"Appreciating, studying, and making ceramics with my own hands has allowed me, in the process, to deeply realize the stirrings and sparks of Eastern and Western cultures, and the complexity and satisfaction of ceramic creation has deeply attracted and inspired my lifelong love for this art. .......".
Artist Rory Gilham, who specializes in ceramics research and production, was invited by the Irvine Book Club to share his insights and joys of ceramics with the audience on the topic of "What would I like to host?
A lover of Chinese culture, Rory Gilham is not only a Taiwanese son-in-law with a Chinese name, but also has a good skilled in calligraphy. With a keen interest in ceramics, he not only knows the history of the art of pottery like the back of his hand, but is also passionately involved in every step of the production process, from designing, molding, mixing glazes, glazing and firing in the kiln.
Rory was the first to share the evolution of ceramic craftsmanship from prehistoric civilizations to modern art. Starting with the creative origins of clay, he emphasized the importance of clay as part of the early creative behavior of mankind.
He also illustrated that the permanence and malleability of clay has provided an enduring vehicle for the transmission of culture, from the "Venus" clay sculptures of more than 30,000 years ago to the early cuneiform scripts.
"The origins of pottery can be traced back 20,000 years to the southern region of China, and later to Japan and Russia" Rory believes that Jingdezhen has played a very important role in the development of ceramics in China, and that the technological breakthroughs in China's development of porcelain and high-temperature dragon-kilns have had a profound impact on ceramics around the world.
Porcelain was introduced to Europe via the Silk Road, but it wasn't until the 16th century that Europe developed furnaces capable of firing porcelain at the temperatures that fueled the Industrial Revolution.
Rory says that the Industrial Revolution brought about a shift in ceramics production from individual craftsmen to mass production. Although this change reduced the individuality of the artwork, the Arts and Crafts Renaissance of the late 19th century reflected on and responded to this de-personalization of the technique by re-emphasizing the potter's identity as an artist and encouraging innovation.
After World War II, the modern studio pottery movement emerged, combining traditional techniques with contemporary innovations, allowing pottery to transcend its utilitarian roots and become an important form of cultural and personal expression.
Rory also introduced several artists who have had a significant impact on the development of ceramic art. For example, George Orr of the United States is considered a pioneer in the deconstruction of the ceramic form into expressive art, while Peter Voulkos pioneered large-scale clay sculpture that combines tradition and abstract expressionism.Kenneth Price revolutionizes ceramic art through colorful acrylic coatings and unique forms. These artists redefine the potential of ceramics as an art medium by pushing the boundaries of tradition.
Rory recognizes the meditative and restorative value of clay. For him, making pottery is not only relaxing and enjoyable, but in the process of creating it, he realizes the unprecedented vitality and expressiveness of blending ancient craftsmanship with contemporary innovation.
In addition to a presentation on various types of modeling ceramics with detailed explanations, he also showed his own work, including pottery with the three Chinese characters for 花, 中, 天, which was admired by members of the Irvine Book Club who were there to listen.
According to Laura Yen, president of the Irvine Book Club, which hosted the lecture, Rory's talk not only provided a better understanding of the important role ceramics have played in history, culture and art, but also provided a glimpse into the history of ceramics, from the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic artwork found some 27,000 years ago, to the iconic works of recent American artist Beth Cavener (born 1972).
On behalf of the Club, she thanked Rory and Amy Cho for this speech and for producing and providing a briefing with pictures and texts for everyone to appreciate and retain. English Please click for the event, which made it a great experience for the participants. The event also allowed the participating members to enjoy a rich ceramic journey as if they were there.
Profile of Rory Gilham ：
Rory Gilham's Chinese name is 卓羅瑞。His passion for kneading began at the age of nineteen when he was introduced to clay, which can be kneaded and shaped at will. He first studied ceramics at Pierce Junior College in Woodland Hills, California, and during his sophomore year worked as a studio assistant under the direction of Professor James Crandall, an experience that provided him with a solid foundation of basic ceramics knowledge and firing skills.
After transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he studied with Professor Michael Arntz, Rory earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a specialization in ceramics in 1973, launching his own path of ceramic research and creation.
After graduating, Rory founded the Shop of the Kiln Gods, a name derived from Professor Crandall's custom of placing small ceramic figurines on top of the kiln before each firing to pray for good luck and Rory not only creates ceramics, but also offers classes for aspiring artists.
「欣賞、研究和親手製作陶瓷，讓自己在過程中，
專精陶瓷研究和製作的藝術家 Rory Gilham受爾灣讀書會之邀，以“陶瓷藝術之旅”為演講主題，
熱愛中華文化的Rory Gilham，不僅是台灣女婿、有中文名字，更寫得一手好字。
Rory在演講中，
「陶器的起源，可以追溯到兩萬年前的中國江南地區，
經由絲路，瓷器傳入歐洲，但直到16世紀，
Rory表示，
二次世界大戰後，現代工作室陶藝運動興起，
Rory在演講中也介紹了幾位對陶瓷藝術發展有重大影響的藝術家
肯尼斯·
Rory認為，黏土創作具有冥想性和恢復性價值。對他來說 ，製作陶器不僅是種放鬆和享受，在創作的過程，
他在演講同時，除播放有各類造型陶瓷與詳細解說的簡報，
主辦這場講座的爾灣讀書會會長李克琪表示，透過Rory的演講，
她代表讀書會謝謝Rory和Amy Cho夫婦為這場演講，製作並提供圖文並茂的簡報讓大家欣賞、留存 中文請點選 ，
Rory Gilham 小檔案在美國出生長大的Rory Gilham中文名叫卓羅瑞。他十九歲時，
隔年他轉學到加州大學聖塔芭芭拉分校（UCSB），師從教授 Michael Arntz。1973年，Rory 取得以陶瓷為專業的美術學士學位，開啟自己研究與創作陶瓷之路。
大學畢業後，Rory成立“窯神工作室”（Shop of the Kiln Gods）。這個名稱源於老師Crandall 教授的習慣——在每次燒製陶瓷之前，