I've collected quite a few books about ceramics over the last 3 years. Some of them are helpful in learning new techniques such as how to make different forms on the wheel, some are helpful in learning about ceramic materials such as the components of clays and glazes, some are inspiring stories of potters such as Hamada and Leach, and some are exhibition catalogs that are beautifully photographed and show you the breadth of an artist's oeuvre.
A few weeks ago I ordered a book that looked good but didn't strike me as being anything special, maybe because I couldn't see inside it. After taking a look at it, however, I realized it's certainly something special. It's titled Vessel/Sculpture 2 and is published by Arnoldsche. I have several ceramics books published by Arnoldsche and have found them very well written, photographed, and printed. This book, however, is in a whole different category. The first thing I noticed before I even opened the box it came in was the weight of the book. It weighs more than 6 pounds because it's not only a large book (9 7/8 X 11 5/8) but it's printed on heavy, high quality paper. It's also a thick book, coming in at 528 pages.
The book is a sequel to the first volume published in 2008 which reproduced modern studio ceramics at the GRASSI Museum of Applied Art in Leipzig. That book is out of print and you'll need to spend over $200 to buy it on the secondary market. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's anything like this volume, it's probably worth over $200. This second volume has photos of 579 objects from 254 artists from 29 European countries and a few worldwide. All of these have been donated to GRASSI since 2008. It's an extraordinary group of objects and the photos and printing are amazing. The collection is so rich that I can only work my way through a dozen pages or so at a time. There's no way to absorb more than that. I've included a few photos of the book so you get a taste of what's inside. I encourage you to buy the book now while it's still in print. Soon it will be sold out and you'll never see it or will be forced to pay 5 times the amount to buy it.
A few weeks ago I ordered a book that looked good but didn't strike me as being anything special, maybe because I couldn't see inside it. After taking a look at it, however, I realized it's certainly something special. It's titled Vessel/Sculpture 2 and is published by Arnoldsche. I have several ceramics books published by Arnoldsche and have found them very well written, photographed, and printed. This book, however, is in a whole different category. The first thing I noticed before I even opened the box it came in was the weight of the book. It weighs more than 6 pounds because it's not only a large book (9 7/8 X 11 5/8) but it's printed on heavy, high quality paper. It's also a thick book, coming in at 528 pages.
The book is a sequel to the first volume published in 2008 which reproduced modern studio ceramics at the GRASSI Museum of Applied Art in Leipzig. That book is out of print and you'll need to spend over $200 to buy it on the secondary market. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's anything like this volume, it's probably worth over $200. This second volume has photos of 579 objects from 254 artists from 29 European countries and a few worldwide. All of these have been donated to GRASSI since 2008. It's an extraordinary group of objects and the photos and printing are amazing. The collection is so rich that I can only work my way through a dozen pages or so at a time. There's no way to absorb more than that. I've included a few photos of the book so you get a taste of what's inside. I encourage you to buy the book now while it's still in print. Soon it will be sold out and you'll never see it or will be forced to pay 5 times the amount to buy it.
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