SophiSticated SurfaceS:the pottery of herb cohen7 a pr i l 2012 – 6 Ja n u a ry 2013 | t h e M i n t M u S e u M

SophiSticated SurfaceS: the pottery

of herb cohen brings together a rare and

inspiring compilation of work by a master ceramic

artist. Organized in celebration of The Mint

Museum’s seventy-fifth anniversary, it is presented

in conjunction with A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years

of Collecting North Carolina Pottery. Sophisticated

Surfaces beautifully augments this groundbreaking

pottery exhibition, and allows an in-depth

investigation of Cohen’s work, which comprises

a cornerstone in the tradition of North Carolina

pottery. He is highly regarded as an innovative and

extremely influential ceramicist, and has exhibited

widely throughout his seven-decade-long career

as an award-winning potter and sculptor. Following

the evolution of Cohen’s career, this exhibition

illustrates through forms that range from the

functional to the sculptural the inimitable skill

and style for which Cohen has become known.

Cohen’s dual ability to harmoniously

blend purity of form with sophisticated surface

decoration is one of the major attributes that make

his ceramics distinct. The platter featured on the

cover elegantly illustrates this marriage, the surface

design rendered with a graceful balance that is

particular to Cohen. Many of Cohen’s works feature

such intricate and complex abstract patterns,

carved into the clay surface using a technique

called sgraffito—decorative marks scratched

or scraped to create textured areas upon the

surface of the clay. The form is first allowed to

reach a leatherhard state, meaning the clay has

dried enough to hold its shape, but is still pliable

enough to be responsive to changes imposed

upon it. Next, Cohen applies a layer of black slip,

or liquid clay, which he then allows to harden.

Finally, he carves the pattern through the black

layer, revealing the contrasting, lighter-colored

F i g u r e 1Footed Bowl circa 1995

StonewarePrivate Collection

C o v e rPlatter circa 1996 (detail)

StonewarePrivate Collection

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clay beneath. In this work, both surface and form

become inseparable, as the carved edges of the

platter function simultaneously as an extension

of the pattern as well as the very structure upon

which the pattern has been composed.

In the footed bowl in figure 1, created around

the same time as the platter, Cohen also employed

the sgraffito technique to unite the pattern and

the form. The etched pattern echoes the rounded

shape of the vessel and enhances the form itself.

The intricacy and precision of Cohen’s designs

suggest a stringent, pre-calculated application;

however, he rarely sketches a design prior to

applying it to the surface of the clay. Cohen creates

his designs completely freehand and allows them

to develop spontaneously so that each design is

influenced by the particularities of the individual

form. Without hesitation and with a confidence

gleaned from decades of experience, Cohen

makes expertly incised marks into the clay—marks

that, unlike other media such as drawing, cannot

be easily erased or altered.

Born in 1931 on the Lower East Side of

Manhattan, Cohen began taking art classes at

Henry Street Settlement, an innovative community

center founded in 1893 that offers extensive social

services and art programs for adults and children.

Here Cohen first became exposed to ceramics

and learned to throw on the potter’s wheel at the

remarkably young age of six. Of the time he spent

at Henry Street Settlement, he recalls: “I was there

every afternoon, instead of just once a week.”1

Cohen demonstrated early in life an immense

talent for manipulating clay.

The earliest objects in this exhibition are a

pair of flour and sugar jars made at Henry Street

Settlement in 1940 when Cohen was only nine

years old (figure 2). Cohen gave these covered

jars as a gift to his mother, who continued to use

them for storing flour and sugar in her kitchen

throughout Cohen’s childhood. These beautiful

vessels—with their perfectly fitted lids and abstract

surface decoration—give no indication they were

created by a child. It is evident in these jars and

in other early works that Cohen already had a

keen and astonishing understanding of clay,

three-dimensional forms, and aesthetics. Cohen

continued to work with pattern and surface

decoration, often experimenting with the

glazing process.

