Smashing Glazes (Hardcover)

by Susan Peterson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Glazing pottery is an ancient process, dating back 25,000 years, yet is a medium and art form that is still being explored and advanced today. So many variables go into creating a beautiful glaze--from ingredients to application to firing--that their recipes are prized among potters.

This breathtaking collection of work from 53 ceramic artists goes beyond a mere gallery of their work, inviting readers into their studios to share their insights into the aesthetics of ceramic surfaces as well as the formulas for some of their most successful glazes.

About the Author
Susan Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Hunter College, is the author of five previous books about ceramics, including The Craft and Art of Clay, now in its third edition. Her home and studio are in Carefree, Arizona.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Guild Publishing (May 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893164055
• ISBN-13: 978-1893164055
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #231,129 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Exactly Smashing, November 13, 2001

By A Customer

I was greatly disappointed with this glossy glaze/coffee table book. I could not honestly imagine anyone would be interested in re-creating the glazes used on the second-rate ceramics pictured here. Sure, the photos are nice and the layout is attractive, but the selected works are mostly sculptural, with the glazes being not really essential to the focus of the work.

The book is thoughtfully organized by maturing temperatures of the glazes, and recipes are given. I was suprised to see so many commercial glazes, stains and clay bodies used. The whole thing came across as a come-on for Guild.com and its pottery supply company sponsers.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT RANGE AND SUCCINCT DEPTH, December 5, 2001

By	N. Heller "Artist vs, Mom" (San Antonio,Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Peterson chooses a wide variety of functional and sculptural work, from low fire through high fire, and has the artist explain their processes and give recipes. What more could you want! As a ceramic artist, it takes going to a lot of workshops, talking to a lot of artists, and reading a lot of books to get the breadth of information she puts forward in a succinct and visually pleasing manner.

The pieces chosen represent a thoughtful variety of work being done in both functional and sculptural ceramics. Each piece is superlative in its relationship between surface and form. As a ceramic artist I found myself with many ideas and left with the resources to explore and execute those ideas. It was like going to a really great show and being told all the artist's recipes and secrets.

While not exhaustive of information (see Dan Rhodes), it presents everything in a very visually appealing manner while not losing technical information. This is to be expected from the author of the classic "The Craft and Art of Clay."

Susan Peterson does it again!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars touches the surface, April 26, 2008

By	H. Cooper (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are looking for a catalogue of new glazes to try this is not the book for you. It offers, as it suggests, technical information on the surface finishes of 53 artists' works, but they are chosen to represent the entire spectrum of ceramic surface finishes, many of them (in my view) being decidedly uninspiring. Having said that, if further books were written in this style, each covering specific areas of ceramics - ie high fired surfaces, non-fired, reduction, alternative firings etc, I would very happily add them to my collection.