Eden Revisited

Eden Revisited is the first full-scale survey of one of America's most ingenious ceramic artists. Redefining his artistic career over three decades of creative excellence as a skilled potter, master draftsman, and accomplished china painter, Kurt Weiser has created a singular body of work that provides insight into the mind. Beautifully illustrated with signature works, Eden Revisited presents an artist's journey that mirrors the evolution of American studio ceramics since 1975.

During his eleven-year tenure as Resident Director of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, he attracted some of the best ceramists of his generation and from abroad. In his own work, he concentrated on producing functional ceramics inspired by his love of Asian pottery traditions, using a wide range of firing and building techniques.

In 1989, Weiser accepted a teaching position at Arizona State University, where his work took a dramatic turn. Paying homage to the rich European and Asian china painting traditions, he began to paint surreal, lush porcelain vases, creating provocative and unnerving narrative vessels that were met with critical praise worldwide. He is a true modernist, informed by daydreams, study, travels, and exotic fantasies.

Peter Held reviews the artist's unique upbringing and discusses Weiser's early development. Ulysses Grant Dietz, curator of decorative arts at the Newark Museum, provides a stimulating overview of china painting and how Kurt Weiser utilizes this technique to advance his artistic vision. Award-winning writer Edward Lebow provides a thoughtful and witty analysis of key works from throughout Weiser's career, delving into a rich pool of sources and inspirations. Also includid is a comprehensive chronology as well as extensive exhibition and bibliographic listings.

Peter Held is curator of ceramics at the Ceramics Research Center, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe. Other contributors include Ulysses Grant Dietz and Edward Lebow.

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