F i g u r e 2Flour and Sugar Jars circa 1940 EarthenwarePrivate Collection

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Growing up in Manhattan during the 1930s

and 40s, Cohen was exposed to a vast array of

art and culture, including the visual arts, but also

music and performance. In this environment,

Cohen met such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and

the legendary Bill Robinson, who taught Cohen

to tap dance, and even Eleanor Roosevelt, who

made an unexpected visit to the Henry Street

Settlement in 1945. From the ages of eight

through fourteen, Cohen was a member of the

Meyer Machtenberg Male Choir, a professional

Jewish choir that performed all over the city in

synagogues and community centers and at such

prominent venues as Madison Square Garden,

where Cohen sang with renowned opera singer

Richard Tucker. At ages nine and ten, Cohen

performed on the Yiddish stage in the musical

biography of actress Molly Picon, Oy Is Dus

a Leben (Oh What a Life). In addition to these

culturally diverse activities, he frequently visited the

many museums and art galleries New York had to

offer, including the Whitney Museum of American

Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century

Gallery, a pioneer in exhibiting cutting-edge

modern art.2

Furthering his already extensive experience

in the arts, as a teenager Cohen attended

The High School of Music and Art—today the

LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and

Performing Arts—a public alternative high school

for students gifted in music and the visual arts. An

especially progressive educational institution in

the 1940s, it continues to be a highly competitive

and specialized school. Cohen recalls: “You had

to take a test to get in; the days were longer than

regular high schools. It was very advanced.”3

Here, he took courses in art history and a variety

of two- and three-dimensional art forms, including

drawing and sculpture. These progressive studies,

combined with his continued engagement with the

Henry Street Settlement, enabled him to expand

his knowledge of art and technique, garnering an

ever-increasing arsenal of skills that put him on par

with college graduates.

While Cohen had never intended to go

to college, he took his studies seriously, and

exercised great discipline in his artistic practice.

He stated: “We just didn’t have the money; it

[attending college] wasn’t something I had ever

planned on.”4 However, encouraged by one of his

instructors at Henry Street, he applied to the New

York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University,

renowned for its innovative ceramics program, and

at the time, the only one of its kind in the country.

Cohen’s teacher, along with the director of the

Henry Street Settlement, believed so strongly in

Cohen’s abilities they arranged to finance expenses

such as room and board, books, and supplies,

with an allotment of $650 per year, an extraordinary

amount of money in 1948.5 Nearly sixty-five

years later, Cohen reflected on this moment of

generosity, stating: “Henry Street was critically

important in my attending Alfred.”6

Enrolled in college at the age of sixteen,

Cohen began preparation for a professional

career as a potter. As a freshman, Cohen had the

opportunity to meet such distinguished ceramic

artists as Theodore Randall (1914–1985), inventor

of the “Randall wheel,” an improved potter’s

kickwheel, and Robert Turner (1913–2005), who

began the ceramics program at legendary Black

Mountain College between 1949 and 1951.

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Cohen had seen and used early prototypes of

the Randall wheel at Alfred, recalling: “I threw on

the great-grandfather of the Randall wheel.”7 Like

Cohen, both Randall and Turner became influential

ceramicists whose work embodies, albeit in

different ways, a balance between sculptural and

functional pottery.

After Cohen earned his BFA from Alfred

University in 1952, he served for two years in

the U.S. Army in Korea. Upon his return, Cohen

immediately entered Alfred’s rigorous MFA

program. Several works in the exhibition are from

Cohen’s graduate thesis; in this body of work, he

demonstrated technical mastery over industrial

applications in ceramics—techniques of mass

production utilized in the field of industrial pottery.

The porcelain teapot, pitcher, and sugar bowl set

in figure 3 were created using the drain cast mold

technique, by which casting slip, or liquid clay, is

poured into a mold and then poured out again

once an appropriate layer of clay has adhered to

the sides, resulting in the ultra-smooth, pristine

surfaces seen here.

In 1956, in the months prior to completing his

MFA program, Cohen was scouted by the genera l

manager of Hyalyn Porcelain Company—

a prominent pottery in Hickory, North Carolina—

and began working for the pottery as a professional

designer although he was still a student. Because

Cohen had already finished creating the physical

work that would comprise his thesis project, he

made special arrangements with the head of the

ceramics department at Alfred to complete the

remainder of his requirements from North Carolina,

returning to New York to graduate with his class

later that year. At Hyalyn, he developed and

designed his own line of wares, including items

sold in gift markets and florist shops, and other

accessory items such as ashtrays and lamp bases.

