lihde@binghamton.edu on mon 3 jun 96
I think that's his name. I remember seeing some wonderful glazes he
produced in Ceramics monthly some years ago. Does any one know if he has
ever published those glazes or if he has e-mail. What a wonderful life
accomplishment!
Leslie at Turning Point in Vestal NY
dannon@ns1.koyote.com on tue 4 jun 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I think that's his name. I remember seeing some wonderful glazes he
>produced in Ceramics monthly some years ago. Does any one know if he has
>ever published those glazes or if he has e-mail. What a wonderful life
>accomplishment!
>Leslie at Turning Point in Vestal NY
>
>It is unlikely that he has email, but: all of his glazes are on view in
the front of his studio, (San Antonio) with the recipies, for any and all
who would like them. He has done some remarkable work on Chinese reds, and
other wondrous stuff.
I had heard a year or two ago that he had an apprentice or helper of sorts
working with him, but can't remember the name. He's listed in the San
Antonio phone book.
Call him up and ask him how they might be available. He does not believe in
secrets in regard to ceramics, thinks all should be available to whomever wants.
Dannon
Don't dawdle. He's 80-something.
David Hendley on sun 29 aug 99
I visited Harding Black at his shop last year ('97
actually). The door was open and music was playing,
but there was no sign of life. After gingerly and slowly
looking around I found Harding asleep in the big recliner
he has in his work area. Not wanting to startle him, I
went back to the door and loudly called for him. That
did the trick and roused him. He was fretting about
needing to make some pots for a show, but not feeling
up to the task. He was, however, more than happy to
visit for a while.
The days of picking up a $5 mug are long gone. He didn't
have a single thing for sale - it all goes to his, shall we
say, agent, at another location, who does the selling.
That small bowl that you got for $5 is now $125.
Back 20 or 30 years ago, he would give you a small piece
if you told him you were a potter.
An ironic twist is that his studio sits smack dab in the
middle of a high-rent shopping district in North San
Antonio - just down from the mall. It was out in the
country when he built it.
His nice little chunk of commercial real estate is probably
worth more than he sold his life's work worth of pots for.
People in Texas DO know about Harding Black. He is
considered the unrivaled pioneer of modern handmade
pottery in Texas.
When he started, there was no frame of reference for
starting a pottery. He had to make everything he needed
and develop all his clays and glazes. He fired at all sorts
of odd temperatures. No one will ever be able to duplicate
his magnificent glaze work.
A real treasure of a man.
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/
----- Original Message -----
From: Ben Shelton
To:
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 1999 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: a fiesta/story
| ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
| You've heard of harding black??? Oh my gosh! When I was 19 yrs and fresh
| outta my first semester at throwing, Igot a job at the Mcqueeney pottery
| right outside San Antonio TX. I was bored one saturday afternoon and saw a
| PBS documentary from the local station on a local potter named Harding
| Black. Man hewas old as dirt. The last info given was that he was still
| making pots in San Antonio.
| Holy cow! right under my feet. I wen looking. It took two trips into
the
| city but I found him and he began to relate to me his well practiced story
| of his life with clay. How a friend had gone to Mexico and found an old
| potter who taught him to throw. When he returned, he and Black made a
wkeel
| out of an old railroad wheel and a shaft. HB wooed the social elite(read
| rich people) and found a benefactor who wanted to start a ceramics
education
| program. HB had a job. One truck load of local brick clay was delivered
and
| so were the parts for a couple of wheels. I don't remember if he made the
| brick for the first kiln or if they were bought but he had a clay program.
| He consulted with his benefactor about what purchases to make for the
local
| museum. Good old chinese pots... OOOh AAAAH!!
|
| This had to last 30-45 minutes and I still remember it like it was
| yesterday. The man had boxes and boxes of glaze tests and 10-15 feet of
| shelf space where he had the corresponding documentation....
| Then he showed me his current work. He said he loved porcelain but was
| working with A cone 5 red clay and was using it because of the great blue
he
| was getting. I thought"big deal, anybody can get blue." Then I saw it and
| holy
| sh*$. He was only asking $5 each for a mug or a bowl. I was very choosey.
| took my time. I shoulda bought every thing he had!
|
| He said the blue was created by the iron in the body and he gave me the
| formula for the body and glaze. No cobalt or barium anywhere but my gosh
| what a blue. It's like a hares fur but blue. I have seen a chinese oxblood
| vase and it too had the same mottling in its red that my mug has in its
| blue. It's reminiscent of rutile though the formula doesn't call for any.
| Man what a color!
|
| Not too many people know a damn thing about the man and I do only by
chance.
| I wonder what forum his life story would fit into.. Maybe a lecture and
| slide show at NCECA???
|
| Anyway, I tested the stuff he gave me and corresponded with him buit the
| results were terrible. only a couple started to look like his and not much
| blue so I've shelved it in hopes that one day someone will have a sample
of
| this glaze and i'll be able to get the formula without blindly guessing.
|
| Have you ever seen his bleu on red clay??? I hope so..
|
| Later, Ben
Craig Martell on mon 30 aug 99
David wrote:
>People in Texas DO know about Harding Black. He is
>considered the unrivaled pioneer of modern handmade
>pottery in Texas.
Hi:
Even a couple of us Gringos up here in the North have heard of Harding
Black. Tom Turner told me about Harding Black, Bill and D.X. Gordy, and a
bunch of other potters I can't remember. He had gone down south and
visited them. He said that Bill Gordy kept his shop so clean that you
could eat off the floor. Did good work too.
