Robert Turner: Shaping Silence - A Life in Clay

by Marsha Miro, Tony Hepburn

Robert Turner is one of the most important ceramic artists in the United States today. Distinguishing himself in the art pottery movement of the sixties, Turner rose to prominence when he moved from functional pieces to sculptural forms and began to create a body of work notable for its dynamic yet serene forms.
In this first monograph on the artist's long and fascinating career, Marsha Miro has taken a maverick approach with her incisive text, interspersing telling comments from Turner himself with her own explorations of the artist's achievements. Much weight and thought is given to the creative process as revealed in her extensive interviews. A second essay by ceramicist Tony Hepburn provides a personal commentary on Turner's art, while Janet Koplos, a senior editor at Art in America, contributes a reflective introduction.
Illustrated with pivotal works spanning the artist's distinguished career, Robert Turner - Shaping Silence not only relates the compelling story of a young artist's journey toward formal mastery but furnishes essential documentation on one of the most intriguing periods of the American crafts movement. Artists, collectors, and students will find this volume inspirational, and invaluable on many levels.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Laura]

robert turner gave my father "a vessel" before he left alfred station, in exchange for some work my father was doing for him. for a decade or so it has sat in our living room, provoking much wonder . . ....

[Brielle]

I choose to read this book for a class assignment. I found that I had a lot in common with Turner in the way I view art and ceramics. The story of Turner was inspiring and helpful.