However, after two years at Hyalyn, Cohen

had become restless. Feeling burdened by a

lack of creative freedom, he decided to leave

in 1958. Following his resignation, he moved to

Charlotte to join his life partner, José Fumero,

fellow artist and successful commercial textile

designer. In Charlotte, Cohen became active at

The Mint Museum. The museum’s first annual

Piedmont Area Purchase Award Exhibition, held

in 1959, included two of Cohen’s pots—these

were the only examples of pottery in an exhibition

of two hundred works of art by regional artists. In

subsequent years, as the Mint’s exhibitions director,

F i g u r e 3Teapot, Sugar Bowl, and Pitcher, circa 1956Porcelain Private Collection

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Cohen expanded this exhibition into a series of

annual Southeast competitions: one for painting

and sculpture, one for crafts, and one for prints.

In 1959, the Mint’s staff was comprised of

only four people, and so Cohen—already an active

volunteer with the Mint’s burgeoning Theater

Guild—extended his volunteer efforts to assist in

the design and installation of exhibitions. Proving

to be an indispensable member of the Mint family,

Cohen was finally hired later that year. Henrietta

Wilkinson, author of The Mint Museum of Art at

Charlotte: A Brief History, wrote: “Herb Cohen

changed the face of the whole museum with his

unique lighting effects and displays…. He began

as part-time worker and exhibits director and

continued for fourteen years as the man in the

museum who could do anything that needed

doing….”8 His service encompassed the entire

spectrum of the museum’s activities and included

tasks both small and large, including serving as

acting director in 1968–1969 while the museum

conducted its search for a permanent director.

As exhibitions director, Cohen was

instrumental in spearheading the regional pottery

movement, establishing the museum as a pioneer

in collecting and exhibiting contemporary crafts

and ceramics, not only in the Southeast, but in the

nation as well. Michael Sherrill, renowned North

Carolina ceramic artist, recalled: “My first exposure

to contemporary craft was the annual shows that

Herb organized—this is what inspired me and gave

me hope of being a maker. In the 1970s, Herb gave

me a spotlight show at the Mint; it was the first great

thing that happened to me as a young artist.”9

Today, these collections comprise a major

component of the museum’s identity. With a deep

understanding of large-scale concepts and three-

dimensional space, as well as an acute awareness

of the extraordinary impact a work of art can have

on a visitor, Cohen also set the museum on its path

of innovative exhibition design.

In 1973, Cohen had reached a critical

juncture in his life; he and Fumero left Charlotte and

their successful careers in order to fully devote their

lives to artistic practice—Cohen to pottery, Fumero

to painting and fiber art. Although Cohen had

dedicated nearly his entire life to pottery and art, in

one form or another, he explained: “I never had the

chance to really make my own pots.” After college,

he went directly into his role as a professional

designer at Hyalyn. He then spent fifteen years

at The Mint Museum. While he had a studio in his

house in Charlotte during this period, complete

with a hand-built kiln, he explains: “I was able do

some [pottery], but not very much—I didn’t have

enough time.”10

Affectionately referring to himself and José

as “a couple of middle-age dropouts,” they sold

their house in Charlotte, purchased land from close

friend and artist Phillip Moose (1921–2001), and

F i g u r e 4Platter circa 1978StonewarePrivate Collection

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devoted all of their resources to designing and

building a house and studio in Blowing Rock, a

small, peaceful village in the mountains of western

North Carolina.11 They called it Studios 2, and

over the course of the next thirty-seven years,

they successfully maintained their home, studios,

and business. Here, much of Cohen’s work was

comprised of what he refers to as his “production”

pieces, objects such as mugs, bowls, jars, or

pitchers—items that could be used and purchased

by anyone, not necessarily art collectors. He also

spent time on more expressive objects, such as

platters; however, he recalled: “The platters rarely

sold.”12 These platters were a vehicle of expression

for Cohen. Here, he could explore themes and

designs at a level that could not necessarily be

achieved through more strictly utilitarian objects.

Completed among the first years in Blowing

Rock, the platter in figure 4, although beautifully

and exquisitely crafted, was not the sort of item

that a casual, everyday customer might purchase.

This platter was decorated using a specialized

technique called mishima, a Japanese method

of applying decoration in a manner similar to

sgraffito, except that the carved lines are not

left open; rather they are filled, either with a

contrasting colored slip, or in the case of this

platter, with white glaze. The process allows

Cohen to achieve these very fine, organic lines

that ripple like waves of electricity across the

surface of the clay body.

Cohen continued to develop his expressive

sgraffito work concurrent with his ongoing

experimentations with glazes.13 Cohen formulates

his own glazes to achieve dynamic, singular

results. In the platter in figure 5, Cohen glazed

the center in a bold crimson hue. The warm

color is matched in vibrancy with the decorative

sgraffito pattern carved into the surface of the rim,

complemented by the geometrically scalloped edge.

