Craig A. Bird, Craig Bird

Biography to Display:

Born 1959 Plattsburgh, New York

EDUCATION

1983 BA State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, New York

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1991-1993 Ceramic Technician, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Ohio

1993- Studio Potter

1999-2001 Instructor, Wesleyan Potters, Middletown CT

BIOGRAPHY

Craig A. Bird is known for thrown, hand built, and thrown-and-altered eartheware, stoneware, and porcelain functional pots. Surface techniques include painted, glazed and slipware – the application of slip (a mixture of clay and water) at the leather hard stage.

Bird studied with William Henry Klock, Warren MacKenzie and Jeff Oestriech all of whom greatly influenced his choice to make pottery rooted in function. In addition he studied in Japan with Kohyama Yasuhisa. Other influencers include the potters Michael Cardew and Kawai Kanjiro.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Public Collections to Display:

American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California

Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio

Center for AIDS Education, Syracuse, New York

American Cancer Hospice, Syracuse, New York

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography to Display:

Common Ground: Diverse Expressions in Clay: January 11-February 8, 1991 Milton Rhodes Gallery, Sawtooth Center for Visual Art. Winston-Salem NC: Milton Rhodes Gallery, 1991.

Triplett, Kathy. Handbuilt Ceramics: Pinching, Coiling, Extruding, Molding, Slip Casting, Slab Work. United States: Lark Books, 2000.

WEBSITE(S):

trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/

Center For Craft

AMOCA American Museum of Ceramic Art

Typical Marks

One vertical line intersected by five horizontal lines spaced equidistance apart, scratched into base of pot. According to Bird, this mark used for a short while on the ishime (Japanese word for ‘stone texture’) pots and was meant to be seen as something akin to a Neolithic mark.

Other marks: Bird spelled out; name of studio, Albedo, incised in chop; initials CB in various chops.