State of Clay: Los Angeles Ceramics Artists Break the Mold
These six fine artists add new energy to California’s celebrated ceramics tradition.
"During the 1950s and 1960s, the bold character of California’s vibrant ceramics scene took shape thanks to a group of groundbreaking artists who elevated what was once considered mere craft to fine art. The California Clay Movement soon gave rise to such luminaries as Ken Price, Viola Frey, and Stan Bitters, who defied convention by playing with scale, abstraction, and sculptural forms, rightfully earning coveted spots in galleries and fine art institutions. Los Angeles became the epicenter, fostering a tight-knit community of contemporary artists who continue to break the mold.
Anna Sew Hoy “People like Peter Shire and Peter Voulkos bridged craft and art in a way that might have been rejected by East Coast collectors,” says Tom Morris, a design critic, consultant, and author of New Wave Clay. “They simply did their own thing.” The ensuing roster of fine artists, upholding California’s rich history of ceramicists, are following suit.
Anna Sew Hoy
Cypress ParkI think of musical improvisation, and I attempt a material correlation that is equal parts precision and abandon, spontaneous experiment, breaking with conventional use of material and yet maintaining control. To make sculpture is to materialize thought."— Produced by Martine Bury, Ryan Waddoups, and Devon Kasarjian, Photography by Yoshihiro Makino, Sep. 16, 2019
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Surface Magazine website.
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