Creation Out of Clay: The Ceramic Art and Writings of Brother Thomas

edited by Rosemary Williams

Hardcover: 218 pages
Publisher: Pucker Art Publications (1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0-8028-3870-7
Dimensions: 12.25" x 11.3" x 1.1"
Shipping Weight: 3.57 lbs.

"Art is not an occupation, it is a state of being. It has its own spiritual revelations and perhaps, in the terminal evolution, we must all be spiritual beings—or we won't be at all."

In this book of collected essays and recent works in porcelain, Brother Thomas Bezanson explores his faith and the process of creation to which he has dedicated his life. He exposes to the reader his deepest thinking side by side with illustrations of the precious fruits of his labor: the multitude of glorious porcelain vases, plates, and tea bowls that he produces in his modest studio.

In an accompanying memoir, Brother Thomas outlines the major events of his life: the childhood in Nova Scotia and his discovery of art; his travels as a young man in Europe; his decision to enter the Benedictine Monastery at Weston Priory in Vermont and the twenty-five years he spent there; and his current tenure as artist-in residence at Mount Saint Benedict in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The book also contains a 19 page photo essay on Thomas at work in his studio by photographer Bill Aron of Los Angeles, California, as well as an introduction by author, lecturer and activist Joan Chittister, OSB.

An illustrated index of works by Brother Thomas held in more than fifty museum collections around the world is included in the appendix.