Tony Marsh on Ceramics, Tradition, and Teaching
Born in 1954, Tony Marsh is a ceramic artist and educator based in California. He trained in fine arts before serving as an apprentice to Living National Treasure Tatsuzo Shimaoka in Japan from 1978 to 1981, where he adopted a minimalist lifestyle. Upon his return to the United States, he experienced a cultural shock, noting the stark differences between California's ceramics scene in the 1970s and Shimaoka's Mingei movement. Today, he observes that almost every gallery in Los Angeles, along with numerous others in the US and Europe, showcases ceramics. Marsh perceives ceramics as a connection between nature and culture, focusing on vessel concepts. As a teacher, he differentiates between innate artists and those who pursue art, advocating for an intuitive, non-traditional methodology while inviting a variety of artists during his tenure as director of the CSULB Center for Contemporary Ceramics.
Key facts
- Tony Marsh was born in 1954 and lives in California.
- He studied fine arts and apprenticed with Living National Treasure Tatsuzo Shimaoka in Japan from 1978 to 1981.
- Marsh describes his time in rural Japan as spartan and contemplative, with no modern amenities.
- He returned to California in 1981.
- Marsh notes that ceramics have gained acceptance in mainstream galleries in Los Angeles, the US, and Europe in the last five years.
- He views ceramics as a subject rather than an object, exploring the vessel's cultural roles.
- Marsh directed the CSULB Center for Contemporary Ceramics, inviting artists without formal ceramics training.
- The interview is by Irene Biolchini for Artribune's series 'Gli artisti e la ceramica'.
Entities
Artists
- Tony Marsh
- Tatsuzo Shimaoka
- Irene Biolchini
Institutions
- CSULB Center for Contemporary Ceramics
- Artribune
Locations
- California
- Japan
- Mashiko
- Tokyo
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Europe