Ceramics - by Philip Rawson (Paperback)

About the Book

It is rare to find a book on art that presents complex aesthetic principles in clear readable form. Ceramics, by Philip Rawson, is such a book. I discovered it ten years ago, and today my well-worn copy has scarcely a page on which some statement is not underlined and starred.--Wayne Higby, from the Foreword

Book Synopsis

Ceramics Philip Rawson. Foreword by Wayne Higby "A moving book based on the knowledge of facts together with their overtones and resonances. . . . Its method is valid for an appreciation of art in all its branches."--Stella Kramrisch "With the unassuming title of Ceramics, Rawson has presented a very clear, orderly and thought-provoking guide for discussion. He provides words for those nebulous, or nonexistent, thoughts that students avoid talking about in critiques, and our professional associates talk all around, using whatever art language is being worn out at the time--'Is your work postmodernist yet?' Now we have no excuse to complain that there is no vocabulary. . . . "There is enough material in this little 223 page book to last a long time as a stimulus for thought and work in clay. It would be an excellent gift to your local newspaper art critic and a great reference book for teachers. . . . "Rawson defines a clear framework for discussing both the visual and psychological elements of the pottery tradition. The book presents a way to analyze and understand which particular elements touch or SPEAK to us across cultures and history. And there are enough pictures and diagrams to help out the less verbal."--National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Newsletter 1984 240 pages 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 203 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-1156-6 Paper $27.50t £18.00 World Rights Arts and Crafts Short copy: "It is rare to find a book on art that presents complex aesthetic principles in clear readable form. Ceramics, by Philip Rawson, is such a book. I discovered it ten years ago, and today my well-worn copy has scarcely a page on which some statement is not underlined and starred."--Wayne Higby, from the Foreword

Review Quotes

"A moving book based on the knowledge of facts together with their overtones and resonances. . . . Its method is valid for an appreciation of art in all its branches."-- "Stella Kramrisch"

"Rawson defines a clear framework for discussing both the visual and psychological elements of the pottery tradition. The book presents a way to analyze and understand which particular elements touch or SPEAK to us across cultures and history. And there are enough pictures and diagrams to help out the less verbal."-- "National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Newsletter"

"There is enough material in this little 223 page book to last a long time as a stimulus for thought and work in clay. It would be an excellent gift to your local newspaper art critic and a great reference book for teachers. . . ."-- "0"

"With the unassuming title of Ceramics, Rawson has presented a very clear, orderly and thought-provoking guide for discussion. He provides words for those nebulous, or nonexistent, thoughts that students avoid talking about in critiques, and our professional associates talk all around, using whatever art language is being worn out at the time-'Is your work postmodernist yet?' Now we have no excuse to complain that there is no vocabulary. . . ."-- "0"