Alex Mandli

Bennett Bean is best known for his thrown and altered white earthenware vessels, particularly non-functional bowls and teapots. Initially he used little surface decoration other than the spontaneous markings resulting from his use of the pit-firing technique. Gradually his forms and surface decoration evolved in complexity. In 1982 Bean began usingacrylic paintsto execute extensive abstract surface designs on the fired vessels, and in 1983 he began to apply at first 24K gold leaf and, later, a silver metallic to the interiors. By the mid-1990s Bean had begun to deconstruct his pieces into the two, three or four interrelated abstract vessel forms.He often painted across these groupings unifying them into one design. Firing patterns are incorporated into the surface treatment. These are arranged on a shallow, grey, wooden plinth.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, Bean accepted a position teaching ceramics at Wagner College where he remained until 1979 when he left to become an independent studio artist.

His work has been influenced by Japanese, Native American pottery, English pottery in the tradition of Bernard Leach, and American studio potters, particularly the work of George Ohr.

An interview withBennett BeanconductedJune 16 and 17, 2001by Mija Reidel, for the Archives of American Art?s Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America is available at:http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-bennett-bean-15953.