Tag Archives: basket

Pierced Pottery: Basket Faves & Influence

21 July 2012

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A couple weeks ago, I was in my studio pondering, and had a ‘piercing epiphany.’ I haven’t had time to do more than draw just yet, but am excited about expanding my use of piercing/reticulation/cut-outs (as pictured above) on some new and existing forms as a way to play with line, light and shadow, and form through articulated pattern.

The development of new forms paired with new surfaces is a given goal, but some days I feel more inspired (a.k.a. internally pressured) to bring that back-burnered desire to the fore. That drive usually sends me to my books on silver, my favored springboard for new forms. (It is perhaps odd to be influenced by centuries-old objects with functions so specific, many are now obsolete, but most any form for me can become an idea for a vase, which can then lead to many more ideas.)

So I was down in my studio thinking, but my books were upstairs and are worn from years of gleaning, and my computer was downstairs with me and filled with new, enticing images I’ve been bookmarking, so of course, I opened my computer. I visited my own Pinterest boards where I ‘pin’ both objects I enjoy (favorites) and objects that inspire my forms and surfaces (influence). A common thread popped out to me from my Form & Pattern, Oldies But Goodies, Ceramics: Vintage/Historical, and Ceramics: Studio Potters/Artists boards, and sent me to my sketchbook to draw: Piercing.

Pierced work was very popular in both silver and pottery in the 18th century (particularly the latter half) in England and Europe. I haven’t found specific information claiming so, but piercing seems a wonderful blend of form and function: the cut-outs allow air circulation (for food service and storage) while both visually defining form and lightening materials (silver, clay, wood) that can otherwise appear a bit more heavy or dense. (I sometimes envy glass’ ability to be simultaneously solid and transparent.) I also enjoy pierced elements in architecture, furniture, clothing, and many more mediums.

So, I’ve yet to get started on my own cut-outs, but have done some drawings, am very excited about minimal and maximal piercing (particularly for fruit bowls and baskets), and collected some of my favorite basket-y forms by fellow studio potters mixed in with ones from the 18th c. for you below. Enjoy, and stay tuned for some pierced pots from my own studio!

From top left: Rebecca Chappell; Shorthose & Heath creamware; and Kari Radasch. Second row: Dr. Wall chestnut basket, c. 1750s; and Bryan Hopkins. Third row: Baddelly creamware basket, c. mid 1700s; and Creamware basket, c. 18th century. Fourth row: Brian Jones; and Bruce Cochrane. Fifth row: Odette fruitbowl w. silver stand; Steven Godfrey; and Monticello creamware basket (reproduction). Sixth row: Malene Mullertz; and Julie Crosby. Seventh row: Spode Pierced Creamware Basket and Stand, c. 1820. Last row: Sunshine Cobb; and Remodelista ‘Farmer’s market basket’.

Retro Month, In Progress

6 June 2012

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This last month has been about allowing (maybe giving) myself time to play. YAY! It’s a rare thing for me because of deadlines and requests; my inherently deliberate pace (‘fast’ and ‘detailed’ are mutually exclusive it seems); and currently, perennials are calling to me like Sirens to abandon my studio and toil away my afternoons with them. I chose to play by re-visiting forms from the past, so it has been Retro Month for me here in the studio. Perhaps I felt a bit guilty for sidelining other responsibilities, or I’m just a masochist, but I apparently chose to re-visit some of the most complicated forms I’ve ever made. Go figure.

The first things I made were six Corset vessels (above). This is a form that is the most distinctive in my reperatoire I think, but is actually not a form I make often. In fact, I haven’t made the size pictured (+/- 9″ h) since 2005 when I was still firing cone 10 soda. For some reason when I moved to mid-range electric-firing in ’06, I scaled them up to 15-18″ and made only a couple every so often. So, it was fun to work on a smaller scale with patterns and polka dots I’ve developed in the last years. Indeed, a big part of the point of Retro Month was to bring my new palette (color and pattern) and accumulated experience to familiar, loved forms.


