WHAT MAKES A POTTER (KOPLOS)

Why are people still handmaking utilitarian pottery in the 21st century? Doesn’t industrial production take care of all our storage and cooking and serving needs? Answers to these questions are vividly realized in the words of potters themselves—funny, philosophical, intense, and inspiring life narratives captured by Janet Koplos, an award-winning art critic who has followed American studio ceramics for the last four decades. Fifty individuals or pairs of potters offer their experiences, their thoughts, and their lessons learned.