The Mad Potter of Biloxi: The Art and Life of George E. Ohr

by Garth Clark, Robert A. Ellison, Eugene Hecht

Misunderstood and unappreciated during his lifetime (1857-1918), George Ohr, America's archetypal artist-potter, pushed the form of the vessel beyond mere function to the point of abstraction. Today the genius of this radical and sophisticated artist has finally been recognized. His thin-walled, paper-light pots, labeled grotesque in his day, are now seen as a tour de force of delicacy and restraint and a stunning exploration of the plasticity of clay. Ruffling, twisting, tearing, and collapsing his fragile pots, Ohr anticipated much of what we take for granted in contemporary art and ceramics.
Stunningly illustrated with 140 color images of his most important pieces, this landmark volume, winner of the George Wittenborn Award for outstanding art books from the Art Libraries Society of North America, presents the first major study of Ohr. Beautifully woven together, the text and images confirm a judgment the Mad Potter once passed on "Unequaled! Unrivaled! Undisputed!" he wrote on a sign outside his shop, "Greatest Art Potter on Earth!"

Genres: Art

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 1989

Reviews

[Rozanne]

Fascinating look at an extremely eccentric potter who was way ahead of his time. The various essays are lively and well-written, although one of the writers made sexist and dismissive comments about women who were potters. The color plates are numerous and excellent.

[Destiny]

(alert: last few pages have amore)