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Book Reviews

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The Teapot

The Artful Teapot
Garth Clark's newest book on the teapot was published to accompany the major travelling show of the same name. The book offers not only the opportunity to view many of the works in 2D, but also gives various insights into the discourses surrounding the world of tea - a fitting addition to the tea lover's or teapot enthusiast's library.

Teapots Transformed, Exploration of an Object
Leslie Ferrin's publication is a tour-de-force of contemporary teapot design. A beautifully crafted 128 page, full-color book with over 120 illustrations - a wonderful book for anyone with an interest in The Contemporary Teapot.

The Eccentric Teapot, Four Hundred Years of Innovation
Garth Clark takes a look at the more gregarious manifestations of that humble but universal domestic appliance, the teapot. Far from the simpler examples, as may e.g. be found in your average Chinese restaurant (ever seen one with the lid attached with fishing line?), this survey of teapots of the past four centuries covers everything from Yixing pots to the Japanese Book of Tea, the Boston Tea Party to the famous "Suprematist Teapot" by Kasemir Malevich.

Ceramic Design

Contemporary Porcelain : Materials, Techniques and Expressions
Well known British author Peter Lane looks at contemporary porcelain in Europe and elsewhere from the last 20 years and examines technical achievements and working practices common to cermacists who work with porcelain.

Ceramic Form
Another publication by British author Peter Lane. In this one, Lane looks at ceramic form throughout the ages. This is a particularly useful book for the student of ceramics, wishing to delve into the theory of ceramic form.

Ceramics by Ettore Sottsass, Bruno Bischofberger (Editor)
Founder of the legendary Memphis design movement. Written by Sottsass himself, this book focuses Sottsass' ceramics created between 1956 and today. The book includes more than 100 color photos.

Technical

Rock Glazes, Geology and Mineral Processing for Potters
Damon Moon reviews Australian potter Steve Harrison's book on rock glazes and mineral processes.

Porcelain
Jack Doherty's book Porcelain is a great introduction to the medium for the budding studio potter or the serious hobby artist.

With a Little Help From My Friends
Tom Coleman has gathered together an impressive crew of potters, who share their experiences, knowledge and clay and glaze recipes in this manual for the studio potter.

Substitutions for Raw Ceramic Materials
Edouard Bastarache's book is a 'tour de force' of substitutions of raw ceramic materials, giving clear and easy directions on substitutions for 14 common materials.

Glazes Cone 6
Michael Bailey's publication on cone 6 glazes contains a wealth of information, both for the novice, as well as those already familiar with this firing range.

Mastering Cone 6 Glazes
John Hesselberth & Ron Roy give us a helping hand formulating stable cone 6 glazes by improving glaze characteristics such as glaze fit, stability, durability etc.

Ceramic Extruding, Inspiration and Technique
Tom and Jean Latka's publication Ceramic Extruding, Inspiration and Technique is a comprehensive how-to book on all aspects of extruding clay, with knowledgeable advice on how to make your own dies, to projects on what to do with the clay once it has been extruded.

The Potter's Complete Book of Clay and Glazes
The classic American book on glazes and clays by James Chappel. Covers recipes for all glaze types from low-fire to porcelain and includes clay body recipes for just about any purpose you can think of. A must have book.

Monographs

Carolinda Tolstoy Ceramics
Written by Ernst J. Grube, an international authority on Islamic pottery, this richly illustrated publication puts Tolstoy's work into a historic context.

The Mud-Pie Dilemma
John Nance's book follows the day to day struggles of American potter Tom Coleman, who has eight weeks to make 100 pieces of work for a major show.

Miscellaneous

Ceramics and the Environment
Janet Mansfield's latest publication Ceramics and the Environment is a showcase of contemporary ceramic sculpture in public and private spaces. Artists covered range from Nino Caruso to Nina Hole.

Fioritura - The Heyday of Maiolica
This large size, hardcover volume catalogues the Berlin Maiolica Collection, which encompasses rare and beautiful Italian maiolica from the 15th-17th century. The book is in German, but still a must for maiolica scholars and lovers of the genre. Bilingual review in German and English.

Ode to Japanese Pottery, Sake Cups and Flasks
Robert Yellin takes us on a journey through the world of Japanese pottery via the ceramic sake utensil.

Sex Pots - Eroticism in Ceramics
A well researched and well written book by Canadian ceramist Paul Mathieu. With many surprising revelations and great images!

Getting to Know Your Toby Jug
Toby Jugs - ah, you've got to love 'em! In his book, Ron Earl tells more about the beloved English curio.

Bernard Leach (St. Ives Potters)
Bernard Leach is seen as a pivotal figure in Western ceramics of the 20th century. In his book Bernard Leach (St. Ives Potters), Edmund De Waal takes a critical look at Leach's life's work and legacy.

Crafting as a Business
Wendy Rosen's book Crafting as a Business is directed at those practitioners wishing to make a living from their craft
work. This publication covers all aspects of setting up and running a business making craft objects.

Portuguese Tiles from the National Museum of Azulejo, Lisbon
A wonderful book on the history of Portuguese Tiles from the 15th C to the present day by by Joao Castel-Branco Pereira. Also covers the history of the Portuguese Tile Museum in Lisbon. This book has many beautiful images i full color.

Videos & DVDs

Celebrating the Cycle: The Wood-Fired Pottery of Matt Jones
Matt's pots are all functional - plates and pitchers, teapots and mugs, jars and planters, with bold forms and rich, earthy textures that echo the work of country masters from the Southern past.

The Life and Art of Eva Zeisel
Eva Zeisel is a name many may not have heard, an artist and designer many may not be aware of. Despite this, many may have seen her designs, may have been touched by her work. Many will certainly be touched by this lovingly directed documentary on the Hungarian-German-American ceramist.

 

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