Skin Crafts discusses multiple artists from global contexts who employ craft materials in works that address historical and contemporary violence. These artists are deliberately embracing the fragility of textiles and ceramics to evoke the vulnerability of human skin and - in so doing - are demanding visceral responses from viewers. Drawing on a range of theories including affect theory, material feminism, skin studies, phenomenology and global art history, the book illuminates the various ways in which artists are harnessing the affective power of craft materials to address and cope with violence. Artists from Mexico, Africa, China, the Netherlands and Indigenous artists based in the unceded territory known as Canada are examined in relation to one another to illuminate the connections and differences across their bodies of work. Skin Crafts interrogates ongoing material violence towards women and marginalized others, and demonstrates the power of contemporary art to force viewers and scholars into facing their ethical responsibilities as human beings.

An unprecedented exploration of Venetian maiolica set in a vibrant context of hybridity and exchange. Introduced by migrant potters ca.1500, the medium offers a unique point of entry into Venice's material world shaped by Mediterranean trade and local luxury production. This exhibition catalogue explores maiolica's multifaceted connection to objects ranging from Islamic metalwork to Venetian glass. Accompanying an exhibition held at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Global Luxury in Renaissance Venice explores the role of maiolica within the vast range of luxury objects made in Venice and imported into the city, highlighting the place of the medium at the nexus of cross-media and cross-cultural exchanges. Thematic discussions investigate the circulation of artefacts and the migration of ornament, the potter's workshop and artistic lineage, and maiolica's position in the material culture of splendour that characterized elite interiors. The book addresses works made in the thriving workshops of Jacomo da Pesaro and Domenego da Venezia, and suggests a connection between the rise of villeggiatura in the mid-sixteenth century and the ascent Venice's maiolica industry.

Have you been tinkering with mosaics for a while, but feel that you need to take it to the next level? Or are you a beginner looking for a challenge? Then this is the book you need. It looks at mosaics as an art form, where line, colour and texture all combine to produce beautiful works of art. The stunning photographs gracing every page are both inspiring and informative. Starting out as a textile designer, the author recognises how important the choice of design is when you start a mosaic project. This book will teach you how to choose the right design and translate it into a template, allowing you to 'paint' with the mosaic tiles. The technical information supplied will guide you through the selection process of the right design, teach you about the various tiles available, surfaces to work on and which ones to choose for which conditions, materials and tools needed as well as the different mosaic techniques that can be used to complete your project. You will also find suggestions for alternatives if supplies are hard to find in your area. The step-by-step projects are lovely and can be followed exactly, but the author urges crafters to make the projects their own and bring their own personality into them by playing around with colours and texture. The projects include big and small items for the home or to give as gifts, with alternative ideas and suggestions if you prefer a different look or feel. Mosaics is so much more than just placing tiles next to each other and in this book you will discover just how rewarding this craft can be.

For potters, mold making is invaluable because it allows them to slip-cast identical multiples of their work—and this newly revised, full-color edition of Andrew Martin’s classic is the definitive guide to the craft. No other volume has shown the processes in such how-to detail. It’s overflowing with hundreds of photos, key techniques, projects, master artist profiles, and troubleshooting tips.

A thorough introduction addresses materials and tools, and presents Martin’s simple, unique template method for making clay prototypes. Create easy one-piece molds to make tiles, bowls, and platters, or multi-piece molds for more complex forms. An extensive overview covers slip formulation, while offering highly desired slip recipes for low-, mid-, and high-fire clay bodies.

This will be the standard reference in every ceramist’s library.

A Passion for China is a personal celebration of the everyday beauty of tableware. Acclaimed ceramicist, artist and designer Molly Hatch explores the family stories behind beloved items; the bowls and cups we have inherited or chosen with love and care. Molly Hatch also brings the history of porcelain, potteries and patterns to life through her stunning, hand-drawn illustrations. 'As we move through our daily lives, eating breakfast, sipping an afternoon cup of tea or gathering for a family dinner, the patterned ceramic objects we live with are precious witnesses to our stories. We eat from them, they warm our hands after a cold walk outdoors and we pull them out to celebrate the births, marriages and lives of our loved ones.' A tribute to the rich heritage of the vintage plates, jugs and pots that make our homes our own.

