Richard Swanson
James Makinswork moved from porcelain dinnerware and serving pieces to sculptural work. The latter works can be monumental vessel forms or compositions of multiple functional forms placed on thrown trays in carefully ...
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Typical Marks
About
- Biography
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James Makinswork moved from porcelain dinnerware and serving pieces to sculptural work. The latter works can be monumental vessel forms or compositions of multiple functional forms placed on thrown trays in carefully arranged groupings. The pieces are either painted or airbrushed resulting in dense, deep colors that absorb rather than reflect light. These compositions range from monochromatic to multi colored.
Makin's apprenticeship with Byron Temple gave him insights into the blending of eastern and western pottery traditions. This theme has guided his work throughout his career. Makins studied with Richard DeVore at Cranbrook and began to explore the characteristics of porcelain. He found it rigid, restrictive, and able to be pushed and pulled out of shape yet retain the extreme ridged surfaces of his throwing technique. These throwing rings are characteristic of his work.
" - Apprenticeships & Residencies
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1974
Artist in Residence, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
- Primary Work Experience
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1974
Professional Artist, Helena, Montana
Other
- Public Collections
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Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Cody, Wyoming
Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Helena College, University of Montana, Helena, Montana
Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana
Lewis and Clark Library, Helena, Montana
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs, Washington, DC
Metro Center, Williston, North Dakota
Montana State Historical Society Museum, Helena, Montana
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
Myrna Loy Center, Helena, Montana
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Great Falls, Montana
Rocky Mountain College, Billings, Montana
School of Fine Arts, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, Medford, Oregon
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
Yixing Red Pottery Arts Factory #5, Yixing, China
- Bibliography
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Ferrin, Leslie. Teapots Transformed: Exploration of an Object. London, UK: Guild Publishing, 2000.
Gunter, Veronika A. 500 Figures in Clay: Ceramic Artists Celebrate the Human Form. New York, NY: Lark Books, 2004.
“The Art of Jitterbugging, Richard Swanson's Dancing Teapots.” Ceramics Art & Perception no.47 (2002).
Tourtillott, Suzanne J.E. 500 Cups: Ceramic Explorations of Utility and Grace. New York, NY: Lark Books, 2004.
Tourtillott, Suzanne J.E. 500 Teapots: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design. New York, NY: Lark Books, 2002.
- CV or Resume
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Kuratnick, Jeffrey
- Website(s)
Citation: Kuratnick, Jeffrey Richard Swanson, "The Marks Project."
Last modified April 29, 2026. https://www.themarksproject.org/artists/richard-swanson
