Tall Stacked Vessel

About Tall Stacked Vessel

This tall contemporary ceramic vessel is by Bruce Cochrane.

The distinctive aesthetic of this Canadian ceramicist has attracted international attention. Bruce Cochrane has been firing clay for more than fifty years and acquired a reputation as a highly skilled artist. His eclectic dynamic forms are also functional. Cochrane favours organic shapes and his habit of gas or wood firing his clay results in distinctive textures and colours. This vessel may be used as a vase—its tall, curved shape is accentuated by the flame pattern and rich earthy colour of the clay.

“I am less relying on the wheel process in favor of slab building with press molded components. This provides a way of deconstructing the anatomy of pottery form and reconstructing it by stacking multiple components and introducing a composition of intersecting planes and volumes.” Bruce Cochrane

“No matter how elaborate Cochrane’s work becomes, it is safe to say that at the core of everything he makes is the idea of functionality—an idea he fell in love with the very first time he touched clay.” Jessica Cabe, Ceramics Monthly

Bruce Cochrane was born in Vancouver. His family moved to Montreal and there he was first introduced to ceramics in high school. Cochrane continued his education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where he obtained a BFA. In the late seventies he acquired his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Returning to Ontario, he taught ceramics at Sheridan College in Ontario from 1978-2010. He continues to hold workshops and exhibit his work internationally. In a career that spans fifty years, Cochrane has received numerous awards over the years and been nominated several times for the prestigious Governor General’s Award. His work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA). Bruce Cochrane’s home and studio are in Markdale, Ontario.