Stan Bitters Sculptures
An icon of modernist ceramics since the 1960s, Stan Bitters constructed rough assemblages of clay slabs and spoked wheels into massive murals and tall totems, upsizing his medium to an architectural scale.
Like Toshiko Takaezu, Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner and others, Bitters was part of a small group of American artists during the mid-20th-century who embraced imperfection in their pottery.
Working in ceramics, a material that during the last 100 years was relegated to the supposedly lesser artistic realm of craft, Bitters and these other artists made bold, chunky pieces that served as a counterpoint to the smooth lines and overall slickness of modern and postmodern movements like Bauhaus, constructivism, minimalism, Op art and Pop art.
Hailing from Fresno, California, the self-proclaimed “old hippie” Bitters earned his bachelor’s degree in painting from UCLA. He also studied at what became Otis College in Los Angeles under Voulkos — the bad boy of American ceramics.
Voulkos almost single-handedly spawned what came to be known as the California Clay Movement and flouted pottery’s approved techniques. He transformed clay into a vibrant, highly expressive artistic medium, and Bitters’ funky, fractured style certainly shows it.
Bitters later became associated with organic modernism and created ceramics for Hans Sumpf, a maker of adobe bricks and furniture in Madera.
“Known for his Abstract Expressionist style, Bitters is a steadfast champion of environmental ceramics — the melding of natural, organic clay forms, sculptures and architectural elements into urban spaces to complement, transform and elevate their surroundings,” says Greg Nielson, of Dwell Floor Five, in Studio City, California.
With their sputtery glazes and graffiti-esque glyphs, Bitters’s works exude raw, countercultural energy.
Find Stan Bitters decorative objects, garden ornaments, planters and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Clay, Pottery
Early 2000s American Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
1980s English Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Stoneware
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Enamel
2010s Dominican Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic, Glass
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Glass
Late 20th Century American Brutalist Stan Bitters Sculptures
Pottery
2010s Dominican Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic, Glass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Bronze
Early 2000s Italian Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Plexiglass
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary South African Stan Bitters Sculptures
Clay, Earthenware, Ceramic
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Terracotta
1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Clay
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Stan Bitters Sculptures
Early 2000s American Stan Bitters Sculptures
Ceramic