Dean Schwarz
Encyclopedia
Dean Schwarz is an American ceramic artist, painter, writer and teacher. He was also the co-founder and proprietor of South Bear School (1970-) by which he imparted to students (many of whom have since become accomplished potters) a tradition of functional studio pottery
that originated as early as the Middle Ages, and of which an impassioned revival occurred in 1919 at the Bauhaus
in Weimar.
, a city with historical links to Regionalist
painter Grant Wood
. The son of a welder, his initial interests were in athletics, but as an undergraduate student at Iowa State Teachers College (now called the University of Northern Iowa
), he developed an interest in ceramics
, painting
and other visual arts, and abruptly changed his major. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960, and a Master of Arts in 1961. In 1960, he married Geraldine Fromm, a writer and literature teacher, with whom he raised six children. In their years together, he and his wife have traveled extensively throughout the world and have often collaborated on books and other projects.
While serving in the U.S. Navy
in the early 1960s, he used his shore leaves to visit the studios of world famous potters, notably Shoji Hamada
in Japan, and Bauhaus-trained Master Potter Marguerite Wildenhain
at Pond Farm
near Guerneville, California
. He studied with Wildenhain at Pond Farm in 1964, then returned there for two additional summers, serving the third year as her teaching associate. In 1968, he also studied with ceramic artist William Daley at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
.
in Decorah, Iowa
(where he taught from 1964 to 1986), Schwarz co-founded South Bear School, an innovative summer arts school (pottery, painting, poetry, et al.) in a former hospital house in Highlandville, Iowa
(population 30), adjacent to a trout stream called South Bear Creek. In 1976, South Bear School was relocated to a wooded rural property outside of Decorah in a vacant 65-room nursing home. Marguerite Wildenhain was a frequent visitor both there and at Luther College. In her later years, she advised new students to study first at South Bear before working with her in California.
, Hubei, China), University of Nottingham
(Nottingham, England), Collection of King Olaf (Oslo, Norway), Pottery Museum (Mikawachi, Japan), Burg Giebichenstein
(Halle, Germany) and the White House
Collection (Washington, D.C.).
In recent years, after a back injury, Schwarz has had to restrict his activities in the creation of wheel-thrown pottery. The large pots that he now creates are the collaborative effort of himself and his son, Gunnar Schwarz, in which the latter does the wheel-throwing, while Dean Schwarz designs the pots’ surfaces and applies the glazes. In 2007, their work was featured in a large retrospective exhibition of Schwarz pottery (along with representative works by Marguerite Wildehain), titled Dean and Gunnar Schwarz: Pottery Form and Inherent Expression, at the Gallery of Art at the University of Northern Iowa (Schwarz’s alma mater).
, who had been Wildenhain’s form master at the Bauhaus, and, in another, he and Geraldine Schwarz interviewed British potter Bernard Leach
. These experiences, not unlike his earlier quest to visit the studios of famous potters, reflect his continuing interest in historical sleuthing, especially as it relates, non-exclusively, to the tradition of ceramic art.
Related to those inclinations, he and/or Geraldine Schwarz (often in collaboration with others) have written, compiled and sometimes published books having to do with historic issues, both local and international. Among these, for example, are Conversations with the Recent Past (Luther College Press, 1975), a collection of oral history interviews with rural residents in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa; and Paddled Tails from Tattled Tales: An Autobiography of a Family (South Bear Press, 2001), consisting of archival photographs and oral history interviews of their own family members.
, Ruth Asawa
, Theodor Bogler, Lyonel Feininger
, Walter Gropius
, Trude Guermonprez, Shoji Hamada
, Bernard Leach
, Otto Lindig
, Gerhard Marcks
, Daniel Rhodes
, Peter Voulkos
and Frans Wildenhain
.
In 2009, coincident with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus, Dean and Geraldine Schwarz published an essay in book form titled Centering Bauhaus Clay: A Potter's Perspective (South Bear Press).
Studio pottery
Studio pottery is made by modern artists working alone or in small groups, producing unique items of pottery in small quantities, typically with all stages of manufacture carried out by one individual. Much studio pottery is tableware or cookware but an increasing number of studio potters produce...
that originated as early as the Middle Ages, and of which an impassioned revival occurred in 1919 at the Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
in Weimar.
