Pair of Hans Sumpf Garden Hose Pots, Designed by Stan Bitters
View Similar Items
Pair of Hans Sumpf Garden Hose Pots, Designed by Stan Bitters
About the Item
- Creator:Stan Bitters (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Diameter: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2000
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Palos Verdes Estates, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU94411728852
Stan Bitters
An icon of modernist ceramics since the 1960s, Stan Bitters constructed rough assemblages of clay slabs and spoked wheels into massive murals and tall totems, upsizing his medium to an architectural scale.
Like Toshiko Takaezu, Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner and others, Bitters was part of a small group of American artists during the mid-20th-century who embraced imperfection in their pottery.
Working in ceramics, a material that during the last 100 years was relegated to the supposedly lesser artistic realm of craft, Bitters and these other artists made bold, chunky pieces that served as a counterpoint to the smooth lines and overall slickness of modern and postmodern movements like Bauhaus, constructivism, minimalism, Op art and Pop art.
Hailing from Fresno, California, the self-proclaimed “old hippie” Bitters earned his bachelor’s degree in painting from UCLA. He also studied at what became Otis College in Los Angeles under Voulkos — the bad boy of American ceramics.
Voulkos almost single-handedly spawned what came to be known as the California Clay Movement and flouted pottery’s approved techniques. He transformed clay into a vibrant, highly expressive artistic medium, and Bitters’ funky, fractured style certainly shows it.
Bitters later became associated with organic modernism and created ceramics for Hans Sumpf, a maker of adobe bricks and furniture in Madera.
“Known for his Abstract Expressionist style, Bitters is a steadfast champion of environmental ceramics — the melding of natural, organic clay forms, sculptures and architectural elements into urban spaces to complement, transform and elevate their surroundings,” says Greg Nielson, of Dwell Floor Five, in Studio City, California.
With their sputtery glazes and graffiti-esque glyphs, Bitters’s works exude raw, countercultural energy.
Find Stan Bitters decorative objects, garden ornaments, planters and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
- Vessel by Stan Bitters for Hans SumpfBy Stan Bitters, Hans SumpfLocated in Palm Springs, CAStan Bitters planter with incised floral motif on both sides. This vessel was designed by one of California's great ceramicist's and manufactured by Hans Sumpf.Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Monumental Stan Bitters Stoneware Ceramic Planter for Hans SumpfBy Stan Bitters, Hans SumpfLocated in Los Angeles, CAMonumental Stan Bitters stoneware ceramic planter for Hans Sumpf.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsStoneware
- Stan Bitters Thumb Pot PlanterBy Stan BittersLocated in Santa Barbara, CARare mid century modernist planter and tray designed by Fresno, CA artist Stan Bitters (produced by Hans Sumpf Company). This piece is a unique test...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsCeramic
- Set of Three Thumbpots by Stan Bitters, USA, 2017By Stan BittersLocated in Berlin, DESet of a large brown, a medium white and a small black thumbpot by Fresno, California Artist Stan Bitters. The planters are hand-built with thumbprint design. The hand-built, organic...Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsCeramic, Clay
$21,558 / set - Mushroom Table and Stools by Stan Bitters for Hans Sumpf Company, USA 1970sBy Stan Bitters, Hans SumpfLocated in Los Angeles, CABeautiful and rare mushroom table and stools set by noted Californian ceramicist, Stan Bitters for Hans Sumpf company. As a pioneer of the organic modernist craft movement in the 1960s, Bitters has been producing rough-hewn ceramic birdhouses...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsConcrete
- Stan Bitters Hans Sumph Ceramic Clay Sgraffito Lot of Four TilesBy Stan BittersLocated in Palm Springs, CASet of four stoneware tiles with sgraffito flower design created by Stan Bitters for Hans Sumph. Tiles measure approximately 5.75" square by .50" deep and are unsigned. In very good ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Garden Ornaments
MaterialsStoneware