The Complexity of Simplicity
Jan 20 - Apr 15, 2007
Edith Kiertzner Heath (1911-2005) was a dedicated studio potter, gifted form-giver, and the owner of one of the few remaining American potteries. Born in the Midwest, Heath was introduced to pottery while studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. By the time Edith and her husband Brian relocated to San Francisco she had decided to dedicate her time to the study of ceramics and ceramic chemistry.
A one-woman show of hand thrown ceramics at San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor in 1944 garnered Edith the attention of a buyer from Gump’s department store. Soon she was selling her dinnerware and accessories in this and other important retail outlets. By 1946 Heath, with the help of her husband, expanded production to a small factory in Sausalito. Heathware was prized for its clean, simple shapes, understated elegance and attention to clay and glaze ingredients. Her ware reflected a more relaxed, post-war American lifestyle, especially in California where indoor/outdoor living was taking root. Museums, many collecting and showing industrial design objects for the first time, included Heathware, covering the rise of mid-century Modernism.
Edith Heath’s work has been included in exhibitions and collections nationwide. At the age of 92 Edith truly retired and in 2003 new owners Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey took over the business, committing themselves to Edith’s original designs and core philosophies. This exhibition coincides with the release of the book Heath Ceramics: The Complexity of Simplicity by Amos Klausner with contributions from Alice Waters, Aaron Betsky, Yves Behar, Agnes Bourne, Ann Sacks, and others.
