IMAGE GALLERY: The Making of Ceramic Art

Potters have been producing ceramics for both art and utilitarian purposes for over 12,000 years. It is a trade and craft that is found around the world, throughout modern history. It used to be that if you needed a bowl, or a statue, you went to your local potter, who would make such things.

Most utilitarian pottery is now produced in factories — cups, plates, bowls, etc. Mass-produced ceramics are inexpensive, but lack the art that went into hand-produced pieces. Today's ceramic artists form a bridge between the ancient world and ours.

Bradley Backer is a local ceramic artisan in Salem. His sunny studio is in the Hawthorne Building, where he has a large workspace complete with a kiln, a potter's wheel and pottery production tools. He produces both colorful wall art and utilitarian pieces, all hand-thrown and painted. 

In this series of images, we'll explore his process of making ceramic art. He also has many ideas about keeping ceramic art relevant to our modern times, from ceramic recycling arrows to a current project.

These pictures capture just some of his process and a few of his ideas.