Vessel

Copied Richard Hirsch, Vessel, 1976, wheel thrown and glazed clay, 19 1⁄2 × 12 1⁄4 × 12 in. (49.5 × 31.1 × 30.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Robert and Marguerite Antell, 2000.59

Artwork Details

Title
Vessel
Artist
Date
1976
Location
Dimensions
19 1⁄2 × 12 1⁄4 × 12 in. (49.5 × 31.1 × 30.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Robert and Marguerite Antell
Mediums
Mediums Description
wheel thrown and glazed clay
Classifications
Object Number
2000.59
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2000.59

Artwork Description

While living in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Hirsch glazed and fired his pieces at home rather than in his studio. After once forgetting to bring home his usual combustibles, Hirsch instinctively used hay instead. When he removed his pieces from the kiln, he found that the hay had left behind white imprints, which he likened to "painting with smoke." This led Hirsh to use only natural materials, like grass and flowers, to fire his pots. The cracks and holes in the clay on the surface of Vessel also appeal to Hirsch, who enjoys the opportunity to deal with positive and negative space. (Susan Wechsler, Low-Fire Ceramics: A New Direction in American Clay, 1981)