Learn the tools and techniques you need to start making ceramic mugs, bowls, and more! Step-by-step instructions complete with color photographs Includes a chapter on bisque firing, waxing, and glazing 4 basic pottery projects for the beginning potter The art of pottery making is described in detail for the beginning potter. Complete with a chapter on tools and materials to get started, this easy-to-use guide explains and illustrates how to wedge clay, use a pottery wheel, shape and trim pots, determine clay thickness, add handles, and a host of other pottery-making techniques. It also contains a chapter on bisque firing and glazing, the final steps in creating beautiful and functional pottery. Includes complete instructions for making a large bowl, three styles of mugs, and a sugar bowl and creamer set.

Inside, discover all the major pottery techniques used the world over, from time-honoured traditional methods to exciting new developments. These include coiling, combing, resist decoration, sgraffito, slabbing and texturing clay. Once you've learnt these essential techniques, put your new skills into practice with a wealth of inspirational examples, ranging from bowls, vases and cups, to plaques, spheres and sculpture. In addition, advice on materials and equipment is provided to help you on your crafting journey, including kilns, glazes, moulds and more. Finally, a gallery of stunning images is featured throughout the book, demonstrating an array of beautiful designs by established potters and ceramicists that will inspire both beginner and experienced potters.

The Boxford Mosaic has been described as the most spectacular and innovative Roman mosaic ever found in Britain. Yet it lay hidden beneath a Berkshire field for some 1,600 years until it was fully uncovered in the Summer of 2019. Dating from around 350 AD and set amid the ruins of a villa, the mosaic depicts tales of famous heroes from Greek mythology. Hercules slays the half-man, half-horse Centaur. Pelops wins the hand of a king's daughter by sabotaging the wheel linchpin of his racing chariot. And the handsome Bellerophon kills the fire-breathing Chimaera monster with the help of his flying horse Pegasus - a legend that became our very own St George and the Dragon. The full description of this artistic masterpiece and its excavation, by local enthusiasts working under professional supervision, is told here by the three who played key roles in the operation. JOY APPLETON is Chairwoman of the Boxford History Project. MATT NICHOL is a leading archaeologist with Cotswold Archaeology. ANTHONY BEESON is one of the UK's leading authorities on mosaics and Roman and Greek architecture. He is also the archivist of the Association for Roman Archaeology.

A major contribution to our knowledge of the Worcester porcelain factory in its early years, based on a single large and elaborate dinner service commissioned by an Irish family. 2020 Winner of the American Ceramic Circle Book Award The early years of the famous Worcester porcelain factory established by Dr Wall have always been a little mysterious, owing to the destruction of the records of thebusiness for this period. Alec Cobbe's discovery of family papers listing the purchases over a period of years of a particularly beautiful and ornate table set have enabled him to give a vivid glimpse of how the factory interacted with its customers. He is able to describe the commissioning of perhaps the largest service of first period Worcester porcelain on record by Thomas and Lady Betty Cobbe for Newbridge House Co. Dublin. It was bought in stages from 1763 as the family travelled from Dublin to Bath each year, stopping at Worcester en route, as other Irish gentry did. The Cobbe service, uniquely in the context of British porcelain, was accompanied by a full set of Irish silver and steel cutlery fitted with Worcester porcelain handles matching the service. The various pieces of porcelain and their historical context are described as well as their painted decoration, and the sources for it. The later history of the service is outlined and its gradual dispersal in the nineteenth century, culminating in a final sale of the remaining pieces lot by lot in a Christie's sale in 1920. This book celebrates Cobbe's reassembly of more than 160 pieces of the original service over a period of more than thirty years and their return to Newbridge following their exhibition in the State Apartments at Dublin Castle. Overall, the book gives an important insight into Irish social life and patronage in the mid-eighteenth century. Alec Cobbe was born in Ireland and still resides in Newbridge House, Co. Dublin, where his ancestors have lived since it was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. He practises as an artist and designer. As a passionate collector, he added to his family's historic collections and assembled the world's largest group of composer-owned keyboard instruments.

