Top of the Pots

I have been wondering who I would have on my top ten wanted list of potters but as that's just pie in the sky I thought simply who are my top ten...ish current favourites , not necessarily the BEST potters or Throwers Etc ( that's subjective) but just what appeals to me personally , I would like to see what other members would list as their top ten of the potters /artists , please bear in mind that obviously there are tons of potters out there from other countries that I have never heard of and  probably produce brilliant pots that's a gimmie, these are just the ones that I know about , if I see names from you I have never heard of I will google them and who knows may become a fan of their work , maybe you can give a little reason why about your choices ( this is sounding like a survey....do you use hellmans mayonaise , A- more than twice a week ), sorry , My List as follows -
1 - Sam Hall ( no surprise there , I think for a young man who doesn't blatently seek out publicity as yet, his work is maturing and becoming quite well known ,he is in america this year and hopefully his profile will be raised a bit more as a result ), I love the freedom in his style .
2- Ewen Henderson ( what's not to like , some pots look a bit mad and I only saw them at exhibitions and museums but kept returning to look at them time and time again, was left wondering how did he do that )
3-Robin Welch ( probably should have been my first choice as his later pieces are superb imo this man has matured into one of the best artists around , should definitely have more significance in the ceramic world) Definitely Sir Robin as SP suggested.
4-Alan Wallwork ( I pick Alan as the pieces I have owned ,One in particular gave me great pleasure for a long time it was  exquisite , a real work of art , great to look at , great to display and great to TOUCH , I love to touch them don't you ? I have had a few pieces of Wallwork and I place him 4th because some pieces left me wondering why although still very good were not of the high standard as  my favourite piece , but I guess you only do one SGT Pepper in your lifetime , Brilliant Potter .
5-Hans Coper ( Obviously never owned a proper piece of his work , seen quite a few and got to hold a few as well and the quality is fantastic , one day ....one day ..Sigh! .
6-Colin Pearson ( this would be the pieces that I saw in Exhibtions in paisley , )
7- Gordon Balwin ( had the chance to buy an early piece but couldn't afford the 2 grand asking )
8-Elizabeth Fritsch( again only seen at museums etc and really shouldn't like this style but I do It's captivating)
9-James Tower ( every time I look at the massive stuff he did I think I want ).
10-Michael Cardew( probably the best of the leach time potters imo his large bowls etc are simply superb Way ahead of the othersw imo)
Ok that's my lot I know there is no Bernard Leach , Hamada , Lucie Etc , I personally don't rate their stuff as exceptional , very good yes but there are plenty far more exciting as I am bound to find out , remember only my opinion .
Ps my views can change like the wind

A very worthy list of potters there Ed, not all my cup of tea, but great potters regardless.

I'll have to think about this, I know right away who is at number 1 for me (his initials are GS ), but will need a good think to make a top ten list!

Potty wrote:A very worthy list of potters there Ed, not all my cup of tea, but great potters regardless.

I'll have to think about this, I know right away who is at number 1 for me (his initials are GS ), but will need a good think to make a top ten list!

glad to hear you appreciate the genious of Guy Sydenham potty

Great stuff , I expect differences of opinion obviously , but I would like to keep it light hearted up to a point , I can appreciate the work of many potters without wishing to own any , It's always subjective , I can find potters who have done Krap stuff and brilliant stuff , Maltby is such a potter Imo , some stuff looks outta this world other pieces look like if I made them i'd bin it , No kiddin .

dantheman wrote:glad to hear you appreciate the genious of Guy Sydenham potty

I do... but I guess there has been more than 1 great potter with those initials

These are my top 10, from 2-10 are in no particular order and I'm sure I've missed someone.

1. Geoffrey Swindell - Exceptionally well made and very unique, porcelain in miniature.

Ruth Barrett-Danes - Some "beautifully grotesque" pots, reminiscent of the Martin Brothers.
Michael Mosse - I like the more novelty designs with good colours
Mary Rich - I like her gilded miniatures.
Mark Smith - Especially like his boats, but some of his salt glazed pots were very good too.
Matthew Blakely - Great glazes and nice forms.
Richard Godfrey - Some nice unusual forms and vivid colours.
Andrew Osburne - I've only seen a hand full of his pots, most were great, especially his Raku.
Anthony Theakston - Nice salt glazed stylised birds. 
Simon Griffiths - I like his Owls set on wood.

Like ed says, I'm sure they've all made not so good pots, but those above have all made some that I think are great.

