Lantin Ceramics

Look UP! - exhibits at the BMAC

2011-12-23T17:41:00.004-05:00

The first installation at the Brattleboro Museum goes up - thanks to Brent Johnston for his skills as a skate ramp builder!

over 300 rosettes in place - an homage to the museums humble beginnings as a railway station...

then came 'Four Eyes' - the faculty of Marlboro College show. Using some of the wallpaper I made at Haystack Mountain School of Craft this summer - I put up two installations. Its been a busy year on the installation front. I look forward to exploring pots and plates - expanding some surface treatments and thinking of new narratives.

Both shows are up until February 4...

New Work at Red Lodge

2011-12-05T16:12:00.001-05:00

Holidays are coming on fast - check out some new work available for online sales at
Red Lodge Clay Center

back to school

2011-09-14T23:25:00.003-04:00

For most people, back to school means back to the books. For me it means back to the photo library looking for images to inspire students. These are the gems of the night:

Hall China, Butter Dish, 1937

My Meissen - not as old as the one from 1735 below, but the same pattern; made at least 150 years later

work available

2011-09-13T21:06:00.004-04:00

these pots are available at Charlie Cummings Gallery, and more are on their way for his 'The Intimate Object VII" show.

better blog

2011-07-10T23:32:00.004-04:00

here is a shout out for Bridget - a fellow student from my NSCAD days - she is a dedicated blogger and has given me one or two highlights. I enjoy the format, and encourage you to check it out:

http://bpracticalpottery.wordpress.com/

and our fellow classmate Alana Wilson - off on firetower adventures:

http://alanawilson.wordpress.com/

so little time

2011-07-10T23:06:00.005-04:00

the summer has moved so swiftly. it feels like just yesterday I was taking part in my first Marlboro College commencement (youtube video here). Almost immediately after wards I was off on a spanish adventure (with a side-trip to Vienna) - which I will be sure to post pictures from as I sit down to sort them.

Right now however, there is more pressing business. At least 250 of them.

I have been invited to show work at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center. To try something different, I have chosen to tackle the space with a site-specific architectural intervention. The museum recently renovated there main gallery space, so I will take care of the 'spotlight gallery'. The rosette is a press mold made from a plaster original provided by my neighbor Rory - a talented architectural plaster restorer. Along with a team of assistants, we made a tun over 6 days of work - going through over 600 pounds of clay. What I didn't account for was the time it would take to get them through the kilns. Thankfully, they are all done and ready for installation this week.

The opening is this Friday, the 15th of July if you are in the area. If not, the show is up until October.
More pictures to follow...

plates and wallpaper

2011-04-28T01:03:00.006-04:00

I'm already too excited for my upcoming workshop at Haystack this summer. I'll be taking a large-format screen printing class. in making wallpaper, I'll be able to explore the relationship between the plates and the walls behind them in a more direct way. The pictures were taken at the MFA in Boston. The Japanese Noh costumes really intrigue me for the visual information of round forms on geometric background.
For images of my past plate installations visit this link to my website.

Hispano-MORE-esque

2011-04-20T23:11:00.005-04:00

Spain,Manises, Valencia,Dish,Late15th-early16thCen.CE(back)

Check out this beauty!
My friend Sean O'Connell is and incredible collector of historical ceramic images and recently shared his trove with me (his website click here) . While procrastinating tonight I stumbled upon this - and this is the back.

imagine the front - it may be just like this:
...and this isn't too shabby either

the blog-network

2011-04-13T23:58:00.006-04:00

building in Tampa

I feel like I've been giving more time to facebook and less time to keeping up my digital sketchbook - as it is. Here are some pictures from some recent adventures.

So NCECA seems long ago and here at Marlboro College we have begun the round of senior shows and back-to-back kiln firings. While at NCECA, I finally got to sit face to face with a longtime virtual friend - Ben Carter (check out his great blog on his adventure in the China and elsewhere here) and we recently talked about blogging strategies. While just waiting for pictures to upload, I enjoyed reading his blog in German over google translator. Now I can finally expand my German ceramic vocabulary!

