World-renowned. Europe Volume 1

Author: Bai Ming
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-03
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 needed to be said, I had already covered in several other books and articles. Upon review, these statements, though varied, seemed to delve deeper, yet they were essentially "old wine in new bottles" with little novelty. There was no reason to occupy readers' valuable time. As a member of the ceramic community, my emotional perspective likely led to biased views. In the Chinese higher education and contemporary art environment, where endless questions are raised about concepts and techniques, tradition and modernity, theory and practice, and nationality and internationality, it was even more unnecessary to elaborate excessively. 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 being "seen," thereby minimizing the author's influence.
2. The massive eight-volume format 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 many 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 laborious parts of the manuscript collection and production process. Those in the industry know how difficult and unimaginable it is to ask so many influential artists to provide their creative processes within a relatively short time. Fortunately and proudly, ceramic artists from around the world, with their understanding, support, and selfless cooperation, have made this book possible, showcasing these magical and uniquely charming creative processes. This allows the world to explore the different techniques and materials used by ceramic artists from various countries, giving the book invaluable documentary and textbook value on techniques and methods. This is rare and distinctive among contemporary ceramic books, journals, and art collections worldwide. In today's frequent exchanges within 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 reveal the economic and cultural environments in which the artists live and are educated, while their creative philosophies (or self-reports) reflect how they perceive the world and their inner selves. Although these are not the only ways to interpret their works, they at least provide direct assistance in better understanding 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 rare sight in China's publishing industry. Each artist's works are presented in full, provided they meet the publication standards, without any deletions. 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 letters inviting these artists explicitly requested personal studio environment photos, creative process demonstrations with descriptions, artistic philosophies, biographies, and works, a small number of artists did not provide complete creative process demonstrations or some materials due to age, health conditions, or time constraints. This is one of the differences between compiling an international-scale art collection 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 inevitable. 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 academic value of the book and its impact on international exchanges. However, the effort and hardship involved in this 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. Some artists I have previously introduced also have new works and creative process content included, giving the book a fresh appearance.
7. I invited several artists and art critics from different nationalities and backgrounds to contribute articles to this book. The sincerity, wisdom, and passionate attention to Chinese ceramics and the authors' selfless support in these articles have not only added diverse academic perspectives to the book but also infused it with vitality and a warm current of care.