Ron Cooper, Robert Cooper

1941Born Stockton, California

EDUCATION

1964BA Fine Arts, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

1967MA Ceramic Sculpture, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

APPRENTICESHIPS & RESIDENCIES

1969Independent Study, Nino Caruso, Rome, Italy

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1966–2000sArt Teacher, Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, California

1968-1972Instructor, Ceramics, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, California

1974-1975Instructor, Ceramics, College of Marin, Kentfield, California

1976-1977Graduate Lecturer, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

BIOGRAPHY

Ron Cooper is known for hand built stoneware or earthenware pottery and sculptural vessels. At times, surface decorations draw from graphics or commercially designed motifs.  According to Cooper, his sculptural vessels most often tend to “disguise” the vessel in a sculptural manner. Cooper uses a wide range of firing temperatures and glazes to complete his work. Throughout the course of his career, Cooper had studios in one of several California cities, San Francisco, Los Altos, or Palo Alto.

Cooper was a student of Charles 'Bud' McKee at San Francisco State University. Under McKee, Cooper studied alongside Richard Shaw, Ron Nagle, Chris Unterseher, Stephen DeStaebler and many others who would go on to help shape California ceramics in the subsequent decades.