Lichtenstein at the MAD Museum, NYC

Bench in Santa Fe coffeeshop - sideways and head on
(can't you just see that in slip on a pot?)

So NCECA seems long ago and here at Marlboro College we have begun the round of senior shows and back-to-back kiln firings. I finally got to sit face to face with a longtime virtual friend - Ben Carter (check out his great blog on his adventure in the China and elsewhere here) and we recently talked about blogging strategies. While just waiting for pictures to upload, I enjoyed reading his blog in German over google translator. Now I can finally expand my German ceramic vocabulary!

Eva Zeisel - The Playful search for Beauty

2011-04-06T18:38:00.001-04:00

AI Weiwei on youtube - TED talk

2011-04-04T13:27:00.002-04:00

more on Ai Weiwei

2011-04-04T12:50:00.001-04:00

Ai Weiwei still missing after being held by Chinese police

Artist's assistants and wife released but his whereabouts not disclosed by Beijing authorities

Ai Weiwei, photographed near his studio in Beijing on Friday. He has since been detained.

Ai Weiwei, China's best-known artist, remains missing more than a day after he was detained. Police have confiscated dozens of items from his studio.

more on this artitcle from The Guardian.uk

nearly useless

2011-03-09T20:54:00.004-05:00

check out some 'useless' inventions by Kenji Kawakami in this article by 'Theme'

more pots in odd places

2011-01-31T23:54:00.002-05:00

The Mimbres pots were all along the wall of the room where the Critical: Santa Fe symposium was held. I kept waiting for someone to mention it in a question or discussion. The Majolica wine was not the best - one of the few times buying based on the label has failed me.

saturday morning cartoons

2011-01-29T08:24:00.001-05:00

Super Link

2011-01-10T08:26:00.002-05:00

I found this, in a round about way, through Facebook. Garth Johnson, on his blog Extreme Craft excerpted an interview with Robert Arneson he found at the Smithsonian Oral Archives. Check it out, some super stuff across the arts.

image not indicative of Smithsonian content

new online source

2010-11-20T12:34:00.004-05:00

just in time for the holidays - you can find my work on the Red Lodge Clay Center gallery site

beauty

2010-11-19T10:27:00.002-05:00

more on weiwei - arrested

2010-11-13T23:57:00.004-05:00

BEIJING — A phalanx of Beijing police officers confined the prominent artist and activist Ai Weiwei to his north Beijing home on Friday, a move he suggested came at the behest of unnamed but powerful political figures in Shanghai who feared that he was about to embarrass them.

more in the new york times

83 million dollar pot

2010-11-13T23:32:00.004-05:00

The 18th-century porcelain vase, sold by a family clearing out a deceased relative's house, went to a Chinese buyer for 51.6 million pounds ($83 million) — more than 40 times the pre-sale estimate and a record for a Chinese work of art.
taken from the AP wire - more info here

sometimes true

2010-11-10T08:11:00.001-05:00

not that uplifting maybe, but funny all the same

lovely marriage of word image and design

2010-10-25T22:50:00.003-04:00

T Magazine: Artful Books | The Island of Rota

A mysterious, seductive collaboration between the neurologist Oliver Sacks, the photographer Abelardo Morell and the designer Ted Muehling about the natural history of a Micronesian island is an artifact in itself.

so sad...too bad

2010-10-15T17:17:00.002-04:00

seeds removed?

The BBC only reports that people can't walk on them anymore, however another site claims they're getting cleaned out.

80 seeds a day

2010-10-15T08:20:00.003-04:00

This Tate Modern installation by Ai Weiwei - in the Turbine Hall. 1600 people working for 2.5 years creating around 100 million hand formed and painted sunflower seeds now cover the space of the Turbine Hall. For me, so many layers of meaning appear but check out this link for more info on the symbolism of the seed in China.

recent sightings

2010-10-11T22:21:00.003-04:00

it had been a while. school is satisfying in it's activity, my studio however is not...but here is what's going on...

beautiful milkweed

too much dinosaur for a flower brick?

