River Market ArtSpace

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Phil Mundt	A former resident of the New Mexico Desert, master art teacher, and winner of over 100 awards of excellence in art events from Chicago to the American Southwest, Phil Mundt is one of the country’s most powerful forces in contemporary ceramics. Born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1933, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in art education from the University of Wisconsin in 1957 and 1958. He studied with such legendary glass and clay artists as Harvey Littleton, Robert Turner, Don Reitz, Dale Chihuly and Kent Ipsen, then continued the tradition by teaching art for over 30 years. One would be hard-pressed to locate a first-rate potter anywhere from Illinois westward, whom Phil Mundt has not influenced.
Mundt specializes in the process of Raku, an ancient Japanese form of pottery known for its spontaneity and random results. His forms, however - sculptural vessels, baskets, containers, and wall pieces - are anything but classical. Created with a combination of wheel throwing and slab-building techniques, they are free-form constructions that offer a richness of surface textures for which their creator is famous. Often they are embellished with copper earrings and handles, sticks, horsehair, feathers, and bones. Many wear ceramic faces, collections of animal snouts or fanciful surprises. While the look is haphazard - funny, creative, and undeniably earthy - the off-the-wall appearance is totally deceptive. Mundt’s forms are extraordinary, and his craftsmanship is impeccable. Inspired by primitive art from many cultures, he creates one of a kind, museum quality pieces. He explains by saying that, "the articulation of my work in clay is not generally verbal, but hopefully is within the individual pieces that I create. I let the finished product make the statement. I am constantly amazed at the ability of clay to speak for me." "I try not to take myself too seriously, and I believe that my work reflects this attitude. Fantasy, whimsy, and obscure symbolism are tools for me just as surely as the potter’s wheel, the slab roller, the modeling tools, the glaze brush and the kiln are tools; however I firmly believe in sound craftsmanship, and I cannot seem to get entirely away from the functional aspect of my craft. I want people to touch, to hold, to use my work, not merely to have a visual experience." "Perhaps this is an extension of my own needs?"

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