Product Description

Functional Pottery, the best-selling pottery reference first published in 1986, has been extensively revised and updated to include more than 250 color photos as well as hundreds of black and white photos and illustrations. Covering historical as well as contemporary pottery, this acclaimed and inspirational book presents both philosophical and practical experiences from the 43-year pottery-making career of Robin Hopper, one of North America's most recognized ceramic artists.

Perusing this book is like having a ceramic museum, art gallery, encyclopedia, and master potter at hand, teaching and inspiring at the same time. Beginning with a view of the historical development of pottery, the book presents a wide discussion on the aesthetics of form and design. Also addressed are the mechanics of making and the practical solutions to functional design in pots for eating, drinking, storage, pouring, cooking, serving, and pots for rituals and contemplation. The recent work and short biographies of 16 internationally recognized ceramic artists are showcased in the Portfolio section.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #428650 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

Functional Pottery; Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose
I found Functional Pottery to be a pleasant surprise for the most part, although I was mildly disappointed by the more practical sections of the book. Roughly the first half of the book provides an interesting historical and cultural review of functional pottery, which went beyond what I had anticipated from the title and general description. A portion of the second half of the book focused on the mechanics of particular forms of functional pottery. This portion, which was my particular interest in buying the book, was a little less thorough and extensive than I had hoped. For the beginner/intermediate potter specifically interested in practical advice and detail regarding the mechanics of functional pottery forms, the material in the book, while useful, may not go far enough. I recommend this book as a general overview, keeping in mind that the scope of the book covers a broader range of topics than implied by its title, and that only sixty pages of the book are dedicated to the practical considerations and mechanics of designing and creating functional pottery.

For potters concerned about form and function
This book is an excellent addition to my collection of pottery books. This book deals with the more technical side of pottery. This book is for people who have accomplished throwing but want to take it to the next level. The book covers everyhting from history of pottery, to correct proportions, and also has artist bio's. Excellent book, i rate it 12 out of 10.

A must have for every potter's library
Robin Hopper has written a definitive book for all potters, beginners and masters alike. The chosen work for photos offers an excellent range of contemporary and classic forms for study.