In other news, we are working on an exciting project at school using all the scrap reclaim and glazes to find a good mixture that will work as a tile/paver (totally got the idea from the CM on green ceramics practice) but it's also really fun. there is a big space outside the studio that turns to mud every time it rains, so i'm looking to relieve that a little. Also, as we expand our glaze palette and possible move to cone 6 or 7, the test tiles and larger tiles students do will tile the studio bathroom...so fun stuff is on its way at school.

pots in odd places

2010-09-22T21:54:00.005-04:00

bon appetit magazine - this month

found this one at Haystack

The way to play with reclaim

2010-09-15T21:44:00.003-04:00

The first assignment: using 25 pounds make a bottomless cylinder 12 inches in diameter - then divide in to teams and build a tower...as high as you can

classic

2010-09-13T00:30:00.001-04:00

who wouldn't want to ride this?

that being said, i finished up work on the 'country road' today, but had to pass it off to the pros for a brake job...pics soon

encouragement to collect

2010-09-01T21:31:00.004-04:00

I have to commend the Society for Contemporary Craft on their initiative to expand the audience for the collection and appreciation of functional ceramics. If you, or anyone you know may be interested and in the Pittsburgh area, I encourage you to attend, and thank you.

... Unique mugs made by a variety of nationally recognized clay artists will be available for purchase in a range of prices. This is an excellent opportunity to add to your ceramic collection, or to begin collecting! Reservations for Crafted are $20, and this cost will applied to the price of your mug. Mug selection will be on a first come, first served basis, beginning the evening of the event. Enjoy hot specialty drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live entertainment with the purchase of a mug. The mugs will be on display in the Store and on our website beginning October 1, 2010.

odd shoes

2010-08-31T00:29:00.005-04:00

In Hallowell Maine this summer i found these odd shoes at a thrift shop - made of wooden soles and designated as Fluevog shoes. having the shoe fetish i do i was intrigued. it seems these were some sort of prototype - with pencil marks, nails and very little stitching. i was tempted to purchase for the sheer novelty of them, but restrained myself - even though they were surprisingly comfortable...

new place

2010-08-26T22:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of orientation for my new job as professor at Marlboro College. it's exciting to meet all my fellow faculty, but even better will be meeting the students next week and getting to work!

some more sights from the road

2010-08-22T23:26:00.008-04:00

that little bundle on the back of the motorcycle is a small white dog with a green and orange kerchief over its head

kudzu taking over on I 40

these big boys were spotted on I 40 westbound on the 13 of june. funny, 'cause when i mentioned them to a friend they saw some too, but in a totally different part of the country. What are they for?

haven't we all

2010-08-14T22:40:00.002-04:00

A 9 episode documentary series where artists attempt to explain to their parents what it's all about. Starting with Arno Coenen who talks to his Dad about the eurotrash beer he developed for an art museum.

check out excerpts on Blinkart

it's not too late

2010-08-14T22:36:00.002-04:00

Arrowmont School of Art and Craft still has space available in several super week-long and weekend workshops now through October. Check out their classes and consider a trip to the best school in the smokies!

curious?

2010-08-14T00:28:00.002-04:00

I am intrigued by these double vases by Andrea Gill currently on exhibition at the Harvey Meadows Gallery in Aspen CO. I suspect the images don't do these pieces justice.

Sawdust & Dirt: untitled

2010-08-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

i'd be curious what you think...

Sawdust & Dirt: untitled: "Don Pilcher lives in Champaign Illinois where he taught for many years at the university there. As a gifted potter, thinker, and provocateur..."

jackson, tn

2010-06-19T17:59:00.001-04:00

i'm spending some time on the road this summer. more to come

sweet sugar bowl

2010-06-14T01:14:00.001-04:00

Attributed to Anthony Wise Baecher (1824–1889)
The Big Hunting Creek Pottery (act. 1881–1883), Mechanicstown, Maryland
c. 1881–1883
Glazed red earthenware
6 3/4 x 6 x 5 1/4 in. diam.
American Folk Art Museum, gift of Ralph Esmerian, 2002.38.3

we've all heard the 'ghost' references...

