Jerry Dolyn Brown
Encyclopedia
American folk artist Jerry Dolyn Brown, better known as Jerry Brown (born 1942), is a traditional stoneware
pottery
maker who lives and works in Hamilton, Alabama
. He is a 1992 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Heritage Fellowship
award and 2003 recipient of the Alabama Folk Heritage Award. His numerous showings have included the 1984 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife
with his uncle, potter Gerald Stewart.
Hettie Mae Stewart Brown. He learned his art in childhood but had to give it up following the deaths of his older brother Jack and his father in 1964 and 1965. He worked in logging for nearly twenty years but then aided by his wife Sandra, his uncle Gerald Stewart and other family members was able to return to art in the early 1980s, building his studio from an old barn. Gerald in particular helped him re-learn techniques he had forgotten during the years in logging and it was Gerald who went with him to the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. Sandra and he continue to work together, with her responsible for much of the glazing
, finishing and marketing.
bacon cookers. However much of his critical
acclaim centers on recognition of his unique style of whimsical art, especially face jugs. (According to his mother he had learned the basics of whimsical pottery making from his father, as the Stewarts did not have a face jug tradition.)
Despite use of some modern equipment such as an electric kiln for firing some types of glazes and use of powered throwing wheels, he continues to use traditional methods such as digging his own clay, maintaining a mule
to power his pug mill and firing most of his work in a brick kiln. Other nineteenth century Brown family traditions include the use of a chicken feather to apply some of the glazing patterns, the use of broken pots for teeth in the face jugs, the practice of a two piece method for large vessels and exclusive use of sturdy, durable stoneware techniques for complex pieces instead of slip molding
.
Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
maker who lives and works in Hamilton, Alabama
Hamilton, Alabama
Hamilton is a city in Marion County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 6,786. The city is the county seat of Marion County.-Geography:Hamilton is located at , along the Buttahatchee River....
. He is a 1992 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
award and 2003 recipient of the Alabama Folk Heritage Award. His numerous showings have included the 1984 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held for two weeks around the Fourth of July holiday...
with his uncle, potter Gerald Stewart.
Biography
Brown is a ninth generation traditional potter, the son of Horace Vincent "Jug" Brown andHettie Mae Stewart Brown. He learned his art in childhood but had to give it up following the deaths of his older brother Jack and his father in 1964 and 1965. He worked in logging for nearly twenty years but then aided by his wife Sandra, his uncle Gerald Stewart and other family members was able to return to art in the early 1980s, building his studio from an old barn. Gerald in particular helped him re-learn techniques he had forgotten during the years in logging and it was Gerald who went with him to the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. Sandra and he continue to work together, with her responsible for much of the glazing
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
, finishing and marketing.
Studio
As inheritor of both Brown and Stewart pottery traditions Brown continues to produce utilitarian stoneware in the nineteenth and early twentieth century styles as well as to create innovations for more modern usages, such as his apple baking dishes, chicken cookers and microwaveMicrowave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
bacon cookers. However much of his critical
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
acclaim centers on recognition of his unique style of whimsical art, especially face jugs. (According to his mother he had learned the basics of whimsical pottery making from his father, as the Stewarts did not have a face jug tradition.)
Despite use of some modern equipment such as an electric kiln for firing some types of glazes and use of powered throwing wheels, he continues to use traditional methods such as digging his own clay, maintaining a mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
to power his pug mill and firing most of his work in a brick kiln. Other nineteenth century Brown family traditions include the use of a chicken feather to apply some of the glazing patterns, the use of broken pots for teeth in the face jugs, the practice of a two piece method for large vessels and exclusive use of sturdy, durable stoneware techniques for complex pieces instead of slip molding
Slipcasting
Slipcasting is a technique for the mass-production of pottery, especially for shapes not easily made on a wheel. A liquid clay body slip is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer, the cast, on the inside cavity of the mould...
.
See also
- Ash glazeAsh glazeAsh glazes are ceramic glazes which were formulated from wood-ash .-Appearance:The glaze has glasslike and pooling characteristics which puts emphasis on the surface texture of the piece being glazed. When the glaze is mostly made up of ash, the final result is mostly dark brown to green. The pots...
- Catawba Valley PotteryCatawba Valley PotteryCatawba Valley Pottery describes alkaline glazed stoneware made in the Catawba River Valley of Western North Carolina from the early 19th century, as well as certain contemporary pottery made in the region utilizing traditional methods and forms....
(another Southern Traditional style of pottery) - List of American artists 1900 and after
- National Council for the Traditional ArtsNational Council for the Traditional ArtsThe National Council for the Traditional Arts is a private, non-profit arts organization based in the United States that promotes the traditional arts. It organizes the National Folk Festival.It is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland....
- Robert A. CrookRobert A. CrookRobert Asa Crook is an American folk artist working in ceramic. Born in Palo Alto, California, Crook received his Bachelor of Arts at UCLA and his Juris Doctorate from University of California, Hastings College of Law . While practicing as a litigator, Crook taught himself ceramics and gained a...
External Resources
- Jerry Brown Pottery website
- MS Potters Draft of article for Mississippi Archeology which provides extensive background information about southern traditional potters (including Jerry Brown's parents) and their pottery.
- Northwest Alabama Arts Council
- Transcript of Unbroken Tradition
- Jerry Brown Arts Festival official website