The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery [Hardcover]

Mark Hewitt (Author), Nancy Sweezy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2005

Classic North Carolina stoneware pots--with their rich textures, monochromatic glazes, and minimal decoration--belong to one of America's most revered stoneware pottery traditions. In a lavishly illustrated celebration of that tradition, Mark Hewitt and Nancy Sweezy trace the history of North Carolina pottery from the nineteenth century to the present day. They demonstrate the intriguing historic and aesthetic relationships that link pots produced in North Carolina to pottery traditions in Europe and Asia, in New England, and in the neighboring state of South Carolina.

With hundreds of color photographs highlighting the shapes and surfaces of carefully selected pots, The Potter's Eye honors the keen focus vernacular potters bring to their materials, tools, techniques, and history. It is an evocative guide for anyone interested in the art of North Carolina pottery and the aesthetic majesty of this resilient and long-standing tradition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"More than an exhibition catalog; it is a collaborative work of art."
— Western Folklore

"This exciting work succeeds in its mission to 'signal and celebrate the artistry of North Carolina's greatest production potters,' but this work has accomplished much more--it has challenged and tutored scholars and collectors to view the stoneware of North Carolina with a potter's eye."
— Journal of Folklore Research

From the Inside Flap

In celebration of the way traditional North Carolina potters look at shape, color, and decoration, this volume honors the keen focus that these potters bring to their materials, tools, techniques, and history. It examines the genesis of NC's stoneware pottery tradition, traces its evolution in the nineteenth century, and looks at its ongoing expression by contemporary artists. Includes interviews with six contemorary NC potters as well as hundreds of breathtaking color photographs that pay close attention to the shapes and surfaces of pots.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition edition (October 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807829927
• ISBN-13: 978-0807829929
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Ceramics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for pottery lovers, October 27, 2005

By 

Robert Busko (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery (Hardcover)

The Potter's Eye by Mark Hewitt and Nancy Sweezy is a must for lover's of North Carolina pottery. Organized in a logical way, the book offers a wonderful review of the stoneware tradition still alive in North Carolina. The book connects the North Carolina tradition of pottery making with traditions in Europe, Asia, and other states in the U. S.

Lavishly photographed with rich details, The Potter's Eye is sure to impress. Perhaps the best part of the book are the interviews included with modern potters: Kim Ellington, Mark Hewitt, Ben Owen III, Pam Owens, Vernon Owens, and David Stuempfle. Legends in their own time.

The Potter's Eye is not a coffee table book. It will become an integral part of your library as soon as you receive it.

Peace

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting Potted the Right Way, January 6, 2006

By 

Charles Day - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery (Hardcover)

A fine book with essays and some 90 photos with commentary on pieces shown in the NC Art Museum's early 2006 exhibit. But if you are not familiar with pottery and potting be sure to read at least the first dozen or so comments on the individual pottery pieces - some important descriptions and definitions are provided of the various kinds of kilns, pottery designs and styles. Otherwise you may be baffled by the name and term dropping later in the book.

A book I will revisit often. The photographs are superb and the essays are insightful. I especially liked the discussions by potter and exhibit curator Mark Hewitt on the interplay of tradition and contemporary work: "a delightful syncopation of perception and expression, nudging the old world into the present...tradition is a mirror, reflecting who we are and how we measure up. It is the voice of our pottery forebears, encouraging, revealing, holding our feet to the fire. Tradition is one of the voices of the divine."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book from a wonderful exhibit, April 9, 2009

By 

George "geoherb" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery (Hardcover)

The Potter's Eye was an exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Art. This companion book manages to capture the exhibit. Mark Hewitt's and Nancy Sweezy's words illustrate the pots almost as well as the photos. This is a book I return to time and again for inspiration.