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SophiSticated SurfaceS:the pottery of herb cohen7 a pr i l 2012 – 6 Ja n u a ry 2013 | t h e M i n t M u S e u M
SophiSticated SurfaceS: the pottery
of herb cohen brings together a rare and
inspiring compilation of work by a master ceramic
artist. Organized in celebration of The Mint
Museum’s seventy-fifth anniversary, it is presented
in conjunction with A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years
of Collecting North Carolina Pottery. Sophisticated
Surfaces beautifully augments this groundbreaking
pottery exhibition, and allows an in-depth
investigation of Cohen’s work, which comprises
a cornerstone in the tradition of North Carolina
pottery. He is highly regarded as an innovative and
extremely influential ceramicist, and has exhibited
widely throughout his seven-decade-long career
as an award-winning potter and sculptor. Following
the evolution of Cohen’s career, this exhibition
illustrates through forms that range from the
functional to the sculptural the inimitable skill
and style for which Cohen has become known.
Cohen’s dual ability to harmoniously
blend purity of form with sophisticated surface
decoration is one of the major attributes that make
his ceramics distinct. The platter featured on the
cover elegantly illustrates this marriage, the surface
design rendered with a graceful balance that is
particular to Cohen. Many of Cohen’s works feature
such intricate and complex abstract patterns,
carved into the clay surface using a technique
called sgraffito—decorative marks scratched
or scraped to create textured areas upon the
surface of the clay. The form is first allowed to
reach a leatherhard state, meaning the clay has
dried enough to hold its shape, but is still pliable
enough to be responsive to changes imposed
upon it. Next, Cohen applies a layer of black slip,
or liquid clay, which he then allows to harden.
Finally, he carves the pattern through the black
layer, revealing the contrasting, lighter-colored
F i g u r e 1Footed Bowl circa 1995
StonewarePrivate Collection
C o v e rPlatter circa 1996 (detail)
StonewarePrivate Collection
2
clay beneath. In this work, both surface and form
become inseparable, as the carved edges of the
platter function simultaneously as an extension
of the pattern as well as the very structure upon
which the pattern has been composed.
In the footed bowl in figure 1, created around
the same time as the platter, Cohen also employed
the sgraffito technique to unite the pattern and
the form. The etched pattern echoes the rounded
shape of the vessel and enhances the form itself.
The intricacy and precision of Cohen’s designs
suggest a stringent, pre-calculated application;
however, he rarely sketches a design prior to
applying it to the surface of the clay. Cohen creates
his designs completely freehand and allows them
to develop spontaneously so that each design is
influenced by the particularities of the individual
form. Without hesitation and with a confidence
gleaned from decades of experience, Cohen
makes expertly incised marks into the clay—marks
that, unlike other media such as drawing, cannot
be easily erased or altered.
Born in 1931 on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan, Cohen began taking art classes at
Henry Street Settlement, an innovative community
center founded in 1893 that offers extensive social
services and art programs for adults and children.
Here Cohen first became exposed to ceramics
and learned to throw on the potter’s wheel at the
remarkably young age of six. Of the time he spent
at Henry Street Settlement, he recalls: “I was there
every afternoon, instead of just once a week.”1
Cohen demonstrated early in life an immense
talent for manipulating clay.
The earliest objects in this exhibition are a
pair of flour and sugar jars made at Henry Street
Settlement in 1940 when Cohen was only nine
years old (figure 2). Cohen gave these covered
jars as a gift to his mother, who continued to use
them for storing flour and sugar in her kitchen
throughout Cohen’s childhood. These beautiful
vessels—with their perfectly fitted lids and abstract
surface decoration—give no indication they were
created by a child. It is evident in these jars and
in other early works that Cohen already had a
keen and astonishing understanding of clay,
three-dimensional forms, and aesthetics. Cohen
continued to work with pattern and surface
decoration, often experimenting with the
glazing process.
