Ceramics in the Environment: An International Review
Author: Janet Mansfield
How often do you ever see ceramics used as a part of a
landscape or integrated into the architecture of a building or public
site? Not as often as you’d like, I’m sure, but if
you want to get a flavor for the vast array of ceramics used in
locations outside the home, Janet Mansfield’s book contains many
examples from around the world.
"A Feast for the Eyes"
In
this book, Mansfield shows how ornamental, architectural and
large-scale ceramic works have always appeared on buildings and in the
landscape since the beginnings of ceramics in civilization. Ceramics in the Environment
provides a look at the vast array of ceramics being produced today
around the world in this context. The book divides work up into themes
such as Symbolism, Pattern and Geometry, Architecture, Nature and the
Human Figure, and is focused on the aesthetics and relevance of work in
relation to its location.
Beautifully designed and illustrated,
the works of 97 ceramicists are featured in more than 220 photographs,
showing the finished work in situ, as well as discussing the issues
surrounding the construction of these ambitious and monumental
projects. Examples of these works are the installation of giant tiles
and stone seating in Victoria Square (Holmfirth) by Jim Robison or the
Darling Harbour Mural in Sydney, Australia, and other contemporary
artists featured including Nino Caruso, Zhu le Geng, Nina Hole, Imre
Schrammel, Carmen Dionyse and Gwen Heeney.
The book is . . . a feast for the eyes.
I found this book to be very inspirational for my own work in ceramics.
Judith Gary--SACA News (Southern Arizona Clay Artists)
 The works of the featured ceramists from around the world
reinforce the universal importance of clay as an abundant utilitarian
as well as magical material that is able to be processed into works of
expressive power.
 Janet
Mansfield states that “one of the reasons for writing this book was the
need, as I saw it, to draw attention to the work of ceramic artists who
make large-scale works for placement in public or private environments.
These works are usually made on commission, often in collaboration with
an architect, and with a specific place in mind. The client for whom
the work is made, as a rule, also has a say in the final outcome for
the project.”
Michael Keighery, Head of Fine Arts at University of Western Sydney,
says that,
"...with the resurgence of the use of ornamental, celebrative and
contemplative artworks in the built and natural enviornments, this book
is a timely reminder of the appropriateness of the use of clay for such
work as well as the near universality of it usage. The range of work
presented in Ceramics in the Environment reflects both the myriad
applications of clay as well as its ability to express a multitude of
ideas in the hands of talented ceramists. These works communicate
powerfully with their specific environments and with the reader in a
way that transcends differences in geography and language."
Add this book to your collection for only $59.95
 The
text concentrates on the contemporary application of the use of
ceramics in environmental settings, acknowledging the fact that,
historically, ceramic materials have been used over the centuries: to
clad porous building materials to make them fire- and waterproof; to
decorate walls; to tell a story or provide ornamentation; to form
complete sculptures to enrich an area or honor a personage.
 Mansfield
has divided the artists and their work into chapters with nominated
headings, including them where she thought they would fit best
according to their artistic intentions. The chapter headings are meant
as a general classification and the artists could be seen to fit into
or overlap a number of categories. The artist themselves supplied the
illustrations, and the text was taken from interviews, written
statements or reviews about their work garnered from a number of
sources such as books, magazines and newspaper articles.
From
the meditative to the energetic, the timeless to the contemporary, the
intimate to the expansive--there is more, much more. The range of work
offered by Mansfield reveals numerous applications of clay as well as
its ability to articulate myriad ideas in the hands of talented artists
and craftsmen. I cannot think of anyone who could have written such a
book better.
Moyra Elliot--Ceramics: Art and Perception
Only $59.95
The book is a fantastic review of the applications of ceramics today
both on buildings and in the natural environment by many of the most
prominent ceramicists in the field.
PS: If you are interested in Ceramics in the Environment you may also be interested in Large Scale Ceramics and The Extruder Book.Price $59.95 
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