Paul Bogatay

1905Born Ava, Ohio

1972Died Hyannis, Massachusetts

EDUCATION

1928Decorative Design, Cleveland School of Art (Cleveland Institute of Art), Cleveland, Ohio

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES

1927-1928Studied with Arthur E. Baggs, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio

1930-1932Rockefeller Foundation Fellow

1955-1956Fulbright Fellow, Study of Mingei, Japan

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1929-1930Ceramic Designer, Cowan Pottery, Rocky River, Ohio

1930-1934Ceramic Designer, Arthur Baggs Studio, Marblehead Potteries, Marblehead, Massachusetts (summers)

1934-1972Bogatay Ceramic Studio, Columbus, Ohio

1934-1939Temporary Assistant Instructor in Design, Ohio State University

1935Ceramic Designer, Robinson-Ransbottom Pottery, Company, Roseville, Ohio

1935-1938Designer, Ford Ceramic Arts, Inc., Columbus, Ohio

1940-1970Instructor and Professor of Design and Ceramics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

BIOGRAPHY

 Paul Bogatay is known for primarily slab built animal and vessel sculptural forms and for his dinnerware designs. Early in his career, Bogatay formed part of a group of artists using ceramics as a serious sculptural medium. In his sculpture, Bogatay emphasized the natural beauty of clay.

In the early 1930s, Bogatay was selected as a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow to design dinnerware prototypes made available at no cost to manufacturers to mass-produce inexpensive well designed dinnerware for everyday use in the American home. Due tothe great depression production was limited, however, this work would influence many subsequent dinnerware designs in America. During the period of his Rockefeller Fellowship, Bogatay was supervised by Arthur E. Baggs and Richard F. Bach of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

For three decades, Bogatay taught ceramics and design at Ohio State University. A close pupil and mentee of Arthur Baggs, Bogatay’s work represents a trasition both from commercial art potteries and American Art Pottery to American Studio Pottery and Ceramics.