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Product Placement
F ra n ces
P a lm er P ottery
When Frances Palmer sits
down at the potter’s wheel, she
is never quite sure what the
result will be. “Even if it’s a
vase similar to one I’ve already
made, when I sit down and
I make it, the clay has it’s own
personality,” says Palmer, who
is based in Weston, Connecti-
cut. “It depends on the day, the
weather-many different fac-
tors. Sometimes I want to go
straight up and the clay wants
to go out. I try to do what the
clay wants to do.”
It is the unique “personali-
ties” of Palmer’s asymmetrical
vases—such as the four-handled
dahlia© and bud vases© -
bowls and plates that appeal to
so many of her clients. Since
the beginning of her pottery
career 20 years ago, prompted
by a class she took at the local
art guild, Palmer has had little
trouble finding a strong private
clientele. “People are interested
in seeing new material,” she
explains. “And sometimes all
they need is for it to be brought
to their attention.”
Quirky and whimsical,
Palmer’s pieces also possess a
classic beauty that has brought
her international attention,
including from the board at the
Philip Johnson Glass House.
Palmer was part of the first
group of six artists asked to de-
sign pots for the 47-acre estate,
now open to the public. For
this project, Palmer wanted to
create something with an or-
ganic feel, and she found herself
inspired by the bisque work of
George Ohr, whose pots were
collected by Johnson’s partner,
David Whitney.
Yet, not everyone has the
means to commission Palmer’s
work, and this led to her deci-
sion five years ago to start a fac-
tory-made line, the Frances
Palmer Pearl Collection. “Over
the years I’ve made lots of din-
ner sets and they took an enor-
mous amount of time and were
expensive,” says Palmer. “Not
everybody can use this stuff.
I decided that I was going to
find someone who could help
me make dishes that can be
used every day.”
“ Factory-made” can have
a negative connotation, but on
Palmer’s watch everything is
about as close to handmade as
a mass-produced object can get.
She makes prototypes for Buf-
falo Pottery, a century-old
factory in upstate New York,
which then molds the shapes.
From there everything is hand-
pressed and each piece hand-
glazed by one woman.
The most important thing
to Palmer, whether it’s her
handmade pieces or the Pearl
Collection, is creating beauty
that is also useful. “When
I think of the vases, I love the
fact that they can be objects,
but I also love them filled with
flowers. They straddle the
barrier between function and
art.”—
s.s.
Gimme More!
francespalmerpottery.com
KY/Paducah
National Quilt Museum:
European A rt Q uilt V
May 22-Aug. 10
quiltmuseum.org
Quilts journey beyond the bed
and across the pond.
© M E/Bar Harbor
Abbe Museum:
North by Northeast
to Aug 31
abbemuseum.org
Beadwork, basketry, such as
Jeremy Frey’s
Urchin Basket,
and woodcarving demonstrate
the art of the Wabanaki, Akwe-
sasne Mohawk and Tuscarora.
M A / Brockton
Fuller Craft Museum
The Sixth Sense— Contemporary
Jewelry from Korea
to July 26
fullercraft.org
The spirituality and aesthetic
simplicity of Korean jewelry
emerges in this intimate survey.
N
M A / Pittsfield
Ferrin Gallery
Brooke Noble
to Apr. 18
ferringallery.com
Imagery depicting the ongoing
struggle to balance personal
freedom with responsibilities
adorns Noble’s functional
pottery.
NE / Lincoln
Lux Center for the Arts:
National Juried Cup Exhibition
Apr.
3 -25
luxcenter.org
Ceramists push the boundaries
of what cups look like, delight-
ing coffee and art lovers alike.
022
american craft
apr/maj'09
Frey Photo/Julia Clark.