All personal opinions

Here's an off the top of my head list - but I reserve the right to do another one...
and it's in no particular order
1. Dylan Bowen - vigorous, life affirming slipware
2. Ken Matsuzaki - shino glazes that look like they grew out of the earth
3. Chu-i Wu - based in York, completely unique, plus lots of fun
4. Kaori Tatebayashi - just look at them, superb
5. Dan Kelly - saw some of his black sculptural vessels at Goldmark - lust at first sight
6. Carinne Brosse - she's a friend and her ceramic sculptures are scary and unique
7. David Worsley - just starting out, a thoughtful maker of simple useable pottery. He will go far
8. Harry & May Davis - peerless production pottery
9. Lucie Rie - want one. Any one would do.
10. Bill Marshall - I want one of his hakeme yunomi

Some new names to me skip

Interesting that we have had 30 names so far and no repeats yet.

I'm curious to see more lists, so come on you lot!   They need not be in order.

Wouldn't say no to any of the following -
Peter Voulkos
Paul Priest ( in paricular a piece called "Picnic Interruptus" I saw in a Bonhams Cat)
Rachel Wood ( really growing on me )
Picasso( well it would be nice)
Margaret Curtis ( love some of her Teabowls )

skipposal wrote:
5. Dan Kelly - saw some of his black sculptural vessels at Goldmark - lust at first sight

I'll let Dan know - he will be amused.

for me, of course the big names like Rie and Coper for their sculptural aesthetic and quality, but for the enjoyment of clay and the materials of pottery & porcelain, i'd go with others.

1. Michael Wisner - love, love, love the technique of his work.  Not completely original as others have done similar, but he does it so well.
2. Martin Brothers
3. James Tower
4. Sophie Woodrow - saw her freaky animal hybrids and fell in love.
5. Gabrielle Koch - i have a soft spot for smoke-fired ceramics.
6. Sven Bayer - more lyrical then his contemporaries IMO
7. William Staite Murray
8. Emmanuel Cooper - would rather his than Rie or Mary Rich
9. Fenella Elms - again, loving her sculptural use of clay
10. and last but NOT least, William de Morgan

I think Skip is correct in that a list like this could change quickly in all of our minds, not completely, but a number of names would come and go.

As a number of potters that would be on my definitive list has been chosen already, I'll try and choose from potters yet to be mentioned.

Here goes: -

1. Rosanjin - although he died in 1959 he is still the most widely known potter in Japan.
2. Ryoji Koie - anyone who on occasions throws teabowls while naked and completely pissed has got to be on my list.
3. Nicholas Vergette - one of the Picassettes.
4. Katerina Evangelidou - a friend and an original wood-firing potter, although her work has been copied (badly).
5. Hajimu Kato - the Shigarki potter whose teabowl is one on my prized possessions.
6. Ursula Mommens - she made some beautiful pots and was an amazing lady.
7. Patrick Sargent - I never understood his pots when I first saw them but he's now sadly missed by me.
8. Peter Smith - a slipware potter with a difference.
9. Janet Leach - she made some bad pots but her best could match anyones.
10. Poh Chap Yeap - he even did a nice celadon, Ed.

I have work by them all.

Ursula Mommens, yes yes yes

I have been thinking about this question since Ed posted it and have struggled to come up with any names.I think the question is probably not specific enough as I have favorite throwers,favorite,sculptors,colourists and firing specialists

Yes Sargent & Vergette -forgot about them and also a few names I have to look up ,
Dan -I said -"not necessarily the BEST potters or Throwers Etc ( that's subjective) but just what appeals to me personally".
Are you being serious about favourite "Firing specialist" surely not:roll: how can anyone have a favourite firing specialist , I think that's breaking down the idea too far  , that's like looking at a picasso painting and wondering how he stretched his canvas , misses the point completely imo the process of how a piece is achieved is all very well but surely it's the end product that matters most not how hot the kiln was .

big ed wrote:Yes Sargent & Vergette -forgot about them and also a few names I have to look up ,

Glad that you had forgotten them or I might have been struggling to get to ten. You had already mentioned 5 or 6 potters that I could have picked.

That was the beauty of getting in first with selections

You are allowed repeats SP

I chose potters who have made pots that I personally have liked the most.

I'm not entirely sure Michael Mosse should be on my list, simply because there were other decorators/assistants working there as I understand it. If I were to remove his name I maybe would pick Elaine Peto.

I've also stuck to British potters, but were I to include worldwide potters Mitchell Grafton would be on the list

Come on Dan!

But surely it's about the end result we are on about ,not the process , electric kiln , wood fired , coil built , slab built , gerry built, hand thrown etc . it's about your favourites and for what reason that's all , I personally couldn't give two hoots what temperature a pot is fired at as long as it looks the biz at the end that's all that matters , technical stuff is another thing altogether imo.

but I like different potters for different reasons plus I can't  make a list of potters and include people who never touched wet clay