The Dictionary of American Ceramics, 1945 onward
Dictionary of American Ceramics, 1945 onward
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Verne Funk
1932Born Milwaukee, Wisconsin
EDUCATION
1952-1954Wisconsin State University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1954-1955University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
1957BS University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1962MS University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1967Haystack Mountain School, Deer Isle, Maine, with Robert Arneson and Warren McKenzie
1969MFA University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE
1966—Studio Artist
1966-1969Instructor, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin
1969-1973Instructor, University of Wisconsin, White Water, Wisconsin
1973-1977Director School of Art, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois
1977-1997Professor, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
BIOGRAPHY
Verne Funk produced reduction fired functional stoneware pottery from 1961 to 1969. During this period, he was an early innovator in the use of metallic lusters. When combined with matt black clay, Funk used metallic lusters as an integral part of the form. He then moved on to produce the work he is most well-known for whiteware sculpture with drawings using an underglaze pencil, underglaze and overglaze applications.
Funk continued to draw on ceramic plates with an underglaze pencil throughout his career. During this time his original sculpture and trompe l’oeil works were related in approach and topic to the California Funk Movement.
One of Funk’s major series is large dance figures that are displayed on pedestals or as free-standing totems some up to 8 feet tall. Funk’s “Half Head” series use the upper half of a head as the base for other components ranging from a hand, or a figure, or self-portrait standing on or penetrating the head. His “arrested motion” or “caught in the moment” series includes teapots pouring, dripping paint, and drooling mouths.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Arizona State University, Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tempe, Arizona
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Ateliers D’Art de France, Paris, France
Canton Art Institute, Canton, Ohio
Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, Ohio
IAC Member’s Collection, Fuping, China
Johnson Foundation, Wingspread, Wisconsin
Kenosha Museum, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Lannan Museum, Palm Beach Community College, West Palm Beach, Florida
Latvian Artists Union of Latvia, Creative Arts Center, Zvartava Castle, Latvia
Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
National Decorative Arts Museum, Riga, Latvia
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, Texas
Scripps College, Claremont, California
State Art Collection, Dublin, Ireland
University Art Gallery, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin State University, Whitewater, Wisconsin
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Hopper, Robin. Making Marks. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2004.
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Kangas, Matthew. “San Antonio: Big Head: Ceramic Sculpture on a Heroic Scale, Russell Hill Rogers Galleries, Southwest School of Art & Craft.” Sculpture (Washington, DC) 21 no. 9 (November 2002).
Kleinsmith, Gene. Clay’s the Way. Victorville, CA: Victor Valley College, 1978.
Lawton, Jim, Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott, and Linda Koop. 500 Teapots: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design, v. 2. Asheville, NC: Lark Crafts, 2013.
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Levine, Nancy Bruning, ed. Hardcore Crafts. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, Inc., 1976.
Lewenstein, Eileen and Emmanual Cooper. New Ceramics. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1974.
Mittler, Gene and James Howze. Creating and Understanding Drawing. New York, NY: Glencoe-McGraw-Hill Publishers, 1989.
“Mouth Pot 4.” Craft Horizons 31 (October 1971).
“Mouth Pot 5.” Craft Horizons 31 (October 1971).
Museum of Contemporary Crafts. Clayworks: 20 Americans. New York, NY: American Crafts Council, 1971.
Newman, Jay Hartley and Thelma R. Newman. The Container Book. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 1977.
Nichols Gallery. Mudworks Ceramic Invitational 78 (exhibition) January 30- February 23. Mankato, 1978.
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Peters, Lynn. Surface Decoration for Low Fire Ceramics: Slips, Terra Sigillata, Underglazes, Glazes, Maiolica, Overglaze Enamels, Decals. Ashville, NC: Lark Books, 1999.
Peterson, Susan. The Craft and Art of Clay. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996.
____________. Working with Clay, 2nd ed. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2002.
Piepenburg, Robert. The Spirit of Clay: A Classic Guide to Ceramics, rev. ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Pebble Press, 1998.
Rhodes, Daniel, and Robin Hopper. Clay and Glazes for the Potter, 3rd ed. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
Rothenberg, Polly. The Complete Book of Ceramic Art. New York: Crown Publishers, 1972.
Sasser, Elizabeth Skidmore. “Verne Funk: The Dance”. Ceramics Monthly 35, no. 1 (January 1987).
Schwartz, Judith. Confrontational Ceramics. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2008.
Vitamvas, Linda Wervey. “Verne Funk: Continuum.” Ceramics: Art and Perception 69 (2007).
Wild, Kurt, et al. 43rd Annual Wisconsin Designer-Craftsmen Exhibition. Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Art Center, 1963.
Zakin, Richard, and Barbara Case. Electric Kiln Ceramics: A Guide to Clays and Glazes, 3rd ed. Iola, WI: Krau
Funk, incised on the base.
Method: Thrown, Hand-Built
Surface Technique: Ceramic Pencil, Glaze, Overglaze, Underglaze
Citation: Clark, Donald. "The Marks Project." Last modified February 8, 2024. http://www.themarksproject.org/marks/funk
