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USA
Appalachia
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Vale, NC
Kim Ellington
1954-
Pottery
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Information:
Kim Ellington follows a 200 year old tradition by making the time-honored ceramic wares of the Catawba Valley, NC. True to the tradition, Ellington digs his own clay to create traditional pottery forms ranging from bean pots to pitchers to vases. Also true to the tradition, hi mixes wood ash, slop and glass for form the runny alkaline glaze typical of the region. Finally, he fires his work in a traditional wood-fired ground hog kiln identical to those used in the early days of the Catawba Valley pottery tradition.
Unlike other contemporary folk potters, Ellington has veered away from figurative work and face jugs. His preference is to eschew most surface decoration and allow the rich amber and chocolate glazes play over the surfaces of his classically beautiful forms, discriminately adding a wavy line or a glass run, and expecting the ash from the fire box to enrich his pieces with glittering specks of gold. In this way, his work is reminiscent of the turn of the century potter, Daniel Siegel.
Ellington’s works have been featured in Southern Accents and Southern Living magazines.
American Folk Art Frames More
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Bibliography:
Periodicals:
Dorian, Donna "Swirling Wares" Southern Accents, March –April 1996
Hewitt, Mark "Grand Openings" Southern Living, June 1996
Slotin Folk Art Auction Catalog, Masterpiece Sale, November 4, 2006
Books:
Huffman, Barry G. ‘Catawba Clay, Contemporary Southern Face Jug Makers’ A.W. Huffman publishing, 1997.
"Self Taught, Outsider, and Folk Art—A guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources" by Betty-Carol Sellen with Cynthia J. Johnson, 2000.
Olsen, Frederick L. 'The Kiln Book, Third Edition' Krause Publications, 2001
Video Documentary:
University of North Carolina Public Television "Folkways" 1997
Shortt Stories Teleproductions "1840 Carolina Village" 1997 |
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