Danish Studio Ceramics 1950 - 2010

Danish Studio Ceramics 1950-2010 is the prosaic title of this catalogue of Designmuseum Danmark's collection of unique ceramic works from the sixty-year period covering the post-war years and leading up to the present. The catalogue describes 632 works by 133 ceramicists and artists, and in doing so gives an overview of the diversity and high quality of Danish ceramics. This process documents and throws into relief the paradigmatic shift which has taken place since the 1980s, when handmade functional ceramic articles for domestic use began to be overtaken by free sculptural forms of expression, and at the same time the centre of gravity in this field began to move from a nationally rooted central basis towards extended interaction with the international ceramic scene. The aim of this catalogue is to provide a nuanced depiction of a remarkable epoch in the history of Danish ceramics, as represented in Designmuseum Danmark's collections, which have not previously been documented in a comprehensive form and which have only been exhibited on a limited scale. Lavishly illustrated with more than three hundred ceramic items, this volume is a treasure trove for scholars and collectors.

"The importance of Danish ceramics since the mid-20th century is thoroughly documented in this examination of the collection of the Designmuseum Danmark. At the end of WW II, many trained ceramic artists set up studios in Denmark, and this catalogue provides biographies of artists, the location of their studios, general descriptions of their work, and information about specific works with accompanying color photographs. Laursen emphasizes that the works are unique and not production or industrial ware. To document the works, the author researched books, articles, reviews, and exhibition catalogues. Some of the artists included--for example, Nina Hole, Bodil Manz, Bente Hanson, and Christian Polsen--have international reputations. In total, the catalog includes 133 artists represented by 632 works. The book is enhanced by introductory essays, a glossary of ceramics terms, and a list of ceramics exhibits held at the museum. Ceramics plays an important role in the daily life of Danes, and this catalogue meets its goal of documenting a significant period of Danish ceramic history in a comprehensive way. Recomended."-- "Choice"

From 1995 until her retirement in 2011, Bodil Busk Laursen was curator at Designmuseum Danmark. She has carried out extensive research and has published widely within the field of ceramics and arts and crafts generally.