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Born 1930 Gooding, Idaho
Died 1990 Logan, Utah
EDUCATION
1955-1957 BFA Utah State University, Logan, Utah
1958 MFA Colombia University, New York, New York
PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE
1953-1955 US Navy
1960-1990 Professor, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
BIOGRAPHY
Larry Elsner is known for abstracted hand-built mid-range oxidation fired vessels and animal sculptures. His work is often unglazed, scraped, and decorated with ribbon patterns and oxide stains. Common themes throughout his work included the human figure, cats, horses, vessels, and other simplified figures.
Elsner was inspired to stone scrape his pots after seeing this treatment on anagama-style wood fired pots in Japan. The scraping reveals more colors left by the wood firing. Elsner scraped his pieces to reveal the texture and patterns inscribed before firing. He also ground his pots post-firing.
Elsner grew up on his family’s ranch, which also inspired his work. He attended the University of Idaho from 1948 to 1951 to study industrial arts, and joined the US Navy in 1953.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Elsner, Larry E. Larry E. Elsner: Retrospective. Logan, UT: Utah State University, 1992.
Flannery, John. “Larry Elsner.” Ceramics Monthly 30, no. 1, Jan. 1982 (cover).
Hansen, Victoria. “Larry Elsner: Retrospective.” Ceramics Monthly, Nov. 1993.
“News and Retrospective: Larry Elsner, 1930-1990.” Ceramics Monthly, May 1990.
Olpin, Robert S, William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999.
Swanson, Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, and William C. Seifrit. Utah Painting and Sculpture. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1991.
Swanson, Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, Donna Poulton, and Janie Rogers. 150 Years Survey Utah Art, Utah Artists. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2001.
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Citation: Beul, Jasmine. "The Marks Project." Last modified June 13, 2023. http://www.themarksproject.org:443/marks/elsner