Harvey Littleton Ceramics

1952 1977 university of wisconsin madison wisconsin.

Harvey littleton ceramics.

1951 mfa ceramics cranbrook academy of art bloomfield hills michigan. His father headed the department of research and development at corning glass works and was the inventor of pyrex cookware. Through research sponsored by the toledo museum of art in 1962 he developed equipment and a formula for melting glass at lower temperatures enabling him to blow glass in a studio rather than in the usual factory setting. Signal corps during world war ii he studied industrial design at the university of michigan earning a b d.

Together with dominick labino who at the time was the director of research for johns manville glass fibers division they designed a technique which revolutionized the medium taking it out of factory production and into the studio. Littleton is internationally recognized as the pioneering champion and founding father of the american studio glass movement. Harvey littleton studio glass sculpture signed handblown contemporary art 1979. 6 expected by his father to enter the field of physics littleton instead chose a career in art gaining recognition first as a ceramist and later as a.

When corning rejected harvey littleton s 1947 proposal for an experimental glass workshop he turned his attention to pottery and began to teach ceramics at the. Harvey littleton passed away in 2013. Degree from the cranbrook academy of art. After serving wtih the u s.

In 1962 littleton left the world of ceramics to begin a career in glassmaking. In 1962 at the toledo museum of art littleton conducted the first glassblowing seminar aimed at the artist. Littleton s initial specialty was ceramics but by the late 1950s he was exploring the possibility of creating studio glass. In march and june of 1962 after years of research littleton led two experimental workshops at the toledo museum of art.

He chose to throw off the hump allowing him to produce up to 150 pieces in a day. Degree in 1947 in 1951 he received an m a. Harvey littleton june 14 1922 december 13 2013 was an american glass artist and educator. Primary work experience army signal corps.

Inspired by his own works in ceramics and the art of glassblowing in europe littleton fought to change the american perception of what glass art looked like and how it was created. He had been well known as a ceramics artist before switching to glasswork. Littleton had an almost predetermined affinity for glass. Harvey littleton is considered the father of the studio glass movement in the united states.

Harvey littleton is known for thrown stoneware functional pieces. That year he accepted a teaching position in the department of art and art.