Clay and Context: 20th Century Ceramic History
with Garth Johnson
Course Schedule:
1st Saturdays // 3-5pm EST
Course Description:
Do you feel like your grasp of recent ceramic history could use a tune up? Are there historical rabbit holes that you could use a nudge to enter?
This online class focuses on the history and evolution of ceramics in the 20th Century to show the innovations that made our present world possible. We’ll examine the effects of potters like Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada but also trends in the decorative arts like Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The course will be taught from within the Everson Museum of Art, which served as a launching pad for nearly every prominent ceramic artist of the 20th century. From the groundbreaking innovations of studio pottery pioneers to the radical shifts of the postwar ceramic movement, we’ll trace how clay evolved from craft to contemporary art form. Each session will highlight key works from the Everson’s collection, examining their cultural, historical, and artistic significance.
While the primary focus is on the 20th century, the course will remain responsive to the interests of the group, allowing for forays into non-western and other time periods to provide context and enrich discussion. Guest lectures by artists, curators, and historians will offer unique perspectives and deepen our exploration of ceramics as a living, evolving practice.
Whether you’re a maker, scholar, or enthusiast, this course invites you to engage critically with ceramics as both object and idea.
Zoom sessions, image-based lectures, readings, and open discussion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/extremecraft
Instagram: @Extremecraft
Everson Museum of art – www.everson.org
Registration opens October 19th at 10am Central Time
About Garth
Writer, curator, and educator Garth Johnson is the Paul Phillips and Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. Before taking his position at the Everson, Johnson also served as the Curator of Ceramics at the Arizona State University Ceramics Research Center. Johnson has also exhibited his work and published his writing nationally and internationally, including contributions to the recent books Funk published by Natsoulas Press and Funk You Too: Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture published by the Museum of Arts and Design. Johnson is a self-described craft activist who explores craft’s influence and relevance in the 21st century. His research interests range from the history of American studio pottery to 1960s and 70s artist-led movements in the field of ceramics and the intersection of clay, video, and performance.
