Jorge Wilmot
Encyclopedia
Jorge Wilmot is one of the most distinguished artisans of Mexico, and has been credited with the introduction of stoneware
and other high fire techniques to the country. His work is also known for its more austere, Oriental-inspired designs blended with Mexican motifs. His work has been widely sold and exhibited both in Mexico and abroad and he has trained and influenced generations of ceramicists at the school he established in Tonalá, Jalisco
.
, Nuevo León
, in 1928. He began artistic studies at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in the Academy of San Carlos
in the early 1950s before going on to Europe. There he studied at the Instituto Franco-Italiano in Paris
in 1953 and worked in Sweden
with ceramicist Limberg Koge Londgren. He had further studies in Basel
, Switzerland
, in design at the Escuela de Oficios from 1953 to 1957.
Wilmot began working for the ceramics industry in Monterrey where he generated a number of innovations in technique and design. However, few firms kept Wilmot on after adapting his ideas. This eventually pushed him to relocate to Tonalá, Jalisco, by the 1960s to established his own workshop, studying the ceramics history and culture of western Mexico. In the 1960s, Wilmot held annual exhibits of his works at the Inés Amor Gallery, which brought him much attention. This led to his work being noticed and accepted abroad, which brought him wealth and fame.
At over eighty years of age, Wilmot still resides in Tonalá, where he gives workshops at his school.
When Wilmot arrived to Tonalá in the 1960s, he felt that many Mexican ceramics
were stuck in the past with no clear direction on how to adapt tradition to the modern world. He also felt that much of Mexico’s ceramic production had degraded technically. Using his international experience as a base, Wilmot began to experiment with new ceramic forms, such as decorative objects and new methods of firing, being one of the first artisan ceramicists to use gas ovens on a large scale. This facilitated the introduction of stoneware production techniques and the recreation of the native “bruñido” pottery but fired at high temperatures. Wilmot never considered himself an innovator but rather as someone who blended different influences. In addition, to high fire techniques, Wilmot also integrated Chinese crackled glazing (Jung Yao and Ko Yao )into a number of his pieces along with “celadon” and pale blue hues. His work is distinguished by his designs such as those of birds, flowers, two-headed eagles, lions and multicolored suns. Most of these are austere designs, a sign of Oriental influence rather than the more common Mexican tradition of adding profuse Baroque elements. His work has influenced ceramicists both in Mexico and abroad, with his works widely sold in Europe, Japan and the United States. In Mexico, so many of his innovations have been adopted by so many potters in the area that just about anything that departs from tradition shows Wilmot’s influence
Another major effort by Wilmot is the establishment of the Museo Nacional de la Cerámica (National Ceramic Museum). Wilmot established the institution in his former home in Tonalá then donated it to the municipality. Director Prudencio Guzmán Rodríguez calls the museum “link between Tonalá’s tradition and people interested in researching our tradition.” Established in 1986, the museum has a collection of 1000 pieces of which range from pre-Hispanic artifacts to contemporary prizewinners. The institution’s function is to promote the ceramic tradition in Mexico. Many of the artifacts are on loan from the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (National Indigenous Institute), and a number were donated by Wilmot himself. The rest of the pieces are prizewinners from the Certamen Estatal de la Cerámica (State Ceramic Contest). Unfortunately by the mid 1990s, the museum had to close due to lack of funds and maintenance, but was reopened in 1996. The collection contains pieces created by some of the most renowned artisans of the area and is of the styles most typical to Tonalá such as bruñido, bandera, petatillo and canelo. Artists and artisans represented include Salvador Vásquez, Juan Antonio Mateo, Gerónimo Ramos, Nicasio Pajarito, Candelario Medrano, Jorge Wilmot and Ken Edwards. .
Wilmot, along with Manuel Felguérez
and other artists, founded the Saturday Art Market in San Ángel
, Mexico City
. In addition to ceramics, Wilmot also did design work for glass, painting, jewelry and other arts and crafts.
