By fortuitous circumstances, an exhibition of manipulated ceramic decals on commercially produced porcelain plates by University of Washington Professor, Howard Kottler was installed at the School of Art Gallery in 1973. Spending time with this exhibition affected my perception of the definition of Contemporary Ceramics and altered the course of my career.

I had been making paper collages since I was a child. During my adolescence I began combining paper collages and drawings. The Howard Kottler exhibition experience, coupled with a masterclass on the use of China paints, ceramic decals and ceramic lusters gave me the validation to explore the surfaces of my sculptural vessels of that period, which then went on to be the focus of my graduate exhibition. I’ve been working with porcelain plates, ceramic decals and ceramic lusters ever since.

In 2022, my friend Judith Schwartz gifted me a selection of Howard Kottler’s original ceramic decals. Judy was the executor of Howard’s estate and was sending the majority of his ceramic decal inventory to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Judy was aware of my use of ceramic decals in my work and wanted to share a portion of them with me.

When I opened the package of Howard’s vintage ceramic decals, I was astonished at the grouping in images, and amazed that a number of the ceramic decals she sent me had been manipulated by Howard’s hand. Multiple copies of the American Gothic image by Grant Wood were included with the majority having had the man’s head removed. I felt a tremendous responsibility to honor Howard with this grouping of ceramic decals and stay true to what I understood of his acerbic wit and skillset.

I carefully chose porcelain plates from my inventory and proceeded to layer the China paint and decals on the plates. Every decal on the surface of these porcelain plates is a vintage Howard Kottler ceramic decal. I hope and trust I’ve been successful in honoring his legacy.