Must See Doc: Revolutions of the Wheel, The Emergence of American Clay Art

2012 May 22

tags: ceramics, documentary films, Pottery

by MODERNICA

‘Revolutions of the Wheel, The Emergence of American Clay Art’ is a five-part documentary film that traces the evolution of American ceramics from its 19th Century industrial origins to its current status as fine art. Each part chronicles a specific aspect of this emerging new clay art, which would eventually set America apart from the rest of the world with its bold new approach to man’s most ancient art medium.

The series, which took two years to research and film, includes interviews with major ceramic artists, historians and critics, and an unprecedented collection of rare footage and photographs. Included in the series are filmed working processes of Peter Voulkos, Adrian Saxe, Don Reitz, Clayton Bailey, Shoji Hamada, Marguerite Wildenhain, Robert Arneson, and archival film footage from turn-of-the-century industrial potteries. The series is over two and half hours long, but for a shorter preview, please enjoy these youtube clips from part one and part two.