
Terry Gess
North Carolina
Wheel-thrown & Hand-built Red Stoneware with Glazes
Functional
9.75"w x 3.5"d x 6"h
About the Teapot
This teapot is glazed with a dark iron-saturated glaze underneath a buttery yellow glaze. The contrast of dark glaze under lighter glaze provides a lively variety to the surface.
Artist Statement
I once met a woman who looked like her cat. It was subtle, but there was an unmistakable bond between pet and owner, some collaborative demeanor or design sense. Potters and their pots are no different. During the years of steadily making, marking, and firing pots, something distinctively myself has slipped into the process. It's a sensibility as intangible and fundamental to me as how I hold the salt shaker when I tilt it to pour, turn the pages of a book, or kick my potter's wheel.
About Terry
Terry Gess has always been interested in objects. He knew early on that he wanted to work with his hands, but woodwork was too dangerous, and art school was too cerebral. He found his outlet when he started classes with a potter in Milwaukee. Since that time, he’s studied and been awarded residencies across the world, shared his approach to ceramics at workshops and lectures, and become a member of the creative community around the Penland School of Craft.
Terry’s work frequently takes unusual shapes. He’s intrigued by things that are not round. This intrigue manifests in mugs with square mouths and vessels with angular textures and forms. Terry creates high-fired, red stoneware, and his work is notable for its subtle colors and interesting surfaces. His focus is on creating pieces that are useful in the home.
*Teapots that are sold must remain on display in the gallery as part of the exhibit until the show closes on September 10, 2020. After the show closes, teapots will be carefully packed and shipped by September 26 or available for pick-up at the gallery.
About National Teapot Show XII
May 20 - September 10, 2023
Cedar Creek Gallery's National Teapot Show XII is an invitational event featuring teapots crafted by artists from across North America. More than 200 hand-crafted teapots created using a broad range of materials - including pottery, glass, wood, fiber, and mixed media.
Teapots in the show come in all shapes and sizes! Some are functional - just right for your daily cup of tea, while others are created as sculptural teapots.
Every teapot in the show is available for purchase.