Santa Barbara Ceramic Design

With pottery production migrating to Asia in the latter part of the twentieth century, Santa Barbara Ceramic Design (SBCD) was something of an anomaly–a homegrown studio producing unique decorative and functional ceramic art. This is the story of SBCD and how a studio pottery defined by one person producing hand-thrown, hand -decorated pottery evolved into a full-blown production pottery with distinct colorways, shapes, and designs. Complete with copious primary sources and company ephemera, this profile captures the voices of the creative forces behind SBCD, its company culture, and works that in many ways invoke the Arts and Crafts movement and earlier American potteries like Weller and Roseville. Featuring chapters on studio marks, an introduction by owner and founder Ray Markow,and a year-by-year review from 1973 to 1987, this is the definitive volume on SBCD for the ceramics collector, dealer, student, artist, and historian.

Terry Gerratana is an avid collector of California pottery and SBCD. She is an American Art Pottery Association member and has written articles for their national publication, Journal.