Ceramic artist Robert Snyder presents an eccentric collection of porcelain sculpture that embraces function and whimsy. See more of his work by visiting his website.
“Emphatically Blank” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with gold luster, 6” x 11” x 10”
My mother was a sculptor. My father a photographer. My sister an actress who was part of Andy Warhol’s group. I didn’t stand a chance. I started painting. In the Hamptons in the late 1970’s, I was fortunate to meet and be mentored by Ilya Bolotowsky and Ibram Lassaw. They introduced me to some of the greatest living artists of the 20th century. I also met the curators at The Parrish Museum and The Guild Hall Museum. I worked at both museums.
“Spring” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver luster, 9.75” x 10.25” x 9”
I received a Master’s degree in painting at Pratt Institute. There, I was mentored by Impressionist painter George McNeil. But it was pottery, not painting that engulfed me.
“In Case Of…” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver luster, 10” x 10” x 8”
But really, who makes a living as an artist? My mentors were the elite. So a friend talked me into a career in advertising. More money, expense accounts, fly all over the world. I was an agency Executive Creative Director-Art Director. I also directed commercials and created strategic plans for clients. Large agencies. Small agencies. My own agency. I served on Boards of Directors. But I still came home and threw pots.
“Deco Iron” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with gold, silver, and Mother-of-Pearl lusters, 11” x 5.5” x 9”
My work is uniquely conceptual and completely functional. It’s inspired by industrial objects, machinery and tools. It’s eclectic and eccentric. It merges art and engineering. The industrial details—vents, clamps, bolts—are a nod to the unseen labor behind craftsmanship. It honors he nuts-and-bolts traditions of both hard work and whimsy.
“Reinterpretation of Utility” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver and copper lusters, 11.5” x 8.75” x 6”
I see my work as reinterpretation: Everyday objects like teapots and kettles are transformed into sculptural art, blurring the line between function and fantasy. An industrial/retro futuristic aesthetic where porcelain turns into metal.
“Percolator, Too” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver luster, 13” x 10.25” x 7”
The intersection between functional structure, material behavior, artistic intuition, and human emotional response is actually very relevant to how many of us think about the future relationship between intelligent systems and human environments.
“Precision Tea Generator” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver luster; Hardware added for enhancement, 9” x 11” x 9”
Blurring the line between function and fantasy, is a deeper question surrounding our ability to be more analytical or fit naturally in human creativity, where the aesthetic interpretation becomes an emotionally meaningful experience.
“Pipe Pot” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver luster, 8” x 8” x 5.5”
It’s a different approach then a purely decorative craft. It’s the expression of narrative form and interaction through physical material. It integrates industrial influence, engineering logic, mythology, and hand-built imperfection together to create a multidimensional human perspective of an environment that is future, past and present.
“A Sense of Decorum” wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with silver and copper lusters, 7.75” x 6.25” x 5”
I believe pottery is the bond between the earth, art, and utility and serves as our emotional connection to our environment.
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