Hutchens, Gordon
Item
Maker Name
Hutchens, Gordon
Studio name
Gordon Hutchens Studio
Marks
Biography
American born, Gordon Hutchens is a renowned production and artistic potter in BC. He is a superlative technician working in multiple ceramic medias - stoneware, raku, salt, soda and woodfire, Denman lustre porcelains, crystalline glazed porcelain, and reduction fired earthenwares and he formulates his own clay bodies. On his property Gordon has many kilns, firing to all ranges of temperatures to serve all the different technologies he is exploring.
Gordon achieved his BFA (Honours) at the University of Illinois, where he studied ceramics and glass blowing and he taught at Champaign-Urbana Craft Centre.
Gordon arrived in Canada and taught at the West Vancouver Recreation Centre from 1973 - 76.
By the mid 70s he was establishing his pottery and home on Denman Island and during that time his work was frequently shown at the House of Ceramics. He has maintained a booth at the Circle Craft Co-op Christmas Fair since the mid-1970s.
Gordon has taught across North America, and since 1999 he has taught ceramics at North Island College, School of Fine Art and Design. He has exhibited extensively across Canada, USA and had 3 major exhibitions in Japan. He has published, and his work has been featured in many publications, and he has made 4 teaching videos.
Gordon is an original and ongoing member of the collective, Fired Up, Contemporary Works in Clay.
In 2004 Gordon's work was selected for "Hot Clay, 16 West Coast Ceramic Arts" curated by Liane Davison, at the Surrey Art Gallery. In 2013 his work was included in the 'Back to the Land, Ceramics from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands 1970 -1985’ held at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, curated by Diane Carr
In 2016 the Fired Up collective held a special 2 day wood-firing in Gordon’s massive Tozan-style Anagama kiln, in honour and memory of Walter Dexter.
In 2019 Gordon was honoured by the BC Achievement Foundation, as the recipient of the Carter Wosk Award of Distinction.
Note: Roger Painter, Gordon Hutchens, and Tobias Tomlinson all went to Urbana High school together in Urbana, Illinois. Roger was one year ahead of Gordon and Tobias. Gordon lived about 4 blocks from Tobias, and we certainly hung out together in our "gang" of friends. We all immigrated to Canada within a year or two of each other.
Gordon achieved his BFA (Honours) at the University of Illinois, where he studied ceramics and glass blowing and he taught at Champaign-Urbana Craft Centre.
Gordon arrived in Canada and taught at the West Vancouver Recreation Centre from 1973 - 76.
By the mid 70s he was establishing his pottery and home on Denman Island and during that time his work was frequently shown at the House of Ceramics. He has maintained a booth at the Circle Craft Co-op Christmas Fair since the mid-1970s.
Gordon has taught across North America, and since 1999 he has taught ceramics at North Island College, School of Fine Art and Design. He has exhibited extensively across Canada, USA and had 3 major exhibitions in Japan. He has published, and his work has been featured in many publications, and he has made 4 teaching videos.
Gordon is an original and ongoing member of the collective, Fired Up, Contemporary Works in Clay.
In 2004 Gordon's work was selected for "Hot Clay, 16 West Coast Ceramic Arts" curated by Liane Davison, at the Surrey Art Gallery. In 2013 his work was included in the 'Back to the Land, Ceramics from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands 1970 -1985’ held at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, curated by Diane Carr
In 2016 the Fired Up collective held a special 2 day wood-firing in Gordon’s massive Tozan-style Anagama kiln, in honour and memory of Walter Dexter.
In 2019 Gordon was honoured by the BC Achievement Foundation, as the recipient of the Carter Wosk Award of Distinction.
Note: Roger Painter, Gordon Hutchens, and Tobias Tomlinson all went to Urbana High school together in Urbana, Illinois. Roger was one year ahead of Gordon and Tobias. Gordon lived about 4 blocks from Tobias, and we certainly hung out together in our "gang" of friends. We all immigrated to Canada within a year or two of each other.
First name
Gordon
Last name
Hutchens
Date of Birth
1949
Place of Birth
Champaign, Illinois, USA
Studio location
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
No complete list available
1970s House of Ceramics
1980 Retrospect Ceramics 80, Potters Guild of BC
2004 "Hot Clay, 16 West Coast Ceramic Arts" curated by Liane Davison, Surrey Art Gallery
2013 Back to the Land, AGGV, Diane Carr
Collections
2019 - BC Achievement Foundation, Carter Wosk Award of Distinction
Bronfman Family's "Claridge Collection"
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Publications;
1977 Catalogue of British Columbian Potters, Bob Kingsmill
1977 Catalogue of British Columbian Potters, Bob Kingsmill
1998 Made of Clay, PGBC
Affiliated organizations
Personal Website
http://www.gordonhutchens.com/home.html
Links to Further Resources
2019 Creative Achievement Award of Distinction, Carter Wosk Award in Applied Art + Design
Gordon\'s Blog at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/blog/pottery/as-potters-we-help-the-earth-to-recreate-itself-in-beautiful-ways/
https://cvcollective.ca/all-fired-up/
Source
Debra Sloan
Linked resources
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