Beatrice Wood (1893-1998) is known both for her shimmering pots and her long, extraordinary life. Although intrigued by the arts from an early age, Wood was 40 years old by the time she began experimenting with ceramics and found her true vocation. Before discovering her love for clay, Wood had forays into painting, drawing, writing, and theatre. Involved in everything from Vaudeville to Dada, she spent her youth searching for the right outlet for her artistic and creative energies.
Beatrice met Marcel Duchamp and his friend, writer and diplomat Henri Roche, and the three formed a close friendship. Together they founded the magazine Blind Man, one of the first manifestations of the Dada art movement in New York. They also frequented Avant garde gatherings, spending many lively evenings at the home of collectors Walter and Louise Arsenberg, whose walls were hung with works by Picasso, Matisse and Braque.
Intrigued by the West Coast, she moved permanently to Los Angeles in 1928, and from there her life began to change. In 1930 she traveled to Europe with a friend and bought a set of Persian luster plates. Unable to find a teapot that matched, she signed up for a ceramics class at Hollywood High, hoping to make one herself. The teapot was long in coming, but Wood discovered her affinity for clay immediately. She soon set up a studio and began selling her work.
By the early 1970’s, Wood had established a reputation as a fine artist. She turned her focus to more complex, decorative vessels, and her work was increasingly sought after by galleries and museums. By the time of her death at the age of 105, Wood had become a well-recognized figure in the world of ceramic art, renowned as much for her luster glaze as for her longevity, vitality, and charm.
EARLY WORK
LATE WORK
TECHNIQUE
As a potter, Wood was fascinated by the glazing process from the beginning, and dedicated much energy to the study of luster glazing techniques. She also studied briefly with master potters Getrud and Otto Natzler, who impressed upon her the value of the ceramic vessel as fine art. Over the next fifteen years, Wood worked to establish a home and studio in Ojai, and began perfecting her own version of the luster glaze.
HOW I FEEL
Her adventurous story reminds us all that living can be messy, complicated, beautiful and joyful.
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