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Robert Hessler

Biography to Display: 

EDUCATION

1991BFA Photography, School of Visual Arts, New York, New York

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1991—Studio Potter, Kingston, New York

BIOGRAPHY 

Robert Hessler is a self-taught potter known for his mastery of crystalline glazes applied to his  wheel thrown porcelain vessels. The forms are kept simple with fluid symmetrical silhouettes to accommodate the organic free form nature of the glazes.

Hessler’s primary focus is the search for the perfect pairing of crystalline glazes and firing technique with each porcelain form. The glazes are fired in a very specific firing cycle to yield the actual crystal formations within the glaze surface. These glazes are very unpredictable and require constant research and experimentation. The end results are pieces that seem ancient yet modern, simple yet complex.

Hessler is influenced by Beatrice Wood, her life and her work which inspired him to pursue ceramics as a lifelong vocation.

Public Collections

Public Collections to Display: 

Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California

Bibliography

Bibliography to Display: 

 Hessler, Robert, and Martha Vida. "Crystalline Glaze from the 19th Century Through Today: A brief history and a conversation with studio potter, Robert Hessler." American Art Pottery Association Journal Fall 2020.

Taylor, Brian J., and Kate Doody. GLAZE: The Ultimate Ceramic Artist's Guide to Glaze and Color. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series, 2014.

 

 

CV or Resume: Click Here to Download

Website(s):

www.roberthessler.com

 

Typical Marks

Joined "RH" monogram inscribed on base with date.

2003
2010
2013
Covered Jar
Date: 2002
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Tall Bottle
Date: 2003
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Loren Maron
Photo: Loren Maron
Small Green Bottle
Date: 2010
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: TMP
Photo: TMP
Photo: TMP
Bottle
Date: ca. 2013
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Bottle
Date: 2014
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Coffee Pot
Date: 2015
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Bottle
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Three Bottles
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Bottle Trio
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Artist
Narrow Neck Crystalline Vase
Materials: Porcelain
Method: Thrown
Surface Technique: Crystalline Glaze
Photo: Loren Maron
Photo: Loren Maron
Photo: Loren Maron

Citation: McGee, Donna. "The Marks Project." Last modified May 23, 2023. http://www.themarksproject.org:443/marks/hessler

Tags

Kingston, New York , Crocker Art Museum, Beatrice Wood