POTTERY BY RICHARD ZANE SMITH (WYANDOT)
$10,000.00
SKU
531212064
POTTERY BY RICHARD ZANE SMITH (WYANDOT)
Richard Zane Smith was born in 1955 is and of Wyandot descent. He grew up in Missouri and became interested in clay in high school, an interest that continued in college. Starting in 1978, he spent 8 years living among the Navajo as an art teacher at a mission school. It was there that he was exposed to native clays and Anasazi pottery shards, which had a profound influence on his style.
Smith constructs his pieces from hand dug clay which are then hand-built with many thin coils. A major design aspect of his pottery is that he does not smooth those coiled layers on the exterior of his vessels but leaves them as a fine textural element, reminiscent of ancient basketry and following the model of the prehistoric corrugated ware of the Southwest. On top of that, he incises designs most directly inspired by the illusionistic work of MC Escher. The entire surface is then carefully painted with slips in layers to build depth in the coloring. The result is a rich and complex surface enhanced by a simple but perfectly constructed and symmetrical form.
Zane Smith's work has appeared in numerous books and publications and has been featured in exhibitions at the Philbrook Museum of Tulsa, The American Craft Museum International Tour, the San Diego Museum of Man, the American Craft Museum, and the Denver Art Museum. He has taken the Best of Pottery Award at the Heard Museum's annual Indian Fair and Market. He currently resides in Oklahoma.
Measurements: 7 3/4" tall x 11 1/4" diameter
Richard Zane Smith was born in 1955 is and of Wyandot descent. He grew up in Missouri and became interested in clay in high school, an interest that continued in college. Starting in 1978, he spent 8 years living among the Navajo as an art teacher at a mission school. It was there that he was exposed to native clays and Anasazi pottery shards, which had a profound influence on his style.
Smith constructs his pieces from hand dug clay which are then hand-built with many thin coils. A major design aspect of his pottery is that he does not smooth those coiled layers on the exterior of his vessels but leaves them as a fine textural element, reminiscent of ancient basketry and following the model of the prehistoric corrugated ware of the Southwest. On top of that, he incises designs most directly inspired by the illusionistic work of MC Escher. The entire surface is then carefully painted with slips in layers to build depth in the coloring. The result is a rich and complex surface enhanced by a simple but perfectly constructed and symmetrical form.
Zane Smith's work has appeared in numerous books and publications and has been featured in exhibitions at the Philbrook Museum of Tulsa, The American Craft Museum International Tour, the San Diego Museum of Man, the American Craft Museum, and the Denver Art Museum. He has taken the Best of Pottery Award at the Heard Museum's annual Indian Fair and Market. He currently resides in Oklahoma.
Measurements: 7 3/4" tall x 11 1/4" diameter