In 2009 and 2010, a series of exhibitions in homage to Wilmot’s work has been held in various parts of Mexico. The exhibitions are sponsored by the Museum of Popular Art (MAP)
in Mexico City. Exhibitions have been held in Mexico City, for San Agustín Etla
in Oaxaca
, Guadalajara
and Monterrey, sponsored by MAP and other entities. The exhibitions feature more than five decade’s worth of Wilmot’s pottery and ceramics as well as photographs, memorabilia and Wilmot’s forays into other crafts such as glassmaking and jewelry design) . The exhibitions featured between 300 and 600 pieces which were brought together from various institutional and individual collections) .
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...
and other high fire techniques to the country. His work is also known for its more austere, Oriental-inspired designs blended with Mexican motifs. His work has been widely sold and exhibited both in Mexico and abroad and he has trained and influenced generations of ceramicists at the school he established in Tonalá, Jalisco
Tonalá, Jalisco
Tonalá is a city and its surrounding municipality within the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.The city had a 2005 census population of 374,258 and the municipality had a population of 408,729 and an area of 119.58 km² . The municipality lies adjacent to the east...
.
Biography
Jorge Wilmot was born in MonterreyMonterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, in 1928. He began artistic studies at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in the Academy of San Carlos
Academy of San Carlos
The Academy of San Carlos is located at 22 Academia Street in just northeast of the main plaza of Mexico City. It was the first major art academy and the first art museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1781 as the School of Engraving and moved to the Academia Street location about 10 years later...
in the early 1950s before going on to Europe. There he studied at the Instituto Franco-Italiano in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1953 and worked in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with ceramicist Limberg Koge Londgren. He had further studies in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in design at the Escuela de Oficios from 1953 to 1957.
Wilmot began working for the ceramics industry in Monterrey where he generated a number of innovations in technique and design. However, few firms kept Wilmot on after adapting his ideas. This eventually pushed him to relocate to Tonalá, Jalisco, by the 1960s to established his own workshop, studying the ceramics history and culture of western Mexico. In the 1960s, Wilmot held annual exhibits of his works at the Inés Amor Gallery, which brought him much attention. This led to his work being noticed and accepted abroad, which brought him wealth and fame.
At over eighty years of age, Wilmot still resides in Tonalá, where he gives workshops at his school.
Influence on technique and design of Mexican ceramics
Wilmot’s two main contributions to Mexican ceramics is the introduction of high fire ceramics such as stoneware and blending of traditional Mexican designs and motifs with international and modern influences. He is quoted as saying “La cerámica de las artes es una de las más antiguas y a su vez de las más modernas” (Ceramics is one of the oldest and most modern art forms.) referring to the need to preserve tradition and modify it. Wilmot combines pre-Hispanic designs and motifs with modern elements as well as international influences, especially those from Asia. CONACULTA credits Wilmot with revolutionizing ceramics production in Mexico and establishing the production of high-fire wares, principally in Tonalá. He has been one of the forces behind Tonalá’s current dominance in pottery and ceramics.When Wilmot arrived to Tonalá in the 1960s, he felt that many Mexican ceramics
Mexican pottery and ceramics
Ceramics and pottery in Mexico date back thousands of years before the Pre-Columbian period, when ceramic arts and pottery crafts developed with the first advanced civilizations and cultures of Mesoamerica. With one exception, pre-Hispanic wares were not glazed, but rather burnished and painted...
