, clay has been used not only to make vessels but also to create sculptures. For beginning clayworkers and for experienced potters who can't stand to make one more mug, here's a guide to sculpting figurative and nonfigurative forms in clay

It's hard...to decide which of his chapters is most valuable: a review of the hollow-clay basics.surface decoration descriptions.seven projects, or the multipaged gallery. excellent large-size color photographs. imbued with creative joy... An extensive gallery showcases.the best works from 104 artisans worldwide.. "—Booklist. "...teacher and artist Acero presents basic ceramic techniques with seven projects. that can be used as practice....Directed at beginners...this is a good selection for general arts and crafts collections."—Library Journal..

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Book Description
It's a fabulous sourcebook with 500 of the most fantastic, creative teapots you've ever seen. From handbuilt to wheel thrown, functional to sculptural, round to square, traditional to funky, ceramicists will encounter a little bit of everything in this artistic celebration. Many find their inspiration in classic Asian designs, and have their own serene beauty and attention to form. Others take a more figurative approach, such as teapots with a small family grouping; a nurse dressed in fetish attire, and the intriguingly titled "Dr. Seuss Meets Picasso!" Still more look to the natural world--birds, plants, rocks, and animals. Browse through a variety of surface treatments, from intricate carved forms to narrative painted patterns. They're all so stunning, you won't even have to drink tea to appreciate them! all in color

"If you love Tea Pots .... you will love looking through the many extraordinary designs. This is a book you can look at over and over. And, just when you think you've seen them all ... you will see something new and exciting that you didn't notice before"

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

From the Publisher
Teapots are complex objects steeped in world culture and art history. Their appeal -- conjuring images of afternoons in homey tearooms or elegant gatherings in grand hotels -- is universal. But a new generation of teapots has stood tradition on its ear. As author Leslie Ferrin says, "Today the teapot has one foot in the kitchen and the other in the art world."
For the artist, making a teapot provides daunting challenges. As the various parts -- body, lid, handle, spout and foot -- are assembled, each creator must solve technical difficulties within the context of design, function and scale. As a result, teapots are the objects with which artists in all media demonstrate the heights of their technical and creative abilities.

Teapots Transformed: Exploration of an Object tells the tale of this art form, from the traditional, functional teapot to an eclectic mix of contemporary designs. The exhilarating collection is presented in more than 120 vivid full-color photographs. The book will delight tea drinkers around the world, while providing inspiration for artists and a visual feast for the growing number of teapot collectors.

Teapots certainly are transformed!, January 7, 2001
Reviewer: Andy Titcomb from St.Mabyn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
This is quite simply the most beautifull book on teapots that I have ever seen. The photographs are stunning. The teapots are outrageous,ridiculous,fun,clever,inventive and some are even useable! If you love teapots you must buy this book

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

Publisher Comments:
Based on its universal appeal and everyday use, tea has inspired the creation of exquisite objets d’art; above all, the spouted, steaming engine of hospitality: the teapot. In fact, the teapot has drawn widespread attention from the world's leading designers and artists for centuries because it is what French sculptor Arman calls one of the key objects of our time.

This delightful book celebrates the chameleon-like form of the teapot, and how it is considered not only an icon for hospitality but also an inventive vehicle for artistic expression. The Artful Teapot features, in full, lavish color, more than 200 enchanting teapots representing its 500-year history of enjoyment and use... Here are artful teapots that balance form, surface, and function in search of beauty...revolutionary teapots seeking — fascinatingly but fruitlessly — to improve on this most perfect invention...teapots inspired by natural forms...teapots made from surprising materials like dollar bills, glass beads, and soda cans...teapots used as a format for politics or propaganda...teapots using animals or people as their subject...and last but not least, the teapot created purely for art's sake — pots removed from function, where tea evaporates and imagination replaces the fragrant leaf as content. Plus, fascinating text written by Garth Clark, the preeminent scholar of modern ceramics, provides an appealing discussion of these objets d’art that is as provocative, playful, and profound as the teapots themselves.

Click HERE for more information about this book

Buy Now From:

From Book News, Inc.
Teapots selected for this book include both the delightful and unexpected and are a mixture of rare antiques, one-of-a-kind works by artists, and mass-produced industrial objects. Contemporary works tend to be featured. Perusing the book is a little like going to a surrealist tea party. Color photos are very nice. A fun book. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc

"...[C]ouldn't be a more charming chronicle of the offbeat teapot....Clark manages to be both entertaining and informative in easy-reading essays on the history of tea, the rituals of tea drinking and the development of the art teapot." Philadelphia Inquirer

Excellent look at the tradition of teapots!, November 21, 2000
Reviewer: E. McC from Seattle, WA
This is a fun picture book and an informative volume--as an art lover and a seller of YiXing teapots, I found all of the images inspirational. It's wonderful to see examples of people thinking "outside of the box!"

"'The Eccentric Teapot' helps us to see beyond the mundane, as [the] teapot is supplanted by objects of art which are, alternately, whimsical, elegant and exotic....Garth Clark...recounts in superb detail the history of tea, tea rituals and the unflappable tea pot..." Los Angeles Times Book Review

Click HERE for more information about this book