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Rodney Leftwich

Biography to Display: 

1946 Born St. Louis, Missouri

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES

1977-1978 worked with Burlon Craig, Vale, North Carolina

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1978-1992 Leftwich Pottery, Asheville, North Carolina

1990’s Pisgah Pottery with Thomas Case, Walter Stephen’s step-grandson

1992—Leftwich Folk and Art Pottery, Mills River, NC

BIOGRAPHY 

Rodney Leftwich is known for reviving forms and techniques of traditional western North Carolina pottery. Leftwich produces a range of forms including traditional utilitarian pieces, face jugs, and sculptures. His works are often intricately incised with Appalachian scenes. The incising led to carving and then to cutouts or reticulated designs on the decorative vase and lantern forms.

Leftwich’s glazes are prepared from wood ash, clay slips, crushed glass, and iron rock as done locally in the 1800s. Leftwich’s interest in traditions of western North Carolina potters began in the 1970s when he collected examples, studied their forms, glazes, methods of manufacture, and makers. 

While working with Thomas Case at Pisgah Forest Pottery Leftwich helped revive the crystalline glazes and cameo techniques of Walter Stephen who had founded Pisgah Forest Pottery in 1926.

Public Collections

Public Collections to Display: 

Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina

Bibliography

Bibliography to Display: 

Caldwell, Benjamin Hubbard, Robert H. Hicks, Mark Scala. Art of Tennessee. Nashville, TN: First Center for the Visual Arts, 2003.

Hunter, Robert. Ceramics in America 2006. Fox Point, WI: Chipstone Foundation, 2006.

Perry, Barbara Stone. North Carolina Pottery: The Collection of the Mint Museum. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.

 

Website(s):

http://www.pisgahforestpottery.com

 

 

Center for CraftSouthern Highland Craft Guild

 

 

Center for CraftCenter For Craft

 

Typical Marks

1978-1992 when part time - Leftwich, Leftwich Pottery - Asheville, NC, RHL, and Mountain Heritage Pottery.

1992- Present, when full time - Leftwich, Leftwich Pottery, Leftwich Folk & Art Pottery. Most with date and town - Asheville, Horse Shoe, or Mills River, NC. Also, worked for and marked pottery at Pisgah Forest Pottery in 1990s. Potter at wheel with RHL or Leftwich.

 

1988
2006
2006
2011
Reticulated Candle Lantern
Date: 1988
Materials: Stoneware
Method: Thrown and Altered
Surface Technique: Glaze
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Large Devil Face Jug
Date: 2006
Materials: Stoneware
Method: Thrown and Altered
Surface Technique: Glaze
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Landscape Vase with Waterfalls
Date: 2011
Materials: Stoneware
Method: Thrown and Altered, Hand-Built
Surface Technique: Glaze
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Couple Ring Jug
Date: 2015
Materials: Stoneware
Method: Thrown and Altered, Hand-Built
Surface Technique: Glaze, Underglaze
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Face Jug
Materials: Stoneware
Method: Thrown and Altered
Surface Technique: Ash Glaze
Judith and Martin Schwartz Collection
Photo: John Polak
Judith and Martin Schwartz Collection
Photo: John Polak

Citation: "The Marks Project." Last modified July 23, 2023. http://www.themarksproject.org/marks/leftwich