American Ceramic Tile Art

American Ceramic Tile Art

Online information about American Ceramic Tile Art from sources other than Resource Library

with an emphasis on representational art

A Field Guide to the Key Patterns on the Backs of United States Ceramic Tiles, 1870s - 1930s (Expanded and Revised 3rd Edition, 2010) by Michael Padwee. Mr. Padwee also maintained as of May 2013 "a blog about ceramic and terra cotta tiles used in architecture and architectural ornamentation in New York" named Tiles in New York and a site named Historic U.S. Tile Installations, an extensive resource on the subject including a comprehensive listing of further online resources. Mr. Padwee is an historian and collector of United States art tiles. Accessed August, 2015.

American Ceramic Tile Art, 2025, by ChatGPT, which says: "Today, American ceramic tile representational art stands as a layered history of visionaries who saw clay not merely as a utilitarian medium but as a canvas for nature, myth, and community. From Maria Storer's painterly Rookwood panels to Mercer's medieval tableaux, from Stratton's iridescent fish to Batchelder's hand?carved motifs, each tile carries a narrative in glaze and relief. Though many of the studios have closed, their stories endure in every restored fireplace surround and tiled frieze, reminding us that representational art in ceramics is as enduring as the stories it tells."

The American Art Tile, 1880-1940 was a 2012-13 at the Mint Museum, which says: "The decades surrounding 1900 were the golden age of the American art tile. Whether glazed or unglazed, molded in relief or smooth-surfaced, decorative tiles were a popular medium among many affluent consumers wishing to furnish their homes and businesses in the latest fashions. The tiles were used as fireplace surrounds, wall hangings, and for a wide variety of other ornamental purposes, both interior and exterior. Manufacturers across the country produced tiles to satisfy their local clientele and others." Article ncludes a "Mintwiki" with the history of Newcomb Pottery written by Mint docent Edla Holm Brabham. Accessed 11/16

"The Colorful Story of Malibu Tile" by Ellen Allen, from Redondo Beach Historical Society. Essay excerpt: "The Malibu Tile Works glazing technique was as unique as their tiles. The design's outline was put on the bisque tile to as act as a resist to keep all of the wonderful colors separate. The glazes were not painted on but rather blobbed on with a tool that looked much like a baby rubber bulb nose aspirator." Accessed August, 2015.

Evolving Ideas: The Ceramics of Ruenell Foy Temps is a 2024 exhibit at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College which says: "The first exhibition dedicated to Temps in more than thirty years, Evolving Ideas presents over forty works by the artist, created across four decades. Together, they trace her progression from expressive functional ceramics to adorned vessels and sculpture. The exhibition calls attention to her creative process, which merged complex combinations of slab building, wheel throwing, and hand building with an intuitive, meditative approach that she described as a "quest to visit places I've never been." Though highly varied in size and shape and often intricately adorned, the works on display demonstrate the artist's cohesive approach to design and her overall emphasis on simplicity of form." Accessed 10/24

Malibu tile from Wikipedia. Accessed August, 2015.

"The tile detectives," an article by Veronique de Turenne from the Los Angeles Times. Accessed August, 2015.

Tile Heritage Foundation which posts on it's Web site issues of its monthly publication "E-News From Tile Heritage" from 2004 to the present. Accessed August, 2015.

Roberto Lugo: Hi-Def Archives is a 2023 exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum which says: "Roberto Lugo (Puerto Rican-American, b. 1981) draws from his lived experience and deep knowledge of ceramic history to create works that elevate the stories of those historically absent from the decoration of extravagant examples of pottery. Lugo's multicultural mashups often combine classic forms and patterns with elements of hip-hop." Accessed 1/24

Tile Research Articles relating to the history of U.S. tile companies; faience, tile and terra cotta usage in architecture; tile and terra cotta installations, etc. Accessed August, 2015.

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