The life and legacy of brilliant but elusive potter Lucie Rie is investigated through interviews, letters and the analysis of her elegant, modernist vessels Lucie Rie (1902–1995), one of the 20th century's most celebrated and iconic potters, combined an acute understanding of modernism with the skills of her chosen craft. Emmanuel Cooper, a distinguished potter who knew Rie, interviewed many of her friends and acquaintances to produce this complete and detailed account of Rie's life and work. The author was given unrestricted access by the Rie estate to previously unpublished letters and other material, which provide fascinating new insights into her life and work and allowed him to reevaluate Rie's creative output within the broader context of modernism and the emergence of the studio pottery movement in Britain. ‘It [is] unlikely that this biography of Rie will ever be surpassed.’ —Frances Spalding, Literary Review ‘A precious gift, from the only man who could have written it.’ —Glenn Adamson, Crafts Magazine Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

A global survey of 100 of today's most important clay and ceramic artists, chosen by leading art world professionals.Vitamin C celebrates the revival of clay as a material for contemporary visual artists, featuring a wide range of global talent as selected by the world's leading curators, critics, and art professionals. Clay and ceramics have in recent years been elevated from craft to high art material, with the resulting artworks being coveted by collectors and exhibited in museums around the world. Packed with illustrations, Vitamin C is a vibrant and incredibly timely survey - the first of its kind.Artists include: Caroline Achaintre, Ai Weiwei, Aaron Angell, Edmund de Waal, Theaster Gates, Marisa Merz, Ron Nagle, Gabriel Orozco, Grayson Perry, Sterling Ruby, Thomas Schutte, Richard Slee, Jesse Wine, and Betty Woodman.Nominators include: Pablo Leon de la Barra, Iwona Blazwick, Mary Ceruti, Dan Fox, Jens Hoffmann, Christine Macel, James Meyer, Jed Morse, Beatrix Ruf, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Nancy Spector, Sheena Wagstaff, and Jonathan Watkins.

These original patterns combine aspects of abstract design with natural elements for beautiful and strikingly unusual effects. They can be executed with either of the customary techniques, copper foil or lead came, or a combination of the two approaches. Symmetrical in design, the 90 patterns are easily adapted for specific projects.

Torsion and tension are characteristic of the vessels created by the exceptional Japanese ceramicist Shozo Michikawa (b. 1953), whose works are reminiscent of rock strata and lava flows. Michikawa is known for his unique technique, for turning edgy, dynamic sculptures on the potter's wheel. First he cuts and scores a solid block of clay before he carves out the interior hollow through pressing and turning with a rod and his hands. Natural-looking surfaces emerge, just as geological forces formed the earth's surface - an irrepressible energy from the inside out. Michikawa's pots, with their irregular shape, granular texture, and rich earthen hues are so poetic in their appearance that they have been likened to 'haikus in clay'. With a selection of works from the last fifteen years, Shozo Michikawa introduces the first comprehensive insight into his ceramic production, which has attracted attention across the globe. The Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg; LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Qinglingsi Temple, Xi'an and Shimada City Museum are among the institutions that have acquired his work. This book accompanies an exhibition, which will tour between venues: Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA (US), 3 to 24.6.2017; Erskine, Hall & Coe, London (UK), 11.10. to 2.11.2017. The artist is active on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/shozo.michikawa

Born in 1965 about 100 kilometres from the former imperial porcelain factories of Jingdezhen in China, Bai Ming is a multi-facetted visual artist. A professor and lecturer, he is director of the Department of Ceramics at the Academy of Art and Design of Qinghua University in Beijing, and of the Shangyu Celadon International Art Centre of Contemporary Ceramics. He also heads two workshops, where he boldly mixes ancestral techniques, traditions and practices with those of international contemporary art. The delicacy of his technique in ceramics, painting and lacquer has revitalised Chinese porcelain, freeing it from its archaic forms. His creations have won major Chinese awards and are recognised by collectors around the world. Christine Shimizu, curator of the exhibition devoted to the artist at the Keramis Centre in Belgium, brings together various authors in this book: Mael Bellec, Antoinette Fay-Halle, Jean-Francois Fouilhoux, Catherine Noppe and Ludovic Recchia. All testify, each in their own way, to their perception of Bai Ming's multifaceted work. The book follows an exhibition that will take place at Keramis from 16 November 2019 to 15 March 2020. Text in English and French.

