Robert C. Turner
Encyclopedia
Robert Chapman Turner was an American potter
known for his functional pottery
, sculptural vessels and inspired teaching.
Born in Port Washington, New York
, Turner attended Swarthmore College
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1936. He then studied painting
at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and earned a Master of Fine Arts
degree from the New York State College of Ceramics
at Alfred University
in 1949. Turner established the studio pottery
program at Black Mountain College
in North Carolina
between 1949 and 1951. Later he returned to Alfred Station, establishing himself as a studio potter
. In 1958, he joined the Alfred University faculty, where he remained until his retirement as Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Art in 1979.
Like many studio potters, Turner began his career producing functional ceramics. During the late 1960s, Turner turned to nonfunctional explorations of the vessel tradition. His many honors include an honorary doctorate in fine art from Swarthmore, the American Craft Council
Gold medal, and the Member of Honor of the International Academy of Ceramics. The Milwaukee Art Museum
organized a retrospective of his ceramics career, which toured from 1985 to 1987. Turner was also honored by the establishment of the Robert C. Turner Chair in Ceramic Art at Alfred University, now occupied by the well-known potter
and ceramics teacher Wayne Higby
. He died July 26, 2005, in Sandy Spring, Maryland
.
See also Robert Turner: Shaping Silence; A Life in Clay, by Marsha Miro and Tony Hepburn (Kodansha International, 2003)
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
known for his functional pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, sculptural vessels and inspired teaching.
Born in Port Washington, New York
Port Washington, New York
Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the community population was 15,846....
, Turner attended Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1936. He then studied painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and earned a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree from the New York State College of Ceramics
New York State College of Ceramics
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred is a statutory college of the State University of New York . It is divided into the School of Art and Design and the Inamori School of Engineering. Although the School of Engineering is nominally administered by NYSCC, the...
at Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
in 1949. Turner established the studio pottery
Studio pottery
Studio pottery is made by modern artists working alone or in small groups, producing unique items of pottery in small quantities, typically with all stages of manufacture carried out by one individual. Much studio pottery is tableware or cookware but an increasing number of studio potters produce...
program at Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
between 1949 and 1951. Later he returned to Alfred Station, establishing himself as a studio potter
Studio pottery
Studio pottery is made by modern artists working alone or in small groups, producing unique items of pottery in small quantities, typically with all stages of manufacture carried out by one individual. Much studio pottery is tableware or cookware but an increasing number of studio potters produce...
. In 1958, he joined the Alfred University faculty, where he remained until his retirement as Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Art in 1979.
Like many studio potters, Turner began his career producing functional ceramics. During the late 1960s, Turner turned to nonfunctional explorations of the vessel tradition. His many honors include an honorary doctorate in fine art from Swarthmore, the American Craft Council
American Craft Council
The American Craft Council , was founded in 1943 as a national, nonprofit, educational organization to support and foster interest in the crafts in America. The council sponsers national craft shows, publishes American Craft magazine, and has an extensive awards program...
Gold medal, and the Member of Honor of the International Academy of Ceramics. The Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is located on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Beginning around 1872, multiple organizations were founded in order to bring an art gallery to Milwaukee, as the city was still a growing port town with little or no facilities to hold major art exhibitions...
organized a retrospective of his ceramics career, which toured from 1985 to 1987. Turner was also honored by the establishment of the Robert C. Turner Chair in Ceramic Art at Alfred University, now occupied by the well-known potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and ceramics teacher Wayne Higby
Wayne Higby
D. Wayne Higby is an American artist working in ceramics.Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Higby received a B.F.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, in 1966, and anM.F.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1968...
. He died July 26, 2005, in Sandy Spring, Maryland
Sandy Spring, Maryland
Sandy Spring, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland.The community was founded by Quakers who arrived in the early 18th century searching for land where they could grow tobacco and corn. One of the very early land owners in the Sandy Spring area was Richard Snowden,...
.
Source
"Robert Turner 1913-2005" (Obituary), 66 American Craft No. 1 (February/March 2006) at 16-17.See also Robert Turner: Shaping Silence; A Life in Clay, by Marsha Miro and Tony Hepburn (Kodansha International, 2003)