Clay Times Three

"Clay Times Three, the tale of three Nashville, Indiana, Potteries: Brown County Pottery, Martz Potteries, Brown County Hills Pottery" by Kathy M. McKimmie has something significant to offer a varied audience of instructors and students, ceramic artists and hobbyists, collectors and regional historians. This book divides into three sections, exploring the prolific lives of three studio potters workshops: The Brown County Pottery operated by the Griffiths; Martz pottery produced by Karl Martz and his wife Becky Brown; and Brown County Hills Pottery made by local potter Claude Graham and owner Carolyn Ondreika. This book has 140 color reproductions and 42 black and white photographs that come together to help illustrate a full artistic narrative of the Nashville area of Indiana.

The images of ceramic works represent distinct and evolving styles and influences of some artists as well as the strong traditions that were observed by others. There are many engaging accounts about the organizers of the potteries. The paths of the three potteries interconnect in ways that are unpredicted and their stories tell of an amicable atmosphere where the methods of the local artisans were embraced. It is also fascinating to see the collecting interests of patrons and how they in turn impacted the workshops.

There is something wonderfully industrious and Midwestern about these potteries that is fittingly celebrated in the telling of their stories. The lives of these artists illustrate how knowledge and ingenuity can aid with the precarious balance of home life, business interests, creative endeavors and growth. These artists are entrepreneurs with a sense of community leadership and camaraderie who reap the reward of their hard work though making a living in their chosen field. There is dialog about arts pedagogy between more experienced artists and the young art students who come to the potteries to intern. There is an account of a pottery using a horse to operate a pug mill to process clay that came straight from the ground for traditional salt fire whiskey jugs. Clay bodies, glazes, surface decoration, kiln firing methods and studio set ups are described and are contextualized with carefully identified photographs. Other accounts discuss the impact that exhibiting and visiting galleries in Chicago, New York, Indianapolis and Asia has on the idea development on their distinctive series of works. This visual record book would be welcome addition to collections of books featuring ceramic art, studio experience and the business of collecting ceramics.

For more information: http://people.umass.edu/emartz/martzpots/