Clary Illian: A Potter's Potter Excerpt

A native Iowan, Clary Illian received her BFA degree in 1963 from The University of Iowa. In 1964 and 1965, apprenticeship at Bernard

book is a wonderful depiction of that life and the works she has produced. It is exceptional reading for anyone who is interested in the contemporary craft scene.”

Leach Pottery in Cornwall,

Warren MacKenzie

England. Since her return in 1966, she has crafted a full-time career as a utilitarian potter. After many

C l a r y

she received a prestigious

“Clary Illian has pursued a life devoted to functional pottery since her college days and this

a potter’s potter Clary Illian has been producing

years of making stoneware and porcelain pots,

ceramics since the early 1960s,

I l l i a n:

Illian is currently investigating earthenware, which has prompted a more light-hearted approach with regard to image and pattern. Working from her studio in Ely, Iowa, Illian continues to make pots in addition to teaching semesters and workshops in art schools and craft teaching institutions across the United States and

after graduating from The University of Iowa’s distinguished ceramics department and a two-year residency with worldrenowned British ceramicist Bernard Leach. Regarded as the

Canada. Her 1999 text, A Potter’s Workbook, published

father of British studio ceramics,

a

by The University of Iowa Press, remains an important

Leach advocated for simple and

resource for potters everywhere.

utilitarian forms, something

p o t t e r ’ s

Gail Kendall is a potter and emerita Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she is credited with building a nationally-recognized program in ceramics in her 24 years there.

Joy Sperling is Professor of Art History at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. She has written numerous books and articles on art and visual culture of the 18th century to the present day.

p o t t e r

ci

Back Cover: Bowl Stoneware 5 x 12 1/4" McCombs Collection

Printed in the U.S.A.

Illian has continued throughout her career. Clary Illian: A Potter’s Potter surveys many of the best works from her 50-year career, including pots in stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware, the three major media in which Illian has worked. It is

a

p o t t e r ’ s

a revelatory look at one of

p o t t e r

America’s premier potters.

ci

Cover left: Teapot Stoneware 8 1/2 x 8" McCombs Collection Cover right: Teapot, ca. 2000 Stoneware 8 1/4 x 7" Jani Collection

A native Iowan, Clary Illian received her BFA degree in 1963 from The University of Iowa. In 1964 and 1965, she received a prestigious apprenticeship at Bernard Leach Pottery in Cornwall, England. Since her return in 1966, she has crafted a full-time career as a utilitarian potter. After many years of making stoneware and porcelain pots, Illian is currently investigating earthenware, which has prompted a more light-hearted approach with regard to image and pattern. Working from her studio in Ely, Iowa, Illian continues to make pots in addition to teaching semesters and workshops in art schools and craft teaching institutions across the United States and Canada. Her 1999 text, A Potter’s Workbook, published

by The University of Iowa Press, remains an important resource for potters everywhere.

Gail Kendall is a potter and emerita Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she is credited with building a nationally-recognized program in ceramics in her 24 years there.

Joy Sperling is Professor of Art History at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. She has written numerous books and articles on art and visual culture of the 18th century to the present day.

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Back Cover: Bowl Stoneware 5 x 12 1/4" McCombs Collection

a

p o t t e r ’ s

p o t t e r

a potter’s potter Creative Direction

Duane Wood, WDG Communications, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Design/Art Direction Jodi Hormann, WDG Communications, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sean Ulmer, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Photography

Terence Pitts, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Typography

Tanya Schulte, AKAR Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa Bauhaus, Frutiger

This exhibition and companion publication have been made possible by the generous support of the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Copyright © 2012 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art First published in the United States of America by Cedar Rapids Museum of Art 410 Third Avenue SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319.366.7503 www.crma.org Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clary Illian: A Potter’s Potter. p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-9826138-3-2 (alk. paper)

HG8540.E47A14 2011 368.00973–dc23 2011045249 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Title page: Pitcher, ca. 1997 Porcelain 13 1/8 x 6 3/4" Jensen Collection

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Coffee Pot, 1984 Stoneware 8 1/4 x 5" Wellborn Collection

| 1

Preface Sean M. Ulmer, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

I first became aware of Clary’s work quite by accident. The

collections and their willingness to lend, there would simply be no

museum’s director, Terry Pitts, told me about the quite unassuming

exhibition or book.

potter living in nearby Ely, Iowa, and that I should really check her

out. I was hardly prepared for what I encountered. Modest and

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, in particular Teri Van Dorston,

unassuming she was, but those pots! As a specialist in modern

Museum Registrar, and Judy Frauenholtz, Preparator, whose

and contemporary art and having recently worked on an exhibition

combined talents not only result in excellent installations

of contemporary turned wood art, I was immediately intrigued

but also make the entire process a pleasant one. In addition,

with Clary’s work and wanted to see more. Eventually, as is

Communications Coordinator Kristan Hellige’s countless readings

often the case with Clary, a friendship developed and, with the

of the author’s essays were invaluable.

