| Description |
In this book, Richard Zakin takes you on a comprehensive journey through the information and ideas of the potter’s craft. He includes photographs of pieces made by leading artists, as well as comments by them concerning various aspects of their work. This book is unique in its scope and the depth of its information and photographic documentation. Zakin is one of the leading experts in ceramics and he shows us just how vast his knowledge is and how clearly he can structure and explain the wide variety of ceramic art material to us. This book features more than 300 beautiful color photos of the most innovative work being done in the ceramics field. Works by leading artists are showcased in sections on utilitarian pottery, non-utilitarian pottery, sculpture, and work in the wall piece format.
The perfect blend
Ceramics: Mastering the Craft is a perfect blend of the technical and aesthetic aspects of ceramics, featuring historical background information, analysis of image creation strategies, and numerous technical photos. Several photo essays show such processes as raku, throwing on a wheel, hand forming in a press mold, and working with colored clay just to name a few. Potters will find invaluable advice on buying and formulating clays, choosing and applying glazes, firing clay bodies, and much more.
Comprehensive
In Mastering the Craft, Richard Zakin provides information on ceramic materials, color development, clay bodies, vessel forms, creativity, imagery, surfaces, glazes, recipes, glazing, kilns, ceramic history, analysis, safety and more. This comprehensive journey through the information and ideas of the potter’s craft includes photographs of pieces made by leading artists as well as comments by them concerning various aspects of their work. This book is unique in its scope and the depth of its information and photographic documentation. There are many fine books that give us various pieces of the puzzle of ceramic technology, but this book attempts to be the one book we need to cover most of the ground. Few people could do a book like this and even fewer would ever dream of trying.
This new edition of Zakin’s basic pottery book has been completely rewritten, with new color photographs replacing the mostly black-and-white photos of the first edition. To quote Val M. Cushing’s foreword, “a very good book has become an even better book.” Zakin, a veteran potter and teacher, discusses all types of fired ceramics, including tiles and architectural pieces. There are several good chapters on glazes and other surface treatments. The numerous photos illustrate techniques and finished work by other artists. An excellent book for potters at all levels, this belongs in academic as well as public library collections. — Library Journal c2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This latest edition of Ceramic: Mastering the Craft by Richard Zakin does, in exemplary fashion, what it should do. A very good book has become and even better book. Most chapters are expanded, with new information and insights. It is filled with new color photographs that are a pleasure to see. They help bring contemporary American ceramics up to date by showing new work by many of this country’s established ceramic artists, as well as introducing some emerging talent. — Val Cushing, from the Foreword |