2010-06-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

from 'slipcast-the ceramics blog'

movin out

2010-05-20T10:14:00.003-04:00

packing would perhaps be less painful with these...

21st century

2010-05-17T23:49:00.003-04:00

I'm excited to share that I'm a featured artist this month at the Charlie Cummings Gallery. I hope you have a chance to visit. Also be sure to keep tabs on the site for next months K-12 exhibition fundraiser auction.

summer dreamin'

2010-05-07T01:06:00.002-04:00

in the midst of packing here at Arrowmont. off for another adventure - made me think of sharing images from my last summer vacation...

let's go shopping!

2010-04-27T09:05:00.005-04:00

this definitely appeals to the german in me...

Peter Fischli & David Weiss

Im Teppichladen / At the Carpet Shop (Wursterie)
1979
C-print
20 x 27 1/2 inches; 51 x 70 cm

via my friend at bolth

beauties

2010-04-20T23:45:00.001-04:00

dish by holly walker, cup by those crafty greeks and plate from japan

best chocolate 2009

2010-04-18T23:10:00.003-04:00

i found this sweet little number in a restaurant in montreal last october. it was a real treat. especially delicious served with 'eagle rare' bourbon on ice. yum! now if i could only remember the name of the cafe!

HACKED

2010-04-16T20:20:00.003-04:00

beware all ye who have a particular email account linked to facebook. a friend and i have both been hacked in the past week - our emails and facebook accounts both compromised. those of you who received a panicked message from me saying i was in the UK, my apologies. i am fine, enjoying the spring in tennessee.

sneaks and geeks

2010-04-13T00:59:00.000-04:00

last day of school

2010-03-26T13:05:00.002-04:00

the wonderful group of students I had for the second community class session here at Arrowmont - and their fabulous work!

also, videos of class demos can be seen at youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fX6eBAsQuo)

sweet

2010-03-21T11:57:00.004-04:00

via matthew hollet - photographer and web designer extraordinaire

2010-03-20T00:19:00.000-04:00

2010 Arrowmont Artists in Residence Exhibition from Kent Perdue on Vimeo.

the oddest places

2010-03-16T10:11:00.003-04:00

pots sometimes show up in the funniest places - here in a book on wallpaper design - a 1951 screen print - just wish we also could see the colours

The 2010 artist in residence exhibition

2010-03-12T00:02:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure I understand this plate fascination quite yet. It's not about trying to display pots as painting. We don't often see our dishes displayed this way - so then is it display value...wealth?

...and the resident's blog has some good overview shots...

dots and stripes

2010-03-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

nature is often the best decorator...

slow subconscious

2010-02-20T02:50:00.002-05:00

slowly but surely, the architecture of russia is starting to creep into my pots. i do so enjoy the absorption of ideas and forms and their slow release. the wall is for sure the novodevichy convent and i think the church is too.

Off to Savannah

2010-02-14T09:59:00.003-05:00

I head a little further south today to give some workshops and a lecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I was totally geeking out yesterday as i went through images of historical ceramics (collection of Linda Arbuckle) to present in informal surface design workshops. The endless variety and visual solutions never cease to astound me. Above is Iran, then two Japanese and finally a Mycenean. that little cup is a favorite at the moment. the energy of the concentric bands at the bottom, then those little spirals toward the rim. beauty!

jello anyone

2010-02-12T23:23:00.002-05:00

VIA BOLTH

boysoprano:

thisisnotwhyimfat:Jell-O Mold Cheeseburger: Vanilla and walnut flavored Jell-O bun, pistachio flavored lettuce, cherry and cherry cream Jell-O tomatoes, chocolate and chocolate mousse flavored Jell-O burger, orange-lemon Jell-O cheese, lemon-lime Jell-O pickles and coconut flavored Jell-O onions. (via eatmedaily)

crown jars are off to roswell ga

2010-02-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

shock and surprise

2010-02-04T22:01:00.003-05:00

“There is a subtle difference between shock and surprise. For many, the raw reverberations of continuous shock exhilarate, while the sweetness, bewilderment, or astonishment of surprise fails to satisfy. Over the past few decades, contemporary art has become increasingly extreme and often uses its power over our senses to lay claim to our minds. To be genuinely and pleasantly puzzled is becoming rare. Art that surprises is enigmatic. It beckons us to sharpen our focus and discover elements of beauty, intrigue, and complexity. It does not repel us, assault us, or stun our sensibilities. Instead, we delight in its wonder.”

