Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 1 Issue 1 • Dec 1995 | Page 3

Clay Times: THE JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS
Editor/Production:
Polly Beach
Associate Editor:
Rick Berman
Advertising Manager:
Debbie Grimm
Technical Consultant:
Grace Lewis
Contributing Writers:
Steve Branfman, Book Reviews
Monona Rossol, Health & Safety
Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing
Published by:
Clay Times LLC • PO Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035 • 800-356-2529 • www.claytimes.com

Copyright ©1995-2015 Clay Times LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted
by any means without express
written permission of the publisher.

Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: please contact Clay Times
for writer’s/photographer’s guidelines.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
Aegean Sponge Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Axner Pottery Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Berman Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Clay Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Continental Clay Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Creative Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Davens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Del-Val . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Giffin Tec Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co. . . . . . . . . . .12
Highwater Clays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Kickwheel Pottery Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
The Kiln Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Mid-South Ceramic Supply Co. . . . . . . . . . .16
Pine Ridge Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Potter’s Service Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
The Potters Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Raku Kilns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Rings & Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Standard Ceramic Supply Co. . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Tin Barn Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Three New Pottery Books
BY STEVE BRANFMAN
Terra Sculptura,
Terra Pictura
Ceramics of the
Classical
Modernists:
Braque,
Chagall,
Cocteau, Dufy,
Miro, Picasso.
Preface by
Yvonne G.J.M.
Joris; Essays by Dr. Roland Doschka and
Francois Mathey. University of PA Press,
221 pages, clothbound. Text in Dutch,
French, English, and German.
This book is a treat for anyone interested in objects made of clay. In it we are
exposed to a fascinating collection of
wares by a collection of arguably the
most influential artists of the 20th century. And while these individuals are by no
means the only modern masters who
have worked with clay, the opportunity
to view their works can only serve to further our own understanding of the
degree to which claywork can take both
the maker and viewer.
There is a brief preface introducing
the origin of the idea for the book, followed by two essays which attempt to
place the artwork in the context of 20th
century art and explore the careers of
featured artists. While there is interesting
and useful information in the essays, I
found the writing to be somewhat confusing and babbleish. Perhaps this is due
to the fact that the writing is originally
Dutch and something may have gotten
lost in the translation. It is refreshing,
though, that the overall tone and message
in the writing is that ceramics and pottery should be considered as fine an art
as painting and sculpture, and it is the
“market” that is responsible for elevating
painting and drawing to an artificially
higher plane. Important, too, are the
many insights we are exposed to regarding the artists’ creative thought processes
that had pointed them toward pottery in
the first place. Disappointing is the total
absence of any degree of technical information on the materials, working techniques, or the true extent of the artist/
potter collaborative relationship.
Nevertheless, the strength of this book is
in the illustrations, and it is for this reason that it should be in your library.
Included are 80 full-color illustrations
that can only serve to further your own
appreciation of clay as a decorative medium. You may even be inspired!

Pottery: A Guide To Advanced Techniques
by Doug Wensley.
Trafalgar Square Publishers, North
Pomfret, VT. 158 pages, clothbound.
Yet another volume to add to the
litany of general handbooks and alleged
technical books for the potter? Well, gladly this book may indeed fill a need. While
it is touted as a “guide to advanced techniques,” it is more accurately a collection
of processes, techniques, instructions, and
ideas for anyone who can handle clay in
a comfortable, competent fashion and for
those beyond the rudimentary skills of
throwing and/or handbuilding a variety
of simple forms. It should not be construed as a book for only “advanced potters” by any means. The first line of the
author’s introduction states, “The aim of
this book is to build on basic pottery
skills and to augment those skills.” In
fact, truly advanced potters will likely be
disappointed by the intermediate nature
of the techniques and processes discussed.
The book is arranged by chapters
that are each dedicated to a particular
aspect of the clayworking process:
design, ceramics and clay, throwing,
handbuilding, assembly, decoration, glazing, firing, and personal approaches. Also
included is a rather interesting chapter
entitled,
“Unorthodox
Procedures,” in
which the
author presents
a few techniques which
are not easily
classified and
seem to contradict traditional
craft practices.
Some of the
procedures covered in the text include
silkscreening onto clay, assembling pieces
from multiple forms, coiling and throwing, and extruding forms, among others.
Firing information includes a discussion
of traditional firing methods,