Joe O'Brien, one of our local ceramic artists, passed away last week at his home on Bainbridge Island. Joe was a wonderful artist,
man and friend to the Gallery and we will miss him so much. He was always
experimenting with his ceramics, creating tea bowls and other pieces that
reflected nature's many hues and forms. Clients particularly appreciated
his summer bowls which reflected the vibrancy of blues and browns of
southwestern landscapes. As another human being, Joe was always so
positive, and with a smiling twinkle; it was a pleasure seeing him walk through
the Gallery door.
Educated at the University of Washington (BA) and Northern
Illinois University (MA, MFA), Joe exhibited throughout the Midwest and
Northwest and operated a custom ceramic tile business for many years. He
collaborated with Jacob Lawrence in the designing and creation of a ceramic
mosaic mural for the City of New York and designed a porcelain enamel mural for
the Orlando International Airport. Joe fired in a wood fire kiln on
Bainbridge along with Dave Berfield and exhibited at the Gallery for a
number of years.
In his own words:
Clay and the art of
creating are processes that I love. They are present in most of my waking
thoughts. Having been trained in the classic Japanese tradition, I think
about and look for form in everyday objects.
Quality is an overriding requirement for me. Should the foot be wider or higher, does the bowl swell enough, is the lip smooth? Visual weight and physical weight are important aspects of a pot. Do the proportions of various parts of the pot relate to each other and do they all join together to make the statement that I want?
In the end I have this constant dance in my mind of form, balance and relationships. Is the final form exactly the way I pictured it in my head?
Maybe next time it will be closer.
Quality is an overriding requirement for me. Should the foot be wider or higher, does the bowl swell enough, is the lip smooth? Visual weight and physical weight are important aspects of a pot. Do the proportions of various parts of the pot relate to each other and do they all join together to make the statement that I want?
In the end I have this constant dance in my mind of form, balance and relationships. Is the final form exactly the way I pictured it in my head?
Maybe next time it will be closer.
1 comment:
I live in Ohio and recently purchased a trivet with a tile in the center. There is a notecard attached to the back saying it was made by Elida and Joe O’Brien of Bainbridge Island, WA. The white tile is somewhat abstract, but appears to have seagulls sitting atop posts that may have been a dock and those appear to be in a deep blue color. I love that this blog tells of Joe O’Brien and his art. I did also find his obituary from 2019. Thank you!
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