This retrospective explores the life and artistic evolution of one of ceramics’ great innovators: Robert Sperry. Sperry, who taught ceramics at the University of Washington for over 30 years, is best known for his pioneering use of a heavy slip layer over glaze, producing a decorative ceramic motif not unlike a parched and cracking lakebed. The technical difficulties of handling this particular glaze are monumental and speak to Sperry’s persistence in experimentation. Oscillating between bold, crackling black and white sculptures and colorful ‘funk’ ceramics, the earthy simplicity of his earliest works and the scientific acuity of his final computer generated prints, Sperry’s body of work embodies the dichotomy of a bright abyss.

Originally organized by the American Museum of Ceramic Art, the local presentation of this exhibition has been expanded to include pieces from public and private collections in the Northwest, giving a comprehensive panoramic view of his legacy as a seminal contributor to American ceramics and contemporary art. It highlights over 70 works, including platters, wall plaques and sculptures, examining Sperry’s lifelong dedication to innovation in ceramic art.

About the Artist
Born in Bushnell, Illinois, Robert Sperry (1927 - 1998) spent most of his childhood on farms in Illinois and Saskatchewan. He completed his BFA in 1953 at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and received his MFA from the University of Washington in 1955. After the unexpected retirement of his teacher, Paul Ami Bonifas, Sperry was appointed as head of the Ceramics Department where he taught for over 30 years. Known primarily as a ceramic sculptor, Sperry was also a talented painter, filmmaker and printmaker. During his career, he created a number of monumental public and corporate art murals and sculptures, including the iconic Safeco Corporation Pediment here in Seattle. His documentary Village Potters of Onda and other movies by and about Robert Sperry will be screened at BAM throughout the duration of the exhibition.

This exhibition is accompanied by a 270-page, full color catalogue written by renowned art critic Matthew Kangas, available for purchase in the Museum Store.

Robert Sperry: Bright Abyss has been organized and curated by the American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA. The local presentation of this exhibition has been curated by Stefano Catalani and made possible by the Thurston Charitable Foundation, The Boeing Company, Benaroya Company and the Benaroya Family Foundation.