Next, I made Double-walled Baskets (only three; the one pictured above is my fave). I made these the latter part of graduate school at Ohio University over 10 years ago. I LOVE this form—pouffy walls, upholstered-looking surface, voluminous shape, elegant yet jovial attitude—but it is truly a technical nightmare, basically everything that clay doesn’t like or want to do, particularly in porcelain. While this image was the most “liked” pic I’ve ever posted on Facebook, and part of my style has always been to partially ignore the personality of clay, these lovelies may not be coming to an online shop of mine near you soon. They may have mostly served as a wistful reminder of why I stopped making them last time. We’ll see, but I’m not holding my breath as much as they appear to be.

Lastly, I made sets of Screen vases, which haven’t happened for a handful of years for no particular reason, not since my stripy/dotty phase began anyway. I love how these zig zag together in pairs and trios, pattern flowing from one to the other. These were supposed to be the less laborious end to my month…which made my hubby laugh (with love, of course).

NEW New Work

24 August 2009

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Kristen Kieffer Flower VesselsKristen Kieffer House Form VasesKKHouse_form_sm_honeyKristen KIeffer Large Covered JarsKKWire_basket_grapeKKHouseForm_SmLime_wflowersKristen Kieffer Stamped vasesKristen Kieffer Wire BasketsLarge “Classic” Covered Jars and flower vessels:
House Forms, Stamped Vases and Wire-handled Baskets.

These are new pots fresh from the kiln, as well as brand new forms in shape, design or decoration.  I just unloaded these (more pics and details on the New: Form & Surface page) and many more from three kilns in the last week.  There are more new pots and I will post once I take their pictures too.

Baskets In Progress & Upcoming

8 June 2009

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Kristen_Kieffer_Wire_BasketsKK_Wire_basket_I

This is just a quick blog post to show some recently finished (leatherhard) wire baskets, and let you know what’s coming up in my schedule. First, the Small Wire Flower Baskets. These little pieces (7-8″h) were thrown on the potter’s wheel, altered, stamped, built and finally, finished with slip-trailing and sponging accents and of course, the wire. I will post the finished (glaze-fired) pieces in a couple of weeks. I see these as small variations on the Wire Flower Brick I began making in 2005 (image in last post and some explanation of Kanthal wire on my Process page).  I imagine them to also be used for flowers; small, informal bouquets maybe from your garden.

And now, my schedule:
Kristen_Kieffer_JarsI posted a couple more pots to my Etsy store.  These will be the last adds for a few weeks.  I hope you will consider buying handmade for upcoming gifting needs.  (Dads like my pots too, hint, hint.)

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LillStreetThis week is the end of a short making cycle specifically for new work to send to both Red Star Studios and Northern Clay Center for a July show and gallery feature, respectively.  This week is also the opening of the 4 x 4: Twenty Women, 100 Pots show at Lill Street.  This should be an outstanding show with an amazing range of pots to behold.  Thank you to my fellow OU alum Lorna Meaden for the invitation!

For the month of July, I will be teaching a Monday afternoon class at Harvard University’s Ceramics Program.  The class is getting full, so if you have interest, sign up now, and I hope to see you.

Details for all of these events are on my Schedule page.

Lastly, just a reminder that you can still receive two postcards from me (details here), and a recommendation to become a FaceBook fan of Kieffer Ceramics.  Because I can post a quick sentence, the fans are the first to enjoy new images and updates.

Postcard Retrospective

31 May 2009

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kk_08_postcard
Small covered jars*, 2008
KK_postcard_2007
Stamped cups, 2007
KK_postcard_2005
Wire flower brick*, 2005
KK_postcard_2003
Flower boat (Corset series), 2003
KK_postcard_ 2001
Lady vase, 2002
KK_gradschool_postcard_2001
Tea set, Flower basket and Pourer with Saucer, 2001

I have had a “publicity” postcard made every year or two since 2001.  (There are two other postcards from ’95 and ’98 I’ll have to dig up for another—more humorous—post.)  The two most recent cards, with the jars and cups, are cone 7 electric; the others are cone 10 soda reduction.  The image directly above is my MFA graduation show card from Ohio University.  Six postcards of work from four different studios.  It’s interesting to see how things have changed, most notably after my thesis card, going from what I see as just “ornate” to more “elegant”.  Aside from additional layering, the surfaces haven’t changed a lot, but the lines that define the forms have.  They are more crisp and where I see the elegance happening.  I was the photographer for all of these too, baring witness to the transition from film to digital.