Background
Schwarz was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, a city with historical links to Regionalist
Regionalism (art)
Regionalism is an American realist modern art movement that was popular during the 1930s. The artistic focus was from artists who shunned city life, and rapidly developing technological advances, to create scenes of rural life...
painter Grant Wood
Grant Wood
Grant DeVolson Wood was an American painter, born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. He is best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly the painting American Gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century.- Life and career :His family moved to Cedar Rapids after his...
. The son of a welder, his initial interests were in athletics, but as an undergraduate student at Iowa State Teachers College (now called the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
), he developed an interest in ceramics
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and other visual arts, and abruptly changed his major. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960, and a Master of Arts in 1961. In 1960, he married Geraldine Fromm, a writer and literature teacher, with whom he raised six children. In their years together, he and his wife have traveled extensively throughout the world and have often collaborated on books and other projects.
While serving in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in the early 1960s, he used his shore leaves to visit the studios of world famous potters, notably Shoji Hamada
Shoji Hamada
was a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world-renowned pottery centre.- Biography :...
in Japan, and Bauhaus-trained Master Potter Marguerite Wildenhain
Marguerite Wildenhain
Marguerite Wildenhain , born Marguerite Friedlaender, was a French-born American ceramic artist, educator and author. In the second half of her life, having emigrated to the U.S...
at Pond Farm
Pond Farm
Pond Farm was an American artists’ colony that began in the 1940s and, in one form or another, continued until 1985. It was located near the Russian River resort town of Guerneville, California, about north of San Francisco...
near Guerneville, California
Guerneville, California
Guerneville is a town in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, USA. A popular vacation destination for couples and families as well as corporate retreats and family and friend reunions, Guerneville is well-known for its natural beauty, laid-back attitude, friendly population, good...
. He studied with Wildenhain at Pond Farm in 1964, then returned there for two additional summers, serving the third year as her teaching associate. In 1968, he also studied with ceramic artist William Daley at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, commonly called "Haystack," is a craft school located on the coast of Deer Isle, Maine.Haystack was founded in 1950. It took its name from its original location near Haystack Mountain, in Montville, Maine...
.
South Bear School
In 1970, while at Luther CollegeLuther College (Iowa)
Luther College is a four-year, residential liberal arts institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Decorah, Iowa, USA...
in Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
(where he taught from 1964 to 1986), Schwarz co-founded South Bear School, an innovative summer arts school (pottery, painting, poetry, et al.) in a former hospital house in Highlandville, Iowa
Highlandville, Iowa
Highlandville is an unincorporated community in northeastern Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. It lies along local roads northeast of the city of Decorah, the county seat of Winneshiek County. Its elevation is 945 feet ....
(population 30), adjacent to a trout stream called South Bear Creek. In 1976, South Bear School was relocated to a wooded rural property outside of Decorah in a vacant 65-room nursing home. Marguerite Wildenhain was a frequent visitor both there and at Luther College. In her later years, she advised new students to study first at South Bear before working with her in California.
Ceramic Art
Since the 1960s, Schwarz has been primarily known as an innovative ceramic artist, whose output is prolific. His work is represented in numerous private collections, and in the holdings of museums and universities throughout the world, including, among many others, the Museum of Art and Culture (Wu HanWu Han
Wu Han was a famous Eastern Han Dynasty general who made great contributions to Emperor Guangwu 's reestablishment of the Han Dynasty and who is commonly regarded as Emperor Guangwu's best general, but who was also known for cruelty against civilians.-Biography:Wu Han was initially a deputy to...
, Hubei, China), University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(Nottingham, England), Collection of King Olaf (Oslo, Norway), Pottery Museum (Mikawachi, Japan), Burg Giebichenstein
Burg Giebichenstein
Giebichenstein Castle is a castle in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. It is part of the Romanesque Road ....
(Halle, Germany) and the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Collection (Washington, D.C.).
In recent years, after a back injury, Schwarz has had to restrict his activities in the creation of wheel-thrown pottery. The large pots that he now creates are the collaborative effort of himself and his son, Gunnar Schwarz, in which the latter does the wheel-throwing, while Dean Schwarz designs the pots’ surfaces and applies the glazes. In 2007, their work was featured in a large retrospective exhibition of Schwarz pottery (along with representative works by Marguerite Wildehain), titled Dean and Gunnar Schwarz: Pottery Form and Inherent Expression, at the Gallery of Art at the University of Northern Iowa (Schwarz’s alma mater).
