Susan Halls’s Ceramics for Beginners: Animals & Figures positions itself at the intersection of pedagogical clarity and sculptural imagination. Aimed squarely at novices, this volume nevertheless aspires—even at the introductory level—to cultivate both technical facility and aesthetic sensibility in its readers. As a literary scholar might probe a text for subtext, narrative arc, and ideological underpinnings, so … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Ceramics for Beginners: Animals & Figures by Susan Halls
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 2, edited by Paula Gustafson
Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 2, edited by Paula Gustafson, represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Canadian craft scholarship. Published by Ronsdale Press in 2005, this volume collects twenty-two essays and critical commentaries by nineteen independent critics, curators, professional artists, art historians, and studio art instructors. By bringing together voices … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 2, edited by Paula Gustafson
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 1, edited by Paula Gustafson
Paula Gustafson’s Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 1 is an ambitious, multifaceted exploration that positions Canadian craft not merely as an artisanal pursuit but as a site of critical inquiry and cultural negotiation. Gustafson—long known for her incisive editorial work in Artichoke magazine—assembles a slate of voices that interrogate craft’s epistemological foundations, its links … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse, Vol. 1, edited by Paula Gustafson
Book Review – Scandinavian Ceramics and Glass: 1940s to 1980s by George Fischler
George Fischler’s Scandinavian Ceramics and Glass: 1940s to 1980s is a meticulous exploration of the evolving aesthetics, technical innovations, and cultural significance of mid-20th-century Scandinavian ceramics and glass design. More than a catalog of beautiful objects, the book situates these artistic movements within the broader sociopolitical context of postwar Scandinavia, illuminating how these everyday objects became vessels … Continue reading Book Review – Scandinavian Ceramics and Glass: 1940s to 1980s by George Fischler
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Ceramics of the Islamic World by Géza Fehérvári
Géza Fehérvári’s Ceramics of the Islamic World is an exquisite and meticulously researched exploration of one of the most significant artistic traditions in Islamic culture. As both an art historian and a scholar of Islamic material culture, Fehérvári offers a study that is as visually rich as it is intellectually rigorous, providing an indispensable reference for scholars, … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Ceramics of the Islamic World by Géza Fehérvári
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century by Joe Earle
Joe Earle’s Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century offers a masterful exploration of Japanese ceramic art, presenting a profound dialogue between tradition and innovation in a form that is both scholarly and visually stunning. Earle, a preeminent curator and authority on Japanese art, navigates the complex terrain of contemporary Japanese ceramics with a nuanced appreciation … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century by Joe Earle
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Postmodern Ceramics by Mark Del Vecchio
Mark Del Vecchio’s Postmodern Ceramics stands as a seminal exploration of the interplay between ceramics and the broader cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic currents of postmodernism. Written with a keen eye for detail and a profound understanding of art history, Del Vecchio elevates ceramics from its traditionally undervalued position as a "craft" to a legitimate and provocative medium … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Postmodern Ceramics by Mark Del Vecchio
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – 20th Century Ceramics by Edmund de Waal
Edmund de Waal's 20th Century Ceramics is not merely a book about clay—it is an intellectual odyssey into the modern history of ceramic art, a medium often relegated to the periphery of fine art discourse. De Waal, himself a potter and writer of exceptional sensitivity, brings to the subject a dual perspective: as both practitioner and historian. … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – 20th Century Ceramics by Edmund de Waal
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – A Glaze of Color: Creating Color and Design on Ceramics by Jane Davies
In A Glaze of Color: Creating Color and Design on Ceramics, Jane Davies crafts a compelling guide that bridges the technical aspects of ceramic glazing with the intuitive artistry of design. The book is not merely a manual for ceramists but an exploration of the nuanced interplay between surface, texture, and colour, making it a valuable … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – A Glaze of Color: Creating Color and Design on Ceramics by Jane Davies
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Contemporary Ceramics by Emmanuel Cooper
In Contemporary Ceramics, Emmanuel Cooper crafts a remarkable tapestry that examines the evolving landscape of ceramic art in the modern era. The book is not merely an anthology of exquisite works or a technical manual but a deep interrogation of the interplay between materiality, concept, and cultural context. For scholars, practitioners, and connoisseurs of ceramics, this … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Contemporary Ceramics by Emmanuel Cooper
The New Renaissance Mindset 