*If you would like a postcard, I would like for you to have one.  My most current 2008 Covered jar postcard and the 2005 Flower Brick postcard are still available.  (The former because it’s still new and the latter because a printing error left me with 2500!)  Simply drop me an email to stenkief@yahoo.com with “Postcard” in the subject line, your mailing address in the body, and specify which card: 2008, 2005 or both.  I would love for you to have a pot, but this is a nice precursor, and something you can actually hold in the meantime.

onelovelyblogawardThank you to Charan Sachar of the great Creative with Clay blog for presenting me with one of his Lovely Blog Awards.  I appreciate the friendly acknowledgment!

Kanthal Wire-handled Basket

20 May 2009

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Kristen_Kieffer_Wire_BasketThis is a lil’ Wire Basket (7″h x 4″w x 3″d) I made over three years ago.  I enjoyed making it, and have continued to like it, but just this week decided to make more.  My ideas are frequently ahead of my fingers.  I have described my process —including idea- development— as being glacial at times.  (This piece seems to exemplify the point.)  My sketchbooks contain more ideas than I will probably ever make.  I’m not quite sure what makes the time seem right to pursue certain ideas, but this one’s has arrived!

I have used Kanthal wire on certain forms for years as a way to “draw” in space with another material.  (Check out the Wire Flowerbrick on my Gallery page, and a brief explanation of Kanthal wire on my Process page.)  More to come!

Influence—Sugar

17 April 2008

Ivan Day sugar birdbasket Last weekend (4/12-13), I was a participant in a two-part symposium held in conjunction with an exhibition at Harvard University’s Busch-Reisinger Museum called “A Taste of Power: 18th-Century German Porcelain for the Table“. The second symposium day, entitled “Extravagance and Drama“, entailed demonstrations and image presentations by me and two other artists, Gala Sorkina and Nicole Peters, at Harvard’s ceramics studio. “Tables of Content” was the title for the first day of symposium lectures, and while I think we were great, that day’s lectures were superb.

Two of my three favorites were about the transition of tableware vessels and sculptures made of sugar and silver into porcelain. This huge part of history was completely new to me. Maureen Cassidy-Geiger of the Arnhold and Frick Collections gave a wonderful lecture called “Sugar and Silver into Porcelain: The Conditorei and Court Dining in Dresden under Augustus III“. (She pointed out that since sugar can’t last and silver could be melted down, the porcelain vessels were often all that remained of this stage of history.)

Ivan Day Chesterfield Dessert2These first two images though come from Ivan Day who gave a lecture called “The Edible Edifice: Sculpture for the 18th-Century Dessert Table“. Mr. Day is an expert in the field of British and European culinary history, and not only does he know it, he makes it! He made the baskets, bird and flowers above from sugar “like in olden times”, shaping the sugar paste like clay. Though he explained to me that the sugar is actually easier to use than porcelain. (I’m still absorbing that fact.) Ivan also made the filigree, brightly colored centerpiece above and white, columned building featured on this table, from sugar. Amazing. I took lots of notes, and am excited for this new discovery of these old forms and shapes. (I was very flattered and honored that he came to watch us demonstrate the next day.)
Valerie Steele corset imageThe third of my favorites was by Valerie Steele of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.). She presented images and ideas from an exhibit she curated last year called “Fashioning Luxury“. She gave a wonderful overview of the history of haute couture, gender and class in clothing, and explanations of curious phrases like “popu-lux”, “mass-tige” and “stealth luxury”. Among the myriad of books she has written, one is on corsets (The Corset: A Cultural History), she was described in The Washington Post as one of “fashion’s brainiest women”, and on her blog, she has an interview with John Galliano. Need I say more?