Frank Zimmermann

I was captivated by the beauty, simplicity, and functionality of Pueblo
Indian pottery during a military tour of duty in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
in the early Seventies. This led me to enroll in classes to explore clay
pottery. I found myself enthralled by the magical transformation of soft
clay into an enduring ceramic vessel and enjoyed seeing friends and family
using my pottery in daily living. I continued to explore the mysteries
of fired clay in the Eighties, studying with several Northern Virginia artists,
including Grace Lewis and Sybil West. In the Nineties, I relocated to the
San Francisco Bay area and have since been inspired by the dynamic
creative community on the West Coast.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with numerous clay forming techniques -
from pinched, coiled and slab work to hand modified wheel thrown pieces.
I’ve fired these forms in modern gas and electric kilns, as well as used
rustic firing methods such as raku and pit fire. Throughout these explorations,
I’ve endeavored to make pottery that captures both the interaction of the
potter and the clay during the forming process, and the magic of the fire
during the transformation into ceramics.

It brings me great satisfaction that many of my New Mexican pieces are
still providing pleasure after 25 years of use. For that reason, stoneware
is my primary focus at the Frank - Z Pottery studio. I also produce a
limited number of decorative pieces fired at lower temperatures to replicate
vessels made by the earliest potters. These pieces capture a more primordial
fusion of earth, wind and fire. The early influence of the Southwest can be
seen in both my functional and decorative pieces.

E-Mail: fzimmermann@msn.com