I remember the Ceramics Monthly article about Harding Black. The parting
quote really said it all. "Discovery, that's the name of the game". I
couldn't agree with him more and his glazework is a lifetime of discovery.
regards, Craig Martell in Oregon
Richard Gralnik on tue 31 aug 99
David,
A few years back Ceramics Monthly published an article about Harding Black
with pictures of some beautiful bowls with various glazes he developed. I
called San Antonio information, got his phone number and called to tell him
how much I enjoyed the article and his pots. We ended up talking for over
an hour, and he sent me 4 handwritten pages of notes and glaze formulas.
Out of the clear blue. To a total stranger.
I've been trying to finagle a trip to San Antonio ever since but have not made
it yet. A fellow clayarter told me that somebody took a complete set of
Harding's glaze notes on the pretense of turning them into a book that was
never written. If there was ever a potter book that ought to be written,
this
is it.
Richard
At 01:34 PM 8/29/99 -0400, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
A nice anecdote about a fine potter...
Dale A. Neese on wed 1 sep 99
For everyone interested in Harding Black, I stopped by his studio today and
talked with a gentleman who told me that Harding is alive and doing well as
he can be for 86 years old. Harding hasn't produced any pottery for about 2
years now. He has needed some assistance in his living arrangements so
Harding has moved to live with his brother in Reno Nevada. The gentleman
told me that other that being the ole Harding Black, that sometimes Harding
has what he called "old man forgetfulness". I told him to relay all the good
thoughts and prayers from all of us on ClayArt.
Also if you haven't seen the Harding Black video that was produced by our
local PBS station, I did some checking. As of today KLRN -TV only had one
available. I asked if more could be made if it was ordered and they said
yes. It really is a good video for personal or classroom viewing. If anyone
wants the last one or make an order for the video you can write to order at:
KLRN-TV9, Viewer Services, P.O. Box 9, San Antonio, Texas 78215. The cost
per video is $24.95 plus $4.95 s&h. You can call for further information. I
am not sure about ordering the video over the phone. 210-270-9000 Ask for
Viewer Services. Be prepared to leave a message. It took me 2 days to get a
return call to my message about the video.
If anyone collects Harding Black pottery there is a website that sells his
work. Some are older and quite rare.
I have no connection whatsoever with the persons or shop that deals in
Harding's pottery. You can browse the catalogue of some of the work that is
available. www.marshallsbrocante.com . Click on catalogue, click on pottery.
I met Harding nearly 14 years ago when I first moved to San Antonio. His
studio is just like you would see in the video. Test tiles, stacks and
buckets of chemicals, glazes, papers, books, pots everywhere. He was never
too involved in what he was doing at the time to see that you were shown his
latest pots out of the kiln. Harding would sometimes show up at one of our
Potters' Guild shindigs early on, laughing and telling stories to the people
gathered around the table.
People would line up before dawn at his studio sales, every piece of clay
gone before noon. Usually you would hear about the fishing stories from his
trips down to the gulf. I treasure a Harding Black "Port Aransas Shark Bowl"
complete with a tall tale.
An unforgettable man and a master of glazes. We all wish him well.
Dale (Tex) Neese,
President, San Antonio Potters' Guild
Steven Branfman on tue 24 oct 00
Folks,
As a follow up to a recent post, we have a video titled "Harding Black: An
American Treasure". It is a profile of and visit with the potter who is
considered a master of glaze work. The video was produced by Alamo Public TV
and has been shown on television.
For more info please call the shop!
Steven Branfman
The Potters Shop
781 449 7687
Linfield College on wed 25 oct 00
on 10/24/00 5:11 PM, Steven Branfman at SBRANFPOTS@AOL.COM wrote:
> Folks,
>
> As a follow up to a recent post, we have a video titled "Harding Black: An
> American Treasure". It is a profile of and visit with the potter who is
> considered a master of glaze work. The video was produced by Alamo Public TV
> and has been shown on television.
>
.............
I have this tape, and it is very inspirational, besides being well done.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
SusanRaku@AOL.COM on sun 27 apr 03
I have a piece of his that I bought from an exhibit years ago when NCECA was
held in Austin, Texes. It is a large hexigonal bottle with a great yellow
and black glaze.
Susan
Barry and Susan Young on sun 27 apr 03
Hello,
I am a freelance writer compiling pictures and background for an e-book =
I'm writing on Harding Black. It will be a combo guide for collectors as =
well as potters reference. I've recently published a similar e-book (on =
c-d) about the 60's handbag designer Enid Collins. It has been very well =
received thus far. I believe a "virtual coffee table book" of Harding's =
work will be great! I'm looking for anyone with knowledge to share, =
anecdotes, glaze formulas, pictures etc. I'm also looking for people to =
interview that have collections if you are aware of any. Thanks for your =
time. Sue Young
(Sorry if this is a double post)
John Britt on sun 27 apr 03
Paul McCoy is the man to contact on Harding Black.
Paul_McCoy@baylor.edu
Hope that helps,
John Britt
Annie Evans on wed 9 jun 04
I'm writing a biography of Harding Black and would like any glaze recipes
any of you may know about. Email me off list if you wish:
marylance@stic.net.
Thanks,
Mary Lance
San Antonio, TX
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