F i g u r e 2Flour and Sugar Jars circa 1940 EarthenwarePrivate Collection
3
Growing up in Manhattan during the 1930s
and 40s, Cohen was exposed to a vast array of
art and culture, including the visual arts, but also
music and performance. In this environment,
Cohen met such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and
the legendary Bill Robinson, who taught Cohen
to tap dance, and even Eleanor Roosevelt, who
made an unexpected visit to the Henry Street
Settlement in 1945. From the ages of eight
through fourteen, Cohen was a member of the
Meyer Machtenberg Male Choir, a professional
Jewish choir that performed all over the city in
synagogues and community centers and at such
prominent venues as Madison Square Garden,
where Cohen sang with renowned opera singer
Richard Tucker. At ages nine and ten, Cohen
performed on the Yiddish stage in the musical
biography of actress Molly Picon, Oy Is Dus
a Leben (Oh What a Life). In addition to these
culturally diverse activities, he frequently visited the
many museums and art galleries New York had to
offer, including the Whitney Museum of American
Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century
Gallery, a pioneer in exhibiting cutting-edge
modern art.2
Furthering his already extensive experience
in the arts, as a teenager Cohen attended
The High School of Music and Art—today the
LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and
Performing Arts—a public alternative high school
for students gifted in music and the visual arts. An
especially progressive educational institution in
the 1940s, it continues to be a highly competitive
and specialized school. Cohen recalls: “You had
to take a test to get in; the days were longer than
regular high schools. It was very advanced.”3
Here, he took courses in art history and a variety
of two- and three-dimensional art forms, including
drawing and sculpture. These progressive studies,
combined with his continued engagement with the
Henry Street Settlement, enabled him to expand
his knowledge of art and technique, garnering an
ever-increasing arsenal of skills that put him on par
with college graduates.
While Cohen had never intended to go
to college, he took his studies seriously, and
exercised great discipline in his artistic practice.
He stated: “We just didn’t have the money; it
[attending college] wasn’t something I had ever
planned on.”4 However, encouraged by one of his
instructors at Henry Street, he applied to the New
York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University,
renowned for its innovative ceramics program, and
at the time, the only one of its kind in the country.
Cohen’s teacher, along with the director of the
Henry Street Settlement, believed so strongly in
Cohen’s abilities they arranged to finance expenses
such as room and board, books, and supplies,
with an allotment of $650 per year, an extraordinary
amount of money in 1948.5 Nearly sixty-five
years later, Cohen reflected on this moment of
generosity, stating: “Henry Street was critically
important in my attending Alfred.”6
Enrolled in college at the age of sixteen,
Cohen began preparation for a professional
career as a potter. As a freshman, Cohen had the
opportunity to meet such distinguished ceramic
artists as Theodore Randall (1914–1985), inventor
of the “Randall wheel,” an improved potter’s
kickwheel, and Robert Turner (1913–2005), who
began the ceramics program at legendary Black
Mountain College between 1949 and 1951.
4
Cohen had seen and used early prototypes of
the Randall wheel at Alfred, recalling: “I threw on
the great-grandfather of the Randall wheel.”7 Like
Cohen, both Randall and Turner became influential
ceramicists whose work embodies, albeit in
different ways, a balance between sculptural and
functional pottery.
After Cohen earned his BFA from Alfred
University in 1952, he served for two years in
the U.S. Army in Korea. Upon his return, Cohen
immediately entered Alfred’s rigorous MFA
program. Several works in the exhibition are from
Cohen’s graduate thesis; in this body of work, he
demonstrated technical mastery over industrial
applications in ceramics—techniques of mass
production utilized in the field of industrial pottery.
The porcelain teapot, pitcher, and sugar bowl set
in figure 3 were created using the drain cast mold
technique, by which casting slip, or liquid clay, is
poured into a mold and then poured out again
once an appropriate layer of clay has adhered to
the sides, resulting in the ultra-smooth, pristine
surfaces seen here.
In 1956, in the months prior to completing his
MFA program, Cohen was scouted by the genera l
manager of Hyalyn Porcelain Company—
a prominent pottery in Hickory, North Carolina—
and began working for the pottery as a professional
designer although he was still a student. Because
Cohen had already finished creating the physical
work that would comprise his thesis project, he
made special arrangements with the head of the
ceramics department at Alfred to complete the
remainder of his requirements from North Carolina,
returning to New York to graduate with his class
later that year. At Hyalyn, he developed and
designed his own line of wares, including items
sold in gift markets and florist shops, and other
accessory items such as ashtrays and lamp bases.
