Product Description

George Ohr (1857-1918) was the most revolutionary art potter of his time. Working in the relative isolation of Biloxi, Mississippi, around the turn of the century, he transformed symmetrical wheel-thrown pots into unprecedented abstract configurations, nearly half a century before the nonrepresentational ideas of the Abstract Expressionists took hold. As an artist, Ohr's goal was to make no two pieces alike. Furthermore, he fulfilled the ideal of the Arts & Crafts movement by doing all of his own work - from digging the clay to firing the kiln. Ohr's eccentric forms and flamboyant personality led to his being dubbed The Mad Potter of Biloxi, but in fact he was an American icon of creativity. Today, his unique works are highly regarded and sought out by collectors and museums all over the country. This exquisitely designed volume contains over 300 unpublished works by Ohr, and features all new photography accompanied by an accessible text. The clarity and number of illustrations will make this b

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #770318 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

AN ARTIST AHEAD OF HIS TIME

"Geo E Ohr has challenged any potter on earth! `You' Prove the Contrary!" These are the words painted by George Ohr on a sign at the 1895 Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition.

He did more than challenge fellow artists, he set a standard for them by digging his own clay, shaping his own pots, firing his own kiln, and creating forms that were unlike the currently popular shapes. In fact, his shapes were so outre at the time that he was called "The Mad Potter of Biloxi." As the world now knows he was prescient.

The words that he painted in 1895 followed the total destruction of his studio and some 10,000 pieces by fire, plus a devastating hurricane that hit the Mississippi coast prior to that. Obviously, he was a resilient and determined individual. Today, in the wake of Katrina, the Ohr O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi is being rebuilt. If he were still living Ohr would have it no other way.

Married and the father of ten children, he sold most of his works at expositions and fairs. He received only a modicum of artistic appreciation during his lifetime, although he was presented with the Silver Medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. It was not until the 1960s that a New Jersey antique dealer, Jim Carpenter, came to Biloxi and saw Ohr's works now housed in an auto repair shop. Carpenter eventually bought nearly 7000 pots and introduced Ohr to art aficionados in New York City. The potter's stature as an extraordinary artist has continued to grow.

Robert Ellison became an admirer of Ohr's and now owns some 370 pieces. His creation of this beautiful volume is a gift to all. With 192 color illustrations illuminated by scholarship George Ohr, Art Potter, is both a tribute to the artist and an outstanding reference for his work.

- Gail Cooke

the imaginative and singular art pottery of George Ohr
Ohr does break the mold when it comes to art pottery. Whereas other potters, no matter how innovative or imaginative they are, stay within certain classic forms for vases, bowls, goblets, etc., Ohr often departs radically from the forms. His art pottery is perhaps best considered as free-form sculpture inspired by, but not made according to, traditional pottery. Thus, a "pot" has "elaborate configuration: sharp bends, angles, blades, swirls, and quasi-cylinders [making for] complexity from every angle." Another "pot" has "crinkling result[ing] in dramatically deep three-dimensional spaces...[which] radiate highlights that contrast with the dark-brown glaze...[giving] this piece...a brooding, enigmatic presence." The foregoing quotes are from captions of two of the color photographs of individual pieces of Ohr's pottery on nearly every page. The work is a tour through Ohr's artistic career from "The Early Years" to "A Final Phase" noting and illustrating phases of development and points of his individuality. With their colors and polymorphous, though mostly rounded, shapes, Ohr's pottery/sculpture has a deep earthiness, as if plucked whole from the ground's depths, though they patently demonstrate a clear, singular vision and matching consummate skill.

Love this book.
I'm a huge fan of George Ohr and love the book. For the price I got it, it was a steal.