This book explores the persona of the artist in Archaic and Classical Greek art and literature. Guy Hedreen argues that artistic subjectivity, first expressed in Athenian vase-painting of the sixth century BCE and intensively explored by Euphronios, developed alongside a self-consciously constructed persona of the poet. He explains how poets like Archilochos and Hipponax identified with the wily Homeric character of Odysseus as a prototype of the successful narrator, and how the lame yet resourceful artist-god Hephaistos is emulated by Archaic vase-painters such as Kleitias. In lyric poetry and pictorial art, Hedreen traces a widespread conception of the artist or poet as socially marginal, and sometimes physically imperfect, but rhetorically clever, technically peerless, and a master of fiction. Bringing together in a sustained analysis the roots of subjectivity across media, this book offers a new way of studying the relationship between poetry and art in ancient Greece.

Apocalypse reproduces the Apocalypse Cycle of the Great East Window of York Minster in its entirety and in full colour for the very first time. Stunning photography presents each panel in detail, accompanied by expert commentary. The book is both a testament to the remarkable combination of skill, scholarship and cutting-edge technology that has gone into the conservation of the window, and an important study of the significance of the Apocalypse narrative both in the early 15th century and today.

A new pottery tradition has been developing along the border of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Despite the fact that this region is not yet an established destination for pottery collectors, Michiana potters are committed to pursuing their craft thanks to the presence of a community of like-minded artists. The Michiana Potters, an ethnographic exploration of the lives and art of these potters, examines the communal traditions and aesthetics that have developed in this region. Author Meredith A. E. McGriff identifies several shared methods and styles, such as a preference for wood-fired wares, glossy glaze surfaces, cooler colors, the dripping or layering of glazes on ceramics that are not wood-fired, the handcrafting of useful wares as opposed to sculptural work, and a tendency to borrow forms and decorative effects from other regional artists. In addition to demonstrating a methodology that can be applied to studies of other emergent regional traditions, McGriff concludes that these styles and methods form a communal bond that inextricably links the processes of creating and sharing pottery in Michiana.

Creativity is an integral part of human history, yet most studies focus on the modern era, leaving unresolved questions about the formative role that creativity has played in the past. This book explores the fundamental nature of creativity in the European Bronze Age. Considering developments in crafts that we take for granted today, such as pottery, textiles, and metalwork, the volume compares and contrasts various aspects of their development, from the construction of the materials themselves, through the production processes, to the design and effects deployed in finished objects. It explores how creativity is closely related to changes in material culture, how it directs responses to the new and unfamiliar, and how it has resulted in changes to familiar things and practices. Written by an international team of scholars, the case studies in this volume consider wider issues and provide detailed insights into creative solutions found in specific objects.

A practical guide to all forms of decoration for pots and sculpture. This step-by-step guide encourages you to explore the full range of surface treatment techniques and teaches you how to obtain a professional finish to your work by suggesting an appropriate finish choice. Surface Decoration looks at all manner of surface decoration techniques, at every stage of the ceramic process and from a practical perspective explains how to achieve these effects. The book explores a variety of innovative and contemporary approaches to surface finish including sgrafitto, resist methods, sprigging, trailing, glaze layering, lustre, transfer, impressing, incising and textural methods amongst others. This is the perfect guide for any ceramic artist interested in exploring new surface decoration techniques.