However, after two years at Hyalyn, Cohen
had become restless. Feeling burdened by a
lack of creative freedom, he decided to leave
in 1958. Following his resignation, he moved to
Charlotte to join his life partner, José Fumero,
fellow artist and successful commercial textile
designer. In Charlotte, Cohen became active at
The Mint Museum. The museum’s first annual
Piedmont Area Purchase Award Exhibition, held
in 1959, included two of Cohen’s pots—these
were the only examples of pottery in an exhibition
of two hundred works of art by regional artists. In
subsequent years, as the Mint’s exhibitions director,
F i g u r e 3Teapot, Sugar Bowl, and Pitcher, circa 1956Porcelain Private Collection
5
Cohen expanded this exhibition into a series of
annual Southeast competitions: one for painting
and sculpture, one for crafts, and one for prints.
In 1959, the Mint’s staff was comprised of
only four people, and so Cohen—already an active
volunteer with the Mint’s burgeoning Theater
Guild—extended his volunteer efforts to assist in
the design and installation of exhibitions. Proving
to be an indispensable member of the Mint family,
Cohen was finally hired later that year. Henrietta
Wilkinson, author of The Mint Museum of Art at
Charlotte: A Brief History, wrote: “Herb Cohen
changed the face of the whole museum with his
unique lighting effects and displays…. He began
as part-time worker and exhibits director and
continued for fourteen years as the man in the
museum who could do anything that needed
doing….”8 His service encompassed the entire
spectrum of the museum’s activities and included
tasks both small and large, including serving as
acting director in 1968–1969 while the museum
conducted its search for a permanent director.
As exhibitions director, Cohen was
instrumental in spearheading the regional pottery
movement, establishing the museum as a pioneer
in collecting and exhibiting contemporary crafts
and ceramics, not only in the Southeast, but in the
nation as well. Michael Sherrill, renowned North
Carolina ceramic artist, recalled: “My first exposure
to contemporary craft was the annual shows that
Herb organized—this is what inspired me and gave
me hope of being a maker. In the 1970s, Herb gave
me a spotlight show at the Mint; it was the first great
thing that happened to me as a young artist.”9
Today, these collections comprise a major
component of the museum’s identity. With a deep
understanding of large-scale concepts and three-
dimensional space, as well as an acute awareness
of the extraordinary impact a work of art can have
on a visitor, Cohen also set the museum on its path
of innovative exhibition design.
In 1973, Cohen had reached a critical
juncture in his life; he and Fumero left Charlotte and
their successful careers in order to fully devote their
lives to artistic practice—Cohen to pottery, Fumero
to painting and fiber art. Although Cohen had
dedicated nearly his entire life to pottery and art, in
one form or another, he explained: “I never had the
chance to really make my own pots.” After college,
he went directly into his role as a professional
designer at Hyalyn. He then spent fifteen years
at The Mint Museum. While he had a studio in his
house in Charlotte during this period, complete
with a hand-built kiln, he explains: “I was able do
some [pottery], but not very much—I didn’t have
enough time.”10
Affectionately referring to himself and José
as “a couple of middle-age dropouts,” they sold
their house in Charlotte, purchased land from close
friend and artist Phillip Moose (1921–2001), and
F i g u r e 4Platter circa 1978StonewarePrivate Collection
6
devoted all of their resources to designing and
building a house and studio in Blowing Rock, a
small, peaceful village in the mountains of western
North Carolina.11 They called it Studios 2, and
over the course of the next thirty-seven years,
they successfully maintained their home, studios,
and business. Here, much of Cohen’s work was
comprised of what he refers to as his “production”
pieces, objects such as mugs, bowls, jars, or
pitchers—items that could be used and purchased
by anyone, not necessarily art collectors. He also
spent time on more expressive objects, such as
platters; however, he recalled: “The platters rarely
sold.”12 These platters were a vehicle of expression
for Cohen. Here, he could explore themes and
designs at a level that could not necessarily be
achieved through more strictly utilitarian objects.
Completed among the first years in Blowing
Rock, the platter in figure 4, although beautifully
and exquisitely crafted, was not the sort of item
that a casual, everyday customer might purchase.
This platter was decorated using a specialized
technique called mishima, a Japanese method
of applying decoration in a manner similar to
sgraffito, except that the carved lines are not
left open; rather they are filled, either with a
contrasting colored slip, or in the case of this
platter, with white glaze. The process allows
Cohen to achieve these very fine, organic lines
that ripple like waves of electricity across the
surface of the clay body.