were stuck in the past with no clear direction on how to adapt tradition to the modern world. He also felt that much of Mexico’s ceramic production had degraded technically. Using his international experience as a base, Wilmot began to experiment with new ceramic forms, such as decorative objects and new methods of firing, being one of the first artisan ceramicists to use gas ovens on a large scale. This facilitated the introduction of stoneware production techniques and the recreation of the native “bruñido” pottery but fired at high temperatures. Wilmot never considered himself an innovator but rather as someone who blended different influences. In addition, to high fire techniques, Wilmot also integrated Chinese crackled glazing (Jung Yao and Ko Yao )into a number of his pieces along with “celadon” and pale blue hues. His work is distinguished by his designs such as those of birds, flowers, two-headed eagles, lions and multicolored suns. Most of these are austere designs, a sign of Oriental influence rather than the more common Mexican tradition of adding profuse Baroque elements. His work has influenced ceramicists both in Mexico and abroad, with his works widely sold in Europe, Japan and the United States. In Mexico, so many of his innovations have been adopted by so many potters in the area that just about anything that departs from tradition shows Wilmot’s influence
Other activities
In addition to creating new and innovative ceramic pieces, Wilmot has been involved with the production and promotion of Mexican ceramics and other crafts. Since the 1960s, when he first established his workshop, he established a school for the purpose of improving the technical aspects of ceramics and pottery production as well as develop new design motifs. This school has produced new generations of artisans and is still operating. These graduates have established their own workshops in Jalisco and other Mexican states, spreading Wilmot’s influence. However, none have been completely able to copy Wilmot’s techniques, especially in glazing, exactly.Another major effort by Wilmot is the establishment of the Museo Nacional de la Cerámica (National Ceramic Museum). Wilmot established the institution in his former home in Tonalá then donated it to the municipality. Director Prudencio Guzmán Rodríguez calls the museum “link between Tonalá’s tradition and people interested in researching our tradition.” Established in 1986, the museum has a collection of 1000 pieces of which range from pre-Hispanic artifacts to contemporary prizewinners. The institution’s function is to promote the ceramic tradition in Mexico. Many of the artifacts are on loan from the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (National Indigenous Institute), and a number were donated by Wilmot himself. The rest of the pieces are prizewinners from the Certamen Estatal de la Cerámica (State Ceramic Contest). Unfortunately by the mid 1990s, the museum had to close due to lack of funds and maintenance, but was reopened in 1996. The collection contains pieces created by some of the most renowned artisans of the area and is of the styles most typical to Tonalá such as bruñido, bandera, petatillo and canelo. Artists and artisans represented include Salvador Vásquez, Juan Antonio Mateo, Gerónimo Ramos, Nicasio Pajarito, Candelario Medrano, Jorge Wilmot and Ken Edwards. .
Wilmot, along with Manuel Felguérez
Manuel Felguérez
Manuel Felguérez Aspe is a Mexican abstract artist.-Biography:Felguérez was born at the Hacienda de San Agustin del Vergel, in the town of Valparaíso, Zacatecas. At the time, in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, there were still uprisings by small guerrillas and land ownership was nothing less...
and other artists, founded the Saturday Art Market in San Ángel
San Ángel
San Ángel is a colonia or neighborhood of Mexico City, located in the southwest in Álvaro Óbregon borough. Historically, it was a rural community, called Tenanitla in the pre Hispanic period. Its current name is derived from the El Carmen monastery school called San Ángel Mártir...
, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. In addition to ceramics, Wilmot also did design work for glass, painting, jewelry and other arts and crafts.
Recognition
Wilmot has been the focus of individual exhibitions and participated in collective ones internationally since 1972, in countries such as France and Canada as well as his native Mexico. Some of his awards include the Galardon Presidencial del IV Premio Nacional de la Ceramica de Tlaquepaque in 1982 and the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes in 1995. Wilmot was deemed "Creator Emeritus" by the National System of Creators of Art (SNCA) in 1994 for his contribution to Mexico's cultural legacy as well as to the development of other generations of artists) .In 2009 and 2010, a series of exhibitions in homage to Wilmot’s work has been held in various parts of Mexico. The exhibitions are sponsored by the Museum of Popular Art (MAP)
Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City
The Museo de Arte Popular is an institution dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Mexican handcrafts and folk art. Located in the historic center of Mexico City in an old fire house, the museum has a collection which includes textiles, pottery, glass, piñatas, alebrijes, furniture and...
in Mexico City. Exhibitions have been held in Mexico City, for San Agustín Etla
San Agustín Etla
San Agustín Etla is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 81.65 km².It is part of the Etla District in the Valles Centrales region.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 3243....
in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
and Monterrey, sponsored by MAP and other entities. The exhibitions feature more than five decade’s worth of Wilmot’s pottery and ceramics as well as photographs, memorabilia and Wilmot’s forays into other crafts such as glassmaking and jewelry design) . The exhibitions featured between 300 and 600 pieces which were brought together from various institutional and individual collections) .
See also
Ceramics of JaliscoCeramics of Jalisco
Ceramics of Jalisco, Mexico has a history that extends far back in the pre Hispanic period, but modern production is the result of techniques introduced by the Spanish during the colonial period and the introduction of high-fire production in the 1950s and 1960s by Jorge Wilmot and Ken Edwards...