Elizabeth Mandel, Intricate Enigma, Arts Editor online, Feature, 1/25/2010

Social Cumulation

2010-02-01T22:35:00.003-05:00

I am excited to share a gallery with TJ, it will be a real teaser for our resident group show which will open March 5. keep your eyes peeled for that card (designed by TJ) which will be out soon

wicked busy!

2010-02-01T03:39:00.006-05:00

the year is already flying and I've been a terrible blogger. I just packed up work for the Clay Studio in Philly and the SCC in Pittsburg. the cup above i haven't been able to part with yet. Teaching has begun and I'm getting work made for upcoming shows - in other words - working hard in the studio and having fun.

new portfolio

2009-12-23T00:42:00.010-05:00

Happy New Year!
I hope y'all traveled safe and enjoyed time with family and friends.
A new year is time to show new work. Check it out on my website.

Wishing you all chocolate galore and health and happiness for the coming year, martina

2009-12-14T00:18:00.001-05:00

from Bolth

my friend jennifer

2009-12-07T14:18:00.003-05:00

view Jen's full super 8 on her blog: http://ineverreallylikedyou.blogspot.com/

biodegradable

2009-12-06T00:44:00.004-05:00

i think i'm in love - design-conscious disposables. these images and wasara's website has given me chills!

new pots

2009-11-18T14:19:00.002-05:00

here are some new ones...looking towards adding more color - just trying to find the right motifs to accentuate the forms. jug above, flower brick, another jug and jar below

2009-11-15T23:28:00.002-05:00

closest i'll get to china...probably

2009-11-15T23:13:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited to see this exhibit on my upcoming visit to DC! A selection of the Terra Cotta Army from China on view at the National Geographic Museum. You can also listen to the report from NPR.

UP SIDE DOWN

2009-10-31T13:58:00.003-04:00

on a recent trip to montreal, stopped at a gas station, it took me a while to decipher this graphic.
sad, maybe. worse, the look my sister gave me when she spotted me taking this pic.

mami and pops

2009-10-23T20:51:00.003-04:00

measuring cups above and not my size below - both via Swiss-Miss

on the map!

2009-10-15T00:07:00.003-04:00

google hit the streets of Halifax sometime in April to get this shot of my pots in the seeds gallery window - thanks to chris for letting me know -

...the letter D

2009-10-06T13:58:00.002-04:00

dishes

demorgan

dog

dieter

today is brought to you by the letter C

2009-10-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

today is brought to you by the letter B

2009-10-04T10:47:00.003-04:00

blue spotted tree species

banya at the dacha

beautiful beetle

bowl and all this from a 12x12x4 piece of yellow poplar

container living

2009-10-03T21:43:00.002-04:00

russian construction site -

i do enjoy corrugated steel - and have thought about compact living - apt. upstairs and studio down? the wood framed windows are a nice touch.

new you?

2009-09-30T00:21:00.005-04:00

london design week 09 Peter Bruegger presented his moustache mugs
at designersblock

Wood Turning class

2009-09-22T21:43:00.003-04:00

Lucky enough to be back in class this week - wood turning with Clay Foster and Jennifer Shirley. Today we got down with some surface work, and the sun came out today. a russian cathedral tower exposed itself with my small turned box - perhaps i'll make all of st. basil's?

new adventures

2009-08-20T22:19:00.016-04:00

Well, tomorrow I'm off on a big adventure.
I will be going to Moscow and St. Petersburg with my parents. I have no idea what to expect. Despite fantasizing over guide books for the past month, I remain at a loss. I have never before traveled somewhere I will not even be able to read the text around me. There is no hope of deciphering the Cyrillic script or the words spoken around me. Images of the variety of architectural wonders already have me excited for the potential influence on my work. I can't wait to see the onion domes and palaces influence my forms and decoration upon my return.

