Some 20-plus years before I had the good fortune of meeting Edna Arnow in person, I “met” Edna Arnow.
Edna Arnow, sitting next to a lamp of her creation. 1968. Image: Pat Arnow, c. 2013 Used with Permission.
The introduction was made through Miriam Duryea, a once regional chairperson for the Garden Club of America, and president of the New York state chapter. Duryea, an avantgardist within the field of Ikebana, collected (late 1950s through the early 1970s) an impeccable assemblage of modernist studio vessels for use in her lecture series demonstrations.
An Edna Arnow sculpture graces the cover of Esther Veramae Hamel’s book on Ikebana, “Creative Designs With Dried And Contrived Flowers.” 1971
The Arnow works I happened to acquire were found stored in a large basement closet, neatly arranged on many shelves and found rubbing elbows with other works by (short list) American potters Joanna Price, Susan Hughes, Rudy Autio, and Canada’s, Marion Lewis.
Edna Arnow – Book cover image, detail.
When I mentioned back in May that Edna’s pots “became an authoritative influence in developing and challenging my perceptions,” it was no exaggeration. But by no means did I ever anticipate the good fortune of witnessing Arnow’s contributions as a studio potter gain such serious accolades over the course of 20-plus years. Edna Arnow’s legacy, whose humble “self-taught” path began back in the late 1940s, continues to intensify in star-power with interest by two distinct groups– collectors and a new generation of young potters.
A footed bowl showing the complexity and mastery of Arnow’s penchant for glaze chemistry. Wheel-thrown stoneware, 6″ diameter by 6.5″ tall. 1960s (SPA Archive Collection)
This is not to say that Arnow wasn’t revered when she was in her prime. She simply was. And without a doubt, her work is seriously accomplished, and in many instances, generously transcends craft; right on up and into the realm of fine art sculpture. On an academic note, it is Arnow’s artistic vision which is the basis for her continued popularity and formidable ascension into the upper ranks within the American studio pottery movement.
Juxtaposed forms: An Arnow stoneware sculpture, 1965. Image: Bob Arnow. Used with Permission.
In my estimation, it has much to do with the way Ms. Arnow simply approached her work; uncensored, and with an unobstructed use of creative freedom. Back during our May visit, Edna’s daughter, Maureen Banner, captured this essence when saying “Mom took chances with her work … she was a risk taker.” The forms (modernist, organic, and juxtaposed), the glazes (especially Edna’s self-coined “Crud” glaze), and the materials (iron wire, staples, even porcelain teeth used for dentistry) are supporting elements to a body of work that is both diverse in scope, as well as, impeccably crafted.
Stoneware vase (detail) showing Edna Arnow’s self-coined “Crud” glaze. 1964. (SPA Archive Collection)
The craft circuit was Arnow’s mainstay when selling her work, and at home, the basement acted as the artist’s studio for some 40 years. During this time, she was joined by her husband Robert “Bob” Arnow, a part-time potter (and designer of the signature “Arnow” signature), while raising three children; Michael, Maureen and Pat. Arnow also taught classes at Evanston Art Center and in 1968, exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago; a trio of talent in which Arnow’s ceramic work was contrasted against the metal work of Belva Ball and Thomas Hibben.
Edna Arnow’s use of porcelain dentistry teeth is a unique and clever use of repurposed materials. Stoneware and porcelain, 5.5″ tall. 1965 (SPA Archive Collection)
Quintessential to the craft circuit was Bob and Edna, a gregarious team much akin to being a welcome-wagon for other artists who also made their way into selling wares at such places as Chicago’s 57th Street market. When reminiscing about those days, daughter, Pat, mentioned Edna’s Friday night gatherings, complete with home-cooked food and the good company of friends and artists who were part of their circle, or newcomers to that circle.
A fantastic experimental porcelain plaque showing an abstraction of a bird by Edna Arnow. 6.25″ wide by 9.5″ high by .5″ depth, with a wafer-like thinness equivalent to 1/16th of an inch. (SPA Archive Collection)
One such person was potter and sculptor, Ruth Duckworth. Since Duckworth’s arrival in Chicago in 1964, both ladies would remain close friends until Duckworth’s passing in 2009. Said Pat, “They had great respect for one another’s work and often visited each other’s studio, but mostly, Ruth would come over to the house … they were dear friends first, then artists.”
A weed pot by Arnow exhibits a mid-20th Century sensibility in its form and decoration. Stoneware, 5.5″ diameter by 3.25″ high. Circa, 1958. (SPA Archive Collection)
This remembrance is an apt description to the woman I met last May up on the scenic banks of the Hudson River. Within moments of arriving on that warm Spring day, a true charismatic glow had me feeling as if I’d personally known Ms. Arnow every day of the 20-plus years I’ve been collecting her work.
Edna Arnow, Stoneware Chick, Early 1960s. 5″ tall. (SPA Archive Collection)
It is a cherished introduction that I’ll remember fondly, and one which yields my full appreciation to the resulting reward of creating and taking up an opportunity. Packing the pots into boxes and setting out on foot to meet a person whose creative genius shaped my perceptions, seemingly, so long ago, was a token of my admiration for a person ,who became that day, my “old-new” friend, Edna Arnow.
Thank you, Edna.
