Captures the feel of the ceramicist’s studio with new appreciation for the beautiful, functional, and accessible works being produced by a new generation of makers Ceramics is back in a big way, experiencing a steady surge of interest and popularity not seen since the 1970s. The return to the handmade, driven by our increasingly digital lives, means there are now more makers, sellers, and collectors than ever. There is also a new desire for unique objects made by hand and the imperfections associated with the marks of the maker. Pottery captures this authenticity in ways no other medium can. From decorative pieces to the beautiful but functional, to sculptural works pushing the boundaries of the medium, Clay surveys the rich creative output of fifty of the top studio potters from around the world. It is a celebration of a new generation of artisans working in clay, a snapshot not necessarily of what is happening at the elite gallery level but rather a behind-the-scenes look at unique and eclectic offerings, both functional and sculptural, from small studios around the world.

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 Schütte, Richard Slee, Clare Twomey, 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.

No other volume has ever presented such a diverse and captivating collection of contemporary animal-themed ceramics. Juried by distinguished artist and educator Joe Bova, this magnificent gallery includes pieces from an international group of artists; the beautifully crafted works range from the representational to the abstract, from artful realism to provocative surrealism (including animal-human hybrids). Ann Marais image of a waterfowl painted onto a porcelain dish has a restrained, Asian quality. Sharkus painted and smoke-fired stoneware turtle could easily be mistaken for the living creature. Bova provides astute and illuminating commentary overall, with selected artists notes."

No longer considered merely decorative, ceramic art has broken free from the dusty display cases to which it was once relegated and is now taking centre stage in contemporary galleries. Although often integrating traditional modelling, firing and glazing techniques into their output, the 90 artists featured here invite us to look at ceramics in a different way. Whether creating monumental installations or intricate miniatures, imaginary beasts or life-size human figures, they subtly blur the borders between art and craft, sometimes conceiving witty or unnerving twists on traditional ceramic forms, sometimes using cutting-edge technology, conceptual thinking and new platforms to push the boundaries of clay and broaden its appeal. Packed with works that are questioning and provocative, disturbing and seductive, this is an exciting overview of a booming field.

Chronicles the history of the last half century of ceramic art as seen through the works of some 70 artists from the Marer Collection. Essays discuss artistic and historical issues such as the unity of the designer and maker and new stylistic avenues from the 1960s to the present. Includes color plates and a checklist of the entire collection. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The successful 500 series shines a spotlight on today's most breathtaking ceramic sculptures. Selected from more than 8,000 entries by the distinguished art critic, historian, and professor Glen R. Brown--an elected member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva--these exquisite works will inspire both beginning and professional ceramists, as well as collectors and enthusiasts. They include Esther Shimazu's hand-built, Asian-influenced nudes; Von Venhuizen's mixed-media, wheel-thrown stoneware, and Katy's Rush's slip-cast and press-molded porcelain. Every work is amazing.

This groundbreaking book is the first to provide a critical overview of the relationship between contemporary ceramics and curatorial practice in museum culture. Ceramic objects form a major part of museum collections, with connections to anthropology, archaeology and other disciplines that engage with the cultural and social history of humankind. In recent years museums have provided the impetus for cutting-edge artistic practice, either as a response to particular collections, or as part of exhibitions. But the question of how museums have staged contemporary ceramics and how ceramic artists respond to museum collections has not been the subject of published research to date. This book examines how ceramic artists have, over the last decade, begun to animate museum collections in new ways, and reflects on the impact that these new initiatives have had in the broad context of visual culture. Ceramics in the Expanded Field is the culmination of a three-year AHRC funded project, and reflects its major findings. It brings together leading international voices in the field of ceramics, research undertaken throughout the project and papers delivered at the concluding conference. By examining the benefits and constraints of interventions and the dialogue between ceramics and museological practice, this book will bring focus to an area of museology that has not yet been theorized, and will contribute to policy debates and art practice.