Design and create contemporary tableware Making pottery you can use

Call this the apex of simplicity. Pryke and Bloomfield, commercial potters who design for powerhouses like IKEA, join forces to explain the how-to's of contemporary tableware. Though this is intended as an instructional book, the kinds of ceramics practiced here demand a higher level of knowledge than basics. The authors illuminate the rudiments, such as clay types, preparations, and methods, as they elevate techniques beyond throwing, handbuilding, and glazing. Ventures into CAD, 3-D printing, and the addition of other materials like wood, all contributed by the authors' fellow artists, add to the complexity of the information on offer here. Tableware in this case features almost every item used for food and serving: cups, jugs, bowls, plates, pots, and vases. Color photographs showcase not only step-by-step details but also an incredible range of professional ceramics in the authors' understated aesthetic. Back matter includes a bibliography; glossary, guides to UK/U.S. materials substitutions, Orton pyrometric cone temperatures, limits for stable glazes in the unity molecular formula, and a list of suppliers.

In this visually appealing if daunting guide, ceramicists Bloomfield (Colour in Glazes) and Pryke show how to make pottery tableware inspired by the "simple shapes with clean lines" of modern Scandinavian design. The authors outline their approach alongside photos showing the principles in action, suggesting that readers limit their palette to a few soft colors and providing images of bowls in white, gray, and pale pink and blue. Brief instructions on how to make bowls, mugs, plates, and teapots will leave novices in the dark, though. For example, the authors contend that "pinch pots can be made larger by adding coils, scoring the rim of the pot and adding slip to attach each coil," but they neglect to explain how to score clay or add coils. However, the bountiful photos illustrating the major steps of each project are useful if incomprehensive. Additionally, experienced potters will appreciate the helpful nuggets sprinkled throughout (to add handles to a pot, the handle and pot should be at the same state of dryness when joined), as well as the in-depth survey of methods for applying finish (to make a matte glaze more glassy, the authors suggest adding quartz to it). This is best suited for experienced ceramicists looking to elevate their craft. (Apr.)