Photo: TMP
Photo: TMP
Photo: TMP
Photo: TMP

Bowl

USA, 1900
Rebecca Sive Collection
Date acquired:
Materials:
Earthenware
Form - Functional: N/A
Form - Sculptural: N/A
Method:
Thrown and Altered
Surface Technique: N/A
Kiln Type: N/A
Glazes: N/A
Linda Arbuckle

James Melchert is primarily known for bright colored sculptures that reveal his ties to Conceptual Art,as well as for his later works using factory produced ceramic tiles, in some cases broken, drawn on, reassembled, and painted with glazes.

As a student of Peter Voulkos at Berkeley in the early 1960s he was part of the beginnings of the California Clay Movement. Melchert employed various techniques as needed to produce his work. In 1962 Melchert and Ron Nagle formulated a white earthenware (whiteware) clay which, unlike traditional earthenware, did not dull colors but intensified them. This whiteware advance was immediately adopted by Robert Arneson and others.

In the early 1990s Melchert completed a 225 foot long by 12 foot high tile wall installation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology biology building. Melchert made the tiles while an artist-in-residence at the Tile Guild Inc. in Los Angeles. The Tile Guild's Artist Residency program allows artists to produce large tile works using a kiln with a capacity of 750 square feet of tile per day.

Rebecca Sive Collection

Arbuckle in other collections

TMP collaborates with the finest public and private collections of modern and contemporary American ceramics in the United States. Browse collections to learn about artists and their works. Reach out to us to become a collection partner.

 

Note:

These records have been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced.

Last updated: April 22, 2026

The Marks Project encourages the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. Some images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. To request permission to use an image from our website please contact info@themarksproject.org

This resource is for educational use and its contents may not be reproduced without permission. Please review our Terms of Use for more information.