Deruta: A Tradition of Italian Ceramics - Hardcover

Susie Cushner is a Boston-based photographer whose work has appeared in House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, and elsewhere.

David Hamilton is a San Francisco-based photographer whose images of landforms, artifacts, and archaeology are collected by numerous museums.

Elizabeth Helman Minchelli is the author of Private Rome and a contributor to Architectural Digest and Art and Antiques. She lives in Italy.

These two stunning books differ in style and technique yet complement each other in beauty and execution. The first, published for the centenary of the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, is an exquisite and informative exhibition catalog celebrating the life and work of Charles Fergus Binns, a master potter, teacher, and founding director of the college. Introductory essays focus on Binns's career at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Works in England, the origins of the college, his successful combination of technical and artistic development, and his glazing techniques and Oriental influences. The book includes a catalogue raisonne of the exhibition. Color plates featuring 60 of the celebrated pieces serve as a visual introduction to the exhibit, while the rest of the photographs document Binns, his works, and the college. A third section of brief essays highlights the lives of 11 of Binns's most notable students, all masters in their own right. Deruta celebrates the achievements of the Umbrian hillside town celebrated since the 16th century for the colorfully glazed Italian ceramic pottery known as majolica. The book opens with a focus on the history of the town from the Middle Ages to the present, then moves on to detail the traditional production techniques and methods of decoration in use for centuries. The final section highlights the work of six family production studios in Deruta today. The book is generously illustrated with photos of these bold and vibrant works of art. Both titles are highly recommended for public and academic libraries alike.?Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.