encouragement and support of her many collectors, an exhibition

materialized. I am truly grateful for Clary’s willingness to allow me

goes to Gail Kendall and Joy Sperling for their insightful essays

to organize this exhibition and I am most thankful to her for her

on different aspects of Clary’s work. Thanks, too, goes to Sanjay

invaluable help in every step of the process. I am most appreciative

and Jigna Jani of AKAR Gallery who generously offered the

of the time she spent with me, sorting through the many

services of their photographer, Tanya Schulte, for the superb

candidates for the exhibition, discussing the merits of each,

photography in this book. Duane Wood and Jodi Hormann at WDG

which resulted in the amazing assembling of pots in this exhibition

Communications, Inc., are to be congratulated for their sensitive

and accompanying book. I know she would have rather been

design of the book, utterly in keeping with Clary’s aesthetic. I

making pots.

especially want to thank the Windgate Charitable Foundation for

funding this book, the first such retrospective volume on Clary’s

An exhibition as large and complex as this takes the dedicated

Thanks, too, goes to our small but dedicated staff at the

This book is the product of many people’s hands. My gratitude

work of many people, all of whom have worked diligently to

contribution to the world of ceramics.

make both the exhibition and book a huge success. My thanks to

all of the lenders, who so generously parted with their treasured

to functional pots carries on the tradition of Bernard Leach but

pieces in order to share them with a wider audience. A list of these

with her own, individual imprint. She has touched more lives than

collectors can be found at the back of this book. Without their

Most of all, thank you to Clary Illian, whose lifetime dedication

she knows with her work over the course of the past 50 years.

She is an amazing artist and an incredible human being.

2 | C l a r y I l l i a n: A Po tte r’ s Po tte r

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Bowl, 1995 Soda-fired stoneware 5 x 11 1/4" Wellborn Collection

Tea Bowl, ca. 1996 Porcelain 4 x 3 3/4" Brannin-Simpson Collection

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Vase, ca. 2003 Soda-fired stoneware 11 x 10 1/2" Brannin-Simpson Collection

Luncheon Plate, ca. 1993 Stoneware 3 x 9 1/4" Artist’s Collection

| 3

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Pitcher, late 1960s Stoneware 14 1/2 x 7 1/2" Artist’s Collection

2 2 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

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Pitcher, 1966 Stoneware 5 3/4 x 4 1/2" Artist’s Collection

Rice Bowl, 1966 Stoneware 4 x 6 1/2" Artist’s Collection

| 23

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Vase Stoneware 11 x 10 1/4" Thelen-Dean Collection

3 4 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

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Bowl Stoneware 4 1/2 x 13 1/2" Thelen-Dean Collection

| 35

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ci Left: Vase Earthenware 10 1/2 x 8" McCombs Collection

Right: Pitcher Earthenware 9 1/2 x 5" Wellborn Collection

Bowl, ca. 2010 Earthenware 2 1/2 x 13 x 10 3/4" Brannin-Simpson Collection

4 0 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

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Soup Bowls Earthenware 2 7/8 x 7 1/4" each McCombs Collection

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Bowl, ca. 2010 Earthenware 3 x 11" Brannin-Simpson Collection

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Bowl Earthenware 4 x 13 1/4" Jani Collection

| 41

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Pedestal Bowl, ca. 2003 Soda-fired stoneware 4 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 8" Westbrook-Carlton Collection

5 0 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

| 51

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6 4 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

Vase Soda-fired stoneware 13 x 10" McCombs Collection

Jug Soda-fired stoneware 13 x 9 1/2" Thelen-Dean Collection

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Upper left: Detail of sodafired pot, p. 62 Delsandro Collection

Upper right: Detail of sodafired pot, p. 64 McCombs Collection

Lower left: Detail of sodafired pot, p. 3 Brannin-Simpson Collection

Lower right: Detail of sodafired pot, p. 64 Thelen-Dean Collection

| 65

7 6 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

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Bowl Porcelain 3 7/8 x 11 1/4" McCombs Collection

| 77

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7 8 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

Jar, ca. 2004 Porcelain 11 1/2 x 9 1/2" Brannin-Simpson Collection

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Teapot Porcelain 8 x 8" Artist’s Collection

Bowl Porcelain 4 x 12" Johnson Collection

Small Bowl and Covered Pot, ca. 1980 Porcelain bowl 3 1/2 x 4 3/4" pot 5 1/4 x 4 1/2" Artist’s Collection