Cohen continued to develop his expressive
sgraffito work concurrent with his ongoing
experimentations with glazes.13 Cohen formulates
his own glazes to achieve dynamic, singular
results. In the platter in figure 5, Cohen glazed
the center in a bold crimson hue. The warm
color is matched in vibrancy with the decorative
sgraffito pattern carved into the surface of the rim,
complemented by the geometrically scalloped edge.
Around 2005, Cohen found himself at
another crossroads. He had developed a tremor
in his hand that would ultimately prevent him from
continuing to throw on the wheel; after seventy
years of performing the same motion over and
over, his muscles simply refused to cooperate
anymore. He explained: “My trouble with my
tremor is my hand doesn’t tremble all the time, but
it’s only in a certain position, and the position that
it happens is the position I have to use when I’m
bringing up a wall of clay on the wheel.”14 Rather
than succumbing to his physical limitation as a
disability, he viewed this as a chance to grow as
an artist and allow his practice to evolve. In the
midst of trying to navigate this new and uncharted
territory, Cohen declared: “I haven’t devoted
enough time to personal expression, and now I
have to. I’ve been given that opportunity. So it’s
a blessing in disguise, and who knows what will
become of it.”15
F i g u r e 5Platter circa 1975Stoneware Gift of Mrs. Joan Thalheimer in honor of Mrs. Ann Slesinger. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. 1994.44.2
7
In an astonishing departure from his earlier
work, Cohen turned his attention and creativity
towards more sculptural, hand-built works. The
untitled wall sculpture in figure 6 takes on the
appearance of an organic, biomorphic shell
protruding from the wall. Recalling a woven
texture or perhaps the protective coverings of such
creatures as the armadillo or porcupine, this form
has a strong impact on the viewer. It is unlike the
majority of his previous works, and marks Cohen’s
conscious decision to push himself in
new directions.
Cohen’s tremendous contributions to the
long and varied tradition of North Carolina pottery
include not only his extensive body of work, but
also his lasting and ongoing commitment to the
regional arts community. Since the 1960s, Cohen
has been extremely active in the promotion of
regional art, specifically craft and ceramics,
serving on numerous boards and committees
of such regional and national arts organizations
as the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Piedmont
Craftsmen, Inc., and American Craft Council. In
countless ways he has influenced fellow potters—
both his peers and emerging artists—by simply
making himself available to provide counsel and
insight, always willing to share his extensive
knowledge, both as a potter and businessman.
Today, Cohen and Fumero, like prodigal sons, have
returned to Charlotte and remain ever engaged
and active in the art community. Although retired
from his previous work in clay, Cohen looks toward
F i g u r e 6Untitled circa 2006 StonewarePrivate Collection
the future, open to what possibilities might lay
ahead in this next chapter of his life.
When asked the question “Why pottery?”
Cohen answered, immediately and simply, “I
always knew I wanted to be a potter. I just loved
it. That’s it.”16 Despite Cohen’s prolific career
and esteemed status within the field, this is his
first solo museum exhibition. He is a talented,
accomplished, and dedicated artist whose warm
and generous nature is unmistakable, and one
who has played a seminal role in the history
and growth of The Mint Museum. The museum
is honored to present, during its seventy-fifth
anniversary year, an exhibition that celebrates
the life and extraordinary career of one of North
Carolina’s, Charlotte’s, and the Mint’s most
beloved artists.
Amber Smith, Curatorial Assistant, Special Projects
herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011.
herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011 and 12 January 2012.
herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.
ibid.
ibid.
herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011.
ibid.
henrietta Wilkinson, The Mint Museum of Art at Charlotte: A Brief History (charlotte, n.c.: heritage printers, 1973), 82.
Michael Sherrill, interview with the author, 14 february 2012.
herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.
bernadette cahill, “Just Say yes: two blowing rock artistsreinvent their careers,” High Country Magazine, august/September 2007, 121.
cahill, 126.
a glaze is a layer of liquid glass that is fused to the surface of the clay; it is used both to protect the pottery, as well as to provide an additional aesthetic or decorative component.
cahill, 126.
ibid.herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.
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All works are by Herb Cohen;
dimensions are listed as height by
width and diameter.
