Doris Bank. Table Art in Stoneware and Porcelain

Doris Bank is among the most significant representatives of artistic utilitarian ceramics. Her works in porcelain and colourful stoneware are distinguished by a virtuoso play of form and surface. The tactile textures lend her small series a lively, elegant, and at once archaic effect. In this new monograph, her life’s work is appreciated in-depth for the very first time. The ceramic works by Doris Bank are perfectly formed objects, delicate vessels of well-balanced beauty and subtlety. Striking features are the reduced language of forms, the considered choice of colour, and an extreme thinness of the vessel walls. Each piece is part of a series yet is a one-off – modeled, pressed and formed, folded or cut, glazed and fired all by hand.

In content, Doris Bank’s creations encompass a centuries-old tradition of table culture, which she reinterpreted for our time. She saw the table as a stage for her bowls, plates, beakers, and spoons, with the individual pieces to be combined in a way that created exciting ensembles. Despite the diversity of the pieces, she was concerned with the unity of the composition as a whole, which ultimately reflected the celebratory community gathered around the dining table. Doris Bank was a perfectionist in regard to her craft. She left nothing to chance and always knew exactly which techniques she wanted to use in order to translate her ideas. She loved the contrast of natural exterior surfaces and glazed interiors and was always searching for the right colour and appropriate decoration for each piece.

The last series of this far too prematurely deceased artist is called Shade. The purist configurations, folded like paper, of the beakers, bowls, and vases again showcase in a particularly impressive way the unique nature of handling sculptural forms. Doris Bank’s ceramic vessels enjoyed the highest esteem, in the Far East, in particular, courtesy of her minimalist aesthetic. She was represented at international trade fairs as well as in countless exhibitions. She was even selected to appear at the renowned Korea International Ceramic Biennale, a distinction bestowed upon very few European artists. This richly illustrated monograph presents the exceptional work of Doris Bank in its entirety.