Plate
Artist
Peter Meloy
(American, 1908 - 1988)
Dateearly 1960s
MediumStoneware with glaze
DimensionsOverall: 13 3/4 inches (34.93 cm)
Credit LineGift of Gertrude Ferguson from the collection of Ken Ferguson
Object number2010.71.3
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionCircular ceramic plate with decoration of slightly abstracted owl in dark brown, white and pink glaze.Gallery LabelPeter Meloy was one of the founders of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Montana, and a seminal force in the popularization of studio ceramics in America. Meloy gave this plate to his good friend, Kansas City ceramist Ken Ferguson.
This simple plate painted with a boldly abstracted design of an owl testifies to the prevailing approaches to ceramics of the late 1950s and early 1960s-vibrant decoration on simply thrown forms. Meloy's dynamic abstraction of an owl recalls Staffordshire slipware examples of the early 18th century, yet it is made contemporary in its spontaneity, reminiscent of Abstract Expressionist painting.
This simple plate painted with a boldly abstracted design of an owl testifies to the prevailing approaches to ceramics of the late 1950s and early 1960s-vibrant decoration on simply thrown forms. Meloy's dynamic abstraction of an owl recalls Staffordshire slipware examples of the early 18th century, yet it is made contemporary in its spontaneity, reminiscent of Abstract Expressionist painting.
Copyright© Henry Meloy
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