Left:

Sherrill’s hands throw-

ing a vessel using a

small kidney-shaped rib

(above) and faceting a

tea bowl with a carving

bow (below), both tools

from his Mudtools line.

Right:

Fire IVithin,

2008, Night

Flowers series, silica

bronze, Moretti glass,

mokume porcelain,

9 x 9 x 13 in.

Opposite:

Bloom at Night,

2008,

Night Flowers series,

silica bronze, Moretti

glass, mokume porce-

lain, 15 x 9 x 9 in.

O v e r tim e h e r e a liz e d th a t h e w a n t e d t o c o m m u n ic a t e t o a w id e r

a u d ie n c e , t o “ s p e a k m o r e th a n t h e p o t t e r ’s in s id e la n g u a g e .” H e h a d

b e e n t r a n s fix e d b y p a in t in g s in th e m u s e u m s in N e w Y o r k C i t y a n d

W a s h i n g t o n , D C , a s a c h ild , a n d it b e c a m e h is a m b it io n t o m a k e

a r t o f s im ila r s c o p e . F u n c tio n lo s t it s im p o r t a n c e f o r h im , a n d c o lo r

b e c a m e a p r e o c c u p a t io n . W o r k i n g in p o r c e l a i n , h e d e v e l o p e d a

b o ld , m in im a l s t y le o f v e s s e l h e h a s c h a r a c t e r iz e d a s m o d e r n is t . T h e

m a t t e s u r f a c e s o f t h e s e p ie c e s w e r e , in S h e r r ill’ s w o r d s , “ in c a n d e s -

c e n t ,” w i t h la y e r s o f c o n t r a s t in g c o lo r s o f g la z e f lo a t e d o n e o n t o p

o f th e o t h e r . A s t r ik in g g r o u p o f fla t t e n e d b o t t le s in th is s t y le s e le c t e d

b y M ic h a e l M o n r o e in 1 9 9 3 f o r t h e W h i t e H o u s e c o lle c t io n o f c r a ft s

b r o u g h t S h e r r ill t o n a t io n a l a t t e n t io n . T h e s e m o d e r n is t v e s s e ls

le d t o a n o t h e r s e r ie s o f t h r o w n a n d a lt e r e d p i e c e s , f a c e t e d f o r m s

in w h ic h e m p h a t ic s h ift s in p la n e w e r e h e ig h t e n e d b y c o lo r c o n t r a s t s ;

d e a lin g w i t h f o r e s h o r t e n e d im a g e r y , t h is s e r ie s e v o k e d t h e c o m p o -

s it io n s o f M a t i s s e . I n t h e a r t ic u la t io n o f t h e f o r m a l e le m e n t s in

b o t h s e r ie s , S h e r r ill a d d e d c le a n l y d e f in e d h a n d le s a n d s p o u t s t h a t

h e s h a p e d in th e m o s t p r a c t ic a l w a y , b y u s in g a n e x t r u d e r .

F r o m t h e b e g in n in g , h is l o v e o f m a t e r ia ls w a s b o u n d u p w it h

h is lo v e o f t o o ls . “ B e in g a t o o l m a k e r w a s j u s t p a r t o f m y n a tu r e a n d

a c r e a t i v e p a r t o f m y l i f e t h a t w a s n o t t h a t s e p a r a t e d f r o m t h e m a k -

in g o f a r t f o r m e .” M a k i n g t o o l s s t r e t c h e d h is im a g in a t io n a n d

b r o a d e n e d h is v i e w o f t h e p o t e n t i a l o f c la y . N o w h e b u ilt s e v e r a l

v a r ia t io n s o f t h e e x t r u d e r , o n e o f w h i c h r e v o l v e d li k e a p o t t e r ’s

w h e e l. C h a lle n g e d t o “ c r e a t e s t u f f th a t d o e s n ’t lo o k lik e it c a m e o u t

o f a n e x t r u d e r a t a ll,” h e g a v e t h e e x t r u d e d f o r m s t h e c e n t r a l p la c e

in h is w o r k a n d t r a n s la t e d t h e a lt e r e d v e s s e l in t o s c u lp t u r e s o f

in c r e a s in g c o m p le x it y . H e o f t e n c o n s t r u c t e d p ie c e s a lo n g a s in g le

a x is , a s i f c o n c e iv e d a s a p ic t u r e p la n e in w h ic h t h e s p a c e a r o u n d th e

c o m p o n e n t s f u n c t io n e d a s a v it a l p a r t o f t h e a b s t r a c t c o m p o s it io n .

In 1 9 9 7 S h e r r ill c o n s t r u c t e d a 5 ,0 0 0 - s q u a r e - fo o t s t u d i o w it h

la r g e w i n d o w s o v e r lo o k i n g 10 a c r e s in a c o v e in t h e lit t le t o w n o f

B a t C a v e . A f e w y e a r s la t e r , h e a n d h is w i f e , M a r g e r y , s e t t le d t h e ir

y o u n g f a m il y in t o t h e h o u s e o n t h e p r o p e r t y b u ilt o n t o a 1 9 t h - c e n -

t u r y lo g c a b in . S h e r r ill h a s a tt r ib u t e d t h e c h a n g e o f d ir e c t io n th a t

h a s o c c u r r e d in h is w o r k s in c e th is m o v e t o h is s e n s e o f s e e in g n a tu r e

f o r t h e fir s t t im e . A l m o s t i m m e d ia t e ly , t h e o r g a n iz a t io n o f h is

s c u lp t u r a l f o r m s b e c a m e le s s s t r u c t u r e d a n d m o r e o r g a n ic . H is n e w

s h o p h a s p r o v id e d h im w i t h g r e a t ly in c r e a s e d c a p a b ilit ie s a s a n a r t -

is t , h o u s in g a c o m p le t e c la y f a c i l i t y , a m e t a lw o r k i n g s h o p t h a t h a s

t h e c a p a c it y to c a s t b r o n z e , a n d a b e n c h f o r f la m e - w o r k in g g la s s .

A t a b o u t t h e s a m e tim e a s h is m o v e t o t h e n e w s t u d i o , S h e r r ill

fo u n d e d M u d t o o ls . T h e b u s in e s s b e g a n w i t h f le x ib le r ib s m a d e fr o m

a s p e c ia liz e d p la s t ic a n d h a s e x p a n d e d t o o f f e r a v a r i e t y o f in n o v a -

t i v e c l a y - w o r k i n g t o o ls . I t w a s h is g o a l “ t o c r e a t e s y s t e m s s o t h a t

s o m e b o d y e ls e c a n m a k e t h e t o o l s .” T h e p r o c e s s h e e m p lo y s is

t o m a k e a m a s t e r t o o l a n d , ju s t a s h is f a t h e r d id , w a l k a r o u n d w i t h

it in h is p o c k e t a n d f e e l it a n d k n o w , “ H e y , th is is th e r ig h t s h a p e .”

O n ly a f t e r t h is e x a m in a t io n d o e s h e t a k e t h e t o o l t o s o m e o n e c a p a b le

o f g e n e r a t i n g a c o m p u t e r m o d e l a m a c h in is t c a n u s e t o m a k e >

042 american craft apr/mayio

Mudtools photos Margery Sherrill.