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Vase, ca. 2005 Porcelain 7 3/4 x 8 1/2" McCombs Collection | 79

Collections Artist’s Collection: Collection of Clary Illian

Chronology: Clary Illian

1940

Born, Sioux City, Iowa

1963

B.F.A., The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Biderman Collection: Collection of Gary and Rose Biderman Brannin-Simpson Collection: Collection of Michael Brannin and Craig Simpson Bugg-Willcox Collection: Collection of Emily Bugg and Brandon Willcox Delsandro Collection: Collection of Christopher R. Delsandro and Elizabeth M. Delsandro Goldstein Collection: Collection of Kathe and Gary Goldstein

1964-65

Apprenticeship, Bernard Leach Pottery, St. Ives, Cornwall, England

1966-68

1968-72

1972-85

Hands of Friends Pottery, Garrison, Iowa

1985-2009

Odd Fellows Hall Pottery, Ely, Iowa

Keystone Pottery, rural Benton County, Iowa

McCombs Collection: Collection of Michael McCombs Jani Collection: Collection of Sanjay and Jigna Jani

Brick and Tile Factory Pottery, Garrison, Iowa

Jensen Collection: Collection of Ben Jensen Johnson Collection: Collection of Lisa and Hans Johnson Wellborn Collection: Collection of Jackie Wellborn Myers Collection: Collection of Mike and Marsha Myers Phillips Collection: Collection of Susan Phillips Thelen-Dean Collection: Collection of Todd Thelen and Eric Dean

1999

A Potter’s Workbook published by University of Iowa Press

2009

Main Street Pottery, Ely, Iowa

Van Allen Collection: Collection of David Van Allen Westbrook-Carlton Collection: Collection of Mary Westbrook and the late Dean Carlton Whitney-Dorothy Collection: Collection of Cheryl Whitney and Phil Dorothy

9 4 | C l a r y I l l i an: A Potte r’ s Po tte r

a potter’s potter Clary Illian has been producing ceramics since the early 1960s, after graduating from The University of Iowa’s distinguished ceramics department and a two-year residency with worldrenowned British ceramicist Bernard Leach. Regarded as the father of British studio ceramics, Leach advocated for simple and utilitarian forms, something Illian has continued throughout her career. Clary Illian: A Potter’s Potter surveys many of the best works from her 50-year career, including pots in stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware, the three major media in which Illian has worked. It is a revelatory look at one of America’s premier potters.

ci

Cover left: Teapot Stoneware 8 1/2 x 8" McCombs Collection Cover right: Teapot, ca. 2000 Stoneware 8 1/4 x 7" Jani Collection

A native Iowan, Clary Illian received her BFA degree in 1963 from The University of Iowa. In 1964 and 1965, apprenticeship at Bernard

book is a wonderful depiction of that life and the works she has produced. It is exceptional reading for anyone who is interested in the contemporary craft scene.”

Leach Pottery in Cornwall,

Warren MacKenzie

England. Since her return in 1966, she has crafted a full-time career as a utilitarian potter. After many

C l a r y

she received a prestigious

“Clary Illian has pursued a life devoted to functional pottery since her college days and this

a potter’s potter Clary Illian has been producing

years of making stoneware and porcelain pots,

ceramics since the early 1960s,

I l l i a n:

Illian is currently investigating earthenware, which has prompted a more light-hearted approach with regard to image and pattern. Working from her studio in Ely, Iowa, Illian continues to make pots in addition to teaching semesters and workshops in art schools and craft teaching institutions across the United States and

after graduating from The University of Iowa’s distinguished ceramics department and a two-year residency with worldrenowned British ceramicist Bernard Leach. Regarded as the

Canada. Her 1999 text, A Potter’s Workbook, published

father of British studio ceramics,

a

by The University of Iowa Press, remains an important

Leach advocated for simple and

resource for potters everywhere.

utilitarian forms, something

p o t t e r ’ s

Gail Kendall is a potter and emerita Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she is credited with building a nationally-recognized program in ceramics in her 24 years there.

Joy Sperling is Professor of Art History at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. She has written numerous books and articles on art and visual culture of the 18th century to the present day.

p o t t e r

ci

Back Cover: Bowl Stoneware 5 x 12 1/4" McCombs Collection

Printed in the U.S.A.

Illian has continued throughout her career. Clary Illian: A Potter’s Potter surveys many of the best works from her 50-year career, including pots in stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware, the three major media in which Illian has worked. It is

a

p o t t e r ’ s

a revelatory look at one of

p o t t e r

America’s premier potters.

ci

Cover left: Teapot Stoneware 8 1/2 x 8" McCombs Collection Cover right: Teapot, ca. 2000 Stoneware 8 1/4 x 7" Jani Collection