John Whitman “Covered”

John Whitman is a talented local ceramic artist and founder of Twin Pines Pottery, which he established in1988. He became a member of the Houston Potters Guild in 1998 and has been shown at Waugh Gallery, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Lawndale Art Center, and recently at The Water’s Edge Studio and Gallery in Galveston Texas, during the “ArtWalk” produced by Galveston Arts Center. His work was most currently shown at the Houston Potters Guild as the featured artist in a show entitled “Covered”.

His pieces are simple, but have a distinct style. They range from pots to vase like shapes and all have lids of some sort. The vessels have a sturdy appearance yet smooth look to them. Many of his round pots have a unique dimpled shape that gives the illusion that the pot is fashioned from two separate pieces. The smooth looking forest green glazes render soft curves giving each piece an organic feminine feel. This organic look is further expressed in the hand built handles on the vessels. The handles range from round triangular shapes with circular centers to a flat spiral look. The triangular shapes give the impression of being hardy stems like that of a pumpkin and the more whimsical spiral shape is reminiscent of a vine. Both figures give the round curvy pieces the distinct appearance of a gourd. The top rims of the bowls without lids were darker color in a brown and black glaze. The insides of both the lidded and un-lidded round stockier vessels were a dark matt black.

Other round containers by Mr. Whitman had soft ripples that enveloped the bulbous area of the pot. These ripples had a soft zigzag shape and most were glazed with a tan color that had areas of red in it. Despite the zigzag’s, the figure contained a silky appearance, as if the texture was done when the piece was still very wet.

The taller vessels have a more utilitarian feel. The lids do not have handles and are firmly secured by twine. The twine is tightly held to the piece by notches made on either sides of the lid and vessel body. A few are not completely covered in glaze. One piece was waxed partially so that the glaze gave a dripping look as if it were poured over the piece without completely covering it. This particular piece had a rich maroon like glaze that gave the appearance of thick blood or an elixir that had happened to fall over the piece. The leftover exposed clay body gave a rough natural experience. In addition to the twine a few of the pieces are adorned with ornamental handles and round dotes of clay.

The layout of the show space was appropriate. Due to the fact that Mr. Whitman’s work was the main exhibit, it was suitable that his pieces be displayed in the center of the guild. The work that was displayed on his shelf was obviously not part of his exhibit “Covered” (because most did not have lids) but was enjoyable to see. His daily use pieces such as his mugs, had a more masculine look-complete with large, sturdy, handles, and rich use of color for glazes. One vase on his shelf was a large cylinder where he had taken one of his fingers and fashioned it into a squarer piece. I thought this was so interesting because it looked as if he chose to leave his finger markings, giving the vase more contour and curvature.

I enjoyed the exhibit. At first glance the pieces looked exceptionally plain but when taken into perspective what we have learned in class, Mr. Whitman’s shapes take on a more delicate and dynamic feel. His pieces may give the allusion of simplicity due to the soft lines and the curvature, but upon further examination are very complex.