Around 2005, Cohen found himself at

another crossroads. He had developed a tremor

in his hand that would ultimately prevent him from

continuing to throw on the wheel; after seventy

years of performing the same motion over and

over, his muscles simply refused to cooperate

anymore. He explained: “My trouble with my

tremor is my hand doesn’t tremble all the time, but

it’s only in a certain position, and the position that

it happens is the position I have to use when I’m

bringing up a wall of clay on the wheel.”14 Rather

than succumbing to his physical limitation as a

disability, he viewed this as a chance to grow as

an artist and allow his practice to evolve. In the

midst of trying to navigate this new and uncharted

territory, Cohen declared: “I haven’t devoted

enough time to personal expression, and now I

have to. I’ve been given that opportunity. So it’s

a blessing in disguise, and who knows what will

become of it.”15

F i g u r e 5Platter circa 1975Stoneware Gift of Mrs. Joan Thalheimer in honor of Mrs. Ann Slesinger. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. 1994.44.2

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In an astonishing departure from his earlier

work, Cohen turned his attention and creativity

towards more sculptural, hand-built works. The

untitled wall sculpture in figure 6 takes on the

appearance of an organic, biomorphic shell

protruding from the wall. Recalling a woven

texture or perhaps the protective coverings of such

creatures as the armadillo or porcupine, this form

has a strong impact on the viewer. It is unlike the

majority of his previous works, and marks Cohen’s

conscious decision to push himself in

new directions.

Cohen’s tremendous contributions to the

long and varied tradition of North Carolina pottery

include not only his extensive body of work, but

also his lasting and ongoing commitment to the

regional arts community. Since the 1960s, Cohen

has been extremely active in the promotion of

regional art, specifically craft and ceramics,

serving on numerous boards and committees

of such regional and national arts organizations

as the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Piedmont

Craftsmen, Inc., and American Craft Council. In

countless ways he has influenced fellow potters—

both his peers and emerging artists—by simply

making himself available to provide counsel and

insight, always willing to share his extensive

knowledge, both as a potter and businessman.

Today, Cohen and Fumero, like prodigal sons, have

returned to Charlotte and remain ever engaged

and active in the art community. Although retired

from his previous work in clay, Cohen looks toward

F i g u r e 6Untitled circa 2006 StonewarePrivate Collection

the future, open to what possibilities might lay

ahead in this next chapter of his life.

When asked the question “Why pottery?”

Cohen answered, immediately and simply, “I

always knew I wanted to be a potter. I just loved

it. That’s it.”16 Despite Cohen’s prolific career

and esteemed status within the field, this is his

first solo museum exhibition. He is a talented,

accomplished, and dedicated artist whose warm

and generous nature is unmistakable, and one

who has played a seminal role in the history

and growth of The Mint Museum. The museum

is honored to present, during its seventy-fifth

anniversary year, an exhibition that celebrates

the life and extraordinary career of one of North

Carolina’s, Charlotte’s, and the Mint’s most

beloved artists.

Amber Smith, Curatorial Assistant, Special Projects

herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011.

herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011 and 12 January 2012.

herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.

ibid.

ibid.

herb cohen, interview with the author, 21 november 2011.

ibid.

henrietta Wilkinson, The Mint Museum of Art at Charlotte: A Brief History (charlotte, n.c.: heritage printers, 1973), 82.

Michael Sherrill, interview with the author, 14 february 2012.

herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.

bernadette cahill, “Just Say yes: two blowing rock artistsreinvent their careers,” High Country Magazine, august/September 2007, 121.

cahill, 126.

a glaze is a layer of liquid glass that is fused to the surface of the clay; it is used both to protect the pottery, as well as to provide an additional aesthetic or decorative component.

cahill, 126.

ibid.herb cohen, interview with the author, 12 January 2012.

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All works are by Herb Cohen;

dimensions are listed as height by

width and diameter.

