Home About Us How It Works Contacts
 
Harding Black
Harding Black resided in San Antonio Texas where he worked as a potter for over 60 years and far as anyone knows he was completely self taught. I find it amazing that anyone could ever accomplish what he did with with no formal training in either ceramics or chemistry. It was a long and prolific journey from the early hand built earthenware pottery to become recognized as a master of glazes. While I feel that his forms often could be better this is more than compensated for by the spectacular glazes he developed. Constant experimentation and his acquired knowledge of chemistry were the foundations for the wonderful glazes that adorn his pottery. The following quote is from an interview with Rudolf Staffel
His copper reds are unbelievably beautiful. Harding was a master of glazes and one of the most generous human beings in the ceramic field that I've known. He had literally a room full of beautifully organized test tiles of all his glazes, and he would just throw the room open to anybody who wanted to rummage through his tiles. All the recipes were there and he shared them with anyone who was interested. It was wonderful to go and visit him.
The magnificent Harding Black journey began in 1932. At that time he joined the Witte Museum Archaeological Society which provided him with access to their collections of Native American pottery. Harding became fascinated by these pollychromed vessels and he began attempting to create hand built pots. He had very little or no success but a life long of working in clay had begun. It was about this time that he met up with Rudolf Staffel and it was from him that Harding learned wheel throwing and developed ideas of how to operate a studio. Harding was given access to working space at the Witte where he built a wheel and in 1933 he was given a position as ceramic instructor. In this position it was his responsibility to establish a ceramics department. The first kiln Harding built was using plans that were obtained from Newcomb College. He scrounged parts from a junkyard which were used in its construction. This project was not totally successful because of problems reaching required temperatures. As usual this did not deter Harding. He seemed to have a wonderful ability to learn from failure and move on.

In the early 1940's Harding began working with formulas for copper red glazes prepared by Arthur Baggs and Edgar Littlefield. This work only added to his interest in Oriental pottery and fostered a desire to rework many old glazes. Being greatly influenced by A Potters Book published in 1940 by Brenard Leach Harding was now on his way seeking to incorporate form, function and surface treatment into a single entity where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

In the 1950's Harding left the Witte and built his own studio where he spent the rest of his life creating his wonderful art. The body of his work is a living tribute to the Harding Black lifelong love of ceramics. Along with being a researcher he was also a teacher always willing to share his knowledge with others. He spent his life producing pots and occasionally taking time off to do a bit if fishing.
   

Exhibitions

1947 - 12th Ceramics National, Syracuse Museum of Fine Art

1948 - Syracuse Museum of Fine Art; Crafts Guild of San Antonio

1949 - Dallas Museum of Fine Arts; Witte Museum, San Antonio

1950 - Syracuse, NY; Cornell University; Kiln Club, Smithsonian Institution; Texas Craft Exhibit, Dallas

1951 - Wichita Art Association; Syracuse NY, National Gallery of Fine Arts, Washington D.C.; Dallas; Kansas State College, Manhattan, KS; Canal Zone Art League, Panama Canal Zone

1952 - Wichita Art Association; Syracuse NY, National Gallery of Fine Arts, Washington D.C.; Dallas Museum of Fine Arts; Witte Memorial Museum
1953 - Wichita Art Associatio; Dallas Museum of Fine Arts

1954 - Kiln Club of Washington, Smithsonian Institution

1955 - National Gallery of Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.

1956 - National Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (invited)

1959 - Waco Art Forum Museum (one man show)

1978 - Southwest Craft Center, San Antonio

1985 - Southwest Craft Center

1986 - Musselman Art Gallery, San Antonio

1987 - San Antonio Art League artist of the year

 

Honors

In 1984 - The Southwest Craft Center gave Harding Black a grant to take care of his needs while he devoted a year to Porcelain and its glazes

In 1991 Harding was elected an honorary member of NCECA .

 
Jewelry On Consignment
Smilovici's Galleria
215 W Banders Rd #113A
Boerne, TX 78006 		Click Here to Email Us