Rudolf Staffel: Searching for Light; Ceramics, 1936-1996

In a career spanning more than six decades, Philadelphia artist Rudolf Staffel (born 1911) has earned an international reputation for his revolutionary work in porcelain. This strong, white ceramic material can be made thin and translucent, and is perfectly suited to the artist's quest for luminous, freely-shaped forms. Rudolf Staffel: Searching for Light; Ceramics, 1936-1996, an exhibition on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from May 3 through August 7, 1997, presents a comprehensive overview of the the master ceramicist's work from 1936 to 1996. Searching for Light, which was previously shown at the Museum of Applied Arts in Helsinki, Finland, will include approximately 80 works, including 40 of the signature pieces that Staffel calls "Light Gatherers." These relatively small, elegant vessels have been shaped by Staffel with expertly-handled pinching, scoring and denting--seemingly casual methods which reveal the crystalline luminescence of the porcelain while denying any sense of preciousness.

Itinerary

Museum of Applied Arts, Helsinki
Philadelphia Museum of Art