An important aspect of all my sculptural
work, teapots included, is the way forms relate and flow together. I am
constantly combining and simplifying to enhance movement/ rhythm/ unity.
My teapots are informed by historical examples-- Inuit carvings, Pre-Columbian
ceramics, African sculpture. To some extent Japanese netsuke carvings
and Yixing teapots have also been an influence. I admire the concise vocabulary
of these pieces, their use of everyday life as subject matter, their compact
forms and their straightforward but unique way of relating figurative elements.
In much of this work, the traditions of sculpture and function come together
in a way that transcends ordinary ornamentation.
I make teapots in editions -- each is a numbered edition
of twenty-two or less. The iron-red clay is fired to vitreousness, i.e.,
the clay particles have fused to the point of being impervious to water.
No glazes are used or needed. The satin-smooth surface results from multiple
sandings at several stages of the teapot making process.
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Elephant Rider 1991, edition of 22 11 x 5.5 x 11" h $1200 |
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Elephant Runner 1992, edition of 22 8 x 4 x 6" h $950 |
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Sitting Pretty 1993, edition of 22 7.5 x 4 x 9" h $1200 |
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Proud Catch 1993, edition of 22 5.5 x 8 x 9" h edition sold out |
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Fish Rider 1993, edition of 12 10 x 6 x 8" h $1350 |
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Jitterbug 1995, edition of 22 10.5 x 5 x 8.5" h edition sold out |
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Bird in Hand 1995, edition of 22 8 x 4.75 x 8.5" h edition sold out |
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She 1995, edition of 22 8.5 x 4 x 6" h $800
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Mermaid & Dolphin 1996, edition of 22 10.5 x 4 x 8.5" h $1200 |
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He 1995, edition of 22 7 x 4 x 6.5" h $800 |
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High Stepping 1997, edition of 22 11 x 4 x 8.25" h edition sold out |
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He / She Teabowls 1995, unlimited edition 2.75 x 3 x 3" h $80 each |
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Leaping Lady 2001, edition of 22 10.5 x 5x 7.5" h $1200 |
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Proud Catch II 2001, edition of 22 9.25 x 3.5 x 9" h $1200 |
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Pleasure That Burns 2002, edition of 22 9.25 x 4.5 x 6" h $1200 |
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Tango 2002, edition of 22 9 x 6 x 10" h $1200 |
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My Sister, Myself 2005, edition of 22 8 x 3.75 x 5.25" h $950 |
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Happy Potter Sake Set 2011, edition of 5 4 x 3.5 x 4.75" h $950 |
Publications
500 Teapots, Volume 2, 2013, Lark Crafts, An imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.,
New York, NY
The Best of 500 Ceramics, Celebrating a Decade in Clay, 2012, Lark Crafts, An
imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY
The Artful Home, 2007, Toni Sikes, Lark Books, A Division of Sterling Publishing Co.,
Inc., New York, NY
Slipcasting, 2007, Sasha Wardell, A&C Black Publishers Ltd., London
500 Animals in Clay, Contemporary Expressions of the Animal Form, 2006, Lark
Books, A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY
500 Figures in Clay, Ceramic Artists Celebrate the Human Form, 2004, Lark Books,
A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY
500 Cups, Ceramic Explorations of Utility & Grace, 2004, Lark Books, A Division of
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NYa
Ceramics: Art and Perception, March 2002, Rick Newby, �The Art of Jitterbugging:
Richard Swanson's Dancing Teapots�
500 Teapots, Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design, 2002, Lark Books,
A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY
Object Lessons: Original Art from Guild Artists, 2001, Guild Publishing,
Madison, Wisconsin
Beautiful Use: Contemporary American Pottery, Kevin Hluch, 2001,
Krause Publications
Color and Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art in association with Rizzoli International
Publications, Inc. 2000, New York, NY
Teapots Transformed: Exploration of an Object, Leslie Ferrin,
2000, Guild Publishing, Madison, Wisconsin
The Best of Pottery II, 1999, Rockport Press, Rockport, Massachusetts
The Best of Pottery, 1996, Rockport Press, Rockport, Massachusetts
Collections
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Yixing Red Pottery Arts Factory #5, Yixing, China
The Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs, Washington,
D.C.
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana
Montana State Historical Society Museum, Helena,
Montana
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