Flour Jar circa 1940 Earthenware, 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches Private Collection

Sugar Jar circa 1940Earthenware, 5 ½ x 4 ¼ inches Private Collection

Cylinder Vase circa 1942 Earthenware, 15 x 6 inches Private Collection

Vase circa 1955Stoneware, 10 x 8 inches Private Collection

Pitcher circa 1956Porcelain, 4 ½ x 4 x 5 inches Private Collection

Plate circa 1956 Porcelain, 1 x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection

Plate circa 1956 Porcelain, 1 x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection

Sugar Bowl circa 1956 Porcelain, 5 ¼ x 4 inches Private Collection

Teapot circa 1956Porcelain and bamboo, 7 x 5 ¾ x 7 7/8 inches Private Collection

Vase circa 1956Porcelain, 6 x 3 ½ inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1972Stoneware, 8 ½ x 17 inches Private Collection

Vase circa 1973Stoneware, 14 3/8 x 5 ¾ inches Private Collection

Vase circa 1975Stoneware, 12 ¼ x 5 ½ inches Private Collection

Covered Jar circa 1985Stoneware, 5 ¼ x 4 inches Collection of Cary Bissell Pickard

Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 3 ½ x 3 ½ inches Private Collection

Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 3 ½ x 4 inches Private Collection

Glaze Test Vessel circa 1975–present Stoneware, 2 ¾ x 4 ½ inches Private Collection

Platter circa 1975Stoneware, 4 x 17 ¾ inches Gift of Mrs. Joan Thalheimer in honor of Mrs. Ann Slesinger. 1994.44.2. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Platter circa 1977Stoneware, 2 5/8 x 9 5/8 inches Private Collection

Platter circa 1978Stoneware, 3 5/8 x 15 ¾ inches Museum Purchase. 1978.188. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Platter circa 1978Stoneware, 3 ½ x 15 inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 6 x 7 ½ inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 6 x 7 ¼ inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1983Stoneware, 5 ¾ x 7 ½ inches Private Collection

Platter circa 1983Stoneware, 3 ½ x 13 ¾ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski

Casserole circa 1985Stoneware, 7 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches Private Collection

Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 6 ½ x 4 ¾ inches Private Collection

Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 6 ¼ x 4 ¾ inches Private Collection

Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 7 1/8 x 4 1/8 inches Private Collection

exhibition checkliSt

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Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski

Vessel circa 1986Stoneware, 7 ¾ x 4 ¼ inches Collection of John Thompson

Vase circa 1985Stoneware, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches Collection of Cary Bissell Pickard

Bowl circa 1989Stoneware, 7 ½ x 16 inches Collection of George Van Nuys and Ronald Tharp

Platter circa 1989Stoneware, 3 3/8 x 16 ½ inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski

Goblet circa 1990Stoneware, 10 x 3 ½ inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1993Stoneware, 7 ½ x 14 5/8 inches Private Collection

Bud Vase circa 1995Stoneware, 7 5/8 x 6 inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri

Compote circa 1995 Stoneware, 14 x 12 ½ inches Collection of George Van Nuys and Ronald Tharp

Footed Bowl circa 1995Stoneware, 16 x 15 inches Private Collection

Platter circa 1995Stoneware, 3 ½ x 16 ½ inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri

Platter circa 1996Stoneware, 3 7/8 x 16 7/8 inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 1997Stoneware, 5 x 11 inches Private Collection

Casserole circa 1998Stoneware, 15 x 11 1/8 inches Collection of June Watts-Mistri and Adi M. Mistri

Platter circa 2000Stoneware, 3 ¾ x 17 5/8 inches Private Collection

Pitcher circa 2002Stoneware, 7 x 4 inches Private Collection

Pitcher circa 2002 Stoneware, 9 ¾ x 7 3/8 inches Private Collection

Vase circa 2002Stoneware, 9 x 5 inches Private Collection

Platter circa 2004Stoneware, 3 x 15 inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski

Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 5 ½ x 6 inches Private Collection

Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 4 ½ x 6 ½ inches Collection of John Thompson

Bowl circa 2005Stoneware, 5 x 6 inches Collection of Sonia and Isaac Luski

Untitled circa 2006 Stoneware, 16 x 8 ½ x 5 inches Private Collection

Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection

Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection

Mug circa 2007Stoneware, 5 x 4 inches Private Collection

The Midas Touch circa 2008Stoneware, 17 ¾ x 5 ¼ inches Private Collection

Pavane circa 2008 Stoneware, 40 ¾ x 13 x 9 ¾ inches Private Collection

Platter circa 2008Stoneware, 2 ½ x 14 ½ inches Private Collection

Sarabande circa 2008Stoneware, 40 ¾ x 13 x 9 ¾ inches Private Collection

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Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen was organized by The Mint Museum.

Cohen at The Mint Museum, July 3, 1973. Photograph courtesy of The Charlotte Observer.

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