Clay Grisby

1955 Born Cleveland, Tennessee

EDUCATION

1979 BA Ceramics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

1987 MFA Ceramics, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1989—Potter, Grigsby Pottery, Cleveland, Tennessee

1989-1999 Adjunct Professor, Ceramics, Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga, Tennessee

BIOGRAPHY

Clay Grigsby is known for wheel thrown functional porcelain pottery with highly textured surfaces. Signature forms include pitchers, bowls, and mugs among a variety of other functional wares.

Grigsby throws thick walled forms. This technique provides multiple options for creating textured surfaces at the greenware stage. Once the finished form is thrown, Grigsby alters the thick walls of the piece directly on the potter's wheel using wiggle wires, cheese cutters, or fluting tools. These tools effectively peel off a layer of the exterior clay wall, leaving a richly textured surface. In addition, Grigsby also uses rasps to texture, or square the exterior of vessels in the leather hard stage. Each textural technique is typically used independently of the others in designing each vessel.

Once bisque fired, 4 to 8 glazes are applied to using a spray gun. Work is then glaze fired in a mid-range electric kiln. A variety of earth-tone, blue, green and yellow glazes appear on Grigsby's work. Surface finishes range from semi matte to gloss surfaces.