“Art,” according to Cicero “is born of the observation and investiga-
tion of nature.” Such activities take place in Cowpens, sc, a small
town just off I-85 and east of Spartanburg, best known as an impor-
tant Revolutionary War battlefield. However, Cowpens is also
the home of potters Winton and Rosa Eugene, a husband-and-wife
team who together create Pottery by Eugene. The couple have
observed many aspects of nature—human nature and our relationship
to the environment—having grown up in Louisiana and South
Carolina and lived in Chicago for more than 20 years. Their pottery
reflects the rural South as well as urban issues. Their studio is char-
acteristic of their work—strong and well built. Winton proudly
proclaims that the structure, a Morton Building, will not rust and
can withstand tornados. Upon closer inspection, one notices the
M that occupies the pediment of the building and is the symbol
found throughout the country on hundreds of barns and stables.
Barns, country stores and cotton gins—mostly wooden frame build-
ings—are the subject of paintings that Winton did before and since
becoming a potter.
In 1986, at the suggestion of Rosa and their daughter, Fredriana,
Winton took up pottery as a hobby. The family traveled to Atlanta
to purchase a kick wheel and other equipment from an architect
whose increased workload kept him from making pots. Six months
later, after reading as much as he could about the topic and working
at the wheel, Winton had a garage full of greenware. He entered
Greenville’s Freedom Aloft arts festival in 1987, sold $300 worth
of pottery and, soon after, quit his day job. He realized he enjoyed
making pots and to improve he would have to devote more time to
the craft. “If I was going to be doing something, it might as well
be making pottery.” The short, heavy pieces became taller and less
chunky. Most of the forms were traditional, useful pieces-mugs,
bowls, cream and sugar sets, teapots, pitchers and covered jars.
Winton began painting barns and other rural scenes on their sides.
He practically begged Rosa to do the glazes. She was meticulous
in the measuring and mixing, producing a consistent glaze time
after time. The importance of intense colors and controlled applica-
tion where the glazes do not run are attributes that collectors come
to expect from Pottery by Eugene.
Carved or raised relief images are another “signature” of the
Eugenes’ work. Winton began carving pieces to decrease their
heaviness, and eventually portraits made their way onto the surface.
Central to this style are themes of identity, family and genera-
tions as expressed both in portraits and symbolically.
Creation of
a People
is one of the early concept pieces. Winton deftly incised
a wood-grain surface into the white clay vessel. “The wood grain.
..
it all goes back to the ship.” The slave ships that brought over
Africans of many different cultures to the Americas, where they>
W in to n ’s a rtistic p h ilo so p h y o f p ro d u c in g
a e sth e tica lly p le a sin g pots co u ld n o t b e a ch iev e d
w ith o u t R o s a ’s p re cisio n in m ak in g b e a u tifu l,
co n sisten t g la ze s.
052 american craft aug/sepio
More at ebook-free-doWBlOBd.net/br magazinesdownload.com
Far left:
Rosa glazing a vase and
pitcher, both featuring
hand-painted scenes
by Winton.
Left:
A group of pitchers dry-
ing outside after being
thrown on the wheel,
carved by Winton and
then sanded. They’ll be
fired next in the electric
kiln before being glazed.
Opposite:
Masked,
2001, coil-built
jug, matte glaze, low
relief and etched stone-
ware, 17 x 10'/2 x 15
'/2
in.