As I transition to working here at Arrowmont, I have begun to seek out ways to reintroduce decoration on my thrown and altered forms. I continue to develop my own peculiar version of a flower brick. As I glaze them I am considering how they will look both with and without flowers. Right now the colours have remained quite subtle. I wonder if the flowers will provide enough of a colour punch, or if the brick on it's own needs more flavor.

The last week of classes here at Arrowmont brought Cornel Rubino from Baltimore. His assistant was a student from MICA - Tommy Doyle and two talented models - Alice and Lawrence. It was great to hang with some folks from b-more and his 'Monumental Drawing' class produced amazing results. The summer session ended on a high note and the campus is now subdued and silent. Gatlinburg itself has calmed down with the beginning of school.

2009-08-10T09:49:00.007-04:00

I just finished a week of drawing class with Julia Morrisroe.
It was a challenging class with morning excursions for source gathering and afternoons in the classroom drawing on large sheet (3' x 4' or so). I really enjoyed working with ink and charcoal - learning for the first time that charcoal can be mixed with water. We went twice to the abandoned remnants of the amusement park next to Arrowmont where i fell in love with the old go-kart track. it has these wonderful haloes of the tires that used to guard the border. Also the ghost of a charilift - lovely and yellow just hangin' out.
The class moved so fast, i didn't really ever finish a drawing. Just in the way pots are never finished - there's always more to be done to a drawing - well maybe not done - it could be 'not done' if that makes any sense.
Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the last drwawing. For that one i got to work with Julia's luscious oil pastels - they were so 'fat' - i can't think of another way to describe them. they went on the paper so well, i would mix them with coloured pencil and chalk pastel. Now the trick will be where to find room to keep working. i really liked the large scale of the paper, and as per Julia's suggestion - maybe clay will be my drawing material - i wonder if i can get earthenware to be like an ink?

car font anyone?

2009-07-20T01:22:00.001-04:00

picked this up off of swissmiss - How fun to drive like that!

iQ font - When driving becomes writing / Full making of from wireless on Vimeo.

opportunity

2009-07-18T00:06:00.002-04:00

the international ceramics research center in Denmark - residency for recent graduates:

November 3 - December 16 2009 / January 5 - February 17 2010

NETWORK 2009 - SYMPOSIUM

A 6 weeks long project for recently graduated ceramists recommended by their educational institutions from all over the world

Individual project development, guest artists, lectures & workshops on photography, graphic design & exhibition planning
Application deadline is August 1 2009
Please call/e-mail or see our website for program details

check it out!

relationships

2009-07-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

it never ceases to surprise and amaze me how our surroundings influence what we do - whether it's what we eat, when we sleep, or what forms we are drawn to in the studio. sometimes it is a symbiosis. last week i had the opportunity to have a studio visit with Charity Davis-Woodard. As we left the studio, she noticed TJ's cactus. Having just been looking at the beginnings of this run of flower 'bricks' she pointed at it and then back to me.
Yup, there sure is a resemblance - but something still isn't right. Kent and Victoria visited today and gave me some different perspectives. they spoke of lightness, order, treatment of the holders. now the vases are all slipped - white and clean, so of course it may be a different story.

in the blue ridge

2009-07-13T00:16:00.000-04:00

it's still new to me. working in a studio with the sounds of insects and tree frogs outside the window. on the way back down from the studio, in the midst of a mild thunderstorm, the air was so moist, it felt as though i wasn't even breathing.
while damp in halifax, the bite of salt on the air was always present, and now i miss it. everything is lush and green and damp and the pots take ages to dry.
i've begun accumulating insect carcasses. while potentially high on the creep-out factor, i am enjoying being able to examine these complex structures calmly and with time. so far i have one ciccada, two dragonflies, a moth, some other beetle, and i had a grasshopper - but lost it. the back of it's hind leg (yup, it was only left with one) was the most incredible red and his back had marking that seemes eager to imitate some other creature.

another week ahead and, i'm sure, like the two behind me, it will pass quickly.