Research interests
In 1971, Schwarz was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Research Fellowship to study and teach ceramics in South Korea. At various other times, he has studied traditional pottery in Japan, researched Pre-Columbian pots in Panama, and worked as a restorer with an archaeological dig in Israel. In one of his trips, he met with the aging German sculptor Gerhard MarcksGerhard Marcks
Gerhard Marcks was a German sculptor, who is also well-known for his drawings, woodcuts, lithographs and ceramics.-Background:...
, who had been Wildenhain’s form master at the Bauhaus, and, in another, he and Geraldine Schwarz interviewed British potter Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
. These experiences, not unlike his earlier quest to visit the studios of famous potters, reflect his continuing interest in historical sleuthing, especially as it relates, non-exclusively, to the tradition of ceramic art.
Related to those inclinations, he and/or Geraldine Schwarz (often in collaboration with others) have written, compiled and sometimes published books having to do with historic issues, both local and international. Among these, for example, are Conversations with the Recent Past (Luther College Press, 1975), a collection of oral history interviews with rural residents in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa; and Paddled Tails from Tattled Tales: An Autobiography of a Family (South Bear Press, 2001), consisting of archival photographs and oral history interviews of their own family members.
South Bear Press
In the late 1970s, the Schwarz family launched a small book company called South Bear Press, the first consequence of which was the publication of the third and final book authored by Marguerite Wildenhain, titled …That We Look and See: An Admirer Looks at the Indians, edited by John Nellermoe and Dean Schwarz (South Bear Press, 1979). In 2004, nearly twenty years after Wildenhain’s death, they produced a second volume pertaining to her life, titled Marguerite A Diary to Franz Wildenhain, edited by Dean Schwarz, consisting of her diary-like letters (never posted) to her husband, Bauhaus potter Franz Wildenhain, during their wartime separation in 1940, when his whereabouts were unknown. More recently, in 2007, after more than a decade of research in Europe, UK and the US, Dean and Geraldine Schwarz compiled and edited a large format, 770-page anthology on the history and legacy of the German pottery tradition, titled Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus: An Eyewitness Anthology (South Bear Press). In this volume are essays, memoirs, diaries, letters, interviews and other written documents by or about such Bauhaus- or crafts-related persons as Josef AlbersJosef Albers
Josef Albers was a German-born American artist and educator whose work, both in Europe and in the United States, formed the basis of some of the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century....
, Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa is a Japanese American sculptor. In San Francisco, she has been called the "fountain lady" for her works that include the mermaid fountain at Ghirardelli Square...
, Theodor Bogler, Lyonel Feininger
Lyonel Feininger
Lyonel Charles Feininger was a German-American painter, and a leading exponent of Expressionism. He also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist.-Life and work:...
, Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
, Trude Guermonprez, Shoji Hamada
Shoji Hamada
was a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world-renowned pottery centre.- Biography :...
, Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
, Otto Lindig
Otto Lindig
Otto Lindig was a German master potter who was a student and later a workshop manager at the famous Bauhaus art school in Weimar, Germany.-Background:Lindig was born in Pößneck, Germany...
, Gerhard Marcks
Gerhard Marcks
Gerhard Marcks was a German sculptor, who is also well-known for his drawings, woodcuts, lithographs and ceramics.-Background:...
, Daniel Rhodes
Daniel Rhodes
Daniel Rhodes was an American ceramic artist, sculptor, author and educator. During the twenty-five years that he was on the faculty at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, in Alfred, New York , he built an international reputation as a potter, sculptor and authority on...
, Peter Voulkos
Peter Voulkos
Peter Voulkos popular name of Panagiotis Voulkos, was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his Abstract Expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art....
and Frans Wildenhain
Frans Wildenhain
Frans Wildenhain was a Bauhaus-trained German potter and sculptor, who taught for many years at the School for American Craftsmen at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY.-Bauhaus and after:Born in Leipzig, Germany, Wildenhain’s early artistic training was in drawing, design...
.
In 2009, coincident with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus, Dean and Geraldine Schwarz published an essay in book form titled Centering Bauhaus Clay: A Potter's Perspective (South Bear Press).