Spirit Rose Pot

The late Howard Kottler (1930-89), former UW art professor and ceramist was influential in redefining the entire field of contemporary American ceramic art.  He and his artwork were exuberant, irreverent, and provocative.  By the mid-1960s, Kottler had succeeded in forging a link between his work and the major new directions in painting and sculpture.  Kottler came to consider himself an artist-potter, who sought to link ceramics to the broader context of the world of modern art, rather than a studio-potter who takes inspiration from ceramic history and tradition.