An original and entertaining catalogue for a travelling exhibition that has already been much talked about. The expressive power of glass emerges from the pages of the Glasstrees catalogue, which travelled from the Venice Biennale to the Museum of Art and Design of New York in February 2012. The excellent colour photographs illustrate the glass sculptures and installations by internationally-acclaimed artists and designers, some of the most important on the international scene, who for the occasion tackled one of the arts to have made Venice famous throughout the world. This catalogue will become a "must" for collectors, designers, students and connoisseurs.

Now available in its sixth edition, The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques presents a comprehensive survey of all aspects of making ceramics for craft potters and ceramic artists. With its sound, practical explanations of ceramic processes, this indispensable reference book has gained a reputation as "the potter's bible." Professional potters, beginners, students, and collectors will find authoritative information clearly and logically presented. Frank and Janet Hamer explain the sources and character of materials, the behavior of clays and glaze minerals during forming and firing processes, forming methods, and glaze construction. In addition to brief outlines and detailed articles with cross references to illustrations, color photographs illustrate glaze effects and surfaces featured in the work of inventive, contemporary potters. The varied techniques of Raku, maiolica, crystalline glazes, salt and soda, stoneware, and porcelain are also presented. This new edition features over 500 full-color photographs and illustrations. With more than 300 diagrams to clarify everything in the ceramic world, in its sixth edition The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques will continue to serve as the authority on all things ceramic.

What happens to us when we die? What might the afterlife look like? For the ancient Greeks, the dead lived on, overseen by Hades in the Underworld. We read of famous sinners, such as Sisyphus, forever rolling his rock, and the fierce guard dog Kerberos, who was captured by Herakles. For mere mortals, ritual and religion offered possibilities for ensuring a happy existence in the beyond, and some of the richest evidence for beliefs about death comes from southern Italy, where the local Italic peoples engaged with Greek beliefs. Monumental funerary vases that accompanied the deceased were decorated with consolatory scenes from myth, and around forty preserve elaborate depictions of Hades's domain. For the first time in over four decades, these compelling vase paintings are brought together in one volume, with detailed commentaries and ample illustrations. The catalogue is accompanied by a series of essays by leading experts in the field, which provides a framework for understanding these intriguing scenes and their contexts. Topics include attitudes toward the afterlife in Greek ritual and myth, inscriptions on leaves of gold that provided guidance for the deceased; funerary practices and religious beliefs in Apulia, and the importance accorded to Orpheus and Dionysos. Drawing from a variety of textual and archaeological sources, this volume is an essential source for anyone interested in religion and belief in the ancient Mediterranean.

This handsomely illustrated volume is the second in a series of publications aimed at giving a broad audience deeper insight into the extensive collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Museum is famed for its Greek vases. Joan R. Mertens, Curator in the Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan, has chosen thirty-five notable examples. They reveal the variety and vitality of the refined forms and masterfully rendered scenes that characterize these works. And they demonstrate the interrelation of function, shape, technique, and subject matter that is key to understanding the rich language of Greek vases. The introduction provides valuable background information, and the entries delve into the features of each vase, incorporating brilliant color illustrations, including many arresting details. Greek vases served specific utilitarian functions, and they also afforded outstanding artists, some of whom signed their work, a medium for depicting both the details of daily existence and aspects of their gods, goddesses, and heroes. We see the garments, implements, athletic competitions, and marriage and funerary rituals of Greeks who lived from the seventh through the fourth century B.C. We see their mythological figures and stories, for instance, the goddess Athena with her helmet, spear, and shield, and the great hero Herakles, from his first exploit as a baby to his elevation as an immortal at the end of his earthly life. The exceptional group of works assembled in this volume conveys the extent to which the culture of ancient Greece is still apparent today. Urns and jars inspired by Greek models are a staple in all types of public and private spaces. The meander patterns, palmettes, and other florals that adorn ancient vases recur in all kinds of modern objects. And the concept of the hero, or superman, first formulated and given visual form in ancient Greece is integral to Western culture. How to Read Greek Vases is sure to inspire closer scrutiny of these remarkable works of art, which have survived for over two millennia to offer viewers an enlightening look into the ancient heritage of the Western world. Published in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art