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EARTH, COLOR, FIRE!
A LEGACY OF ITALIAN POTTERY |
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| I have always loved Italy. It is a country whose passions are deep and many - for food and wine, music and Art. The passion of the Italian people is evident in a rich culture that has been renowned throughout history, from the Medicis and beyond. |
| I am particularly drawn to the Tuscan countryside - to Umbria and Assisi, and to the magnificent pottery that is produced there. Of course Deruta has long been Italy's ceramic center, but throughout the stark mountaintops and lush valleys from Florence to Perusia, artisans have been continuing this tradition that dates back to the 12th century. |
| I recently visited this region of Italy and was yet again entranced by this ancient art form. I visited some of the master potters many of whom come from a long line of potters before them. Their legacy is in clay baked by the Tuscan sun and painted with vibrant hues that color the Italian countryside. Each piece is formed entirely by hand, many are painted with designs that date back to the Renaissance, with skills that have been passed down from generation to generation. |
| To honor this rich history and to connect these paintings to the tradition that inspired them, I have included in the frame of each painting the piece which inspired it. I brought back with me as many small pieces of pottery as I could carry - each signed and dated - and I have affixed one of my treasures to every painting in this show. |
| This collection is a tribute to the potters wheel, to Italian passion of pottery, to the artistry of Tuscan clay. I hope my paintings can, if only a little, reflect the history and beauty of this exquisite tradition; and honor the hands that have turned the wheel for centuries to create "the legacy of Umbria". |
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