Eshelman Pottery
Paul Eshelman (American, b. 1954)
oval teapot, cream and sugar, and two cups, 2014
slipcast mid-range red stoneware, glazed
teapot H: 6” cream and sugar H: 3.5”
The Dinnerware Museum, Museum Purchase and Gift of the Artist, 2015.1
A few years after receiving his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, Paul Eshelman made the decision to move to northwestern Illinois with his wife and children and set up his pottery. Since 1988, he has been producing his signature dinnerware – distinctive, clean designs created with a red stoneware body, and colorful subdued glazes. His work is slipcast and the finished pieces have no applied decoration.
When he was interviewed in 2014 by a staff member from American Craft Magazine and asked whether he considered himself an artist, a potter, or both, he replied, “Art and functional craft differ in category not quality. Art objects provide aesthetic enjoyment through contemplation, while pottery provides aesthetic enjoyment through service. As one devoted to function, I always think of myself as a potter, not an artist.” (http://craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/ready-serve-paul-eshelman)