Flour Jar circa 1940 Earthenware, 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches Private Collection
Sugar Jar circa 1940Earthenware, 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches Private Collection
Cylinder Vase circa 1942 Earthenware, 15 x 6 inches Private Collection
Vase circa 1955Stoneware, 10 x 8 inches Private Collection
Pitcher circa 1956Porcelain, 4 ½ x 4 x 5 inches Private Collection
Plate circa 1956 Porcelain, 1 x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection
Plate circa 1956 Porcelain, 1 x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection
Sugar Bowl circa 1956 Porcelain, 5 ¼ x 4 inches Private Collection
Teapot circa 1956Porcelain and bamboo, 7 x 5 ¾ x 7 7/8 inches Private Collection
Vase circa 1956Porcelain, 6 x 3 ½ inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1972Stoneware, 8 ½ x 17 inches Private Collection
Vase circa 1973Stoneware, 14 3/8 x 5 ¾ inches Private Collection
Vase circa 1975Stoneware, 12 ¼ x 5 ½ inches Private Collection
Covered Jar circa 1985Stoneware, 5 ¼ x 4 inches Collection of Cary Bissell Pickard
Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 3 ½ x 3 ½ inches Private Collection
Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 3 ½ x 4 inches Private Collection
Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 2 ¾ x 4 ½ inches Private Collection
Platter circa 1975Stoneware, 4 x 17 ¾ inches Gift of Mrs. Joan Thalheimer in honor of Mrs. Ann Slesinger. 1994.44.2. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Platter circa 1977Stoneware, 2 5/8 x 9 5/8 inches Private Collection
Platter circa 1978Stoneware, 3 5/8 x 15 ¾ inches Museum Purchase. 1978.188. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Platter circa 1978Stoneware, 3 ½ x 15 inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 6 x 7 ½ inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 6 x 7 ¼ inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 5 ¾ x 7 ½ inches Private Collection
Platter circa 1983Stoneware, 3 ½ x 13 ¾ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski
Casserole circa 1985Stoneware, 7 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection
Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 6 ½ x 4 ¾ inches Private Collection
Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 6 ¼ x 4 ¾ inches Private Collection
Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 7 1/8 x 4 1/8 inches Private Collection
exhibition checkliSt
10
Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski
Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 7 ¾ x 4 ¼ inches Collection of John Thompson
Vase circa 1985Stoneware, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches Collection of Cary Bissell Pickard
Bowl circa 1989Stoneware, 7 ½ x 16 inches Collection of George Van Nuys and Ronald Tharp
Platter circa 1989Stoneware, 3 3/8 x 16 ½ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski
Goblet circa 1990Stoneware, 10 x 3 ½ inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1993Stoneware, 7 ½ x 14 5/8 inches Private Collection
Bud Vase circa 1995Stoneware, 7 5/8 x 6 inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri
Compote circa 1995 Stoneware, 14 x 12 ½ inches Collection of George Van Nuys and Ronald Tharp
Footed Bowl circa 1995Stoneware, 16 x 15 inches Private Collection
Platter circa 1995Stoneware, 3 ½ x 16 ½ inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri
Platter circa 1996Stoneware, 3 7/8 x 16 7/8 inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 1997Stoneware, 5 x 11 inches Private Collection
Casserole circa 1998Stoneware, 15 x 11 1/8 inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri
Platter circa 2000Stoneware, 3 ¾ x 17 5/8 inches Private Collection
Pitcher circa 2002Stoneware, 7 x 4 inches Private Collection
Pitcher circa 2002 Stoneware, 9 ¾ x 7 3/8 inches Private Collection
Vase circa 2002Stoneware, 9 x 5 inches Private Collection
Platter circa 2004Stoneware, 3 x 15 inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski
Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 5 ½ x 6 inches Private Collection
Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 4 ½ x 6 ½ inches Collection of John Thompson
Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 5 x 6 inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski
Untitled circa 2006 Stoneware, 16 x 8 ½ x 5 inches Private Collection
Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection
Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection
Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection
The Midas Touch circa 2008Stoneware, 17 ¾ x 5 ¼ inches Private Collection
Pavane circa 2008 Stoneware, 40 ¾ x 13 x 9 ¾ inches Private Collection
Platter circa 2008Stoneware, 2 ½ x 14 ½ inches Private Collection
Sarabande circa 2008Stoneware, 40 ¾ x 13 x 9 ¾ inches Private Collection
11
Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen was organized by The Mint Museum.
Cohen at The Mint Museum, July 3, 1973. Photograph courtesy of The Charlotte Observer.
MINT MUSEUM RANDOLPH
2730 Randolph Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
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