Compote

Simplicity, symmetry, and perfection are exemplified in Harrison McIntosh’s functional ceramics. With its simple even stripes, this cone-shaped striped stoneware vessel is congruent with the aesthetic of McIntosh’s vases, bowls, and jars. His work calls on simple shapes and geometric, rhythmic patterns that are both modern and reminiscent of ancient stoneware. Of McIntosh’s work, Hazel Bray, former curator of art at the Oakland Museum, wrote, “Over the years his work has accumulated a virtuosity that has become as rich as a Bach fugue in its variations upon a theme. Resisting superficial flirtations with novelty or partially realized expressions is a mark of his strength of personal conviction and maturity”. This piece represents one variation on Harrison McIntosh’s overarching theme of ancient yet modern symmetry.