Black Pot

David Ellsworth, Black Pot, 1994, white ash, 14 1⁄8 x 13 1⁄2 in. (35.9 x 34.3 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jane and Arthur K. Mason on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 1996.98.2

Artwork Details

Title
Black Pot
Artist
Date
1994
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
14 1⁄8 x 13 1⁄2 in. (35.9 x 34.3 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Jane and Arthur K. Mason on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery
Mediums
Mediums Description
white ash
Classifications
Object Number
1996.98.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.98.2

Artwork Description

David Ellsworth developed a series of bent turning tools that allowed him to work from a very small opening. He produces huge vessels with walls as thin as 1/16 of an inch that are incredibly light and fragile. The narrow opening prevents him from seeing inside while turning, so Ellsworth uses only the sound of his tools to determine how much he has gouged from inside the form.

Works by this artist (9 items)

View all artworks
Ulysses Davis, Untitled (Hart/Heart), ca. 1950-1960, carved wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2015.48
Untitled (Hart/​Heart)
Artist
Dateca. 1950-1960
carved wood
On view
Ulysses Davis, Sputnik, ca. 1957, carved and stained wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.22
Sputnik
Artist
Dateca. 1957
carved and stained wood
On view
Ulysses Davis, Where Life Comes From, ca. 1950-1990, carved and stained wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.23
Where Life Comes From
Artist
Dateca. 1950-1990
carved and stained wood
On view
Ulysses Davis, Headhunter, ca. 1950-1990, carved and painted wood and rhinestones, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.20
Headhunter
Artist
Dateca. 1950-1990
carved and painted wood and rhinestones
On view

Audio

Stop 187: Black Pot

Black Pot
1994, white ash

DAVID ELLSWORTH
Born: Iowa City, Iowa 1944

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      Exhibitions

      Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
      Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
      November 13, 2015–March 6, 2022
      Renwick Gallery
      Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.

      More Artworks from the Collection

      Browse All Artworks
      Jesús Moroles, Lapstrake I, 1980, Georgia gray granite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alton and Emily Steiner, 2002.82
      Lapstrake I
      Artist
      Date1980
      Georgia gray granite
      Not on view
      John Safer, Chandelle, 1969, revised 2013, Lucite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2007.23
      Chandelle
      Artist
      Date1969, revised 2013
      Lucite
      Not on view
      Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Shell), early 1930s, mixed media: paperboard, paper, shells, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, 1985.64.37
      Untitled (Shell)
      Artist
      Dateearly 1930s
      mixed media: paperboard, paper, shells
      Not on view
      Emery Blagdon, The Healing Machine, ca. 1955-1986, mixed media, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and gift of Dan Dryden, friend of Emery Blagdon, the Kohler Foundation, Inc., and John E. and Douglas O. Robson, from the Margaret Z. Robson Collection, VR.2014.49.GRP
      The Healing Machine
      Artist
      Dateca. 1955-1986
      mixed media
      On view