A new pottery tradition has been developing along the border of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Despite the fact that this region is not yet an established destination for pottery collectors, Michiana potters are committed to pursuing their craft thanks to the presence of a community of like-minded artists. The Michiana Potters, an ethnographic exploration of the lives and art of these potters, examines the communal traditions and aesthetics that have developed in this region. Author Meredith A. E. Mc Griff identifies several shared methods and styles, such as a preference for wood-fired wares, glossy glaze surfaces, cooler colors, the dripping or layering of glazes on ceramics that are not wood-fired, the handcrafting of useful wares as opposed to sculptural work, and a tendency to borrow forms and decorative effects from other regional artists. In addition to demonstrating a methodology that can be applied to studies of other emergent regional traditions, Mc Griff concludes that these styles and methods form a communal bond that inextricably links the processes of creating and sharing pottery in Michiana.
Table of Content
Acknowledgments
1. Michiana Connections: An Introduction
2. Education, Identity, and Vocational Habitus
3. The Michiana Aesthetic and the Collaborative Process of Wood Firing
4. Collection Practices: Maintaining the Aesthetic
5. More Than Pottery in Michiana; More than Michiana in Pottery
6. The Potter’s Social Life
Epilogue: Constant Change
Appendix I: Michiana Pottery Tour Maps
Appendix II: Apprentices, Assistants, and/or Interns
Works Cited
Index
About the author
Meredith A.E. Mc Griff is Membership Director of the American Folklore Society and cofounder of Hoosier Films.
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