The Art of Contemporary American Pottery

摘要

"It appears the choice for the 20th-century potter has been this: Produce ceramics for a high-end marketplace where utility is shunned and high prices are sought, or produce lower-priced utilitarian pottery associated with a dying folk-art tradition," observes the author of this survey of turn-of-the-century work. "The first choice strips pottery from its utilitarian rots, while with the second choice comes the loss of prestige and status normally associated with artists" creations. Neither choice is satisfactory."Thankfully, a third choice has been presented-the studio potter. The college- or university-educated studio potter, guided in spirit by folk art and some of the practices that were the impetus of much of the historical pottery, is practically the sole originator of handmade pottery today. Against all odds, and certainly not in a traditional sense, creative, unique utilitarian pottery continues to be made today."