In this catalogue of works by Lucio Fontana, one of the greatest Italian artists of the 20th Century, you will find an impressive selection of iconic tagli and pietre paintings as well as ceramics and sculptures spanning the breadth of Fontana's career as an artist. The featured ceramics are a less well known facet of Fontana's oeuvre but a medium he continued to explore from his early days right through to the end of his life. Included in this catalogue is Concetto Spaziale (1962), the only ceramic which was exhibited in the acclaimed 1977 Guggenheim retrospective. The Lucio Fontana exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 1999 went some way to rectifying this underrepresentation, as have other recent museum shows including the beautiful exhibition at the Musee d'Art Moderne de La Ville de Paris in 2014. This project is the result of many years' work and of the collaboration between Amedeo Porro Fine Arts and Ben Brown Fine Arts, with their in-depth knowledge of Fontana's work and close relationship with the Fondazione Fontana. Text in English and Italian.

This updated third edition explores new techniques in digital and 3D printing, as well as refreshing older techniques such as mono-printing. Printing has become a common part of the ceramic artist's practice and today there are more possibilities than ever before. From low-tech mono-prints to digital laser decal, it is now possible to employ a range of techniques to print on clay and vitreous surfaces. With the ongoing advancement of new technologies and more developed studio-based transfer processes artists continue to push the boundaries of the medium. In this comprehensive update of his popular Ceramics Handbook title, Paul Scott explains the historical context for contemporary printed ceramics before explaining the principles of core techniques and their application in the studio. He explores photographic processes, as well as the new opportunities presented by digital technology, including digital and 3D printing. Illustrated with brand new images of beautiful works by leading artists working in printed ceramics, Ceramics and Print is a must-read guide for artists and makers interested in this ever-developing field.

In 1948, Gilbert Portanier, a painter, discovered clay as a material to work with at Vallauris, the ceramics centre in the south of France. There he developed his unique style in the medium. What is so significant about his early work is his mastery of drawing on pottery. In the early years, Portanier "drew" with the brush on his pieces mainly Arcadian genre scenes inspired by Greco-Roman antiquity. On the look-out for new colour combinations, colour textures and colour compositions, however, Portanier gradually distanced himself from drawing and switched to free painting on ceramics. "Every one of his pieces belongs in a museum," thus Picasso commenting on Gilbert Portanier's "painterly ceramics". And indeed Portanier, like no other, conjures colourful, surrealist abstract-figurative paintings on the ceramics he has designed. In his pieces, the "Mediterranean delight" in representing and communicating comes into its own. The inexhaustible riches of Portanier's teeming imagination are unique in the international ceramics scene, a status that has been justly rewarded with numerous international prizes and awards and is now being showcased in this comprehensive monograph.

Greek Vases is a discussion of the painted vases which were an ever present but understated feature of life in the Greek world between the end of the Bronze Age and the rise of Rome, and, in the modern world, an important component of museum collections since the 18th century. The book uses specific illustrated examples to explore the archaeological use of vases as chronological indicators, the use of the various shapes, their scenes of myth and everyday life and what these tell us, the way in which we think about their makers, and how they are treated today as museum objects and archaeological evidence. This is a brief, accessible introduction to the vases with school and university students in mind.

Lefton China has fast become one of the most desirable, sought after collectibles on the secondary market today. With a vast number of styles, series, and patterns to choose from, this authoritative volume includes new information on the history of the George Zoltan Lefton Company. It is a complete guide with descriptions, identifying markings, and current pricing, along with an expanded list of patterns not found in any other book on Lefton China. More than 690 photos document Mr. Lefton's many creations, from figurines to fine china dinnerware. This is an invaluable guide, whether you have been gathering this fine china for many years or are a new collector of Lefton.

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.

The range of extraordinary effects that can be achieved in a kiln is infinite. However, the technical requirements of different firing processes and equipment can often seem intimidating, particularly for those new to ceramics, and this can limit artists' confidence to explore and experiment.In" Firing""Kilns," wood-fire potter Benedict Brierley demystifies the firing process, explaining key methods and effects in simple, straightforward language. Beginning with the basic principles, including heatwork, firing schedules and cones, the book goes on to cover the various types of kilns and kiln packing, oxidation and reduction firing, and then special firing methods such as salt, soda, wood, pit, smoke and raku. Finally, it covers common firing faults and how these can be avoided to achieve consistent, successful results."Firing""Kilns" is a comprehensive handbook for anyone new to firing their work or for established ceramicists wishing to experiment with different firing effects.

In addition to her life's work in ceramic art, the artist, gallerist and collector Lotte Reimers (b. 1932) has compiled a fascinating collection of applied art from other disciplines. With 132 objects, Die Sprache der Dinge (The Language of Things) presents jewellery, metal and textile design, leather- and woodwork, paper art, and one-offs in glass. The collection, which has grown over decades, reflects Lotte Reimers' own unique collecting style: aside from personal taste, quality in form and craftsmanship is an essential criterion for inclusion. The things themselves enter a polyphonic and exciting dialogue in their multiplicity and individuality. Die Sprache der Dinge is an invitation to all aficionados of applied art to enter Lotte Reimers' world of collecting. Text in German.

These 100 examples, from various Neolithic cultures throughout the region known today as China, are described in this catalogue by the collector himself, focusing on their design and engineering ingenuities and their artistic merits. After a 50-year career in consumer product design, author Ronald W. Longsdorf applies the principles of that discipline to these marvellous pots. This is the only book currently available in the market for collectors who wish to study Neolithic ceramics from China from this exquisite collection. It includes lots of information and comparisons from other pieces in museums. Text in English and Chinese.