Pottery from Goodwill

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I don't usually buy pottery since I know so little about it but these two pieces stood out to me. Not sure if they are really worth anything or even how old they are. I'm guessing they were made within the last twenty year or so by small, independent artists but I could be wrong. I haven't really been able to find anything online so far and I haven't even been able to figure out who the artists are. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

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[tamrock]

I refer to those as studio art pottery, made by many different artists everywhere. It's not easy to find out who made them, because there are so many folks who produce them, which most are not listed on the internet. The thrift stores around me seem to be well supplied with some wonderfully made pieces. If I had the room I would load up on many I see, because the prices are a real bargain to what I'm sure they would've originally cost.

 

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I refer to those as studio art pottery, made by many different artists everywhere. It's not easy to find out who made them, because there are so many folks who produce them, which most are not listed on the internet. The thrift stores around me seem to be well supplied with some wonderfully made pieces. If I had the room I would load up on many I see, because the prices are a real bargain to what I'm sure they would've originally cost.

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that would be the answer. In my travels I've seen so many small, local artists producing some beautiful art but they are rarely known outside of their region. I'd love to know who made these pieces but I guess that will probably remain a mystery.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I understand your viewpoint. I now collect Art that appeals to me. If I like it, I don’t care if it was done by Little Johnny down the street. I would like to own a Picasso because of the perceived value. However, IMO he should have flunked Art class. Many area/local artist have amazing talent and they should be appreciated.

 

[Jarl]

I know this was posted quite a few months ago but I'll respond anyway. In the first photo the signature looks like it says, 'Shimek'. I've found some other pieces online with a similar signature, one being attributed to an Anne Shimek. As for the 'SA' chop mark on the other piece, I'm unsure. That could represent a first and last name of a person or a studio etc. I've purchased a lot of pottery and artwork and have been able to attribute much of it but it doesn't always happen right away. Many times, if you do this a lot lol...you'll attribute a work inadvertently while looking for something else. That's always nice.

Like paintings and prints or other types of artwork, signatures can be a real problem. First there has to be one, then it has to be legible...and artists are often notorious for illegible signatures.
And even if you can read the signature you often hit a dead end anyway.

One thing I'd suggest is to first start checking local galleries(and museums!!). Many have online sites and will feature their resident artisans in their respective mediums. That works best if the artist is still working and being represented, of course. But galleries do sell works posthumously and in secondary market. Also, some artists are represented by several galleries so it pays to check as many as you can find but starting locally should be the first step.

Another place to check is online rosters of guilds, clubs and public studios. Chances are, if the pieces are in fact local, one of the members might know the artist or they may be part of the group itself.

One thing I do with mystery art/signatures is use Google Lens. If you don't get a positive ID at least you'll have an idea of how to physically attribute the piece comparing similar pieces in the search results. It seems a bit abstract and maybe desperate, but it is possible to attribute a work to an artist just by trying different search terms when describing your item. If the artist is out there you're simply trying to enter just the right search terms(like a combination) to find a match. Obviously it pays to simply know what you have in front of you; exactly what it is, what it's made of, color choices, construction methods, artistic style, characteristic ornamentations, potential region of origin, possible age or era of mfg., etc. could all be considered.

There should be other resources out there too. If the artist was part of a guild or something their work may have been published or even in local or regional newspapers or books etc. There's at least one site I know of called TMP(The Marks Project) that is a resource for pottery signatures and maker's marks. I think most of those are pretty high-end however, but, you never know.

-JP