World-renowned ceramic artist's studio. European roll. 3

Author: Bai Ming
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book is quite different from my previous works:
1. Before submitting the manuscript, I deleted an article on Chinese and foreign ceramic research, nearly 20,000 words long. What I had to say has already been covered in several of my other books and articles. Upon review, these statements, though varied, seemed to delve deeper, yet they were mostly "old wine in new bottles" with little novelty. There was no justification for occupying readers' valuable time. As a member of the ceramic community, my emotional bias also made it highly likely that my article would be one-sided. In the context of Chinese higher education and contemporary art, where issues of concept and technique, tradition and modernity, theory and practice, and national and international perspectives are endlessly debated, it was even more unnecessary to dwell on them. Therefore, after the short preface and postscript, as the author, no introductions written by me appear in the book. I wanted the outstanding works of ceramic artists from around the world to be the most important narrative subject, supporting the academic value of ceramics itself and minimizing the author's influence.
2. The book's substantial eight-volume size features 112 internationally renowned ceramic artists, most of whom are members of the International Ceramic Association of UNESCO. Many of them are celebrated in the global ceramic world, and several are masters whose works in modern ceramic history cannot be overlooked. Most of the artists included have provided images and descriptions of their creative processes, which was also one of the most challenging and most labor-intensive parts of the manuscript collection and production process. Those in the industry know how difficult and almost unimaginable it is to ask so many influential artists to provide their creative processes within a relatively short timeframe. Fortunately and proudly, ceramic artists from around the world, with their understanding, support, and selfless cooperation, have made it possible to showcase these magical and uniquely charming creative processes, allowing the world to explore the diverse techniques and materials used by ceramic artists from different countries. This book thus holds precious historical and documentary value and serves as a textbook for techniques and methods. Such a feature is rare and distinctive among contemporary ceramic books, catalogs, and monographs worldwide. In today's era of frequent exchanges in the international ceramic community, decoding the creative processes of so many renowned artists will undoubtedly have a profound impact on promoting and enriching ceramic culture and inspiring new creative approaches.
3. The artist biographies can reveal the economic and cultural environment in which the artists live and were educated, while their creative philosophies (or self-reports) reflect how they perceive the world and their inner selves. While these are not the only ways to interpret their works, they at least provide direct insights into the artists and their creations.
4. All the works, demonstrations, and texts in the book are personally provided and signed by the artists for authorization, a practice uncommon in China's publishing industry. Each artist's works are presented in full, provided they meet the publication standards, without any. Strictly speaking, this is a self-selected collection of artists from around the world, and they are the true authors of the book.
5. Although the invitations sent to these artists explicitly requested personal studio environment photos, creative process demonstrations with descriptions, artistic philosophies, biographies, and works, a small number of artists could not provide complete creative process demonstrations and some materials due to age, health conditions, or time constraints. This highlights the differences between compiling an international-scale art catalog and simply editing a collection of Chinese artists' works. Moreover, some of the text materials provided were not in the required English, so after translating them into Chinese and then back into English, some inaccuracies were unavoidable. The reason we did not opt for a simpler and more conventional way of compiling works but instead included so much challenging content and bilingual text was undoubtedly to enhance the book's academic value and international exchange impact. However, the effort and hardship involved in this process far exceed ordinary imagination.
6. More than half of the artists featured in the book are being systematically introduced in China for the first time. Among the artists I have previously introduced, many of the works published here are new, along with their creative processes, giving the book a fresh and innovative appearance.
7. I invited several artists and art critics from different countries and backgrounds to contribute articles to the book. The sincerity, wisdom, and passionate attention to Chinese ceramics they demonstrate, along with their selfless support for the author, have not only enriched the book's academic perspectives but also infused it with vitality and a warm current of care and dedication.