Barry Canter’s vessels

Barry Canter, the Brooklyn-based artist, hand-builds unique vessels, all of which are tied to one another through a cylindrical shape. Always constructing a series of sculptures at once, Cantor hopes that you’ll view and experience these pieces as part of the collection they partake in… and not individually.

The basic shape is constructed from a flat slab of clay which is rolled into a circular column of varying dimensions. It is truly amazing how versatile one flat slab of clay really is.

Canter uses various tools to create contours, a process which is as calculated as it is (seemingly) disorderly. The vessels “blossom” from these interventions. In order to minimize the appearance of chaos, a smoothing tool is used to integrate the forms into a shape that becomes comfortable, yet not completely familiar.

Once the clay dries, a scraping tool scratches the surface. This action uncovers a gritty texture which causes randomized variations in the glaze.

The firing in the kiln offers a final, uncontrolled effect. The end result is a piece which is inspired from the natural world. Canter takes frequent jaunts to the Hudson Valley where he is always newly surprised by natural artifacts which look like they were artisan-created.

For a long while, Canter considered pottery as “just a hobby”. Once he found the Midtown studio, the studio visits became daily. For the past several years, Canter has been spending 40+ hours a week working on his vessels.

Canter uses traditional slab construction to build vessels which are loosely based on the scale of his hand. The forms which result are quite sensuous; and a hand fits comfortable on it saying, “Please pick me up”!